Aug. 2, 1897.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST'. 
99 
THE CHINA TEA TRADE. 
It is greatly to be feared that the foreign tea trade 
of China is virtually a thing of the past. As was 
predicted in these columns, year after year, as the 
export tables from Calcutta and Ceylon showed an 
ever increasing development of the crops in Assam 
and the Spicy Island, the time was apprcaching when 
the taxation in China would prove to be the des- 
truction of the trade. These warnings all passed 
unheeded: the Chinese pursued, with undistuibed 
equanimity, their fatuous policy of killing the goose 
that laid the golden eggs ; and could not even be 
diverted from that fatal course v/hen it was clearly 
evident that the final extinction of the English de- 
mand was imminent. A fatality seems to hang over 
this valuable trade in the Central Kingdom. Not 
only have the high officials shown utter indifference 
to its gradual decay : even the sagacious and 
clear-headed Inspector-General of Maritime Cus- 
toms, parting for once with his accustomed 
prescience and prudence, only preached im- 
provement of cultivation and preparation instead 
of strenuously advocating a large reduction in 
the burdens laid upon it. The result is seeen 
now in the almost total cessation of inquiry for the 
British markets. The total export of tea from China 
direct to Great Britain in 1896 was only 219,409 
piculs as compared with one million piculs in 1885. 
This season the production of Hankow and Kiubiaug 
teas is much heavier than last year and it is esti- 
mated the first crop alone will be about 55,000,000 lb. 
Ordinarily the decline in the British demand has 
been made up to a considerable extent by the in- 
crease in che Russian demand, but it is stated that 
Russia is now over-weighted with a heavy stock and 
will not be able to take more than half the above 
quantity, leaving 27,500,0001b. to be shipped to 
England and America, against 18,500,000 lb. exported 
thither last year. Seeing that this is an increase of 
som.e ten million pounds, it is obvious that prices will 
rule at very unremunerative rates. Yet we presume 
there v/ill be no reduction in the taxation that crushes 
the life out of this industry. In some notes on the 
tea trade of Amoy for last year supplied to the 
British Consul at that port for incorporation in his 
annual report Mr. Frank Cans gives some interest- 
ing details of the duties imposed on tea. He says 
that the crop of Amoy Oolongs in 1896 .amounted to 
1,200,000 lb., a shortage of 65 per cent on the previous 
year, and adds that “ an equally marked decline is 
expected in 1897, after which the article will pro- 
bably cease to appear as an item in our trade 
returns, as the tea districts are being rapidly thrown 
out of cultivation, and most of them are irrevocably 
ruined.” Mr. Cass rightly says the reason is not 
far to seek. The entire crop realised $136,000, while 
the lekin paid amounted to $20,000 and the export 
duty to $35,000, or a total of $55,000, considerably more 
than one-third of the value of the tea. The Japanese 
Government, with characteristic foresight, last year 
reduced the export duty on tea in Formosa to $1.12 
per picul as compared with $5.82 per picul imposed 
under the Chinese regime. This example will, of 
course, be quite lost on the Chinese Government, 
who never seem to learn anything either by the teach- 
ings of experience or by the successes of others until 
it is too late to profit by them. The shadow of this 
great loss has been impending for at least two de- 
cades, and there is literally no excuse for the crass 
folly which has permitted this valuable trade to 
dwindle to a mere nothing. The production of Amoy 
tea in the season 1876-77 was 27,200,000 lbs., and in 
1896-97, twenty years later, this had fallen to 3,600,000 
lbs 1 We entirely agree with Mr. Cass in the opinion 
he expresses — which he adds is that of the very 
highest experts — that all the machinery in the world 
will not new save the China tea trade unless a 
complete amelioration of taxation accompanies its 
introduction. And, as we have remarked before, it 
seems as vain to expect the Chinese mandarin to 
relinquish exactions on trade as for the Ethopian 
to change his skin . — China Overlawi Trade Beport, 
May 29. 
IS 
“PLUCKING, PRUNING AND THE 
PREPARATION OF TEA.” 
We Ccall attention to the followino- 
Mr. John Hughes of tiie 
review by 
recent prolonged dis- 
above subject. 
No doubt Ml . Hugiies retlecbs to a considerable 
extent, current opinion among tdioughtful tea men 
^ ns his own scientific 
The letters on the above whicii liave appeared 
from time to time in the Coijlon Obscrm- have 
offered very useful, instructive and interestin*. 
leading to all who are concerned either directlv or 
indirectly in the Ceylon Tea Industiv. 'The 
question as to the 
canse.s of the falling-off in 
piice IS epentially one for the serious cousidera- 
tion or planters and proprietors with the aid 
of tea tasters and brokers. If the fall be due 
to overproduction the remedy is an extended 
demand produced by the 
markets. If, 
, 0[)ening up of new 
, however, the falling-off in price is 
duetto coarse plucking, injudicious pruning and 
careie.ss manufacture, the complaint assiime.s a 
serious aspect and demands a fuller innuiry. 
if It be true that, notwithstanding the admittedlv 
increased production, the prices for Indian Teas 
have not fallen to anything like the same ex- 
tent as that experienced by Ceylon Teas, the 
existence of defective preparation 'or soil exhaus- 
tion must be regarded as proved. 
In an article on “Tea Planting in Ceylon ” 
specially written for The Field and published 
in the issue of May 15th, the writer has directed 
attention to the importance of getting vounff 
men vvith a special knowledge of Organic 
, Cliemistry to superintend the operations in tlie 
factory Also of getting men as ont-door 
superintendents who have a good knowledge of 
the art of judicious pruning and the require- 
ments of the Tea Shrub in tlie matter of plant 
food witli due regard to the composition of the soil. 
It^has b(^n stated liy one corre.spondent tliat 
the iiiilian lea Companies have already recoonised 
the va ue of employing as factory superintendents 
men wlio have Inad a special Chemical and Scientific 
Uaimng, and the improved quality of Indian 
iea IS largely attributed to greater skill and care 
in the manufacture. Hitherto Ceylon lias not 
been wanting in enterprise and the continued 
energy .and perseverance that the planting com- 
iniiinty have ever exhibited through years of 
great ditiicnlty and doubt, certainly warrant the 
belief that at the present time a neA\ departure 
will be made as soon as the practical need is 
recognised. It is obvious that different cirenm- 
stance.“ of .season and soil must require a certain 
amount of variation in the manufacture of the 
leaf, and that the control of the Tea house 
.should not be left in the hands of a native who 
is naturally incapable of judging to what extent 
variation in the treatment; of the green leaf 
should or should not be made. It is acknowledo-ed 
that from April to the end of June or July 
the quality of Ceylon Tea is inferior, while from 
August to November the arrivals are of a very 
different and generally superior quality. 
The difference in the rainfall is no doubt the 
primary cause of differences in the quality of 
Ceylon Tea at difierent times of the year, Imt it 
would be interesting and probably practically 
ii.seful, to ascertain the actual extent of the 
variation in the quality. In otlier words what 
m-e the properties of good tea as opposed to 
inferior tea. To what extent do the active con- 
stituents vary in (piantity, and the respective 
percentages of Nitrogen, ' Phosphoric Acid and 
Potash in the different qualities of tea. 
