Jan.  r,  1897. J 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
according  to  the  “ second”  revised  estimate,  the 
entire  crop  for  18915-97  will  xjrobably  reach  about 
146.000, OOUlb,  or  1,700,0001b  over  the  first  or  original 
estimate  that  was  formed  six  mouths  ago.  Details 
of  the  enlarged,  or  what  may  be  I’egarded  as  the 
final  estimate  are  not  yet  to  hand,  but  are  believed 
to  be  on  the  way,  and  will  doubtless  confirm  the 
opinion  that  tho  total  crop  of  Indian  tea  coming 
forward  will  embract!  the  outside  quantity  already 
named.  If  so  the  whole  crop  landed  here  since  the 
middle  of  1896,  arriving,  in  course  of  shipment  from 
Calcutta  and  to  come  on  afterwards,  wall  turn  out 
to  be  tho  largest  ou  record;  and  the  Ijondou  whole- 
sale dealers  may  make  up  their  minds  for  the  hand 
ling  of  mammoth  supplies  of  Indian  tea  during  the 
remainder  of  the  season. 
Lookino  Backward. — The  early  portions  of  tire  new 
gatherings  that  were  offered  by  auction  in  -July  and 
August,  when  the  market  was  bare,  met  with  a good 
reception,  and  found  free  buyei’s,  particularly  for  the 
finer  grades  with  pungency  and  tippiness,  which 
re.alised  very  firm  prices  to  some  advance.  Subse- 
quently, however,  says  the  Grocer,  the  yield  of  many 
gardens  turned  out  disappointingly  as  regards  the 
quality,  which  showed  a marked  falling  off  from  the 
character  of  the  invoices  imported  at  the  opening  sales, 
so  that  since  then  the  demand  at  times  has  perceptibly 
flagged,  and  prices  have  been  more  or  less  weak. 
Autumn-flavoured  kinds  of  the  better  class  have  mostly 
been  taken  at  full  rates,  but  “ Calcutta  bought” 
teas,  as  they  are  termed,  together  with  low 
medium  and  commoner  sorts  whether  leafy  or  broken 
below  is  per  lb.  have  been  disposable  only  at  a re- 
peated decline,  till  they  were  Id  to  2d  cheaper  than 
at  the  starting  point.  Though  the  results  financially 
may  not  have  been  entirely  satisfactoiy  to  importers, 
the  cheapening  of  the  article  has  had  the  salutary 
effect  of  greatly  stimulating  consumption,  as  is  evi- 
denced by  the  heavy  quantities  that  pass  out  of  the 
bonded  warehouses  every  week  ; and  the  duty-paid 
entries  ou  this  description  of  tea  in  the  United 
Kingdom  lor  the  first  ten  months  of  the  year,  as 
ofticially  stated,  amounted  to  99,732,168 lb,  against 
93,844,5351b  in  1895,  and  95,994,441  lb.  in  the  corres- 
ponding period  of  1894.  Favourable  as  these  facts 
may  appear  to  the  interests  of  consumers,  there  is  still 
the  possibility  of  the  trade  being  overdone  with  an 
excessive  glut  of  tea,  and  this  too  just  when  the 
heaviest  importations  from  Ceylon  are  usually  expected, 
which  must  swell  the  aggregate  supply  on  offer, 
besides  helping  to  establish  an  additional  reduction 
in  value  all  round.  With  this  prospect  before  them, 
dealers  and  retailers  generally  may  reckon  upon 
having,  as  a benefit,  a long  continuance  of  cheap  tea. 
Chinese  Imitation  or  Indian  Tea. — Some  Chinese 
having  got  hold  of  some  tea  machinery,  possibly  of 
their  own  making,  having  been  trying  to  imitate 
Indian  tea,  a few  packages  have  been  sent  over  for 
sale  in  “ tho  Tjane,”  but  it  is  poor  stuff,  and  cer- 
tainly unlike  Indian  tea. 
Tea  in  CANADi. — A despatch  from  Montreal  says 
that  the  Canadian  Tariff  Commission  is  disposed  to 
favour  a duty  on  tea.  This  report  is  much  com- 
mented on  in  the  Canadian  press. 
Natal  Tea  Cultivation. — We  have  heard  much  at 
times  about  the  possibilities  of  tea  cultivation  on  an 
extended  scale  in  Natal.  The  opinions  expres.sed  by 
the  few  planters  from  India  and  Ceylon  who  have 
visited  the  South  African  colony  have  dilfered,  but 
the  general  view  baa  not  been  very  hopeful  as  to 
Natal  producing  a large  crop  of  high  grade  tea.  A 
few  weeks  ago  Mr.  John  Fraser,  a tea  planter  of 
Ceylon,  touched  at  Durb.an  after  a trip  to  Europe 
recently,  and  after  having  seen  something  of  the 
local  tea  gardens  said  tea  would  grow  anywhere  in 
Natal,  but  not  at  a profit.  Maritzburg  seems  the 
extreme  upper  limit  of  profitable  industry.  Beyond, 
the  vicissitudes  of  climate  would  probably  prove 
fatal.  Ceylon  has  no  winter  as  in  Natal,  and  there 
is  no  cessation  in  the  plucking  season.  Ou  the  other 
hand,  in  Ceylon  there  is  required  one  coolie  for  lit 
acres,  whereas  in  Natal  one  coolie  is  supposed  to 
be  ample  for  four  acres.  The  result  in  Natal  how- 
ever, is  to  some  extent  an  indiscriminate  plucking. 
