6?5 
April  i,  1896.]  THE  TROPICAI,  AGRICUI>TURIST. 
In  conclusion,  our  Government  would  obtain  con- 
siderable revenue  from  a tax  which  is  recognized,  by 
all  governments  imposiug  a duty  on  le as  the  most 
satisfactory  tax  that  has  ever  been  levied,  and  when 
the  consumer  caii  obtain  a better  quality  of  tea  for 
his  money,  we  believe  the  consumption  within  a few 
years  will  increase  very  largely,  thus  beiiehtting  the 
consumer,  the  trade  and  the  government. 
(Signed) 
Committee  oe  Tea  Tkaue  of  United  States. 
By  Geo.  U.  Macy,  Secretary. 
The  foregoing  is  a synopsis  of  arguments  being 
used  by  those  advocating  the  placing  of  the  duty  on 
tea. — I lit  t rut  at  0 O racer. 
THE  TEA  TUiVDE  OE  WENCHOW. 
A despatch,  dated  January  '21,  has  been  received 
from  the  E’oreign  Office,  enclosing  copy  of  a re.port 
on  tho  Wenchow  tea  trade  by  Mr.  E’ox,  Acting  (mn- 
sul  at  Wenchow,  as  follows:—  , ■ 
“ The  export  of  tea  from  Wenchow,  iutlierto  ju- 
significant,  has  increased  so  rapidly  during  the  last 
three  years  that  a few  notes  on  the  conduct  of  the 
trade  and  its  chances  of  development  ihonkl  be  of 
interest  to  British  merchants.  _ 
For  many  years  after  the  opening  of  the  W 
foreign  trade  (in  1877),  tho  tea  grown  in  this  dis- 
trict was  sent,  in  an  unprepared  stale,  either  over- 
land to  Foochow,  or  by  junk  and  steamer  to  Shang- 
hai and  Hankow.  At  these  places  it  was  mixed  with 
other  teas,  losing  both  its  name  and  distinctive  fla- 
vour. The  trade  was  entirely  in  the  hands  of  Chinese 
merchants,  who,  with  limited  capital,  bought  only 
small  quantities  at  a time,  being  unwilling  to  pay  out 
eitherthe  large  sums  for  the  cost  of  convey  anco  to  Bhang- 
hai  or  the  coast  trade  duty  levied  there.  This  latter 
charge  was  in  the  nature  of  an  advance,  the  amount 
being  refunded  to  the  merchant  on  re-shipment  abroad. 
However,  an  arrangement  was  made  in  1801  by  which 
a bond  was  deposited  by  the  owner  of  the  steamer  cai- 
rying  the  tea  in  lieu  of  the  duty  referred  to  above. 
From  this  time  forth  the  export  of  tea  to  Shanghai 
gradually  increased.  In  1803  a tea  firing  “ hong 
was  established,  and  green  teas  (Gunpowder,  Impe- 
rial, and  Young  Hyson)  appear  for  the  first  iii  the 
Customs’  Export  Keturns.  There  are  now  (189o)  five 
tea-firing  establishments  in  Wc,nchow,  and  the  export 
of  tea  (black,  green,  and  unfired)  has  exactly  doubled 
sincriSOa,  tile  figures  being  2,668,933  lb.  for  1895  as 
against  1,381,600  lb.  for  1803,  a sufficiently  remarkable 
result  when  compared  with  the  stagnant  sta^  of  the 
trade  in -old  established  tea  ports,  like  Foochow, 
Amoy,  and  Canton.  The  following  table  will  show  the 
increase  under  the  different  headings  since  1801. 
Quantity. 
Green  and 
other  kinds. 
Lb. 
10,667 
4,133 
Black 
Year.  (Congou). 
Lb. 
313.733 
401,200 
530,133 
412,800 
476,531 
1891 
1892 
18)3 
1891 
1895 
Unflred. 
Lb. 
682,533 
6-20,133 
851,467 
1,201,867 
1,513,120 
Total. 
Lb. 
906,933 
1,025,466 
1,381,600 
35,467  1,201,867  1,6.50,134 
679,210  1,513,120  2,668,033 
The  prices  in  Wenchow  this  year  were  good,  and 
some  of  the  merchants  have  made  large  profits 
Black  tea  averaged  from  14  to  16  dols.  (best  congou 
25  dels  ) per  picul;  green,  from  13  to  15  dols.  (best 
gunpowder  50  dols.  per  picul ). 
Tea  can  be  prepared  at  less  cost  in  Wenchow  than 
many  other  places,  owing  to  the  cheapness  of  labour 
and  the  abundance  of  charcoal.  Freight  to  Bliangliai, 
owing  to  the  monoply  of  a Chinese  steamship  company, 
ia  at  pcesent  excessive,  but  the  couipetitioii  which 
muse  inevitably  come,  should  the  trade  of  the  port 
continue  to  increase,  will  effectually'remedy  this  evil. 
