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THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST.  | MARcri  2,  i8y6. 
PLANTlNi;  AM)  I’K'jDLCK. 
UuablA  AM)  TUt  IjirolU'  Ol'  GUKKN  TkAS. — 
i'lie  KutJtiiau  Miiiiater  of  Fiuauco  has  published  a 
supp'.emeutary  order  permittiug  the  import  of  green 
teas  into  Bokhara  and  Transcaspia  over  the  Persian 
and  xVfghan  frontiers,  and  by  transit  through 
Batoum,  Baku,  and  Uzunata,  irrespective  of 
origin,  according  to  the  tariffs  of  July  18th  and 
.August  21th,  1894.  The  tariff  of  July  18th,  establish- 
ing duties  of  ill  roubles  50  kopes,  and  six  roubles 
paper  per  pood  of  3ti  lb.  according  to  the  quality,  is 
extended  to  tea  imported  through  the  custom  houses 
of  Irkeshtau,  Nai-yu,  and  Issik  Kul. 
Jai’AN  and  Tka  Macuineuv. — It  has  been  hinted 
that  the  Japanese  are  anxious  to  improve  their  tea 
manufacture  by  the  adoption  of  machinery.  This 
may  be  so,  but  we  do  not  think  any  British  engineers 
will  send  tea  machinery  to  Japan  at  present-  Japan 
has  refused  to  enter  into  patent  and  trade  mark 
treaties.  The  explanation  of  her  policy,  as  given  by 
the  chief  examiner  in  the  Japanese  Patent  Office,  is 
as  follows  : Europe  and  the  United  States  do  not 
recognise  Japan  as  a civilised  nation.  Our  laws  are 
not  good  euough  for  them,  so  they  refuse  to 
submit  their  subjects  to  the  jurisdiction  of  our 
courts.  They  have  also  forbidden  us  to  make  our 
own  tariff,  in  not  allowing  us  to  impose  a duty 
of  more  than  5 per  cent  upon  imported  mer- 
chandise. How  can  they  blame  us,  then,  for 
being  unwilling  to  make  a treaty  to  protect 
their  patents  ? Under  the  new  treaties,  which  take 
effect  in  1899,  Japan  becomes  a member  of  the  Inter- 
national Patents  and  Trade  Marks  Union,  and  will 
afford  to  foreign  inventions  the  same  protection  as 
to  her  own. 
Coi'i  nn  Planting  on  the  H.awaiian  Islands. — In  a 
report  which  has  been  made  to  the  Executive  and 
Advisory  Council  of  the  llepublic  of  Hawaii  by  an 
American  labour  commission  relative  to  coffee  plant- 
ing the  experiences  of  Ceylon  coffee  planters  are 
turned  to  account  and  a comparison  instituted.  For 
facts  and  figures  the  commissioners  refer  to  Ceylon, 
and  the  report  goes  on  to  state:  “ In  1875  the  official 
returns  of  the  island  of  Ceylon  showed  that  ‘204,000 
acres  of  laud  were  under  coffee,  and  that  ‘200,000 
labourers  were  required  in  the  cultivation  ; that 
is  to  say,  about  one  labourer  to  the  acre.  With 
the  better  class  of  labour  and  improved  methods  in 
Hawaii,  it  is  believed  that  oue  man  can  cultivate 
three,  or  in  some  cases  even  five,  acres.  But  in  the 
picking  season  there  will  probably  be  needed  about 
oue  person  to  the  acre.  Women  and  children  would 
niipply  this  need  to  some  extent,  if  men  with  families 
could  be  induced  to  immigrate  and  settle  in  the 
islands.  If  there  should  be  within  the  next  few 
years  ‘20,000  acres  of  laud  under  cofiee  cultivation  in 
llawaii  alone,  there  would  be  needed  in  the  picking 
season,  according  to  the  above  estimate,  nearly  ‘20,000 
labourers,  including  women  and  children.  Regarding 
the  coffeo  industry  as  a source  of  Government 
revenue,  it  is  stated  that  in  the  island  of  Ceylon 
the  coffee  plants  have,  when  in  full  bearing,  for 
some  purposes,  the  value  of  1 dol.  a tree.  It  seems 
that  the  same  valuation  may  be  justly  placed  ou 
the  plants  in  Hawaii  if  the  planters  meet  with 
anything  like  the  success  they  expect.  The  demand 
for  labourers  ou  the  coffee  plantations  is  now  readily 
«upnlied  by  the  Japanese  whose  contracts  with  the 
sugar  planters  have  expired.  This  uemaua  is  as  yet 
limited  but  it  is  evident  that  with  the  present  rate  of 
increase  in  acreage  there  must  inevitably  develop  a 
competition  for  labour  between  the  sugar  and  eoffee 
planters  which  may  prove  disastrous  to  both,  or  may 
result  in  the  irreparable  losses  experienced  in 
Demerara  and  the  Straits  Settlements. 
