268 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
[Oct,  t,  i8q6. 
PLANTING  AND  PKODUCE. 
Tka  and  thk  Revenue. — la  tlieir  annual  report 
for  the  year  ending  March  31,  1896,  the  Customs 
Commissioners  take  the  opportunity  of  endeavouring 
to  cool  the  ardour  of  those  who  advocate  a free 
breakfast-table.  The  consumption  of  tea  has  deve- 
loped still  further,  there  being  an  increase  of  4'4 
per  cent.  “ over  the  produce  of  this  source  of  revenue 
in  1894-5,”  but  the  excess  in  the  consumption 
reaches  the  handsome  total  of  9,492,066  lb.  This 
advance,  it  is  pointed  out,  is  “ very  remarkable  in 
the  absence  of  any  reduction  in  the  rate  of  duty,  espe- 
cially when  it  is  noted  that  in  1890-1,  following  the 
reduction  of  the  rate  from  6d  to  4d  per  lb.  the 
adjusted  the  figures,  showing  the  estimated  true 
increase  of  consumption,  recorded  an  advance  of  only 
11,053,000  lb.  in  the  quantity  used.”  The  Commis- 
sioners suggest  apparently  that  it  is  not  worth  while 
to  reduce  the  duty  any  further  when  the  nation 
goes  on  drinking  tea  at  such  a gratifying  rate. 
The  Same  Story. — Consular  reports  from  China 
have  but  one  tale  to  tell  about  tea.  The  British 
Consul  at  Amoy  says  : ‘‘  The  tea  season  of  1895-6 
has,  owing  to  the  unfortunate  war,  with  Japan,  been 
fraught  with  many  vicissitudes,  and  must,  on  the 
whole,  be  regarded  as  an  extremely  unsatisf-ictory 
one  to  all  engaged  in  it,  foreigners  and  natives 
alike.  The  season  in  Tamsui  opened  in  April 
— an  unusually  early  commencement,  due  to 
the  island  being  threatened  with  an  attack  by 
the  Japanese.  All  concerned  in  the  trade  were 
anxious  to  get  their  teas  away  for  fear  that 
war  and  its  attendant  troubles  might  possibly 
prevent  shipment.  This  naturally  tended  to  high 
prices  and  hasty  preparation.  In  the  meantime  the 
consuming  markets  failed  to  respond  in  any  way  to 
the  high  prices  paid  in  the  East  for  early  teas,  but 
rather,  on  the  other  hand,  have  fallen  below  their 
previous  level,  and  were  dull  and  dragging  for  the 
Formosan  staple  throughout  the  year,  and  the  losses 
on  shipments  are  supposed  to  bo  not  inconsiderable. 
Chinese  holders  in  Amoy  W'cre  not  willing  to  face 
the  losses  entailed  upon  them,  and  at  the  close  of 
the  year  were  left  with  a stock  of  166,000  half-chests 
on  their  hands,  a state  of  affairs  unprecedented  in 
the  history  of  our  trade.  Now’  that  Formosa  is  ceded  to 
Japan,  the  futm-e  of  the  Amoy-Tamsui  trade  is  a source 
of  considerable  anxiety  to  those  engaged  in  it,  and 
divergent  opinions  exist  as  to  whether  the  first- 
mentioned  port  can  still  remain  (as  it  has  done  for 
the  last  25  years)  the  practical  headquarters  of  the 
Formosa  tea  business.  The  Amoy  tea  tlistricts, 
which  likin  and  excessive  export  duty  have  thrown 
out  of  cultivation,  and  have  almost  depopulated, 
arc  amongst  the  finest  in  the  world,  and  with  the 
enlightened  methods  of  cultivation  adopted  in  India, 
Ceylon,  and  Japan,  and  such  limited  taxation  as 
exists  in  these  countries,  need  fear  no  rival.  Now 
that  at  our  very  doors  almost,  Japan  is  about  to 
conduct  tea  cultivation  on  enlightened  lines,  surely  the 
time  is  ripe  for  China  to  follow  suit,  abolish  likin 
and  export  duty,  and  admit  machinery.  Twenty-five 
years  ago  3,000,000  dols  was  the  annual  income  of 
the  Amoy  tea  districts ; today  it  is  not  350,000  dols. 
Tfikin  has  done  it.  The  quantity  of  Amoy  and  For- 
mosa tea  for  the  year  1895  was  Amoy  teas  2,124,400 
lb.;  Formosa  teas,  16,170,667  ; total,  18,295,067  lb.” 
Cocoa  and  Cofi^ee. — Cocoa  and  chocolate  continue 
to  be  in  increased  popular  favour.  Tea  years  ago 
they  brought  in  £73, .593  to  the  Exchequer.  In  1885-96 
their  yield  was  £124,745,  an  increase  of  76’9  per  cent 
while  the  estimated  growth  of  the  population  during 
the  same  years  has  been  about  8'6  per  cent.  Coffee 
has  been  less  in  favour  than  it  was  last  year,  and 
very  much  less  than  it  was  in  the  earlier  years  of 
the  century.  Its  gross  yield  in  1895-96  was  JE170,959, 
or  £2,301  less  than  in  the  previous  year.  In  1840  it 
yielded  £921,000,  so  that  the  change  in  the  popular 
taste  has  been  very  marked  indeed. 
