535 
Feb.  I,  1897.]  THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
after  selection,  such  leaf  that  it  does  not  itself 
require  for  manufacturing  purposes.  India  would 
prove  a good  market  for  any  excess  of  leaf, 
manufacturers  are  constantly  looking  out  for  new 
stuff  for  blending  purposes. 
In  this  way  Ceylon  would  secure  for  itself  only 
the  choicest  leaf  and  therefore  Ceylon  should  he 
of  the  very  best,  while  the  profit  upon  the 
same  would  be  uncommonly  satisfactory.  The 
cost  of  production  would  be  infinitely  less 
than  that  of  Borneo  leaf,  while  the  cost  of 
manufacture  infinitely  less  than  that  of  the 
home-made  cigar. 
Ceylon  imports  from  India  something  like  20 
lacs  of  cigars  annually  upon  which  import  duty 
is  paid. 
A good  cigar  made  in  the  island  would  as  a 
natural  consequence  divert  the  most,  if  not  the 
whole,  of  this  trade,  if  only  the  question  of 
duty  were  taken  into  consideration. 
All  that  is  necessary  to  ensure  success  is  a 
thorough  knowledge  of  growing  and  of  manu- 
facturing, coupled  witli  businesslike  manage- 
ment and  the  requisite  capital. 
An  opportunity  such  as  at  present  offers  it- 
self to  develop  this  trade  is  never  likely  to 
occur  again  and  should  not  be  lost  sight  of. 
I am  firmly  convinced  that  tobacco  in  Ceylon 
could  be  made  to  develop  into  a great  success 
with  the  necessary  enterprise. 
OUR  STAPLE  EXPORTS  FOR  1896. 
THE  CREAM  OF  THE  FIGURES. 
The  principal  totals  of  the  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce tables  with  the  export  results  for  1896 
are  as  follows  : — 
1896 
1895 
Increase 
or 
Tea  lb.  108,141,412 
97,939,871 
decrease. 
10,201,541 
inc. 
Coffee  cwt.  22,747 
63,920 
41,173 
dec. 
Cocoa  cwt.  31,366 
27,420 
3,946 
inc. 
CiNCHON.v  lb.  1,309,560 
921,085 
388,475 
inc. 
Cardamoms  lb.  452,595 
374,635 
77,960 
inc. 
Coconut 
Oil  cwt.  343,497 
.384,140 
40,  .343  dec. 
Plumbago  cwt.  340,491  334,921  5,571  inc. 
As  to  the  distribution  of  our  great  staple,  tea, 
we  have  the  following  main  facts  : — 
In  1896.  .'895.  Increase. 
United  King-  lb.  lb.  lb. 
dom  ...  93,936,361  85,753,3.39  8,183,022 
Australasia  ...  11,062,832  9,379,561  1,683,271 
America  ...  718,600  393,527  325,073 
Rest  of  World...  2,42.3,619  2,413,444  10,175 
The  great  increase  has  been  to  the  United 
Kingdom  ; but  nearly  if  million  lb.  additional 
to  the  Australasian  Colonies  is  very  good,  and 
also  the  325,000  lb.  of  incre.ase  to  America, 
.although,  of  course,  a good  deal  re-exported 
from  London  should  be  added  to  these  figures. 
IMPORTS. 
Rice.— During  the  first  .six  months  of  the  year, 
prices  were  moderate  and  steady  but  about  Sep- 
tember they  advanced  and,  continued  to  do  so, 
as  the  prospects  of  the  monsoon  rains  in  North- 
ern India  became  less  favourable.  Soolye  rice  is 
now  about  R2  per  bag  dearer  than  it  was  in 
January  last;  but  as  the  much  needed  rains  have 
fallen  in  many  parts  of  India,  the  famine,  which 
otherwise  must  have  supervened,  has  been  to  some 
extent  averted.  Imports  of  all  kinds  in  1896  have 
been  5,917,096  bushels  against  8,722,822 in  1895. 
Cotton  Goods. — Business  was  overdone  in  1895 
bub  in  1896,  the  imports  were  on  a smaller  scale, 
being  about  2,000  packages  less  than  weie  im- 
ported in  1895.  During  the  past  few  months  the 
purchasing  powers  of  dealers  have  been  mnch 
eurtailed  owing  to  the  limiting  by  the  banks  of 
the  facilities  hitherto  afforded,  for  the  discount 
of  promissory  notes. 
Metals  and  Hardware.— A good  and  exten- 
sive business  has  been  done  in  tea  requisites,  and 
metals  and  hardware  generally,  but  there  is  still 
a large  proportion  imported  from  continental 
countries.  It  is  hoped  that  English  manufactu- 
rers when  they  see  the  samples  of  continental 
made  goods  that  are  being  exhibited  by  the 
London  Chamber  of  Commerce  will  awake  to  the 
necessity  of  meeting  more  fully,  the  wants  of  their 
customers  by  trying  to  provide  what  a consumer 
wants,  and  not  only  what  a manufacturer  pre- 
fers to  make. 
The  high  rates  of  exchange  that  have  been 
ruling  for  some  time  have  stimulated  import 
business  generally,  owing  to  the  lower  rupee  cost 
for  which  goods  could  be  laid  down. 
From  1st  January  1897  the  old  method  of  enter- 
ing goods  at  the  Customhouse  for  duty  is  being 
discontinued,  and  in  future,  sterling  invoices  will 
be  taken  at  the  exchange  ruling,  which  wilt  be 
fixed  from  time  to  time.  A Select-Committee  of 
the  Legislative  Council  has  been  appointed  to 
consider  and  report  upon  the  question  of  ad 
valorem  and  rated  articles  for  duty  and  also  the 
kerosine  oil  duty,  which  is  considered  to  be  far 
too  high. 
Coal. — The  imports  of  coal  in  1896  »vere  340,750 
tons  against  in  1895  326,297  tons. 
Indian  coal  is  now  being  more  largely  used 
than  formerly,  the  quality  having  considerably  im- 
proved. 
EXPORTS. 
Tea.— The  total  quantities  exported  in  the  last 
two  years  have  been  : — 
To  United  Kingdom 
Continent 
Australia 
America 
India 
Other  Countries 
1896.  1895. 
lb.  lb. 
93,936,.361  85,753,339 
617,345  786,741 
11,062,832  9,379,561 
718,600  393,527 
924,272  831,070 
882,002  795,633 
^ 
THE  TRADE  OF  CEYLON  IN  1896. 
Having  noticed,  above,  a very  few  of  the 
principal  figures  and  comparisons  aflorded  by  the 
staple  exports  of  the  island  during  1896,  we 
are  now  enabled  through  the  courtesy  of  a mer- 
cantile authority  to  give  our  readers  the  benefit 
of  a Review  of  the  Import  and  Export  Trade  in 
its  main  features  for  the  past  year.  The  increase 
in  the  import  of  coal  and  in  the  export  of  “ de- 
-siccated  coconut”  are  among  noteworthy  experi- 
ences 
108,141,412  97,939,871  1b 
During  the  first  half  of  the  year,  the  weather 
was  favourable  and  the  yield  on  most  estates  was 
good,  but  during  the  latter  half  there  was  a 
snper-abundance  of  rain  which,  in  most  districts, 
has  kept  back  flush. 
Shipments  to  Australia  show  a marked  increase, 
whilst  those  to  the  United  States  and  Canada 
are  growing  steadily.  The  Russian  markets 
should  now  bo  more  vigorou.sly  exploited  and 
every  encouragement  should  be  given  to  those 
who  are  striving  to  introduce  Ceylon  Tea  into 
these  markets.  The  area  under  cultivation  iq 
