March  2,  1896.]  THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
609 
1>L  A N T 1 N C;  ITIU  D U GTS. 
(From  (he  Furlj-sccoml  Annttal  Report  of  the 
Ce\jloii  riaiifcrF  A-s-Mi-iation,  held 
17th  Feb.  1S96.) 
ti:a. 
The  season  has  been  a favourable  one  generally 
most  r.imates  having  been  excocclcd.  The  average 
price  for  the  year  in  London  was  the  same  as  last 
year  about  Bid  per  lb.  with  a lower  average  rate  of 
exchange  than  ru'ed  in  1891  The  total  Export  for 
the  year  was  98,,58l,060J  lb.  as  against  85,37C,322i 
Ib.  in  1891  or  an  increase  of  over  13  millions.  The 
Colombo  Tea  Sales  reached  a total  of  about  twenty 
millions  or  an  increase  of  about  4i  million  lb.  over 
1891.  The  Home  consumption  of  British  growm  tea 
shows  ihe  Very  satisfactory  increase  of  nearly  seven 
million  lb.  being  a consumption  of  5’65  lb.  per  head 
as  against  5’.o2  lb.  in  1891.  Foreign  markets  show 
steady,  although  slow  development.  And  whilst  you 
are  to  be  congratulated  on  the  progress  made  abroad, 
your  Committee  would  urge  on  you  to  in  no  way 
relax,  but  to  increase,  if  possible  your  efforts  to 
push  your  staple  in  all  foreign  markets,  more  es- 
pecially in  Russia  and  America.  In  this  latter  coun- 
try your  special  Commissioner,  Mr.  W.  Mackenzie, 
has  set  to  work  with  the  energy  you  expected  of 
him,  and  he  deserves  ymur  thanks.  In  Russia  also 
Mr.  Rogivue  has  made  consider.able  progress,  and 
has  established  a cer:ain  and,  it  is  hoped,  an  increas- 
ing business,  sufficient  to  encourage  others  to  follow 
his  example  there.  Local  Companies  have  in  nearly 
every  instance  declared  high  dividends.  The  year  has 
not  only  seen  a large  increase  in  local  Companies,  but  also 
the  formation  of  many  sterling  Companies,  and  thepur- 
chaseof  some  Estates  by|London  Companies,  at  the  high- 
est figures  yet  given  for  tea  in  Ceylon,  thusproving  the 
estimation  in  which  your  staple  is  held  at  home. 
Extension  has  been  steady  in  a small  way  during 
the  year.  The  demand  for  seed  has  been  very 
considerable  more  especially  during  the  latter  quarter 
showing  that  in  some  districts  large  extensions 
are  to  be  made  during  1896-97.  Labour  generally 
has  been  sufficient  and  Sinhalese  labour  now  comes 
forward,  as  a matter  of  coiu'se,  during  the  busy 
months  March-.June  in  all  districts  adjacent  to  the 
villages.  There  is  also  a considerable  increase  in  the 
resident  Sinhalese  labour  force  on  estates. 
COCOA. 
The  Soutli-West  iMonsoon  was  late  in  1895  and 
this  retarded  the  blossoms  so  that  little  of  the 
Autumn  Crop  had  been  picked  by  the  end  of  the 
year.  The  crops  lor  the  last  three  Years  are  1893 
cwt.  29,775  ; 1894,  cwt.  22.791 ; 1895,  cwt.  27.522-3-20. 
From  these  figures  it  might  be  argued  that  the 
crop  of  1896  will  be  a small  one,  but  the  probability 
is  that  it  will  be  larger  than  the  one  just  gathered. 
The  area  under  Cocoa  is  about  18,000  acres  of  which 
some  6,009  acres  have  been  planted  since  the  begin- 
ing  of  1891,  and  were  therefore  hardly  in  bearing  for 
the  crop  of  last  year.  To  arrive  at  the  probable  yield 
per  acre  a further  allowance  must  be  made  for  Cocoa 
planted  with  othevprodnets,  so  tliat  it  is  ))robably  well 
within  the  marl;  to  say  that  the  crops  of  the  last 
three  years  have  been  picked  off  12,000  acres 
giving  average  annual  crops  of  about  21  cwts.  per 
acre.  A great  deal  of  cocoa  has  been  planted  in  very 
old  coffee  land,  which  means  that  the  average  annual 
yield  per  acre  of  cocoa  planted  in  jungle  soil,  is 
very  much  above  what  these  figures  indicate.  The 
priees  for  cocoa  have  continued  low,  and  the  stocks 
have  not  been  much  reduced. 
COFFF.E. 
There  has  been  a remarkable  iiLcrease  in  the  crop 
for  1895,  as  shown  by  the  total  exports  of  coffee. 
This  is  undoubtedly  due  to  the  exceedingly  favorable 
blossoming  season  in  several  districts  still  maintain- 
ing Arabian  coffee  and  points  to  no  increase  in  the 
acreage,  except  in  the  case  of  Liberian  coffee,  which 
is  being  slowly  extended  in  the  lowcountry  districts 
suitable  for  its  cultivation, 
CARDAMOMS. 
