668 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
[April  i,  1896. 
Btandpoint  it  is  preferable  to  coffee,  hein"  less  in- 
jnrions  to  the  neivons  system,  acconliii<'  to  the  best 
physicians  of  the  land. 
A.  11.  llobevison  of  No.  l:!8  Front  street  s.aid  : “I 
think  a duty  upon  tea  a very  wise  move  indeed. 
If  neople  would  sift  the  nutter  to  the  bottom,  they 
would  find  out  that  it  is  almost  the  only  remedy 
for  the  salvation  of  the  business.  The  general  trade 
has  been  ruined  by  offering  consumers  what  virtu* 
ally  is  either  a bad,  or  at  best,  not  a desirable  bever- 
age, to  put  it  in  mildest  form. 
“ During  my  business  career  in  this  country,  nearly 
20  years,  I have  found  out  over  and  over  again  that  if 
you  can  sell  peeple  good  tea,  you  not  only  gaiu  their 
conlideuce,  but  their  trade.  They  flourish  and  so  do 
you.  Consumers  buy  their  tea  from  a grocer  with 
whom  tea  is  only  one  branch,  and  although  there  are  a 
large  number  of  keen,  intelligent  men  among  the  re- 
tailers, unfortunately  there  are  few  who  have  had  the 
opportunity  to  study  teas  in  such  a manner  as  to  be 
able  to  blend  them  scientifically,  and  which  is  really 
required  to  make  a refreshing  cup  of  tea.  The  bulk 
of  tea  sold  is  mixed,  prepared  in  a slipshod  manner  be- 
hind the  store  or  upon  the  counter. 
“ When  they  first  stare,  they  have  a good  mixture 
and  get  some  trade,  but  as  they  grow  busier  they 
degenerate  into  buying  tea  on  its  appearance,  taking 
for  granted  as  long  as  it  has  the  style  the  liquor 
will  be  all  right,  Hut  the  result  is  that  the  cus- 
tomer does  not  like  the  change  and  either  moves 
his  trade  to  another  store  or  bes'ins  using  more 
coffee  and  less  tea,  a fact  that  can  be  seen  on  the 
faces  of  dozens  of  people  you  meet  every'  day. 
HOW  TO  BUY  TEA. 
“ Tea  is  a healthy,  useful  beverage  and  every  one 
would  do  well  by  using  some  at  least  once  a day  for 
their  own  benefit.  Tea  should  be  bought  entirely  on 
‘ cup  ’ quality — never  by  appearance — as  the  idea 
that  this  sample  looks  as  well  as  that  and  is  ten 
cants  a pound  cheaper  is  the  stumbling  block  of  the 
business. 
“ The  remedy  is  open  for  you.  Put  a heavy  duty 
upon  all  teas,  which  will  debar  importers  from  taking 
chances  upon  rubbish  even  at  a low  price.  The 
better  teas  imported  will  then  be  possessed  of  the 
refreshing,  stimulating  properties  which  we  drink  tea 
for,  and  then  its  benefits  will  be  felt  with  the  result 
that  the  demand  will  increase  right  along. 
“ Should  the  duty  not  be  levied,  then  other  means 
must  be  found  to  keep  up  standards  of  quality,  and 
revive  the  business.” — The  t’rem,  Xcin  i'orh,  Feb.  2. 
PLANTING  AND  PRODUCE. 
The  Mahket  fou  Tea  in  Nouth  Amehica. — From 
the  figures  given  in  the  circular  issued  by  Messrs. 
Gow',  Wilson,  and  Stanton,  it  will  be  seen  that  the 
result  of  the  efforts  made  to  popularise  Indian  and 
Ceylon  teas  in  North  America  is  very  encouraging, 
and  that  the  outlook  is  most  hopeful.  An  advance 
from  5,360,083  lb.  to  9,283,141  lb.  in  a year  is  a really 
substantial  result,  and  should  encourage  planters  to 
go  ahead  in  the  same  direction  with  renewed  energy. 
As  Messrs.  Gow,  Wilson,  and  Stanton  point  out,  a 
market  where  100  million  pounds  of  tea  are  consumed 
annually  is  worth  working  for,  and  such  an  enter- 
prise should  not  be  retarded  for  want  of  funds.  As 
a matter  of  business  pure  and  simple,  the  work  should 
be  supported  and  encouraged  in  every  possible  way, 
even  if  it  necessitates  the  raising  of  the  levy  for 
next  year.  To  halt  now  would  be  a serious  mistake, 
while  a policy  of  enterpi-ise  and  liberality  cannot 
fail  to  show  valuable  results.  The  circular  referred 
to  shows  that  India  and  Ceylon  teas  are  advancing 
in  public  favour  everywhere,  and  that  planters  may 
congratulate  themselves  not  only  on  the  present  ex- 
tensive demand,  but  on  the  chances  in  favour  of  a 
steady  increase  in  the  consumption  all  over  the  world. 
