354 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRlCULTUKlS  1 
[Nov.  2,  1896. 
may  be  so.  but  in  the  meantime  there  is  nothing 
to  show  tnat  there  will  be  any  change  in  the  con- 
ditions of  labour  in  Zanzibar  yet  awhile. 
According  to  a recently-published  report  of  the 
British  Consul  at  Zanzibar,  the  production  of  cloves 
shows  a tendency  to  increase,  in  spite  of  the  low 
prices  that  have  ruled  for  some  years.  The  total 
quantities  of  cloves  brought  to  market  in  Zanzibar 
during  the  past  six  years  (in  frazilehs  of  35  lb.) 
have  been — 
Year.  18‘J0.  1892.  1893.  1891.  1895. 
Zanzi- 
bar 
cloves  124,929  69,388  121,398  108,090  138,691  116,397 
Pemba 
cloves  381,933  324,252  236,211  259,367  372,999  391,460 
Total  509,862  393,640  357,609  367,457  511,690  537,8.57 
Not  much  hope  for  speculators  here.  These  figures 
represent  the  actual  quantities  brought  into  Zanzibar 
from  the  “ Shambas,”  or  plantations,  between 
January  1 and  December  31,  although  the  proper 
season  when  cloves  are  picked,  dried,  and  brought  to 
market  extends  from  September  to  March.  They 
show  that  the  production  during  1895  is  the  largest 
of  the  series.  The  continued  heavy  crops  have  caused 
a glut  in  the  home  markets,  although  shipments  at 
the  lower  prices  are  still  being  made,  especially  to 
Bombay,  Marseilles,  and  Hamburg,  which  three  ports, 
indeed,’  absorbed  most  of  the  consignments  during 
the  last  half  of  1895,  London  taking  comparatively 
but  a small  quantity. 
In  1895  there  were  three  convictions  under  the 
proclamation  of  the  Sultan  og  .iiist  the  adulteration 
of  cloves.  The  cloves,  which  were  in  these  instances 
imported  by  British  Indian^  from  Pemba,  were  found 
to  be  adulterated  with  salt,  and  were  seized  and 
publicly  burned  ; and  this  action  has  already  had  a 
deterrent  effect  on  a practice  which  was  becoming  very 
common. — Chemist  and  Dniggist,  Sept.  26. 
THE  DEPRESSION  IN  GAiMBIER. 
The  gambier  market  is  in  a position  most  un- 
satisfactory to  all  concerned,  importers,  dealers  and 
consumers  alike.  Usually^  the  last  named  ai*e  pleased 
at  the  low  prices,  but  in  this  instance  they  hold 
large  stocks,  which  they  cannot  make  use  of,  and 
which  they  purchased  at  prices  higher  than  those 
now  prevailing.  . , , ... 
The  present  price  is  the  lowest  m many  years, 
if  not  in  the  history  of  the  article,  some  in  the  trade 
remembering  3gc.  as  the  lowest  price  previously 
reached.  The  depression  is  really  due  to  lack  of 
husiiiess  in  the  industries  which  use  gambier.  Trade 
has  been  dull  all  the  year,  yet  the  shipments  were 
maintained  about  on  a par  wuth  1895,  and  under 
aach  circumstances  there  could  be  but  one  result. 
The  situation  September  1,  showed  shipments  from 
Singapore  to  Atlantic  ports,  from  January  1,  63,000 
bales  againt  66,000  bales  for  the  same  period  m 189o. 
The  'deliveries  were  but  49,000  bales,  against  91,000 
In  1895  The  visible  supply  at  Atlantic  ports  from 
Sentem’ber  1 to  December  31  is  placed  at  44,000  bales, 
which  includes  a stock  in  store  of  12,000  bales,  and 
a stock  to  arrive  of  32,000  bales,  not  counting  steamer 
lots  either  direct  or  from  Loudon.  The  Hankow 
arrived  September  5,  with  2,300  bales  direct,  and  the 
America  from  London,  September  6,  with  1,800  bales, 
and  other  lots  may  follow  to  swell  the  visible  supply. 
Tha  deliveries  for  tho  last  four  months  were  49,000 
bales  in  1895,  30,0t!0  bales  in  1894,  and  25,000  bales 
in  1893  The  visible  supply,  therefore,  for  the  next  four 
months  is  47,800  bales,  almost  equal  to  the  deliveries 
for  the  first  eight  mouths  of  the  year.  With  a falling- 
off  of  12  000  bales  over  1895  in  the  deliveries  from 
January  ’l  to  September  1,  it  is  not  to  be  e.xpected 
that  the  deliveries  for  tho  next  four  months  will 
a-^gregate  those  for  the  same  period  in  189o. 
Sales  have  been  mado  at  2 92.ic  during  the  week, 
and  while  the  market  appears  a little  firmer  it  is 
doubtless  due  to  the  uon-arnval  ofthe“Ialconhqrst 
with  8,000  bales.  Most  of  this  cost  originally  4 to 
4gc , and  it  is  a noteworthy  fact  tliat  consumers 
have  been  free  sellers  of  their  surplus  at  the  low 
prices.  It  cannot  be  said  that  there  is  any  immediate 
prospect  of  an  improvement  in  values. — Oil,  Faint 
and  Dnuj  Jtei>orter. 