The  export  of  this  product  has  been  fully  main- 
tained in  1895,  or  rather  slightly  increased.  Its  ex- 
tension on  any  considerable  scale  cannot  however  be 
looked  for,  but  it  is  a valuable  adjunct  to  tea  pro- 
perties which  have  land  suited  to  its  growth,  as  it 
enables  the  owner  to  get  a good  profit  from  his 
forest  reserve  while  also  conserving  his  fuel  supply'. 
-As  good  and  medium  crops  seem  to  come  in  alternate 
y'ears  this  year’s  crop  may  be  taken  as  an  average 
one  in  a good  year. 
TOTAL  EXroitTS. 
By  the  courtesy  of  the  Hon.  the  Principal  Collector 
of  Customs  your  Committee  appends  the  lollowiiig 
interesting  tables  for  your  information. 
Statement  showing  the  total  exports  during  the 
years  ended  31st  December  1894  and  31st  Decem- 
ber 1895  from  the  Island  of  Ceylon  of  the  following 
articles  : — 
Articles. 
Quantity 
1804. 
(Juautity 
1895. 
Arecamits 
cwt  120,209-1-20 
cwt 
99,113-0-23 
Coffee  biberiiUi 
,,  700-2-04 
M 
759-1-10 
,,  Native 
,,  1,007-2-10 
) ) 
0,070-0-21 
,,  Plantation 
„ 20,020-0-03;- 
> 1 
59,781-2-0 
Cinchona 
11)  2,0-20,201 
lb 
010,820 
Cacoa 
cwt  22,791-3-lU 
cwt 
27,522-3-20 
C.ardaiuoins 
lb  310,863 
lb 
435,090.; 
Coconuts 
No  8,717,370 
No  11,. 532, 
,373  Ac  1,072  pk. 
Cotton 
cwt  1,557-1-10 
cwt 
. 2,030-2-7 
Pepper 
,,  142,3-22 
»> 
237.2-0 
'lea 
Tobacco  Unnianu- 
lb  85,370,322; 
lb 
08,581  060,' 
facturecl 
Manufactured  To- 
bacco and 
cwt  54,850-0-27 
cwt 
53.21U-3-8 
Cigars 
Ib  480  14  oz 
lb 
132 
Statement  of  Exports  of  Tea  from  the  Island  cf 
Ceylon  to  the  United  Kingdom,  and  to  other  markels 
in  1891,  1892,  1893;  1891,  and  1895 
Countries 
1891 
1892 
1893 
1894 
1845 
lb. 
lb. 
lb. 
lb. 
lb. 
United  King- 
dom  026936701 
05824822; 
73355840; 
764341174  866414273- 
Aden 
3300 
.5010 
4455 
9818 
13254 
Australia  ; 
3085932.; 
5042048} 
0316410 
0952098; 
0109592; 
British  India 
Cope  of  Good 
.573241 
810788 
1036305 
952729 
820905 
Hope 
33251 
8030 
20182 
13G08 
24594 
Cyprus 
2800 
54(H) 
44.50 
4000 
2200 
, Gibraltar 
24215 
41355 
34025 
38370 
41237 
Hongkong 
123527 
79829 
149170 
135299 
218473 
Malta 
10920 
21745 
33895 
5105-3 
75205 
iNIauritius 
49572 
81202 
8tl26.J 
92392 
108285 
New  Zealand 
00 
00 
150137 
260739 
283149 
Straits  Settle- 
ments 
12009 
12508 
29301 
31100 
47S49 
Canada 
00 
00 
00 
22858 
1477.5 
Afi'ica  j 
00 
9348 
00 
11031 
148.50 
00 
10490 
00) 
38221  J 
Arabia 
Argentine  Re 
3009 
2870 
4041 
2020 
4003 
public 
00 
00 
1580 
no 
Otj 
Austria 
5300 
3444 
8972 
4a70 
7530 
Belgium 
20 
4.50 
4231 
1999 
8307 
Buenos  Ayres 
312.5 
00 
00 
00 
2250 
Bn, shire 
3784 
420 
00 
no 
00 
Brazil 
00 
10 
00 
00 
2150 
China 
30455 
21480 
18471 
4098 
04925 
Denmark 
00 
no 
12.-.0 
2400 
00 
Duh-li  Indies 
40 
20 
70 
22 
192 
Kgypt 
I V 111 
SSOOO 
17723 
17171 
70302'} 
l''ranco 
soil  1 
25004 
29388 
57882 
French  Ttid;,'. 
40 
00 
1.50 
110 
634 
Germany  109653 
1907524 
215-105 
170690; 
295444; 
Greece 
44 
954 
1935 
2600 
2850 
Holland 
00 
783 
5353 
100 
31523 
Italy 
12508 
9503; 
5980 
3425 
15263 
•lamacia 
1180 
00 
00 
00 
00 
•lapan 
262 
1520 
1050 
1790 
2435 
Maldivo  Islands  78 
179 
201 
108 
140 
.Icddab 
107 
00 
00 
00 
00 
iManilla 
2505 
150 
00 
00 
00 
Mombass.a 
Portuguese 
725 
00 
00 
00 
00 
Possession.s 
ill  India 
200 
200 
00 
00 
00 
Norway 
00 
00 
100 
500 
00 
Persia 
00 
00 
1092 
00 
140 
Portugal 
Phillippine 
00 
00 
00 
15 
Islands 
00 
00 
249 
104 
989 
Russia 
U24CJ 
30g 
43003 
42234 
336043 
