24 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
best  prolit  on.  Natuvally.  Ami  lliero  is  no 
blinking  tbe  fact  tliafc  the  ohl  diHicnlty  the 
pioneers  here  had  to  contend  witli,  viz.,  the 
strength  of  the  tea,  at  present  militates  consi- 
derably against  the  popularizing  of  Ihitish-grown 
teas.  It  was  not  until  one  of  our  Chancellors 
ot  the  E.xchequer,  Mr.  G.ischen,  1 think  it  was, 
nientioiieil  in  his  lludget  speech  the  greater 
strengcli  of  British-grown  tea  and  the  loss  to  the 
Revenue  by  less  being  required  for  the  tea-pot 
than  China  tea  that  i)eople  really  comprehended 
extensively  that  less  India  or  Ceylon  tea  wouhl 
produce  the  same  result  in  strength  of  liquor 
as  the  full  quantity  of  China.  The  Americans 
liave  not  got  as  far  as  this  in  their  tea  educa- 
tion, and  there  are  still  complaining  of  getting  too 
nmcli  tor  money, 
W'K  M.VKK  (JIMCKN  TK.\  ? 
If  oreen  tea  were  taken  energetical Ij-  in  hand 
in  Ceylon  and  India  it  is  possil)le  we  jointly  might 
displace  ten  millions  out  of  the  lifty  millions  at , 
present  consumed  in  the  United  btates.  That 
would  help.  Then  the  trade  would  not  stop  at 
America;  there  aie  other  places  that  still  require 
this  class  of  tea,  although  it  is  dead  in  the 
British  Isles.  It  may  be  said  there  are  ton  chiefs 
wlio  control  a large'  proportion  of  Ceylon  tea 
estates— Messrs.  Whittall,  Rutherford,  Starey  and 
others.  It  is  to  them  we  must  look  to  initiate 
a commencement  in  green  tea  manufacture.  In 
the  fiehl  of  green  tea  in  the  States  there  is  a 
chance,  but  there  seems  no  hope  of  displacing  the 
article  otherwise  than  as  I have  indicated, 
SM.VI.h  nUKAKS  A\l)  UNi-:VK\  .SAMl’Mi.S. 
Regarding  small  breaks  and  uneven  sam|  les 
the  Americans  simply  will  not  now  buy  Ceylon 
teas  on  sample,  because  the  bulk,  tliey  have 
decided,  is  never  the  same  as  sample.  Small 
breaks  they  will  not  touch  if  they  can  help  it. 
Messr.s.  B.  R.  Buchanan  A Co.,  who  are  sliip- 
))ing  increased  quantities,  are  doing  what  the 
Americans  require,  viz.,  seliing  from  bulk.  Mr. 
Larkin  their  Canadian  representative,  is  now 
staying  at  the  Metropole,  London,  and  1 hope 
to  see  him.  He,  I hear,  will  say  that  in  Canada 
it  is  always  Ceylon  tea  that  is  asked  for ; but 
what  is  supplied  is  three-fourths  Indian.  Why  ? 
Because  there  is  no  linn  like  Mr.  Larkin’s  linn 
devoting  itself  to  Ceylon  tea  interests.  Larkin’s 
hold  mostly  .stocks  of  Indian  tea,  and  there  is 
no  chance  of  buying  Ceylon  teas  from  bulk 
there.  I have  heard  that  a dealer  in  Canada 
stated  lately  he  could  liave  sold  ;-),000  chests  more 
Ceylon  had  he  had  it.  M'hy  hadn’t  he  got  it. 
Well,  “small  breaks  and  uneve/i  Fam])les” 
stand  in  the  way.  The  possible  cure  for  this  will  be 
contained  in  some  remarks  on  Indian  tea  below. 
MR.  m.KCHY>^DKN’S  .SUGGIvSTroX. 
Touching  on  over-production  after  discussing 
the  above  points,  I was  told  that  Mr.  .Maekein 
zie’s  conviction  is  that  it  is  Inrlia,  with  its  im- 
mense forest  reserve,  towards  which  we  shouM 
turn  our  eyes  in  this  connection.  Unless  the 
Ceylon  Government  throws  open  (he  reserve  of 
forest  in  SafiVagam  there  is,  he  thinks,  no  great 
surpbis  over  onr  ju’esent  figures  to  be  dreaded. 
He  thinks  this  will  not  be  a year  of  much  in- 
crease in  our  shipments  outside  the  United  King- 
dom. In  1S9I  there  was  a jump  in  the  ligures, 
1892  almost  stationary,  1893  jump,  189-f  ,‘ilmost 
stationary  189-")  jump,  189(i,  he  thinks,  will  prove 
like  1892  and  1894.  Hi.s  idea  is  that  10o,000,0U0 
pounds  will  be  reached  for  ]S9(i. 