The  time  has  certainly  arrived  for  at  least  one 
British  firm  to  establish  a branch  in  Wenchow  and  buy 
teas  1 1 'ally.  The  expenses  connected  with  coolie  and 
cargo  boat  hire,  godown,  and  packing  charges  are 
much  lighter  than  in  Shanghai  and  other  places,  the 
tea-growing  districts  are  close  at  hand  and  easy  of 
access.  The  Chinese  dealers  will  be  only  too  glad  to 
sell  their  tea  on  the  spot,  instead  of  waiting  tor  their 
profit-i  till  it  is  sold  in  foreign  markets.  The  quality 
of  the  tea  is  good  and  likely  to  improve.  The  superior 
kinds  have  already  been  favourably  commented  on  by 
coiinoissiurs.  There  is,  therefore,  a good  opening  at 
the  present  time  for  foreign  enterprise  in  Wenchow, 
and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  British  merchants  will  be 
the  first  to  take  advantage  of  the  situation. — Board 
of  Trade  Journal. 
UENTEAl.  TEA  FACTORIES  IN  THE 
N I LG  IRIS. 
Cheapness  of  production  is  a factor  of  the  utmost 
importance  in  the  cultivation  of  tea,  as  every  one 
will  readily  admit.  But  beyond  granting  the  truth 
of  the  axiom,  so  trite  as  to  be  almost  needless  to 
insist  upon,  how  many  have  given  really  serious  con- 
sideration to  plans  for  elfecting  the  reduction  in  cost 
aimed  at.  It  is  beyond  all  dispute  that  small  inde- 
pendent gardens  in  Upper  India  generally,  in  Ceylon 
and  also  in  Southern  India  will  be  the  first  to  go 
to  the  wall.  Writing  on  the  vexatious  restrictions 
to  the  cultivation  of  large  areas  of  tea  on  the 
waste-lands  of  Upper  India,  newly  introduced  by  the 
Government,  in  limiting  individual  grants  to  1,500 
acres,  our  Calcutta  contemporary,  the  Planter,  says: 
“ Little  planters,  like  little  men  in  all  industries,  at 
homo  aiul  abroad,  are  go  ng  to  the  wall  and  seeking 
absorption  in  large  compani  js  w'ith  plenty  of  capital. 
It  is  uupicturosque  ; it  is  cruel,  it  is  perhaps  unjust, 
but  it  is  the  fact.” 
Dealing  more  directly  with  the  question  as  it 
effects  the  Nilgiris,  what  do  we  find  ? Small  and 
scattered  areas,  independent  factories  on  each  garden, 
high  cost  of  production  cnl  worst  of  all,  a low  Lon- 
don average  price.  Now  it  is  perfectly  possible  by 
means  of  combination  to  radically  alter  the  last  two 
drawbacks.  Let  all  estates  within  say,  a five-mile 
radius,  agree  to  start  a central  factory  and  have  all 
their  leaf  manufactured  therein  by  the  best  man  that 
money  can  procure.  We  are  extremely  loth  to  hurt 
the  feelings  of  any  of  our  readers,  but  we  venture 
to  think  that  Nilgiri  tea  should,  if  made  in  the  latest 
approved  methods,  compare  favourably  with  the  bulk 
of  Darjeelings  and  the  best  of  Ceylon.  In  our  small 
local  factories  the  appliances  and  machinery  are  still 
in  many  cases,  primitive  to  a degree.  In  addition 
to  this,  many  tea-planters  are  also  more  or  less  in- 
terested in  coffee,  and  consequently  can  give  only  a 
portion  of  their  attention  to  tfie  extremely  important 
details  of  cultivation  and  manufacture.  It  were  there- 
fore absurd  to  suppose  that  teas  of  any  high  quality 
could  be  produced  under  these  conditions. 
Now  this  could  be  all  changed  by  the  adoption  of 
central  factories.  If  water-power  wore  available,  the 
factory  sliould  be  installed  there.  If  not,  one  of  the 
existent  factories  could  be  enlarged  and  altered  so 
as  to  suit  tho  new  requirements.  The  manner  of 
arranging  this  matter  seems  very  complicated  at 
first  sight,  but  is  in  reality  simple  enough.  Suppos- 
ing an  existent  faotorj  be  chosen,  tho  value  must  be 
fixed  by  arbitration,  and  the  amount,  together  with 
the  cost  of  the  improvements  required,  should  be 
distributed  among  the  shareholders,  i.e.,  the  owners 
of  the  various  gardens  in  proportion  to  their  yield 
or  acreage.  Should  it  be  convenient,  tho  original  owner 
of  the  factory  might  arrange  to  accept  a lien  on  the 
profits  or  even  the  estates,  in  lieu  of  cash  payments. 
This  being  arranged,  every  owner  of  a contributory 
garden  becomes  part  owner  of  the  central  factory. 
We  have  left,  however,  what  we  think  to  be  the 
most  important  part  of  the  scheme,  to  the  last. 
Tne  best  of  buildings,  the  latest  types  of  machin- 
ery are  all  good  in  their  way  and  will  of  themselves 
largely  reduce  the  cost  of  production.  But  like  all 
factories,  they  want  skilled  supervision,  and  no  money 
should  be  spared  in  obtaining  the  services  of  the 
best  tea-maker  available  in  Darjeeling  or  Ceylon, 
of  proved  capabilities  and  long  experience  in 
districts  similar  to  these  Nilgiri  Hills.  It  would  be 
but  of  the  slightest  use  in  engaging  a man  of 
average  capabilities  even  though  he  hailed  from 
Darjeeling  or  Ceylon.  A man  who  could  not  rise 
above  an  average  of  9d.  for  Hill  teas  is  not  the  sort 
required.  What  is  wanted  is  the  best  tea-maker  to 
85 
