378 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[November i, i8go. 
A FEW TEA NOTES. 
Sir, — Some little time ago there was a discussion 
between tea planters and tea buyers, many of the 
former asserting that they do not get full value of 
teas sold at the weekly auctions, and in consequence 
ship direct to London. On the other hand tea 
buyers maintain they have orders from various 
parts of the globe which it is impossible to fill, 
even though they are prepared to pay more than 
the London valuatiohs. There is no doubt what- 
ever that much business from foreign countries, 
formerly passing through London, is now coming 
direct to Colombo, but if these orders cannot be 
promptly fulfilled they will again revert to Mincing 
Lane to the detriment of local firms and the growers 
themselves. I cannot by any means agree with the 
latter as to the local market not being so good as 
Mincing Lane. There may be exceptional oases 
where monies have realized higher prices at home, 
but in the long run I feel sure planters will benefit 
by supporting the local sale room. It is well-known 
by Colombo tea men that large sums have been 
dropped by buyers at local sales who have resold 
in Mincing Lane. Many firms have bought tea as 
a speculation, or as a form of remittance hoping 
to save something in exchange, and those who 
study the Mincing Lane Circulars can see that 
losses have been made to the extent of even fid 
per lb. Of course where they have private outlets 
they come out alright, but I think I can safely 
say, that those who have bought teas here and 
sold at London auctions have lost money some- 
what heavily, taking the year all round. On 
an upward market they may now “ score ” for a 
time, but as a rule any upward tendency is fully 
discounted in Colombo, as witness recent sales. 
I know of two oases where local firms have received 
foreign orders for particular brands. In one case 
the sellers wanted over a rupee per lb. for that which 
has only been fetching about lOd per lb. in Mincing 
Lane. In the other instance the difference was not 
so marked, yet quite sufficient to prevent the order 
being placed in Ceylon. In both these cases the 
orders will revert to London, so that the planters 
will lose a good market and the merchants their 
commission. 
It follows, therefore, that those planters availing 
themselves of the services of local brokers have 
invariably reaped higher prices for their teas through 
the spirit of speculation or competition amongst 
buyers iu Colombo, than they would have done 
had they themselves speculated by shipping their 
produce to a market 6,000 miles away, 
UPIDU. 
INDIAN TEA EXPOBTS. 
Indian Tea Association, Calcutta, Oct. 11th. 
Dear Sirs, — The General Committee have the 
pleasure to hand you their usual Monthly Eeturn of 
shipments of tea from Calcutta, and also a Return 
of Exports of Ceylon Tea for four years up to the 
18 th September 1890. 
Exports op Indian Tea From Calcutta. 
Exports to Great Britain in 
Sept. 
Exports to Great Britain 
from lot May to 30th 
Sept. 
Expoite to Australia and 
New Zealand in Sept. ... 
Eipirtato Aiietralia and 
Now Zealand irom Isl 
May to SOtli Sept. 
Exporta to Amoriea iu 
Sept. 
1890 
1889 
1888 
lb. 
lb. 
lb. 
14,263,069 
16,2.53,978 
12,188,328 
40,416,2.51 
40,761,034 
40,02.5,482 
712,200 
806,863 
49.5,061 
2,293,446 
1,807.392 
1,341,604 
26,837 
23,.590 
19,990 
Exports to America from 
1st May to 30Lh Sept. ... 
62,072 
90,847 
63,119 
Exports to other places in 
Sept. 
195,095 
154,311 
158,867 
Exports to otlier places 
from Ist May to 30lh 
8ept. 
526,277 
1,061,604 
464,217 
Total Exports from 1st 
May to 30th Sept. 
43,297,016 
4.3,721,777 
41,897,382 
— Yours faithfully, S. E, J. CLABEE, Secretary. 
RUTHERFORD’S AND STREET’S TEA 
TABLES. 
Oct. 1st. 
Sib, — Attention having been called in your 
columns to the alleged incorrectness of Mr. Ruther- 
ford’s figures, I have taken the trouble to compare 
them with those of Mr. Street, and 1 must confess 
that I am somewhat mystified as to the manner the 
calculations have been made ; they do not appear to 
agree with eaoh other at all, and both are at variance 
with the true equivalents in Ceylon currency — for 
instance, in Rutherford's Tables it is stated that at 
Equivalent 
London price. Exchange rates. in Colombo. 
per 
■lb. 
Cents. 
Is 
4d 
Is 
2d 
101 
is 
4Jd 
Is 
2§d 
100-50 
Is 
fid 
Is 
3d 
100 
Is 
fiid 
Is 
3|d 
99 
Is 
Cd 
Is 
4d 
100 
Is 
6|d 
Is 
44d 
100 
la 
7d 
Is 
fid 
100 
Is 
7|d 
Is 
fiid 
101 
Is 
8d 
Is 
6U 
100 
Is 
8|d 
Is 
6id 
99 '50 
4s 
9d 
Is 
7d 
leo 
Clearly if we take oS the 2d per lb. (allowed for by 
Mr. Rutherford for freight insurance charges) from 
the London prices for tea mentioned above we have 
figures remaining exactly the same as the rates of 
exchange placed alongside them, and the result 
must, of course, in each of the above instances, 
be neither more nor less than 100 cents (by taking 
off 19 cents allowed to buyers of leaf and dividing 
the result by 4 the correct price of green leaf as 
calculated by Rutherford is arrived at.) In Mr. 
Street’s tables it is stated that 
Laying down cost 
Colombo price Exchange rates in London per lb. 
s 
d 
in 
pence. 
100 
1 
2 
Is 
4-61d 
100 
1 
2i 
Is 
516d 
100 
1 
3 
Is 
5‘74d 
100 
2 
3| 
Is 
6-28d 
100 
1 
4 
Is 
6-83d 
100 
1 
Is 
7-40d 
100 
1 
5 
Is 
7-94d 
100 
1 
54 
la 
8‘50d 
100 
1 
6' 
la 
905d 
100 
1 
Is 
9-63d 
100 
1 
7 
Is 
10-17d 
The differonoes between Mr. Street’s “ laying 
down cost in pence in London ” of the above as 
compared with Mr. Rutherford’s system of always 
caloulating 2d per lb. to cover all London charges for 
freight, insuranoes, selling, commissions, (and 
which is a very convenient plan, for he gives at|foot of 
his tables the cost equivalents of each farthing of 
these charges, under eaoh rate of exchange so 
that with low freights or high freights, the exact 
calculation can always be readily arrived at when- 
ever London charges amount to more or less than 
2d per lb.) is very considerable, thus— by Mr.Ruther- 