I learn  that  the  Indian  Tea  delegate  is  thoroughly 
alive  to  the  disadvantages  under  which  Inilian 
and  Ceylon  teas  labor,  and  is  anxious  that  the 
obstacles  which  at  present  stand  in  the  way  of 
[Jur.Y  r,  1896, 
a,  better  state  of  things  shall  be  removed.  The 
same  facilities  which  American  traders  handling 
long  lines  of  China  and  Japan  teas  enjoy,  he  is 
anxuous  shall  be  iirovided,  at  any  rate  in  the 
teas  he  represents.  lie  also  has  to  complain  of 
small  breaks  and  of  the  impossibility  of  matching, 
without  delay,  any  sample  that  may  be  .sold  out. 
It  is  the  want  of  these  facilities  that  is  the 
greatest  obstacle  to  large  linns  touching  British 
India  teas.  Mr.  Blechynden  firmly  believes 
that  the  enterjirise  and  energy  which  have  built 
up  this  great  tea  industry,  will  in  time  handle 
these  obstacles  and  sweep  them  away.  These 
large  linns  are  accustomed  to  give  orders  on 
last  year’s  samples.  Each  mark  has  its  re- 
cognised standard  and  varies  very  little  each 
season.  Orders  are  booked  upon  prices  quoted 
subject  to  market  tiuctuations,  the  importer 
taking  the  risk  of  the  goods  dittering  widely  from 
standard.  One  traveller  can  thus  book  orders 
for  hundreds  of  thousands  of  pounds.  The  trade 
thus  in  a great  degree  is  in  the  hands  of  a few 
large  linns.  Disputes  as  to  quality  are  by  no 
means  unknown,  and  many  firms  have  retired 
from  the  business,  out  of  heart  with  the  wdles  of 
the  Chinaman  and  the  Jap.  But  still  the  busi- 
ness is  a great  one  and  is  conducted  on  large 
lines.  This  is  impossible  in  Ceylon  and  India 
teas,  “small  breaks  and  uneven  .sanqdes  ” keeji- 
ing  the  business  on  a petty  basts.  To  get  over 
this  obstacle  to  Indian  tea  being  handled  on 
great  lines,  I understand  Mr.  Blechynden  is  most 
anxious  that  an  agency  be  organised  in  India 
to  take  the  place  of  the  packing  houses  of  China 
aiul  .lapan,  buying  teas  in  Calcutta,  blending  and 
liacking  them  to  certain  fixed  standards,  and 
thus  opening  out  business  u])on  the  lines  de- 
manded. Factory  blending  on  a small  scale  is 
useless.  The  conlidenee  of  the  big  dealers  cau 
only  be  secured  by  reliable  standards  and  large 
supplies.  Mr.  Blechynden  recommends  a guarantee 
being  provided  that  the  teas  ordered  tooidd  be 
fortheonunf! , and  is  anxious  that  the  Association 
should  guarantee  a certain  sum,  jilaced  in  the 
hands  of  a firm  in  Kew  York  to  increase  con- 
lidence  which  would  be  close  at  hand  should  the 
agency  fail  to  carry  out  what  it  had  undertaken 
and  become  liable  to  forfeit  of  the  guarantee. 
Brands,  as  in  Japan  and  China,  M’ouhl  thus  be- 
come well  known,  and  the  owners  of  the  brands 
would  only  have  to  thank  their  own  failure  in 
matching  teas  to  keep  their  brands  level,  if  their 
reimtation  went  down  and  claims  were  made.  It 
is  proposeil  that  the  I.  T.  Association  should  give 
a grant  for  meeting  the  first  cost  of  the  requisite 
jilaut  and  outfit. 
A GIGAXTIC  nr.KND. 
Mr.  M ickenzic,  I understand  think.s  that  the 
limiled  quantity  of  tea  put  up  to  auction  in  the 
Colombo  market  would  not  allow  of  such  a plan 
being  worked  in  Colombo.  But  it  is  very  certain 
tiiat  what  India  does  Ceylon  will  not  long  be 
behind  in  doing,  and  if  India,  by  imitating  the 
pa  dcing  houses  of  Cliina  and  Japan,  begins  to  get 
long  lilies  taken  and  re[ieat  orders  sent,  Ceylon  will 
find  a means  to  do  the  same,  even  if  it  uecessit.ated 
the  throwing-open  of  Colombo  free  to  the  world 
t.o  blend  and  pack  in.  “ Keej)  up  the  quality” 
is  a jilirase  that  has  become  a too  well-known  cry 
here.  I question  whether  it  is  fifteen  years  old 
and  whether  in  the  old  days  the  grocer  ever  had 
to  bother  himself  much  upon  such  a matter  at 
all.  It  may  be  that  the  millenium  is  at  hand, 
that  the  lion  and  the  lamb,  the  stronsr  and  flavourv, 
the  poor  and  wishy-washy  teas  will  lie  jicacefiilly 
side  by  side  leavened  up  by  the  art  of  tfie  se- 
lecting broker,  and  the  discerning  blender,  into 
one  regular  and  satisfactory  pvhole  in  the  mix- 
