THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
781 
May  I,  1896.] 
dlackstone  estate  company, 
ITMITED. 
\ special  meeting  of  tlie  sliarelioUlers  of  tliis 
Company  was  lield  in  the  Registered  Ollme, 
i’.aillie  Street  (Messrs.  Carson  vA  CJo.’s)  on  the  1/tli 
Apiii.  Mr.  d.  N.  Canipl>elh  Cliairman,  presided,  and 
preseiit  were  : Messrs.  H.  Creasy,  O d.  . Jame- 
son E.  R.  AValdock,  E.  Maeindoe  (by  his  at- 
torney, Mr.  dameson),  Messrs  Carson  *A 
preseiited  by  Mr.  dameson,  and  -Mr.  1*.  A.  bairlie 
(hy  his  attorney,  Mr.  d.  N.  Campbell.) 
Notice  callingthe  meeting  having  been  read, it  was 
resolved  on  the  motion  of  Mr,  dAMESON,  seconded 
by  Mr.  II.  Crkasv  To  sanction  the  increase 
of  the  Capital  of  the  Coinpany  to  RH)O,O00 
(Rupees  One  Inindred  and  Sixty  thousand)  by 
the  issue  of  Three  hundred  New  Shares  of  Rujiees 
One  hundred  each  fully  paid.” 
Proposed  by  Mr.  Campijkll  and  seconded 
by  Mr.  Wapdock  “ To  sanction  the  pur- 
chase of  Kenilworth  Estate  by  the  Company  . 
Carried. 
Proposed  by  Mr.  Crf.aSY  and  seconded  by  Mr. 
j VMK.SON  : — To  authorise  the  Directors  to 
borrow  a sum  of  R1'),000  (Fifteen  thousand 
Rupees)  for  the  purpose  of  the  Company.”— 
Carried . 
INDIAN  AND  CEYLON  TEAS  IN  AMERICA. 
Those  who  are  responsible  for  the  active  branch 
of  the  work  of  pushing  the  sale  of  India  and  Ceylon 
teas  in  the  United  States  are  carrying  on  the  cam- 
paign with  vigour  and  ability.  The  newspapers  are 
opening  the  eyes  of  the  tea  consuming  public  m 
America  to  the  advantages  of  India  and  Ceylon  teas 
over  those  of  China,  and  facts  as  well  as  figures  are 
printed  from  time  to  time  to  the  same  purpose.  It 
is  no  doubt  a big  task  to  combat  the  opposition  of 
those  who  cotrol  the  trade  in  China  and  Japan  teas 
and  capture  the  market  from  them.  It  is  no  easy 
matter  to  break  down  prejudice  and  win  over  the 
coiisuiiiersj  but  this  is  beinf(  attempted  with  energy 
and  tact.  The  Amn-ican  Grocer  is  instructing  the 
trade  on  .the  subject,  and  may  be  regarded  as  an 
advocate  of  the  Indian  and  Ceylon  tea  industry  in 
the  best  interests  of  the  Amoiican  tea  trade.  In^  a 
number  of  the  and  Commercial  List  and  Nem 
Yorh  Price  C'itrrcjjtj list  received,  the  tea  question  isdealt 
with  at  great  length,  and  the  remarkable  growth  in  the 
consumption  of  India  and  Ceylon  tea  in  America,  as 
well  as  the  work  of  Messrs.  Blechynden  and  McKenzie, 
are  acknowledged. 
*■  IXCIIEASK  IX  THE  COXSU.Ml’TIOX.” 
Under  this  head  the  journal  referred  to  says  • 
“ Prom  the  official  figures  just  at  hand  from  th 
shippin"  ports  of  Colombo,  Calcutta,  and  Ijondou 
we  find”  that  in  18‘.)0  the  total  consumption  in  the 
United  States  and  Canada  was  ‘2,301,152  lb.  while 
in  1895  it  had  grown  to  '.),28:),11;1  lb.  Most 
marked  had  been  the  increase  during  1895,  as 
compared  with  the  previous  year,  it  reaching 
almost  4,000,0001b.  or  an  increase  of  72  per  cent. 
“ The  year  1891  showed  an  increased  of  less  than 
300  000  lb.  over  1890.  During  1892  there  was  a 
aaii’i  of  less  than  000,000  lb.  In  1893  the  increase 
was  slightly  over  l,000,000lb.  In  1894  the  gam 
made  wais  a trifle  larger  than  in  the  previous  year, 
but  the  last  year  was  the  one  where  the  most 
materi.il  increase  was  shown.  It  should  bo  un- 
derstood, also,  that  ihc  year  1S9.5  was  the  only 
vear  that  these  teas  were  energetically  pushed  by  the 
representatives  of  the  tea  planters  in  this  country,  wmo 
’have  followed  a consistent  and  liberal  advertising  policy 
as  well  as  an  intelligent  and  judieiousouo.  India  and 
Ceylon  teas  are  gradually  taking  tlie  place  of  the 
China  black  teas,  and  a.s  the  people  come  to  un- 
derstand that  no  foreign  colouring  substances  are 
used  and  that  in  the  mat  tor  of  preparing  them  for 
98 
the  market  they  are  manipulated  entirely  by  machi- 
nery, they,  of  course,  grow  in  popular  favour.  The 
taste  of  the  American  tea  drinkers  has  been  educated 
to  green  teas,  and  it  will  take  a long  time  to  edu- 
cate the  people  of  this  country  to  India  and 
Coylon  teas,  but  the  work  is  progressing,  and  if  each 
succeeding  year  shows  the  same  proportionate  in- 
crease it  will  not  be  many  years  before  the  teas 
from  ivhat  was  once  a great  coffee-growing  country 
will  bo  a very  important  factor  in  the  tea  business 
of  this  country.  Tho  diversion  of  trade  from  China 
and  .Japan  teas  to  India  and  Ceylon  in  no  way  menaces 
the  material  interests  of  the  tea  dealers  of  this 
country,  for  even  now  there  are  few  houses  that  do 
not  handle  them,” 
There  is  also  an  article  with  the  head, 
“ TO  EXCLUDE  INPEUIOB  TEAS." 
