March 2, 1891.] 
THF TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
635 
TEA COMSUMPTION IN BRITAIN; 
EAPID ADVANCE IN THE USE OF 
CEYLON KINDS. 
The reduction of the duty on tea imported into 
the United Kingdom from 6d to 4d per lb. seems 
really and materially to have operated in increasing 
consumption. The figures for 1887 were 183,561,000 
lb. Then came an increase in 1888 to 185,416,000. 
In 1889 the increase was scarcely appreciable, the 
figure being 185,600,000. In 1890, however, there 
was a rise to 194,008,000, — an increase of nearly 8^ 
millions of pounds. The increase was entirely in 
Indian and Ceylon kinds, there being a decrease 
in China of 3,570,000. The increase of 8-^ millions, 
being entirely in the stronger Indian and Ceylon 
kinds, may be taken as the equivalent of at least 
12 millions of lb. had the standard been China. 
The increase in the consumption of the Indi an 
kinds was from 96,000,000 in 1889 to 101,961,000 in 
1890, or not far short of 6 millions, an increase of 
nearly 6J per cent. The increase in Ceylon teas ex- 
ceeded 6 millions, the rise being from 28,500,000 in’ 
1889 to 34,516,000 in 1890, or an increase of not less 
than 21J per cent. So that, comparing the imports 
of both kinds, Ceylon has been taken in three fold 
proportion. This fact certainly oomfirms Mr. Roberts’ 
strongly expressed opinion in favour of the popu- 
larity of our Ceylon teas, and this and the present 
good prices ought to reassure Ceylon tea planters. 
In the month of December the deliveries of Indian 
tea were 8,745,000, while the imports were 14,3 54,000. 
In the case of Ceylon, on the other hand, the deliveries 
in the last month of the year came close up to the 
quantity imported, thus : — Imported in Dee. 
2,888,000 lb ; delivered 2,772,000. For the last half 
of 1870 the deliveries of Ceylon teas actually exceeded 
the quantity imported, thus ; — 
Imported 23,906,000 lb. 
Delivered 24,874,000 „ 
Excess delivered 908,000 „ 
In the case of Indian teas we get for the six 
months : — 
Imports 67,924,0001b. 
Deliveries 59,037,000 ,, 
Excess of imports, 8,887,000 „ 
Of China the record is -. — 
Imported 54,669,000 lb. 
Deliveries 49,919,000 „ 
Excess of imports 4,750,000 „ 
and this notwithstanding the fact that deliveries for 
export are still very largely China : .30,000,000 lb, at 
least against about 2j millions Indian and Ceylon, 
or less ; the exports of these kinds for the whole of 
1890 being only 2,624,000 Indian and 1,431,000 Ceylon 
tea. — This seems also to confiim the opinion of both 
Messrs. Roberts and Hamilton that our lowcountry 
teas should be well-suited for “export” purposes 
to the Continent of Europe and Russia espe- 
cially. To sum up ; the consumption of tea 
in Britain is rapidly increasing, and the increase is 
ohiefly in Ceylon, wbioh for a crop onc-lhird in 
quantity shows iuoreased deliveries actually in excess 
of those of Indian, while China and Java are both 
receding. There are no doubt some good China 
teas imported, but public taste has settled the 
degrees of comparison as Indian better and Ceylon 
best. The prospects before the Ceylon enterprise are 
certainly bright and encouraging. 
After writing tire above we read the London Times’ 
remarks on the Board of Trade returns, from which 
we quote as follows, only remarking that if a better 
demaud is spriuging up for Chiua tea, it is 
probably amongst blenders : — 
The increase in the imports and consumption of 
Indian and Ceylon teas is as steady as the downward 
progress of Chinese sorts. Thus the imports of Indian 
and Ceylon have risen from 113,000,0001b. in 1888 to 
127,000,0001b. and 146,000,0001b, in 1889 and 1890 res- 
peoiively, while Chinese has fallen from 105,000,0001b. 
to 88,000,0001b, and 74,000, 0001b. The consumption of 
Indian and Ceylon, which in 1889 was 124,000,0001b., 
rose to 136,000,000 lb. last year, while that of Chinese 
fell from 59,000,000 lb. to- 56,000,000 Ib. These pro- 
portions are entirely reversed as regards the exports 
of tea from this country, the quantity of Indian and 
Ceylon being only 4,000,0001b., and that of Chinese 
reaching 31,493,0001b. It is reported, however, that 
a better demand is springing up in this country for 
Chinese teas. 
o- 
MANURES FOR CROPS. 
Fotash Manuees. — The quantity of potash in most 
soils greatly exceeds that of phosphoric acid. Thus 
while in a fertile soil there may be from -7 to 15 of 
the former, there may be only -3 to '5 of the latter. 
The weight of an acre of arable land 9 in. deep ranges 
from 3,000,000 lb. to 3,500,000 lb., which gives 3,000 
lb. to 3,500 1b. for every 0 1 percent of any con- 
stituent. There will therefore be in many soils from 
17.500 lb. to 36,000 lb. of potash per acre, against from 
7.500 lb. to 12,500 lb. of phosphoric acid. Clay soils 
are richer in potash than lighter and sandier soils. 
This abundance of potash is in itself a reason why 
potassic manures are less effective than some other 
fertilisers which contain rarer subatanoes. Another 
fact in connection with potash is that it is for the 
most part returned to the soil in the form of straw 
used for litter or food for stock, so that while 
phosphoric acid is constantly drained off the farm 
through sales of wheat, milk, and young animals, most 
of the potash is retained. Again, farmyard manure 
contains about 0’67 per cent of potash, so that 
in applying 15 tons of dung we are adding 2 cwt. 
of pure potash. If farmyard manure may bo viewed as 
a nitrogenous manure, it may equally well be spoken 
of as a potassic manure. The drain of potash from 
land is, however, constant although slow. To a certain 
degree it is washed through the soil in natural drainage, 
and it is also removed by the sale of crops. Before 
the discovery of the immense beds of kainit which 
exist in the rock salt deposits of Stassfurt in Prussia, 
agricultural chemists looked forward to a time when 
a potash salts would be in greater damand than were 
likely to be supplied from existing sources. Potash 
was then an expensive fertiliser, but since that time 
and for many years past potash salts have been offered 
at a reduced price, and are at present quoted at £3-10s. 
per ton ex ship. Up to the present time the demand 
has been limited, and it does not occur to the majority 
of farmers to apply kainit. It is, however, used upon 
certain light soils which are naturally deficient in 
potash, and for potatoes, beans, and clover, on account 
of the large amount of this alkali which they require. 
A good sample of kainit contains 25 per cent of sulphate 
of potash associated with 30 per cent of common salt 
and about the same proportion of magnesium and lime 
salts. The remainder is water and ineoluble silioious 
matter. 4 cwt. of kaiuit, it will be observed only adds 1 
cwt. of sulphate of potash to the land, and a much small- 
er amount of potash. An ordinary dressing of farmyard 
manure would therefore restore as much potash to a 
field as half a ton of kaiuit, and this being the case 
it does not seem very likely that the demand for 
potash salts will increase. The amount of potash in 
soils has already been stated as from 17,000 to 36,000 
lb. per acre. It is not contended that this is ’ all 
avaliable, although as it is usual only to analyse the 
fine porti< ns of a soil which pass though a very small 
mesh, much of it must bo attackable by growing roots 
— the salts of potash being easily soluble. 
Tbo following crops are known to absorb large quan- 
tities of potash taken from the soil; — 
6 tons of potatoes with their tops take up 76 lb. of 
potash per acre. 