Natal  Planters  and  the  IjAbour  Question,— 
Planters  everywhere  have  their  little  troubles,  and 
those  in  Natal  are  not  exempt.  A telegram  from 
Cape  Town  says  that  “The  Natal  artisans  are  agi- 
tatin"  against  the  continuance  of  protection  for  tea 
and  sugar  because  the  sugar  planters  have  tried  to 
introduce  Indian  artisans.”  We  presume  the  term 
artisan  is  a courtesy  title  for  coolie  labourers. 
The  Inc!!i:ase  in  the  Consumption  of  Tobacco.— 
The  use  of  tobacco  is  shown  to  have  been  gaining 
ground.  That  the  receipts  from  the  duty  cn  tobacco 
rose  in  1894-95  by  £296,810  above  those  for  1893  94 ad- 
mitted of  being  explained  as  due  to  the  check  caused  by 
the  great  coal  strike  in  the  ear.ier  year.  But  in  the  re- 
ceipts for  1895-96  there  is  no  such  allowance  to  be  made, 
and  th’‘y  increased  by  no  less  a sum  than  £336,730. 
amounting  in  all  to  £10,933,413.  The  total  amount  of 
tobacco  in  all  its  forms — raw.  manufactured  and  cigars 
— on  which  duty  w’as  paid  in  1895  96  was  67.551,95  lb,  as 
against  65,528,385  lb.  in  1894-95. — IT,  ani  C.  Mail,  Aug.  28 
VARIOUS  PL.VNTING  NOTES, 
Tka  Cultivation  in  South  Akrioa.— from 
contemporaries  we  see  tliat  some  interesting 
samples  of  tea  ft  om  N;ital  have  readied  London  — 
entered  for  competition  at  the  IMetermaritzbnrg 
AgricuUnral  E.xhibition  and  sent  to  London  for 
adjudication.  They  are  superior  in  quality  and 
value  to  tliose  hitlierto  .seen,  and  re.semble  In- 
dian tea  of  gooil  medium  grade,  witliont  the 
same  distinctive  strength  or  flavour,  .and  in  some 
respects  like  liigli-grown  Ceylon  tea.  They  come 
from  e.states  .situated  do.se  to  tlie  sea-coast,  their 
elevation.s  r.uiging  from  100  to  oOO  feet  above 
sea  level  ; the  unusual  rainfall  helng  about  4S 
indies  at  the  lower  level  and  about  4)  indies  at 
the  higher.  The  temperatures  are  stated  to  be  a.-* 
follows.  Ill  winter  at  sunrise  .50’ to  otP  ; at  11 
a.ni.  80°  to  84°.  In  summer  at  siinri.se  64°  to  70" ; at 
and  1 1 a. 111.  92°  to  96°.  Tlie  estate.sare  well  wooded 
and  w.atered.  There  is  a ready  sale  for  the  pro- 
duce locally,  ami  as  it  is  good  and  palatable, 
and  has  thehenellt  of  the  protective  import  duty 
levied  on  tea  in  South  Africa,  it  may  lie 
assumed  that  this  Native  industry  is  a profitable 
one,  though,  in  the  absence  of  details  respecting 
cost  of  ciilti\atioii  and  manufacture,  this  cannot 
lie  stated  ilefiiiitely.  It  is  not  considered  pro- 
able  that  it  can  be  exported  with  profit  in 
view  of  the  low  price  of  tea  in  all  the  markets. 
Camimior  Cultivation  in  India.— xCttention 
w.as  drawn  the  other  day  to  the  lavourahle 
IH'ospects  tliat  seem  to  be  before  camphor  eulti- 
v.at/ion  in  India,  if  it  could  lie  successfully  started, 
owing  to  tlie  iiicreas'j  in  tlie  value  of  tlie 
commodity  and  the  exhaustion  of  the  supply, 
wliicli  portend.s  tli.atthe  rise  in  ]iricewill  coiitiiiu'e. 
From  an  intere.sting  extract  which  tlie  Ptoncer 
imhlislies  out  of  an  old  Report  of  tlie  Cliiiiese 
Imiierial  Customs,  it  appe.ars  that  so  far  hack 
as  1869  the  decline  in  the  prodnctiveiie.ss  of  the 
Formosa  forests  owing  to  the  wasteful  methods 
by  which  tlie  camphor  was  obt.ained,  liad  been 
attracting  notice  : and  it  is  therefore  pretty 
clear  tliat  the  present  high  prices  are  not  due  to 
the  disturbed  state  of  the  island,  though  this 
may  have  temporarily  aggravated  matters,  hut 
liave  a deeper  foundation.  In  i860  cam|>hor  was 
oblainalde  in  Tamkui  at  7-80  dollars  per  picul 
(U>;>|:  Ih.) : in  tlie  last  Hom/kong  price  currents 
it  is  ([noted  at  86  dollars.  Tne  destruction  of 
the  trees  lias  now  been  going  on  for  so  many 
years  that  niile.ss  the  Japaiie.se  cpme  to  the  rescue 
very  speedily,  they  will  find  liefore  long  that 
tlie  camphor  export  trade  which  has  been  the 
great  stand-by  of  tlieir  new  possession  is  a tiling 
of  tlie  past.  Meanwhile,  says  our  coiiteinporary, 
this  is  clearly  a case  where  the  Indian  Forest 
Deiiartment  should  .see  wlietlier  they  cannot 
anticipate  tlie  future  wliicli  seems  likely  to  oiler 
such  a great  op^iortunity.  Exjierts  aie  inclined 
to  believe  tliat  in  Sikkim  especially  the  chma- 
momum  camphom  would  llonrisli  magnificently. 
