626 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST.  [March  2,  1896. 
be  raised,  and  it  rests  entirely  with  the  esprit  de  corps 
of  oar  comninnity,  whether  we  are  to  go  on  as  here- 
tofore from  hand  to  month,  or  whether  we  shall  have 
such  a sum  at  our  backs  as  will  free  us  for  any  anxiety 
in  the  future  as  to  assuming  any  line  of  action  we 
please  for  the  protection  or  the  furtherance  of  our 
interests. 
INDIAN  AND  CEYLON  TEAS. 
the 
In  1881, 
in- 
from 
One  of  the  most  striking  episodes  in  the  annals 
of  modern  commerce  is  the  struggle  going  on 
between  India  and  China  for  the  tea  markets  of  the 
world.  In  this  connection,  Japanese  teas  and  the 
small  supplies  from  other  non-British  sources  are  in- 
cluded under  the  general  heading  of  Ciiina  teas.  One 
by  one  the  markets  of  the  world  are  falling  down 
before  the  merit  of  India  and  Ceylon  teas.  As  re- 
gards the  markets  of  Great  Britain,  the  fight  has 
been  already  won  by  the  India  and  Ceylon  tea- 
growers,  as  the  following  figures  will  show  Dur- 
ing a period  extending  back  thirteen  years  from 
1894  China  teas  have  been  displaced  in  the 
British  market  to  the  extent  ot  78,000,000 
pounds,  and  the  price  of  the  competing  pro- 
duct has  been  reduced  by  nearly  onc-half.  In 
1881  the  consumption  of  tea  in  Great  Britaiii  was 
11-2,000,000  pounds  of  China  teas,  while  in  l8',);-5 
consumption  of  those  teas  fell  to  .•i('),000,000. 
48,000,000  pounds  of  India  and  Ceylon  teas  were  used 
there,  while  in  1893  the  figures  were  172,000,000 
pounds.  While  the  total  British  consumptioa  of  tea 
had  increased  by  43,000,000  pounds  during  thirteen 
years,  the  purchases  of  India  and  Ceylon  tea 
creased  124,000,000  pounds,  and  the  purchases 
China  decreased  70,000,000  pounds. 
This  great  industrial  revolution  has  been  accom- 
plished hy  ail  international  rivalry  almost  without 
parallel.  The  Chinese  and  British  growers  have  fought 
with  all  the  characteristics  of  the  two  races.  British 
enterprise  has  been  mot  by  Chinese  persistence,  and 
niiderlyiiig  it  all  the  former  has  boon  fortified  by  the  fact 
that  the  British-grown  teas  were  ot  better  quality. 
Machiucrj'  was  introduced  that  enabled  the  India  and 
Ceylon  tea  planters  to  do  away  with  the  hand-rolling 
process,  the  teas  being  manipulated  by  machinery, 
and  when  these  facts,  together,  also,  with  the  fact  that 
no  foreign  coloring  substances  arc  used,  were  pre- 
sented to  tlie  English  tea  drinker,  and  proven,  it  was 
only  a matter  of  time  when  the  efforts  of  the  India 
and  Ceylon  planters  to  nionopoli/.e  the  British  markets 
would  be  successful. 
In  every  market  where  these  teas  have  been 
ntroduced'  there  has  been  a constant  increase 
in  consumption,  and  while  in  some  it  has  been 
slow,  largely  from  the  fact  that  the  people’s 
taste  has  been  formed  upon  the  coarse  leaf  obtained 
from  China  and  Japan,  it  has  been  gradual.  The 
five  flavors  of  the  India  and  Ceylon  tcai  area  revela- 
tion to  most  persons  when  taken  for  the  fii-st  time. 
Next  to  Grent  Britain  the  United  State.s  are  the 
largest  tea  purchasers  in  the  worid,  and  tlie  fight 
successfully  won  in  great  Britain  is  now  on  here,  and 
already  great  g.iins  have  been  made.  Parity  and 
merit  are  the  watchwords  of  the  India  and  Ceylon 
planters,  and  in  these  days  when  food  adulteration  has 
gone  to  such  an  extent  that  the  legislatures  of  the 
various  states  are  constantly  passing  laws  against 
such  practices  it  needs  no  lengthy  argument 
that  they  must  win. — Grocer’s  Criterion. 
prove 
VATADEIUA  TEA 
COMPANY. 
meeting  of 
with  R5,000  as  voted  at  the  last  General  Meeting; 
and  after  writing  off  for  Depreciation  of  Buildings 
and  Machinery  as  shown  by  the  accounts)  is 
llll.d.IIO'Il.  Of  this  sum  1123,750  has  been  absorbed 
in  paying  an  Interim  Dividend  at  the  rate  of  12A 
per  cent.,  and  the  Directors  propose  that  a further 
dividend  of  12J  per  cent,  and  a bonus  of  “20  per  cent.,  ab- 
sorbing R81,750,  be  declared  and  made  payable  on  the 
29th  February;  that  R15,000  be  transferred  lo  the  Re- 
serve Fund  account  and  that  the  remainder  of 
R12,770'44  (after  paying  R2,500  special  fee  voted  to 
the  Directors  at  the  General  Meeting  in  1893)  be 
carried  forward. 