CiiAnciEB  ON  PuoDUCE. — The  subjoined  protect 
against  the  prosposed  agreement  between  the  London 
and  India  Dock  .Joint  Committee  and  the  shipowners, 
involving  an  increase  of  charges  on  produce,  has 
been  signed  by  a very  large  number  of  merchants 
and  other  persons  and  firms : “ London,  February 
10,  1896.  To  the  London  and  India  Docks  Joint 
Committee.  Gentlemen, — Wo  tlie  undersigned  mer- 
chants, importers,  exporters,  and  brokers  of  the  City 
of  Ijondon,  hereby  protest  against  the  agreement  pro- 
po.sed  between  you  and  the  shipowners  of  London, 
relative  to  the  delivery  of  cargo  brought  to  this  port, 
and  to  charges  on  same,  as  we  feel  certain  that  the 
advantage  of  any  addition  to  your  revenue  which 
may  result  from  these  increased  charges  will  be  but 
temporary,  and  will  be  at  the  cost  of  great  per- 
manent and  increasing  injury  to  the  trade  of  London. 
We  must  point  out  to  you  that  the  merchants  and 
importers,  who  have  hitherto  had  the  right  of  taking 
their  goods  from  the  ship  free  of  charge,  have  not 
Seen  consulted,  although  it  is  now  proposed  to  take 
away  this  right  from  them.  That  the  existing  Lond  on 
charges  are  already  in  many  cases  above  those  of 
competing  foreign  ports,  and  that  already  this  fact 
and  the  increased  i^acilities  provided  by  the  Conti- 
nental ports  have  seriously  interfered  with  our  trade, 
and  diverted  a large  proportion  of  goods  from  this 
port  ; and,  therefore,  that  any  increase  in  these 
charges  will  further  cripple  London  produce  business 
and  divert  it  still  further  to  other  places.  That, 
with  reference  to  goods  sold  here  for  transhipment, 
the  pursuance  of  such  a policy  as  you  propose  can 
have  no  other  result  than  to  destroy  the  greater 
part  of  this  foreign  entrepot  trade  of  Loudon,  and 
give  a further  impetus  to  the  same  class  of  business 
at  foreign  ports.” 
The  Outlook  for  Coffee. — Referring  to  the  posi- 
tion of  coffee,  which  towards  the  close  of  1895  was 
apparently  involved,  the  Grocer  says  it  has,  in  a 
comparatively  short  time,  become  more  clearly  defined, 
and  what  appeared  doubtful  and  problematical  is  now 
seen  to  be  almost  certain  of  being  attained.  In  the 
first  place  it  may  be  noted  that  the  expectations  of 
a total  yield  of  5,500,000  bags  for  the  Brazil  crops 
of  1895-96  are  in  course  of  being  confirmed  by  the 
increasingly  heavy  receipts  that  are  taking  place  at 
the  ports  of  shipment,  Rio,  and  Santos ; and  so  long 
as  these  keep  up,  so  sure  will  the  effect  be  to  de- 
press the  principal  markets  of  the  world.  A fact  still 
more  significant  is  that  the  entire  production  of  Brazil 
coffee  for  1896-97,  which  is  even  thus  -early  beginning 
to  arrest  attention,  is  now  boldly  stated  to  be  equal 
to  about  8,500,000  bags,  and  may  probably  reach  the 
highest  calculation  of  10,000,000  bags  formed 
by  sanguine  individuals  months  ago.  With- 
out waiting  for  the  actual  realisation  of  so 
enormous  a crop  as  the  figures  just  named 
necessarily  imply,  no  one  can  fail  to  observe  that 
the  moral  influence  of  so  tremendous  a weight  of 
supply  being  available,  and  at  the  disposal  of  buyers 
at  no  very  distant  date,  has  already  been  most 
powerful,  and  feeling  of  depression  which  showed 
itself  at  New  York  soon  after  the  opening  of  the 
present  year  has  since  been  extended  to  the  “ter- 
minal” markets  of  Europe,  where,  in  sympathy  with 
the  decline  that  has  ensused  at  other  entrepots,  a 
rather  rapid  fall  in  quotations  has  resulted.  To 
appreciate  this  reaction  at  its  full  worth  the  tr.ide 
must  go  back  to  the  time  (at  the  close  of  November 
last)  when  the  rates  quoted  for  fair  Channel  Rio  at 
the  Lmdon  Produce  Clearing  House  were  as  follows; 
64s  6d  to  63  fid  for  December  to  May  deliveries, 
Gls  and  .58s  6d  for  July  to  September,  and  55s  fid 
for  December  of  this  year.  From  the  average  of 
these  prices  there  has  lately  been  a leduction  of  6s 
per  cwt.  making  tlie  value  of  the  same  quality  and 
description  of  coffee  on  the  6th  instant,  58s 
5d  and  58s  fid  for  March  and  May  next,  55s 
for  July,  53s  for  September,  and  50s  fid  for 
December,  delivery,  with  the  prospect  of  a further 
depreciation  as  the  season  progresses.  For  similar 
periods  to  the  above  the  quotations  in  February.  1895, 
ranged  from  70s  down  to  66s,  showing  unmistakably 
how  great  has  been  the  concession  in  price  from  the 
then  highest  point. 
The  Requirements  of  the  T'hade. — N ithing  like 
so  severe  has  been  the  drop  in  quotations  for  landed 
parcels  of  coffee  in  the  London  market,  and  even 
whore  there  has  been  some  appro, tch  to  it  the  lower 
prices  established  have  been  principally,  if  not  ex- 
clusively, for  the  commoner  sorts,  which  the 
