120 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
[Aug.  I,  1895. 
The  need  of  opening  up  fresh  markets  conse- 
quently becomes  pressing.  Outside  the  United 
Kingdom  such  markets  exist  ; they  are  capable  of 
taking  far  more  than  the  surplus  pi'oduction 
of  India  and  Ceylon,  and  they  must  bo  won— — 
for  the  result  will  be  worth  the  trouble  and  expense 
of  gaining  entrance  to  tliem.  Looking  merely  to 
statistics,  the  progress  made  in  this  direction  may 
seem  slow;  but  the  fact  is  that  during  the  past  season- 
prices  have  not  admitted  of  its  being  more  rapid. 
The  development  will  be  seen  when  there  is  plenty 
to  spare  from  the  home  market,  and  quotations  for 
the  lower  qiralities  are  not  maintained  here  at  a level 
which  checks  Colonial  and  foreign  trade.  That  con- 
sumers abroad  do  not  yet  appreciate  our  finer  quali- 
ties, and  as  a rule  only  take  the  cheaper  sorts,  is  a 
matter  of  regret.  In  time  they  may  do  so  ; but  it  is 
well  to  take  note  of  facts — and  those  who  are  pre- 
pared to  spend  money  on  an  enter-prise  of  a some- 
what missionary  character  in  other  countries  will 
best  do  so  in  helping  to  create  and  foster  the  sort 
of  busiiress  most  likely  to  follow  through  the  ordin- 
ary channels  of  trade. 
Seeing  that  since  1887  we  have  lost  ten  million  lb. 
of  the  annual  re-exporting  trade  of  the  United  King- 
dom, the  gain  since  then  of  5 or  (5  millions  in  the 
quantity  of  British-grown  tea  that  we  yearly  send 
abroad  is  the  more  significant. 
Another  feature  of  the  year  is  the  reduction  of  the 
margin  between  quotations  for  the  commonest  .and 
good  medium  grades.  This  need  not  be  taken  to 
indicate  any  indifference  on  the  part  of  consum- 
ers to  the  quality  of  the  tea  they  buy ; the 
prices  paid  for  the  finest  descriptions  negative 
such  an  idea — it  is  the  natural  result  of  receiving 
a large  percentage  of  good  tea.  The  Assam  crop  as 
a whole  has  been  especially  good:  Darjeeling  has 
sent  much  high-class  tea;  while  other  districts  and 
Ceylon  have  either  maintained  or  gained  ground  in 
respect  of  quality.  The  net  result  has  been  a crop  of 
high  average  merit,  containing  a smaller  percentage 
of  common  tea  than  the  previous  one— which  has 
raised  the  arerac/e  value,  while  to  some  extent  contraet- 
inf)  the  rain/e  of  quotations. 
This  has  proved  of  more  advantage  to  some  districts 
than  to  others— but  to  regard  it  as  a reason  for 
relaxintr  efforts  to  make  line  tea,  and  for  merely 
aiming”at  a heavy  yield,  would  be  unwise:  although 
upon  this  point  we  would  not  lay  down  a rule  for 
general  application.  For  while  experience  teaches 
that  a heavy  crop  of  low  average  quality  leads  to 
general  depreciation  of  values  for  all  but  the  very 
best  tea — it  also  shows  that  some  estates  cannot 
tmst  to  the  chances  of  a short  crop,  inasmuch  as 
their  plant  does  not  enable  them  to  reach  the  market's 
standard  of  fine  tea. 
A wide  variety  in  character,  in  order  to  meet  the 
varied  tastes  of  "consumers  in  different  parts  of  the 
Kingdom,  is  necessary  ; and  we  repeat  our  sugges- 
tions to  Managers  to  keep  to  a typo  of  tea  distinc- 
tive of  their  estate;  if  they  have  not  found  the 
one  most  suitable  to  their  soil  and  plant,  to  make 
experiments  until  they  succeed  ; and  not  to  change  it 
in  order  to  make  some  other  kind  said  to  be  in  de- 
mand. Other  points  to  aim  at  are— 
1.  Such  regularity  as  m.ay  be  possible  all  threugh 
in  grading  and  liquor,  so  that  wdien  buyers  see  the 
mant  for  sale  they  may  have  some  assurance  of  finding 
what  they  have  waited  for. 
2.  Avoidance  of  breaking  the  loaf,  or  of  needless 
subdivision  into  various  grades;  which  will  help  to 
raise  the  size  of  breaks — a matter  of  increasing  im- 
portance as  shipments  become  larger. 
3 Bringing  produce  to  mai'kct  at  regular  intervals 
from  the  beginning  to  the  end  of  the  season. 
The  policy  outlined  has  been  followed  with  good 
results  liy  many  of  the  largest  jH'oducers.  It  fits  in 
with  the  modern  principles  on  which  the  Monio  Trade 
work;  viz.,  of  buying  regularly  through  the  nine  busy 
Dioiiths  of  the  ytiiir,  U/iul  of  koopiii^  to  ii  t^rowtli  fouiiu 
suitable  to  their  particular  business. 
By  attention  to  the  points  wo  have  named  sellers 
gain  their  special  outlets  and  keep  them. 