481 
“NEW  PROCESS”  CHINA  TEA. 
We  noted  in  our  la.sfc  Issue  that  a new  depar- 
ture was  announced  in  the  sale  of  China  tea, 
prepared  more  on  the  lines  of  Indian  and  Ceylon. 
Considerable  interest  is,  indeed,  lieing  shown  just 
now  in  tlie  arrival  of  various  parcels  of  Foochow 
tea,  manufactured  by  a new  process  designed  to 
produce  something  akin  to  Indian  and  Ceylon 
kinds.  These  parcels — live  in  all-— are  described 
as  “ macliine  ” and  “hand-made,”  and  are,  no 
<loubt,  produced  with  somewhat  primitive  ap- 
liliances,  and,  therefore,  capable  of  great  improve- 
ment; but  if  we  can  judge  of  results  from  these 
experimental  shipments,  there  is  every  promise 
of  success  when  undertaken  on  a large  scale.  It 
is  understood  these  teas — or  some  of  them — were 
maile  in  the  Pakling  district  far  on  the  season, 
when  only  third  crop  leaf  of  more  or  less  un- 
desirable quality  was  available,  and  if  so,  the 
result  is  all  the  more  satisfactory.  The  quan- 
tity oll'ered  has  been  119  half-chests  aud  156 
boxes,  the  highest  price  being  lOjd.  for  “Golden 
Pekoe”  and  4.]:  for  “Broken  Pekoe.”  The  prices 
leali.sed  are  very  good,  and  should  give  encourage- 
ment to  the  pioneers  of  this  new  departure  which 
may  be  the  beginning  of  a revolution  in  thewholetea 
trade,  and  prove  to  be  a turning-point  in  the  history 
and  fortunes  of  China  tea,  ivliich  it  is  now  seen 
can  be  produced  more  in  accord  with  the  English 
taste  by  a simple  alteration  in  the  form  of  manu- 
facture. This  being  so,  there  are  hopes  of  a 
new  era  of  activity  and  prosperity  being  near 
at  hand  for  those  who  take  up  the  manufacture 
of  China  tea  in  an  Indianised  form.  The  only 
dillerence  between  China  and  Indian  and  Ceylon 
teas  is  one  of  manufacture — a question  of  retaining 
the  tannin  in  the  one  case  and  extracting  most 
of  it  in  the  other — and  there  is  no  reason  xvhy 
a rough,  strong- flavoured  tea  should  not  be  pro- 
duced in  China  as  elsewhere.  With  this  in  view, 
and  given  a continuation  of  the  present  exchange 
advantages  to  China  owing  to  the  artificial  value 
of  the  rupee,  and  with  prospect  of  reduced  duties 
when  the  approaching  revision  of  the  tarift’  takes 
place,  there  is  a hopeful  prospect  for  Foochow — 
and,  indeed  the  other  tea  ports.  The  machine 
made  tea  was  catalogued  as  being  sold  by  order 
of  the  “Foochow  Tea  Improvement  Company.” 
With  such  results  as  these,  sales  show  there 
is  every  reason  to  expect  a large  import  of  similar 
teas  over  the  next  few  years,  and  during  the 
forthcoming  season  it  is  expected  some  100,000 
halt-chests  will  be  sent  foi  ward,  “ specially  pre- 
pared b.y  a new  method,”  as  the  catalogue  des- 
cribed those  just  sold. — L.  it- 0.  Exptess. 
COFFEE  PLANTING  IN  NYASSALAND 
liRITISlI  CENTRAL  AFRICA. 
LIST  OF  PROPRfETORS  WHO  HAVE  TAKEN 
UP  LANDS  IN  THE  SHIRE  HIGHLANDS  Ac. 
FOR  COFFEE  PLANTING. 
We  have  compiled  the  following  list  from  the 
Map  accompanying  t lie  latest  Report  of  .Sir  11.  H. 
Johnston,  K.C.  u.,  on  the  British  Central  Africa 
Protectorate  up  to  March  31st,  189(>.  The  land 
taken  up  is  spread  over  a large  extent  of  terri- 
tory in  the  Zomba,  Blantyro,  Mlanje.^nd  other 
districts.  In  some  cases,  enormous  blocks  of 
territory  have  been  taken  u|i  ; while  in  others,  a 
few  hundred  .acres  comprise  the  allotment.  We 
])ick  oil’  the  names  of  the  proiirietors  from  the 
Maj^j,  incUijftting  the  districts  as  well  as  we  can, 
