854 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[juNe 1, 1891. 
home consumption, thus: 
(1) China 
(2) India 
(3) Ceylon . . 
The oonstrast in 1890 was 
(1) India 
(2) China 
(3) Ceylon . , 
113,514 000 lb. 
(55,67«,000 „ 
3,217,000 „ 
101,961,000 lb. 
57,63".000 ,, 
34,516,000 „ 
In a very few years Ceylon will be No, 2 of the Tea 
Countries of the world and her ultimate elevation to 
first place seems a not over-sanguine expectation. 
INDIAN AND CEYLON TEA CROPS. 
In our Chamber -of Commerce return dating up 
to 27th April, the total export of tea is given 
at 20,746,144 lb.; but Messrs. Forbes & Walker 
in their circular in our commercial column, 
estimate that this may be increased to 22,500,000 
lb. if the shipments up to the end of the month 
are included. Let ms say 22 million lb. for one- 
third of the year, and it is evident with all we 
hear of heavy flushes and big gatherings that we 
are safe for a Ceylon export in 1891 of certainly 
not less than 60 millions lb. I The only trouble- 
some contingency in the estimation of planters 
has reference to labour supply — doubt being felt 
in some quarters as to whether there will be a 
sufficiency of hands to pluck ail the leaf. 
This being the outlook for Ceylon, let us see 
how they stand in India. Through Messrs. W. 
Moran & Co. of Calcutta we have received the 
statements prepared by the Committee of the Indian 
Tea Association of the total “ Outturn of Crop 
for 1890” and ‘‘the Estimated Crop for 1891 ” as 
follows : — 
OuTTOEN OF Chop of 1890. 
lb. 
Assam 
Cachar and Sylhet 
Darjeeling, Terai and Doors ... 
Chittagong and Chota-Nagpore., 
Dehra Dun, Kumaou and Kangra 
Private and.Native Gardens ... 
45,416,721 
31,472,706 
20,022,625 
1,424,057 
4,OuLi,000 
3,500,000 
105,S36,100 
The total shipments to all places from the 1st May 1890 to 
lat March 1891 having been 104,954,025 lb , the difference 
represents the local consumption and any small portion of 
last season’s crop still to go forward. It will be seenfrom 
the above figures .tliat the actual outturn was loss than 
the original estimate by more than 9 million lb. 
Estimate of Ckop of 1891. 
lb. 
Assam ... ... 5o,t'60,628 
Cachar and Sylhetj ... 3.’’,8b4,6S0 
Darjeeling, Terai and Dooars ... 23,286,439 
Chittagong and Chota-Nagpore 1,488,264 
Dehra Dun, Kumaon and Kuiigra 4,50' ,000 
Private and Native Gardens ... 4,000,0o0 
119,790,011 
being 4] million lb. over the original estimate of crop of 
1880. 'iaking the shipments toother places at 10 percent 
over those of last year and making allowance lorlocal con- 
sumption, itierc will remain about 112 million lb. lor 
export to Great Britain against 9S:j million ]b. shippea there 
during the past season, ft is po-sibie, however, lhat the 
aetual outturn of the crop of 1891 may be coustderably 
less than the citimate as was the case last season. 
It will thus be Been that while in 1890 Ceylon 
gave an export of 46,901,000 lb. or Bev-. ral millions 
above the average eBtimate, — in 1891, the ex- 
port is likely to exceed the moBt eanguino esti- 
mate, if, as we now antieipato, it iw above 60 
million lb., — India on tlio other Inuid was short 
of cfctimato last yrar by 9 milhouB lb. and 
tlie CBiinjatc for 1891 is only 5 millions above 
tlio original cBtimato lor 1890 while grave doubts 
arc even now being entertained of ita realization. 
For total export, the return for 1891 is likely to 
stand somewhat as follows: — 
To U. K. Elsewhere. Total. 
India .. .. 109,000,000 7,000,000 116,000,000 
Ceylon .. .. 57,000,000 4,000,000 61,000,000 
Total lb. .. 166,000.000 11,000,000 177,000,000 
If we take the home consumption of the Uni ted 
Kingdom at 200,000 000 lb. for 1891 this would 
only leave room for 34 milhons lb. of China tea. 
« 
TEA PLANTING IN CEYLON.’' 
Some time ago we noticed with hearty approval 
the series of illustrations of Tea planting in Cey- 
lon published by Messrs. H. W. Cave & Co. from 
the photographs of the late Mr. Clerk. Mr. Cave 
was anxious to improve his brochure by adding a 
page of letter-press descriptive of each picture, and 
we suggested Mr. T. C. Ovren as best able to do 
this if he could spare the time. A copy has now 
reached us with Mr. Owen’s leUtr-press — admirably 
adapted and covering 12 pages and the publication 
with a page of siaiistics from “ Ferguson’s Direc- 
tory” now appended, is one of the most attractive 
and useful little gifts — costing only a rupee — that 
can be sent from Ceylon. 'Ihe Tea Fund Com- 
mittee should distribute a few thousands of copies. 
^ 
SALE OE ANOTHER VALUABLE ESTATE 
IN DIMBULA. 
We now learn on the best authority that the 
purchase of Yoxford estate, Dimbuia, the property 
of Messrs. Baring Bros., has been completed by 
the Ceylon Tea Piautations Co., Ltd. as from the 
1st April. The cultivated aoreage is 429 acres and 
the forest and timber rceerve 49 acres, making a 
total of 478 acres. 
The price paid £18,000 is a high one, but as the 
soil is exeeptionaliy good and the jat with which 
the estate is planted is selected Manipuri, the 
property bids fair lo become one of the finest tea 
estates in Csylcn. The factory is equipped with 
the latest type of engines and tea machinery. Mr. 
C. M. Robertson returns to Ceylon next month to 
take charge of Yoxlord. The Ceylon Plantations 
Co., has now a magnificent expanse of tea on the 
side of Great Western. 
-<► 
ECHOES OF SCIENCE. 
E'ectricity i.r a veritable fectotum or servant cf all 
work. A Swedish engineer has recently applied it 
to testing ttvel and imn fi r its hardness. It is well 
known that an electric current of sufficient strength 
will fuse a thin elip of metal or wire when pasted 
through ih By making a number of expeiimeuts 
the engiutor has found the strength of current 
required to fuse test pieces of ir<. n ai.d steel of 
different degrees of hurdness, and has f. riued a scale 
of currents corresponding to a scale 01 baroness. In 
order to find the hardutss of a pa ticnlar test piece 
of the in-, tal it is only necessary. to find the current 
requiied to fuse it, and thi.s can easily be done by 
means of an amperemeter. 'I'he corresponding figure 
on tlio scile give.s the ha'-dnets of the piece. 
Not long ago an ingenious young cadet of one of 
onr scientific corps applied electricity to wake him 
ill the monung, and biil his coffee. The minute 
hull -1 rf Ills clock was caused to press two epring 
com acts together, ami thus send au electric current, 
to ring a hell which woke him at the proper time 
rjilie current also actuated a small electro magnet, 
