THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIS ['. 
[Aug. 2, 1897. 
114 
Since the date of last Eeport, 159 acres of unproduc- 
tive coffee land have been planted up in Tea, bringing 
the area under that cultivation up to 1,520 acres as fol- 
lows : — 
TEA. 
Over 5 years old 
Acres. 
741 
Planted November/December 
1892 
53 
93 
243 
94 
179 
• • • • 
95 
145 
„ 
96 
1.59 
Area under Tea 
1,520 
Area under Coffee 
406 
Area under Fuel 
56 
Forest Patana and Waste 
271 
Total Area 
2,253 
The Directors desire to call the attention of Share- 
holders to the accompanying circular and notice of an 
Ext aordinary General Meeting for the purpose of con- 
sidering and, if thought fit, passing proposals for the 
more rapid development of the Company’s property a 
a Tea Estate. 
Mr. N. Stewart, a member of the Board, retires on 
this occasion, and, being eligible, offers himself for re- 
election. 
Messrs. Deloitte, Dever, Griffiths & Co., the Audi- 
tors, also offer tliemselves for re-election. 
By order, J. Ai.r.c Eobekts, Secretary. 
May 26th, 1897. 
PRODUCE AND PLANTING. 
Pabi.iament and the Tea Duty.— The discussion 
on the Finance Bill in the House of Commons last 
week gave rise to further talk about the tea duty. 
In the course of the debate Sir William Harcourt. 
referring to the manner in which the Chancellor of 
the Exchequer had dealt -with the surplus at his dis- 
posal, expressed his opinion that the indirect taxa- 
tion of the country ought to be further reduced. 
For his own part, he said, if he had £2,600,000 to 
dispose of he would take twopence off the tea duty, 
thus reducing it to one half. If Sir William Har- 
court should ever be in the position to carry out 
this good intention he will, we hope, bear this 
statement in mind. 
The Attempt to Revive the China Tea Trade. — 
Now, according to the prophets, China won’t belong. 
The opinion passed by experts on this side who 
have been asked to taste and see the machine- 
made teas sent over here is said to be so favourable 
that China teamen are in a great state of jubila- 
tion in consequence. One firm of Edinburgh tea 
dealers say : “ We have pleasure in reporting to you 
on the sample (machine-made, isn’t it ?) China tea 
(new meth d) same as was sent to us by another 
firm of China brokers. We will say to yon, much as 
we said to them, that were we China merchants we 
should certainly see that all the stuff we shipped 
should be made as this is made, instead of as all 
China has been treated for — how many years 
past shall we say ? If John Chinaman sends 
home all his tea as strong as this, he will very 
soon give a good account of himself against the 
overwhelming flood from India and Ceylon, because 
there is in this sample much more of what the pub- 
lic consider the style and taste of tea than in much 
of the woody tasted stuff that comes from many of 
the Indian estates especially.” That “ machine- 
made, isn’t it ? ” looks as if the Edinburgh people 
were rather doubtful on the subject. From the 
fervent hopes and sanguine views expressed about 
the Celestial teas, and the remark about the 
“ woody-tasted stuff that comes from many of the 
Indian estates especially,” it may bo inferred that 
the Edinburgh firm are by no means averse to the re- 
vival of the China tea trade. The verdict thus 
passed is commented on as follows by the North 
China Daihj News, which says: “If ordinary thirfl 
crop Pakling leaf is susceptible of such improve- 
ment as is recorded in the letter of Messrs. Melrose, 
what possibilities are in store for teas prepared 
according to the ‘ new method ’ from first crop 
leaf from the leading districts in Yangtze 
Valley? It is to be observed that it is not for the 
resemblance to Ceylon and Indian teas that Messrs. 
iMelrose view so favourably the samples submitted to 
them, but because they are considered to have the 
style and taste of tea. It is to be hoped that the 
Chamber of Commerce will not confine the observ- 
ations they are preparing to publish to the tariff 
question alone, but will use their influence towards 
getting Sir Claude MacDonald, the British Minister 
to urge the Tsungli Yamen to take up the question 
of making Chinese congou according to the methods 
that have rendered Ceylon tea so popular.” It seems 
from the Indian and Ceylon planters’ point of view at 
least, rather rough on them that a British Minister 
should be urged to encourage Chinese rivals to imitate 
their successful methods. 
China and Tea Machineky. — The effort to place the 
production of Chinese tea on a better footing was 
referred to at a meeting of the Royal Botanic Society 
of Loudon held on Saturday. A paper was read by 
Dr. Robert Boxall, who has travelled in the tea- pro- 
ducing districts of China, and was listened to with 
marked interest by a large attendance of Fellows, 
among whom were the Duke of Rutland and the 
Marquis of Bute. Dr. Boxall illustrated his paper 
with .1 fine collection of lantern slides, prepared 
principally from Chinese paintings, and exhibiting the 
various processes of planting the tea shrub, and the 
cultivation, gathering, and preparation of the leaf 
for the market. From the tune of the first imports 
of tea from India the quantity of China tea brought 
into this country has diminished year by year, and 
it now seems to have dawned upon the Chinaman 
that unless he brings himself more into line with his 
competitors the British market will soon be all but 
closed to him. He is, therefore, importing large quan- 
tities of machinery, and great preparations are being 
made to produce teas of such fine character as will 
once more gain them something more than a foothold 
in the British market. 
Tea IN the United States and Canada.— The (ea 
market has been surprised by the fact that an expected 
duty of 5o. per lb. hasjnot been included in the Cana- 
dian tariff, and still more by the announcement that 
the United States Senate Committee has included 
a duty of 10c. per lb. on tea until January 1st, 1900 
Coolie Labour and the Straits Settlements.— 
The Penang and Province Wellesley planters do not 
like the 1'nmigration Bill at all. This Bill abolishes 
the punishment of such Indian immigrants as arrive 
under advances and refuse to sign labour contracts. 
'Lhe matter arises through the Indian Government’s 
proposing to obstruct emigration unless the penalties 
are abolished. The planters do not desire to recover 
from the coolies the money advanced for their pas- 
sage, but say that they cannot make advances unless 
the coolies, on arriving, are bound to sign contracts 
at the agreed statue iabour rates. The planters 
have resolved to address a memorial to Mr. Chamber- 
lain, — H. and C. Mail, May 28. 
COONOOK, June 10 . — The S. W. iijonsoon cur- 
rents have set in but no high winds experienced 
yet, but temperature fallen greatly. Leaf-disease 
touching up the coffee here and there. Tea 
still Hushing grandly. Has been a marvellous 
year for tea, and few, if any, of the totes have 
managed to save the whole of the flush, owing 
to scarcity of pluckers. Labour fairly abundant 
on the whole, but advances in some cases have 
been raised to 5/8 per bead : a rise of 8 as. 1 
saw a specimen of Ceylon Erythrina lithosperma 
the other day 3 ^ feet high, at 6,000 feet eleva- 
tion, but in heavily manured soil. — “ Planting 
Opinion.” 
