92 
THK TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[August i, 1890. 
which real merit won for it. So long as that 
is maintained, there is every reason to think it will 
keep its position in the Home market ; while, as 
regards its introduction elsewhere, prospects are en- 
couraging in flussia, where price is no object, as well 
as in America and Australia. Export from London is 
now at the rate of IJ million lb. per annum : and 
steady progress should follow the persistent efforts 
being made to attract buyers in other markets. 
In their own interests producers should do what 
they can to lessen the number of separate invoices 
and breaks, for it is becoming difficult even for the 
most industrious buyer to examine all the samples 
offered. While estates are giving a small yield un- 
sorted leaf might be shipped, but not where crops are 
large. Eetailers like to select and blend for themselves : 
and demand from different parts of the country calls 
for tea of such different grade and type that it 
could not be fully met by unassorted leaf, devoid of 
distinctive character in cup. The great variety of 
Indian has been of primary aid in extending its use; 
and this will almost certainly be the case with Oeylon 
Tea. 
The probable effect of the reduced duty on values 
has been much discussed. Judging from the active 
demand, coincident with the reduction and the 
advance in prices, the result has been favourable to 
the best teas, i.e., to Indian and Oeylon, not to China. 
This tends to confirm the opinion held by some who 
are in close touch with consumers, that the public 
may take advantage of reduced retail prices to buy 
better tea ; which agrees with our observation, often 
recorded, that tea-drinkers are learning to appreciate 
the benefit of using good qualities. 
TBiNSAC CIONS IN OeYLON TbA AT AUCTION. 
Twelve months ending 3lst May, 
pkgs. lb, per lb. 
1890. . .450.000 equal to 31,500,000 Av. pr. about lid 
1889. . .381.500 „ 26,500,000 „ „ lOid 
1888.. .227.000 „ 13,600,000 „ „ Is OJd 
♦ 
INDIAN, CEYLON AND JAVA TEAS. 
Having quoted above that portion of Messrs. Wm. 
Jas, & Hy, Thompson’s annual tea review which re- 
ferred to Oeylon tea, we now — see page 93 — give the 
more extended remarks on Indian teas, to which 
readers of the review of Ceylons were re- 
ferred. Planters will, no doubt, give due con- 
sideration to the advice proffered and the information 
afforded. Some of the figures appended are inter- 
esting. Out of 36,107,000 lb. exported in the 
season ended 31st May, the vast bulk was China, 
the proportion of Indian seems to have been about 
3 millions and of Ceylon 1| million, or 4^ millions 
of Indian and Ceylon kinds against nearly 34 W 
millions China. It is, of course, a testimony to ‘ 
the better qualities of the Indian and Ceylon teas 
that so much should be taken of them for home 
consumption and so little left for export. But 
as production increases, so will the quantity 
available for export from Britain. The italics are 
used to remind our readers that the exports of tea 
direct from India and Ceylon to markets other 
than that of Britain are considerably in excess 
of the figures we have quoted. Altogether this year 
we suppose about 8 millions Indian teas and fully 4 
millions Ceylon will be diverted from British consump- 
tion, by being consumed in the countries of pro- 
duction or sent direct to Australia, America and 
other countries. The exports from Britain for 3 
Beasons have been ; — 
1888 ... 35,200,009 lb. 
1889 ... 39,500,000 „ 
1890 ... 36,107,000 „ 
or close or 37 millions, of which, probably, for 
the 3 seasons, 34 millions have been China, against 
an average of 3 millions Indian and Ceylon. The 
figures for home consumption for the 3 seasons are 7iot, 
as Messrs, Thompson say, altogether satisfactory .even 
if we take into account Mr. Goschen’s statement that 
7 lb. of Indian or Oeylon tea leaf are equal to 10 lb. 
of China. The progress in the 3 seasons has been 
as follows : — 
1888 ... 183,000,000 lb, 
1889 ... 185.250,000 ., 
1890 ... 187,940,000 „ 
The increase in the 3 seasons has been only 
4,940,000 lb., or not quite 5 millions of pounds. 
While the Jwme consumption of Indian has in- 
creased steadily and that of Ceylon rapidly (from 
12i millions to about 32* in the 3 seasons), and 
while Java shows a slight decrease, China has 
gone down as rapidly as Ceylon has gone up, the 
decrease on the tea which had once the monopoly 
of the world having been from say 85 millions 
(home consumption) to 55, a decrease of 30 milliona, 
against an increase in its ousters of 
Indian ... 16,000,000 lb. 
Ceylon ... 19,000,000 „ 
Total ... 35,000,000 lb. 
—the equivalent of 50 millions of China, on the prin- 
ciple enunciated by Mr. Goschen, With the re- 
duction of duty, let us hope that our British friends 
will henceforward drink as much of the stronger 
infusion as they formerly did of the weaker, and 
more ; the abominable custom of putting the tea- 
pot on the “hob” being abolished, so that tannin 
may be imbibed in moderate and useful quantity 
and not at a rate which is injurious. 
The figures for the course of prices in the three sea- 
sons are interesting. As deduced by the eminent bro- 
kers the figures for Indian teas show a commence- 
ment with Is ; a rise to Is O^d ; and 
finally a fall to lOfd per lb. Ceylon be- 
gan with a higher figure Is Jd, but instead of 
rising fell next season to lOJd, recovering to 
lid, which is 4-7ths of a penny higher than the 
average of Indian for last season. Ceylon is likely 
for several years to go on gaining on India in total 
produce ; but no matter what aggregations may be 
made in the formation of companies in our island, 
it is difficult to suppose that any one “concern” 
in Ceylon will ever approach the old Assam Company 
with 7,520 acres of land and a production equal to 
2.674.000 of tea. The Joktai follows with 4,922 
acres and 2,309,000 lb., while the Assam Frontier 
Company, although its acreage is only 3,300, shows 
an outturn of 2,380,000 lb. Besides these 3 above 
2 millions, there are 3 more above 1 million, and 
quite a considerable number with between 500,000 
and close up to 1 million. The average yield per 
acre for the Indian estates is 408 lb., against, for our 
much younger Ceylon estates, an average of 
between 200 and 300 lb. If, as in the case of India, 
“ mature ” tea only were counted, our average is 
quite equal to that of India. 
In 1889, out of 34,346,000 lb. of tea exported 
from Ceylon, we find that 1,689,000 were diverted 
from Britain. This quantity added to 1,250,000 
exported from Britain makes up a total of 
2.939.000 lb. Local consumption will certainly 
more than make up the round 3 millions, perhaps 
3J millions ? Our chief export was to Australia, 
1,162,783 lb., against only 87,664 in 1885, Next 
to Australia we have, strangely enough, British 
possessions in India 383,544 lb. against only 5,000 
in 1885. The United States come in a very poor 
Total 110,807,090 „ 
Average 36,930,000 „ 
* Approximate figures for exports deducted from 
total deliveries, 