Lagos  Indiaiiubbeil— The  newly-established  export 
of  indiarubber  from  Lagos  continues  to  make  rapid 
progress  lu  189H  this  trade  was  all  but  unknown, 
•ind  in  1894  the  total  imports  from  the  colony 
were  only  7G,27‘2  lb.,  valued  at  £5,995.  We 
learn  however,  by  the  latest  mail  advices  that 
during  October,  1895,  alone  the  quantity  ship- 
ped ^^as  1-059.158  lb.,  and  the  '.alue  T87,117, 
0 at  the  fate  of  £865, i04  pej  anuum.  Indeed, 
it  is  probable  that  next  to  Brazil  Lagos  has 
uow  become  the  chief  source  of  supply  of  raw  india- 
rubber.  The  addition  of  this  new  branch  of  com- 
merce to  the  trade  of  the  colony  may  be  expected 
to  increase  still  further  the  already  expanding  revenue 
of  the  Colonial  Government.  The  official  report  for 
1894,  just  published,  shows  that  the  total  receipts 
for  that  year  were  .t'137,017,  against  £115,317  in  1893 
and  £68,4‘21  in  189‘2.  The  actual  expenditure  in  1894 
was  £1‘25,8‘29,  leaving  a surplus  of  £11,188.  The  pro- 
jected railway  to  .Abbeokuta  and  Yoruba,  the  first 
portion  of  which  will  shortly  be  taken  in  hand,  may 
be  expected  to  give  au  additional  stimulus  to  the 
trade  of  Lagos  by  reduciug  the  cost  and  the  period 
of  transport  of  produce  outward  and  of  imports 
inward. — H.  <5  V.  Mad,  Jan.  31. 
TEA  IN  AMERICA. 
There  has  been  some  speculative  buying,  and  also 
something  done  in  advocacy  of  a duty  ou  tea,  which, 
we  believe,  would  be  a good  thing.  But  in  view  of 
the  fact  that  the  Presidential  election  is  to  take 
place  this  year,  it  is  very  improbable  that  Congress 
would  dare  put  a duty  ou  any  of  the  necessaries 
of  life.  Besides,  it  is  almost  impossible  to  get  the 
two  Houses  of  Congress  to  unite  ou  any  measure, 
owing  to  the  political  complexion  of  the  Senate. 
This  market — or,  rather,  this  country — is  obliged  to 
take  nearly  all  of  the  green  teas  of  China.  The 
result  is,  we  have  phenomenally  low  prices.  Hyson 
selling  as  low  as  5c  per  pound  and  first  Young  Hyson 
at  18^(  19c.  Formosa  Oolongs  of  high  grade  are  well 
held,  with  the  lower  grades  easy.  There  is  also  a 
firmer  market  for  low  grade  Japans,  while  other 
grades  are  barely  steady.  The  general  market  is 
dull.  Today  at  noon  the  Montgomery  Auction 
and  Commission  Company  will  sell  10,1‘2‘2  pack- 
ages, viz : 1,005  half-chests  Moyume ; 3,083  half- 
chests and  boxes  Pingsuey ; 27  half-chests  Japan  ; 
836  half-chests  and  boxes  Congou ; 146  packages  India, 
Java  and  Ceylon  50  boxes  Capers;  354  half-chests 
Foochow  ; 2,505  half-chests  and  boxes  Formosa,  new 
season's. — American  Grocer,  Jan.  15. 
^ 
MARKET  FOR  TEA  SHARES. 
Thursday  Evening,  Jan.  30,  1896. 
Owing,  we  believe,  in  a great  measure  to  public  at- 
tention being  recently  diverted  to  these  shares  in  the 
public  prints,  more  esirecially  in  our  daily  contem- 
porary the  Financial  Times,  there  has  been  a very 
considerable  buying  of  all  the  better  known  shares 
within  the  past  week,  and  more  than  one  advance  is 
notified  in  the  official  list. 
Fresh  Issues. — The  Dimbula  Valley  (Ceylon)  Com- 
pany offers  the  greater  part  of  .6150,000  to  the  pub- 
lic this  week,  one-third  being  6 per  cent  cumulative 
Preference  and  the  remainder  Ordinary  shares,  all 
of  £5  each.  We  learn  that  the  former  have  been 
applied  for  six  or  seven  times,  over  and  the  latter 
about  twice  over,  and  that  the  Prefs-  are  now 
quoted  at  a substantial  premium,  say  from  10s 
to  15s. 
Mincing  Lane  has  again  hardened  this  week,  with 
some  very  high  prices  paying  for  the  finest  Teas, 
and  with  also  au  improving  tendency  for  the  medium 
grades  as  well. 
Ceylon  Shares. — C.  T.  I’.  Co.’s  Ordinary  do  not 
show  any  business,  but  the  Prefs.  after  changing 
hands  at  16J  came  ou  for  sale,  and  finished  at  16 
5-16  for  a fair  number. 
Eastern  Produce  and  Estates  Company’s  £5  shares 
arc  said  to  havo  again  found  buyers  at  4J. 
Lanka  Plantations,  after  being,  we  understand,  as 
high  as  nearly  .£6,  came  on  for  sale  at  5^,  at  which, 
however,,  a few  shares  were  taken.  • 
The  Dimbula  Valley  (New  ' Company  has  been 
alluded  to  above  under  the  heading ' of  “ P resh 
Issues.— -TT.  and  C.  Jfail,  Jan,  31. 