PLANTING  AND  PRODUCE. 
Some  F.icts  of  the  Tea  Tkahe. — The  various  con- 
sular reports  from  China  show  that  although  the 
decline  in  the  export  of  tea  from  the  Celestial  Em- 
pire to  Great  Britain  and  her  colonies  goes  on,  there 
are  markets  in  which  China  still  holds  the  field,  and 
that  these  have  yet  to  be  won  by  Indian  and  Cey- 
lon planters.  The  export  of  tea  from  China  to  Great 
Britain,  Australia,  and  New  Zealand  shows  a most 
marked  decrease.  In  1887  the  export  of  tea  to  Great 
Britain  was  over  793,746  piculs.  Since  that  date  it  has 
shrunk  to  less  than  a ihii  d of  that  amount  . The  export  to 
Australia  was  in  1895  less  than  half  that  of  1887, 
and  the  export  of  tea  to  New  Zealand  has  become 
insignific.rnt.  Such  are  the  effects  of  the  competition 
of  India  and  Ceylon.  It  is  far  otherwise  w’ith  the 
export  of  tea  from  China  to  Russia.  The  trade  re- 
poit  of  the  Imperial  Maritime  Customs  states  that 
“ the  purchase  of  black  tea  at  exceptionally  high 
prices,  both  for  the  Odessa  market  and  for  trans- 
irjissiou  via  Kiakhta,  were  the  largest  on  i-ecord.”  A 
considerable  quantity  of  tea  is  also  sent  to  Siberia 
from  Hankow,  uii  the  river  Han  to  Fanch’eng, 
whence  it  is  carried  forward  ovei'land,  in  addition 
to  that  which  passes  through  Tientsin,  tlie  bulk 
of  which  consists  of  black  and  green  brick  tea. 
It  is  clear  that  the  export  to  Russia  is  the  main- 
stay of  the  China  tea  trade,  and  that  it  is  to  the  de- 
velopment of  that  branch  of  it  that  the  small  differ- 
ence between  the  amounts  exported  in  1895  and 
1894  are  due.  The  Chinese  variety  of  tea  is  still 
popular  in  the  United  States,  but  even  there  the 
amount  imported  from  China  is  not  so  large  as 
formerly,  and  the  trade  is  a declining  one.  In  1895 
the  amount  of  tea  exported  from  China  to  the  United 
States  was  311,120  piculs,  as  compared  with  403,196 
piculs  in  1894.  The  tea  trade  is  oue  which  has  been 
more  particularly  affected  by  tho  events  of  the  last 
two  years.  Until  recently  the  whole  of  the  Formosa 
crop  was  exported  to  to.oign  countries  via  Amoy. 
Now  that  Formosa  has  become  a Japanese  possession 
it  is  unlikely  that  this  state  of  things  will  continue. 
The  Effect  of  Likin. — lilr.  Cass,  in  his  paper  on 
the  Amoy  tea  trade,  forming  Annex  E to  the 
Trade  Report  for  1895,  dr.iwn  up  by  Mr.  Garduer, 
Her  Majesty’s  consul  at  that  po;t,  states  that 
the  tea  districts  in  the  ucighbourliood  of  the  city 
in  question  are  among  the  finest  in  the  world. 
The/  have,  however,  been  ihrown  out  of  cultivation 
and  almost  depopulated  owing  to  the  present  method 
of  local  taxation,  notwithstauUiug  the  fact  that  labor  is 
extraordiarily  cheap,  that  the  communications  (by 
water)  are  excellent  and  that  the  harbour  of  Amoy 
is  extremely  convenient  for  shipping.  Mr.  Gass  is  of 
opinion  that  “ as  matters  stand  at  present,  so  far 
as  Amoy  is  concerned,  there  will  in  the  near  future 
be  no  tea  to  collect  either  likin  or  duty  upon 
Twenty-five  years  ago  3,000,000  dollars  was  the 
annual  income  of  the  Amoy  tea  districts ; today  it 
is  not  3.50,000  dollars.  Likin  has  done  it. 
Foochow  .\nd  the  United  States. — The  diminution 
of  the  export  of  tea  from  Foochow  is  very  marked. 
In  1893,  54,000,01X1  lb.  were  exported;  in  1894, 
63, 0)0, 000  lb. ; and  in  1895,  48,000,000 lb.  The  export  of 
biick;tea  is,  liowover,  increasing  being  10,000,000  lb.  in 
1893, ’11,000,01)0  11).  in  1891,  and  13,(»UO,000  lb.  in  1895. 
Thera  are  some  peculiar  teas,  such  as  Souclioiig,  and 
some  seemed  varieties,  only  obtainable  at  Foochow, 
which  will  aiw.tys  ni.iintain  a cortam  trade.  The 
tea  trade  of  Foocliow  with  .\ustralia  is  likely  to  come 
to  an  en.l  in  the  near  future,  as  Indian  and  Ceylon 
teas  are  rapidly  displacing  those  of  China  in  those 
colonies.  There  has,  however,  been  a great  increase 
ill  tho  export  of  tea  from  Fooehow  to  the  United 
States,  namely  12,000,000  Ib.  in  1895,  as  against 
