130 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [Aug. 2, [897. 
•Much rather do we regard Java tea ae “ com- 
curreiizfahiger ” — coinpetitoi — of the British colonial 
product, were it solely from a dietetic point of view 
on account of the smaller amount of tannin. We 
have in view on Amsterdam or Rotterdam as em- 
porium and universal market for Java tea in com- 
petition with a London as Assam and Ceylon tea 
market. It will not want for interest and active 
measures in this country, and the Dutch tea market 
will undoubtedly, with an energetic and united ad- 
vance, be able in the future to reckon on a good 
reception from the continent, where the consumption 
of tea is each year spreading so much. We quota 
inter alia from the report of the Dresden firm of R 
Seelig and Hille : “Java-thds fiuden nur in unteren 
Preislagen bei uns Verwendunge, Konkuriren aber 
schon in besseven Qualitiiten mit den besten Indischen 
Garten — Markeu!” with us are employed 
only in low priced grades, but in better qualities 
compete with the best Indian garden marks. J 
Whilst we ask you kindly to accept these opinions 
for what they are worth, we also presums to draw 
your attention to what may jpossibly be in the future 
a dangerous competitor of Java tea in the form of 
the “New Process, machine made, China Tea,” im- 
ported to London. An article in the Inditsche Jler- 
ciiur of ly December last regarding this new proj 
duct led us to place in the hands of the 
Editor the samples sent to us by our London 
broker for report, and these in the view of those 
interested, were a small contribution to a large 
supply. We observe that these teas were shipped 
from Foochow, whilst in the preceding week a 
parcel of the same merchandise was sold, which 
come from Hankow. We have pleasure in sending 
you herewith the samples of these parcels as also 
the sale catalogue, being the first machine-made 
Hankow teas. Meanwhile we remain, gentlemen, 
with much respect, 
WED. J. VAN DBR CHIJS & ZOOU’S 
TEA DEPARTMENT, 
12 May 1897. J. Van dek Ciiijb. 
^ 
PLANTING NOTES. 
Shikaris who suiter from mosquitos will be 
glad to hear of a protection which is warranted 
on Consular authority to he ellicacious. It is the 
essence of “ Mentlia Pulegium.’' On going to bed 
apply this sjiaringly to the face and hands and 
the mosquitos will not trouble you. So the Bri- 
tish Consul at Naples declares. The remedy has 
not a pleasant odour, he admits, but it produces 
no evil ellects and affords relief unspeakable. — 
The Asian, June 2’2. 
A Competent Brazilian Authority on coffee, 
states that although the drop in ))rice.s, a.s com- 
pared with normal quotations is about 40 pe 
cent, the prices in export markets afford the 
planters a profit of 80 per cent, on the cost of 
Production, and if this return is not adequate 
to the requirements of the planters, the cause 
must be found in the maladmii.istration of tlie 
estates, few of which are personally superintended 
by their owners.— Iv. J K. in P. TPmM— [Who 
is the competent authority? -We doubt his 
reliableness. — Ei). T.A.'\ 
The Future of IfuiHiER. — The following is 
rather an imiiortant announcement for rubber 
cultivators, because the prospectus received by 
us by a previous mail was quite formidable as 
to what the jiioposed Company was likely to do 
in collecting lubber in West Africa with its 
£200,000 of capital. Now the proposal has col- 
lajised ; — , , . 
The British Indiarubber and Exploration Company, 
Limited. — The directors having deemed it inexpedi- 
ent to proceed to an allotment of shares in the above 
Company, the moneys subscribed by applicants for 
shares and debentures will be returned In full to the 
applicants. — Daihj Chroiucle, June 5. 
The Coffee Situation. — Thirty years ago, 
writes the Atnericnn Grocer, the total consumption 
in Europe and the United States was 375, OOU 
tons; today it reaches 650, OuO tons, a gain of 
over 73 per cent. But while this gain covers 
thirty years, we have to recognize that during 
the past three years the annual deliveries in 
Europe and the United States do not average 
any larger than for the nine years 1880T888, when 
tliey were 658,066 tons annually. The previous 
era of low prices during which consumption 
steadily increased ended in 1886, folloived by a 
rise in 1887 to 18T1 cents as the yearly average 
cost of fair to prime Rio, against 10 76 cents in 
1886 and 8'96 cents in 1885. Since then liigh 
prices liave ruled, stimulating production in Mexico, 
Central .America and South America, the eflect of 
wliicli, was not felt until last year and still more 
tills season. The total deliveries for ten mouths 
are reported by the Coffee Excliange at 10,095,554 
hags. It i.s probable that the yearis deliveries 
will be close to 12,000,000 bags, making the 
heaviest on record. The visible supply of the 
world. May 1, 1897, was 4,348,799 bags, an in- 
ciease from July 1, 1896, of 1,760,606 bags. In 
creased consumption, with increased stocks and 
declining prices, are proof of overburdening sup- 
plies. If the 1897-98 crops are as heavy as those 
of 1896 97, we may see lower figures than any ever 
made, ill .spite of improved hn.siness. Whicli-ever 
way the trend is, it is certain thatcoffee is lowenough 
to warrant liberal hnying and generous stocks. 
“Coffee no Longer King in the East.”— 
So we venlured to slate some time ago in con- 
trasting the position of onr old staple in the 
East with what we see of it in Brazil, Mexico and 
Central America; and our position is strictly 
accurate in every respect. Even in Java, coffee 
is far below its old status, while tea, cacao and 
cincliona divide attention. Any planting in the 
Straits or Southern India has as yet done notliing 
in crops and exports to retrieve tlie position. But 
a young and rather rash planting contemporary in 
India cliallenges our statement after a fashion 
peculiar to inexperienced youngsters ; — ■ 
“ Extremely elementary notions must our contem- 
porary have of the conditions that obtain in South 
India, where there are about 15 acres of coffee to 
every one acre of tea. It would probably surprise 
it to learn that the last six years or so have wit- 
nessed an unprecedented rush for coffee land and so- 
called coffee land (thought formerly only fit for 
grazing) in every district — barring Travancore — in 
Madras.” 
Tlie “chart ” follows. A “six years’ rush;’' and 
yet three years or at most four bring coffee into 
bearing. How then do tlie export figures for 
India bear out the above statement :— 
Total Coffee Export from India ; — 
1871-2 
507,000 cwt. 
1881-2 
351,981 „ 
1891-2 
311,864 „ 
1895-6 
290,902 „ 
1896-7 
210.707 
No sign of “a six year, s’ rush ” in tliese figures, 
but rather of a steady decline. — Here again is 
the figured picture wliich justifies our statement 
tha,t “coffee is no longer king in the East : — 
cwt. cwt. 
Ceylon (max. annual export) 1,000,000 now 40,000 
India „ .. 510,000 „ 220,000 
Java, Straits and E, Arch- 
pelago 
. . 2 , 000,000 „ 1 200,000 
- 3,500,000 1,460,000 
While the ‘AVest” which 20 years ago produced not 
much more than tlie “East,” nows produces over 12 
million cwt. or eight times as much as the “ East.” 