It  will  be  seen  that  the  property  representing 
Capital  stands  in  the  Balance  Sheet  at  approximately 
R255  per  acre  cultivated,  as  compared  with  about 
R2titj  in  the  previous  year’s  accounts,  and  that  the 
profit  per  acre  is  R137. 
No  new  Factory  buildings  or  Machinery  have  added 
during  the  past  year,  but  it  is  intended  in  the’ 
present  year  to  extend  the  factory,  and  to  renew 
the  Turbine  and  Sifters. 
The  total  tea  crop  was  575,378  lb.  or  25,875  lb' 
more  than  estimated  in  the  last  report.  The  plucka 
iug  area  was  700  acres.  The  total  quantity  of  Te 
for  disposal  was  575,917  lb.  including  42  lb.  mad® 
from  purchased  leaf  ; of  which  105,437  lb. 
were  sold  locally  averaging  38-71  cents  per 
Ib.,  and  470,480  lb.  wore  shipped  to  London,  of  which 
147, -125  lb.  had  still  to  be  accounted  for ; but  the 
average  obtained  for  the  .323,055  lb.  as  yet  accounted 
for  is  38-06  cents  per  lb.  The  cost  of  the  Tea  de- 
livered to  buyers  or  put  on  board  ship,  including  all 
charges  and  Depreciation  of  Buildings  and  Machinery 
was  25-09  cents  per  lb.  (being  1-82  cents  more  than  in 
1394.)  The  net  value  realised  from  sales  (a  portion 
being  estimated),  was  37'17  cents  per  lb.  (being  -84 
cents  more  than  the  previous  crop).  The  sum  written 
ofl  for  depreciation  represents  1T8  cents  perlb.  of  the 
cost. 
The  Company’s  property  (including  80  acres  pur- 
chased during  the  year)  consisted  on  the  31st  December 
1895,  of 
to 
Yield  ef 
Tea  planted 
Acres. 
tea  )ier  .acre 
in. 
in  1895. 
1885 
1 172 
911 
1887 
cS 
1 208 
819 
1888 
O 
-4^ 
! 100 
887 
1889 
CO 
1 43 
872 
1890 
QJ 
rH 
^ 6 
7.50 
1891 
C5 
1 52 
928 
1892 
o 
1 119 
582 
1894 
CO 
1 88 
not  in  bcari 
1895 
1 37 
do  do 
22 
Cocoa  and 
270 
Forest,  Ac. 
1,097 
as  per  last  r 
80 
pnrcIiascJ  fr 
— 
Natives 
Total 
, , 
1,157 
tills 
The  seventh  annual  general  , 
C’omi.any  was  held  on  the  26th  I eh.  at  BK^ieens 
Street,  wlien  the  following  report  was  submitted 
The  Directors  have  the  pleasure  to  submit  the 
Ba’anco  Sheet  and  Profit  and  Loss  Account  for  the 
year  ending  31st  December,  1895,  duly  audited. 
The  Balance  of  Profit  (including  1119,782  97  brought 
forward  from  last  year,  after  crediting  Reserve  Fund 
Factory  site 
port. 
Average  yield  from  700  acres  823  lb. 
The  Directors  propose  an  extension  of  about  85 
acres  tea  in  1898. 
The  estimated  crop  for  1898  is  828, .500  lb  tea. 
Mr.  David  Fairwoather  retires  from  the  Board 
in  terms  of  the  Articles  of  Association  and  being 
eligible,  offei-s  himself  for  re-clection. 
The  Shareholders  will  be  requested  to  elect  an 
Auditor  for  the  current  ycar 
The  report  was  adopted  and  a dividend  of  P2.\ 
lier  cent  for  the  half-year  and  a bonus  of  -JO  per 
cent  for  tlie  year  declared. 
Mr.  1).  Fail-weather  having  retired  from  the 
directorship,  and  hoiiig  eligible  for  election,  w-as 
re-elected  a director,  and  .Mr.  .1.  Guthrie  w.is 
ro-elecled  auditor. 
