J'EBRUART 2, 1891.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 
S&1 
eutarprise, with a view to briuging more money to 
bear upon wbat will undoubtedly be an uphill and 
costly game. Prom enquiries, however, which I made, 
both of Mr. Rogivue himself and of other Ooylon 
men, I found that such oo-nperation would not be 
very easily arranged. 
Meantime, it cannot but be that the Oeylon 
Planters’ action will “ break the ice ” for their Indian 
** brethren ” as well as for themselves, and that the 
introduction of Csyloii tea into Russia, if successful, 
will be but a stepping-stone for Indian to follow on. 
Now, at the first blusb, it will no doubt occur to 
your readers — especially to your planting readers 
in the distant jungles— that the Indian industry 
should at once raise a fund and proceed to follow 
in the lines of the Ceylon men. I do not however, 
meantime, advocate such a step, for reasons which 
I will endeavour to state as briefly as I am able. 
1. Owing to the action already taken by Oeylon 
(which will break down the Russian prejudice in 
favour of China teas), it is less necessary now that 
India should act than it was. 
2. In view of the recent heavy calls made upon 
the Indian community (I) in starting the New 
York scheme {The Associated Pla^tters, Limited) 
and (2) in introducing Indian tea into France, both 
at the Paris Exhibition and subsequently, I fear 
that it would be extremely difficult to induce our 
tea circle, for the present at least, again to subscribe 
money for this purpose. 
3. For reasons which will be obvious for those of 
your readers who are intimately acquainted with tho 
inner workings of the wholesale (especially the 
export) distributive and dealing trade, I have, 
after a good deal of reflection, come to the con- 
clusion that it is inexpedient to take, hastily, any 
action whioh might tend to interfere aggressively with 
the operations of the large export tea houses, especi- 
ally those carrying on business between London and 
Moscow, and that it would be better at first to endea- 
vour rather to gain their co-operation and good-will, 
so that our teas may be brought a little more promi- 
nently than hitherto before the Russian consumers. 
As already indicated, almost all the conditions are, 
comparatively speaking, in eur favour, and “ time ” 
also “ is on our side,” hence there is no need for any 
hasty, and possibly ill-considered, action. 
Two things, however, I would suggest ; — 
1. That steps be taken by the growers, either 
through the Tea Association or by means of a com- 
mittee, to get into communication with tho principal 
Russian tea merchants in London, with a view to as- 
certaining if any special steps can be suggested for 
facilitating the introduction of our tea into Russia. 
2. That growers, either by means of written com- 
munication or by a personal deputation, approach the 
Russian Government either through our Foreign Office 
or otherwise, with a view to pressing the Russian 
finance authorities — in the interests alike of the Itussian 
people, and of the revenue, to consider the expediency 
of a reduction in the heavy duty now levied on all 
sea borne tea, whether imported from or through 
Odessa. 
There is every reason to believe that such re- 
presentations, I if properly put forward, would re- 
ceive fair consideration from the Czar, at any rate, 
since the well-being of the people (closely con- 
nected with whioh is the supply of cheap necessaries 
of life) is supposed to occupy his mind e.specially at 
this lime, and seeing also that the Russian Empire 
is not itself a tea-producing country. 
Apologising again for the length of my letter, but 
trusting, however, that it may be the means of di- 
recting attention to the important question of opening 
up an Indian tea trade in a tea-drinking country of 
100,000,000 inhabitants. I am, &c. , G. Seton. 
14, ,St. Mary Axe, Dec. 17th. 
Ddrinq their visit to Assam the locusts di^ 
not damage the tea when in hard leaf, but strippe*^ 
a considerable amount of young tea a year old* 
— il/. mail, Jan, 7th, 
THE DIVIDENDS OP INDIAN TEA 
COMPANIES. 
About this time of the year the directors of the 
many Indian Tea Companies announoathe ad interim 
dividends that they may feel justified in declaring. 
Although, of course, such announoements do not 
furnish sufficient data to estimate the results of the 
year’s working, they must be accepted as supplying no 
slight indication of the prospects whioh the 
directors consider to lie before them. Accordingly 
we may fairly deduce from the statements published, 
so far as we have seen them in the English papers, 
the conolusion that no very promising prospect is 
anticipated of the working of Indian tea gardens 
during the current year. 
For we observe that the interim dividends de» 
dared by the directors of the several Companies — 
so far as they have yet been heard of — in no ease 
exceed 3 per cent, the m ajority of instances notified 
not having passed the limit of 2J per cent. We 
may fairly contrast such dividends with those 
which the majority of the Companies working tea 
estates in Ceylon have thought it justifiable to 
declare. The contrast is in nearly all cases very 
striking. We must, of course, exclude from such 
a comparison those among the Companies working 
in this island whioh — established as coffee growing 
Companies — have had forced upon them the con- 
version of the estates they were possessed of into 
tea gardens. In the case of these it was not to 
he expected that they would be able to compete 
in the matter of declared dividends with the 
Companies more lately formed whioh have taken 
over properties already well advanced with tho 
growth of tea. It is only with these latter that 
a fair general comparison with the gardens of 
India can, as the rule, ba instituted. For it must 
be reoolheted that no such hampering process of 
change in cultivation as wo have above pointed 
out has ever been a necessity to the Indian tea 
planter. In this case he has either had fresh and 
unbroken soil to work upon, or he derives his 
profit from tea gardens of a mature age in a high 
degree of cultivation. If we go back some twenty- 
five years or so, before Ceylon had entered as a 
competitor in any degree with India in the pro- 
duction of tea, it will be found that at such a 
date tea-growing in India was among the most 
, paying of the industries of that Empire. The 
oause of the falling-off in this respect at the present 
day is not far to seek. Indian tea at that time 
purchased in Calcutta was charged as high lor the 
better sorts as 4s fid per lb. 1 We have only to con- 
trast such a price with that obtainable now for the 
finer sorts of Ceylon tea, to see how injuriously the 
competition of recent years must have affected the 
profits of the Indian tea planter. 
Had this competition been carried on under 
conditions in all respects similar to those which 
prevail in the tea-growing districts of India, Ceylon 
might not have bean able to outstrip her neigh- 
bour as she has done ; but the circumstances 
of our supply of labour, of our excellent system of 
oommunication by rail, by road, by river and 
canal, with the short distance of most estates 
from the port of shipment, of our climate whioh 
permits of plucking throughout the year, and one 
or two other minor advantages, have aided us 
here most materially. Therefore it is that 
while we find tea cultivation in Assam and 
other Indian districts to be in the present day 
in the case of many Companies, but a barely 
paying industry, the same cultivation in Ceylon, 
even at the low prioes — relatively to those of a 
past era — now obtainable, is one of the most 
satisfactory of any taken up locally. Had wo 
been able, now that our own planting pursuit hag 