Wo  would  cspfc'ciallv  bring  these  matters  under  tlie 
potice  of  our  friends  ui  Ceylon,  asking  them  to  a\oid 
shipping  so  many  separ.ate  invoices  at  short  intervals  ; 
and  to  do  their  utmost  to  prevent  their  teas  from  losing 
their  individuality.  In  some  cases  this  has  occurroa, 
and  it  is  a risk  wliich  Ceylon — whose  prospect  as  a tea- 
producing  countrj'  are  most  promising— must  guard 
against:  for  it  tends  to  br-ing  down  prices  to  a dead 
level ; and  may  possibly  account  for  the  average  value 
of  Ceylon  tea  having  fallen  more  than  that  of  Indian 
during  the  past  four  or  five  years. 
There  are  other  matters  of  detail  conducive  to  the  pro- 
fitable working  of  Estates,  but  they  areof  minor  import- 
ance, and  wo  leave  them  for  direct  reference  to  ad- 
visers in  London  as  occasion  arises. 
There  remains  a subject  of  general  interest,  viz., 
the  effect  of  the  w'ar  in  the  East  upon  the  produc- 
tion and  export  of  China  tea.  As  regards  the  home 
trade,  there  should  not  be  cause  for  apprehension, 
for  the  low  point  to  which  our  cost  of  production 
has  fallen  makes  it  unlikely  that  China  Congou 
sufficiently  good  can  be  laid  down  here  cheap  enough 
to  undersell  our  teas  and  so  displace  them  to  any 
considerable  extent. 
We  will  therefore  conclude  by  calling  attention 
to  the  .statistics  below  ; and  to  the  statement  of 
results  realised  by  most  of  those  w'ho  sell  in  London, 
■which  by  the  courtesy  of  our  friends  we  are  per- 
mitted to  publish. 
They  justify  a hopeful  view  of  the  future  of  tha 
Industry  if  it  is  worked  on  the  business-like  lines 
that  have  hitherto  been  followed,  and  the  efforts  to 
extend  it  still  further  are  tempered  with  caution. 
The  follow'ing  figm-es  show  the  proportions  used  at 
Home  and  Exported : 
Of  duty  payments  for  the  twelve  months  ending 
May  31st — 
1895 
1894 
1893 
1892 
Proportion  of 
Indian  52  50  % 
54-50  % 
51-51  % 
.50-80  % 
Ceylon  33'50  „ 
.32-00  „ 
30-.52  „ 
28-15  „ 
Chinaand  Java  14-00  „ 
13-50  „ 
17-97  „ 
21-05  „ 
100 
100 
100 
100 
Of  Exports  from  the  United  Kingdom  for  the  twelve 
months  ending  May  31st- 
1895 
1894 
1893 
1892 
Proportion  of 
Indian  12-50  % 
10-30  % 
9- 10  % 
11-.30 
Ceylon  18-50  ,, 
13-30  „ 
10-32  „ 
8-20  „ 
ChinaandJava(i9-00  ,, 
78-40  „ 
80-28  „ 
80-50  „ 
100 
100 
100 
100 
The  progress  of  the  Ceylon  trade  is  shown  by  the 
following  statistics : — 
Year  ending 
31st  May 
18S).7 
IH'M 
181)2 
181)0 
Iniiian  Cuor 
Imported  Sold  in  Auction  Avr.  pi'ice 
lb.  Bkgs.  1»lb. 
71  million  870, ()(X)  8^d 
72.J  „ 8, 00, 000  8id 
<!l  „ 700,000  oid 
04  .,  1 50, 0(H)  lid 
-Besults  of  some  of  the  crops  sold  in 
London,  Season  1894-5. 
Districts  : — Assam,  Assam  and  Cachar,  Gachar  Syl- 
bet,  Darjeeling  and  Terai,  and  Dooai-s  Chittagong. 
Tot.als: — Acreage-yielding  1)7,120,  Crop  42,284,000 
lb.,  I’cr  acre  43.5  lb.,  and  Average  price  181)4-05  10-.">5d. 
Acreag 
Quantity. 
Per  Acre. 
Price 
Returns  for 
lb. 
per  lb 
1893-'.)! 
t)t,:i(H) 
40,083,000 
439 
9-85 
1892-93 
85,780 
34,900,0(M) 
408 
11 -.30 
1891-92 
78,500 
34,840,000 
441 
10:17 
i:-190-91 
71,000 
29,8(H'),(HH) 
413 
11-75 
\Vh.  .Tas.  d'  llv.  TitoMi'soN,  Brokers. 
♦ 
Ti;.v  : iMi;S8i;.s.  W.  .).  A-  11.  Tiiomi>son’.s  Ax- 
Xl'.u.  Tka  KI'O’out — i.s  alwaysgood  reading.  Wc 
give  it  in  full  above,  with  sueli  statistics  ii.s  are  of 
interest.  It  is  satisfactoiy  to  lind  tlnit  tlio 
leailing  Mincing  l.iine  llrolvers  take  .so  hopeful 
a view  of  tin;  stability  of  tlte  enterprise,  wliile 
(bey  albird  siniie  iulnui'ablc  aih  ice  to  the  |danter. 
We  coiiiniend  tlie  Kepoit  to  tlie  careful  attention 
of  our  rowlei  .'. 
