2?4 
THE TROHICAL A^RICULtURlSl. 
['OctOBER I, 1890. 
PEOGRESS OP TEA CONSUMPTION IN 
BRITAIN; 
RISE AND PROGRESS OF BRITISH-GROWN 
TEA AND DECADENCE OF THE CHINA 
TRADE. 
Messrs. Gow, Wilson & Stanton have prepared 
one of those periodical reviews of the tea trade 
illustrated by coloured and graduated diagrams 
which convey distinct and vivid impressions re- 
garding the progress of tea consumption and the 
progress or decadence of the supplies received 
from different sources. This document will be 
circulated to our subscribers with an early issue, and 
meantime we proceed to notice some of the more 
salient facts in the advance copy with which 
we have been favoured. On the first page there 
are nine circular diagrams showing the ad 
vanoe in the home consumption of tea during 
nine quinquennial periods between 1849 and 1889. 
The size of the last circle of the series is con- 
siderably more than three times the size of the 
first, the increase having been from 50 millions of 
lb., all China, in 1849, to I 804 millions, mainly 
British-grown, in 1889. For the first three quin- 
quenniums only China was consumed, the figures 
rising in the period ended 1869 to 76J millions. 
In the 1864 period commenced the competion of 
Indian tea, but China continued to advance until 
it attained its maximum in the 1879 period with 
126^ millions of lb. Then commenced the “ down 
grade ” process, to IlOf millions in 1879 and 
only 61 millions (the figure previously attained 
in 1854) in 1879. The red colour inside the 
circle indicating Indian tea continued to en- 
large until from 2,800,000 lb. in 1864 the 
figures rose to 96 millions in 1889. Cey- 
lon was late in the field ; but its progress 
from a small yellow spot, indicating IJ million 
of pounds in the 1884 period, was phenomenal : the 
yellow having enlarged to a proportion of 28| 
millions in 1889. Up to the end of 1859 only 
China tea was consumed in Britain, and of that 
only 76^ millions. In 1864 the consumption 
rose to 88i millions, of which 2,800,000 
was Indian. In 1889 the figures for home con- 
sumption in Britain were : — 
China 61,100,000 lb. 
Indian 96,028,491 „ 
Ceylon 28,500,000 „ 
Total ... 185,628,491 1b. 
Together it will be seen that Indian and Ceylon 
tea made up 124,528,491 lb. British-grown 
against 61,100,000 China, — or more than twice the 
quantity of the famous product of Cathay which 
once monopolized the market. So compete a revo- 
lution and in so short a period has seldom occurred 
in the trade in any great article of consumption 
and the progress of supersession has by no means 
reached its final limits. 
The compiler of the paper remarks : — 
In 1889 the quantity of China Tea used in Great 
Britain was f«ss than the Home Consumption in 1854 — 
35 years previously. 
In 1889 the quantity of British Grown Tea used was 
more than douhle the entire Home Consumption in the 
same year, 1854. 
In 1889 the quantity of British Grown Tea used was 
iti excess of the entire Home Consumption in 1871 — 18 
years previously. 
In the first six months of 1890, the consumption of 
China tea was only 28,686,000 lb. against 31,418,000 
in the corresponding period of 1889 or .30 lb, per- 
centage per head of the population instead of 35, or 
from above one-third of the whole to considerably be- 
low that proportion. In tho case of Indian the rise was 
from 46J millions to 51J or from a percentage per head 
of 51 to 64. The progress of Ceylon was from 
13,066,000 to 14,583,000 lb., or from 14 percentage 
per head to 16. To quote again : — 
The figures below the Diagram show that the Tea 
consumption has nearly quadrupled during a period of 
forty years — since 1849. 
In the ten years ending — Ib. 
1859 the Consumption bad increased about 26 million. 
1869 do uo further increased 
about ... 36 do. 
1879 do do do do 49 do. 
1889 do ^ do do do 25 do. 
The quantity used annually per head of population 
had increased as follows ; — 
1849. 1859. 1869. 1879. 1889. 
lb. lb. lb. lb. lb. 
1-81 267 3-63 4-68 4'91 
The increase in the actual weight of Tea used dur- 
ing the last ten years, was small when compared with 
the preceding periods. This may probably be in a 
great measure accounted for by the large proportion 
of Indian and Ceylon Teas used in the latest period. 
These Teas being so much stronger than China Tea, 
a greater number of cups can be prepared from the 
same weight of Tea — thus rendering British Grown 
Teas far more economical than China. It therefore, 
seems not improbable that a further expansion may 
take place in the Home Consumption as the displace- 
able quantity of China Tea becomes gradually less. 
Reduction of Duty — On the 1st May, the Tea Duty 
was reduced from sixpence to fourptnce per lb. 
The last time an alteration in the Duty occurred was 
on the 1st June, 1865, when it was reduced from one 
shilling per lb., to sixpence per lb, a reduction from 
Is 6d per lb. having been made during 1863. 
Although a reduction from 6d to 4d, at a time 
when the price of Tea is so slow as to bring it 
within easy reach of almost every class of the com- 
munity, is not a parallel case to a reduction in the 
Tax from Is to 6d per lb., at a period when the price 
of Tea was double its present figure ; it may 
nevertheless be of irterest to compare the average 
consumption during the five years just preceding 
1865 with that of the five years immediately follow- 
ing, viz ; — 
Average Annual Con- Average Annual Con- 
sumption 1860-1864. sumption 1866-1870. 
lb. lb. 
81,464,027 109,883,329 
Per head of lb. lb. 
population 2'79 3'61 
It may be mentioned that the average Consump- 
tion per bead of population, has remained almost 
stationary during the last seven years — probably for 
the reasons given under the previous heading. 
It is too early yet to judge of the effect of the 
reduction just made in the Duty, and it may be a 
mere coincidence that the Home Consumption during 
the last six months should show an nnusually large 
advance — the whole of which is made up of clearances 
since the 1st May. 
The immediate effect of the alteration in the Duty 
was to produce a strong demand for the lower grades 
of Indian and Ceylon Teas, and even a temporary but 
very transient demand for low priced China Tea. 
This demand was doubtless caused to meet an ex- 
pected enquiry from the public for cheaper Teas. 
This arrestment of the rate of progress, although 
undoubtedly due to the superiority of the British- 
grown teas, is a serious matter for India and Ceylon, 
which are so rapidly increasing their output of 
tea, and no effort should be wanting to open 
up new markets. It is satisfactory to learn, 
as we do further on, that the progress already made 
is promising. A diagram shows that medium 
Indian pekoe went down in price from Is 6d per 
lb. in 1880 and 1881 to 9,Jd and lO^d in 1890; 
the downward course of pekoe souchong in the 
same period having been from Is 3d to 8Jd and 9d 
per lb. In view of a stationary consumption in 
Britain and lowered prices, our readers interested 
in tea (the great majority) will eagerly scan the 