“ A plan  has  been  sketched  out  by  Appraiser  Buntt) 
of  this  port,  to  restrict  or  prevent  the  entry  of 
inferior  teas  instead  of  resorting  to  tariff  mea- 
sures. He  admits  that  the  present  law  is  in* 
adequate.  It  has  been  an  utter  failure,  and  the 
official  examination  of  teas,  accompanied  by  socalled 
arbitration,  could  never  be  considered  anything  but  a 
farce.  Mr.  Bunn  refers  particularly  to  the  bogus  teas, 
which  are  not  grown  but  manufactured  from  spurious 
leaves,  tea  dust,  decayed  vegetable  matter,  gypsum, 
earth,  and  colouring  material.  The  mixture  is  made 
to  look  quite  handsome  to  the  inexperienced  eye,  and 
its  sale  returns  good  profits  to  unprincipled  retailers, 
A chromo  thrown  in  with  every  purchase  makes  the 
ignorant  consumer  apparently  satisfied.  There  is  no 
question  about  the  legitimate  trade  being  injured, 
and  Mr.  Bunn  proposes  to  regain  lost  ground  by 
needed  legislation.  He  is  not  prepared  to  say  that 
the  imposition  of  a duty  would  keep  out  the  objection- 
able grades,  but  he  says  emphatically  that  the 
administration  of  the  present  law  is  defective  by  fail- 
ing to  protect  consumers.  Ever  since  March  2nd, 
1883,  it  has  been  unlawful  to  import  any  tea  adulterated 
with  spurious  leaf  or  exhausted  leaves,  or  which  con- 
tained so  great  an  admixture  of  chemicals  or  deleterious 
substances  as  to  make  the  tea  unfit  for  use.  The  statute 
is  all  right  so  far  as  it  discriminates  in  quality,  but  the 
provision  on  arbitration  is  all  wrong,  and  it  has  caused 
considerable  friction  between  the  examiner,  tha 
arbitrators,  and  importers.  Rejected  teas  find  their 
way  to  interior  markets  without  difficulty  by  being 
exported,  as  requii'ed  by  law',  and  then  coming  back 
to  another  port,  where  inspection  is  not  so  rigid. 
“The  proposition  before  the  trade  is  to  limit  the 
number  of  ports  where  teas  may  be  entered  and  ex- 
amined. Ttie  necessity  for  such  action  will  be  made 
apparent  when  it  is  stated  that  there  are  at  least 
seventy-one  ports  for  the  entry  of  merchandise,  with 
appraisers  at  thirteen.  Tea  examiners  are  to  be  found 
only  at  New  York,  Chicago,  and  San  Francisco  It  is 
recommended  that  the  Government  establish  stand- 
ards, taking  five  samples  of  Piugsuey  teas,  such  as 
extra,  first,  low  grade,  pea  leaf,  and  young  Hyson; 
also  samples  of  low  grade  Congou,  Amoy,  Jajian, 
Formosa,  Ceylon,  Assam,  and  low  grade  Japan  dust. 
An  expert  examiner  is  wanted  at  every  port,  and  in- 
stead of  the  shiftless  method  of  arbitration  now  in  prac- 
tice it  is  suggested  that  a board  of  five  arbitrators  be  ap- 
pointed to  serve  at  each  port  w'here  tea  is  entered,  the 
appointment  to  be  made  by  the  Secretary  of  the  Trea- 
sury, and  the  members  of  each  board  to  have  had  an  ex- 
perience of  ten  years  in  the  tea  trade.  Finally,  a Govern- 
ment office  to  be  created  for  the  supervising 
examiner,  whose  duties  would  be  to  see  that  the 
law  ill  relation  to  tea  was  being  enforced  every- 
where. 
“ These  suggestions  of  Mr.  Bunn  are  a vast  im- 
provement over  the  present  system,  and  they  ide- 
servo  more  consideration  than  the  tariff  proposit  on. 
As  the  latter  is  practically  buried  in  the  House  of 
Representatives  it  would'  be  well  for  the  tea  trade 
to  agitate  the  necessary  reform  in  admitting  tea, 
so  that  something  definite  could  be  undertaken  and 
pushed  through  before  Congress  adjourns.  If  Mr 
Bunn  is  too  conservatives  or  too  radical  in  his  views 
another  plan  of  oporation  can  be  drawn  from  his 
t imely  hints,— y/.  <0  G.  Mail^  April  3. 
