THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
132 
[Aug. 2, 1897. 
In Germany 53 millions of people use annually 
less than i lb. per head. 
In France 38 millions of people use annually less 
than 1-32 lb. per head. 
Moreover, — is there any reason why a sustained at- 
tempt to popularize their native product among the 
countless millions of India itself should fail ? Can no 
methods be devised for putting tea within their reach 
at a price and in a form which might eventually lead 
them to use it as a beverage as freely as the Chinese 
and the Japanese use the produce of their soil ? 
The successful development of the system of selling 
tea under a registered name is, in conjunction with 
the Blender’s business, transforming the methods by 
which the Tea Trade is carried on— and is attended 
by a material effect upon the London market. It has 
brought in a large amount of fresh capital seeking 
remunerative employment, and has placed ample 
means at the disposal of traders with progressive ideas 
who realize that in order to make and keep their 
business thev must supply the public with good tea at 
moderate prices, and outdistance their rivals— if they 
can— by the merit of the article sold. 
In this we find the explanation of the fact 
whereas most retailers say they sell less high-priced 
tea than formerly, they nevertheless compete keenly 
all through the season for the choicest growths that 
come to market, and pay more attention to fineness 
of quality, and especially to “ tiavour," than ever 
before. 
Evidence of some movement m the relative values of 
produce correspondent to this tendency will naturally 
be sought for ; and it will be found in the gradually 
widening margin between the value of the best teas 
and those of ordinary or inferior class, which has 
characterized the market during the last year or two, 
and is illustrated by the records of crop results printed 
herewith. There may possibly be another cause of 
the appreciation of the value of the finest growths of 
India and Ceylon, in the fact that their production 
does not, and indeed cannot, increase so rapidly as 
that of inferior qualities, owing to the limited area in 
which choice teas are produced. But there has been 
no lack of fine tea this season— the Assam and Darjee- 
ling crops having contained a fair supply, while in 
Ceylon the best districts have on the whole maintained 
their reputation. 
As regards Darjeeling, allowing for irregular re- 
sults due to climatic influences, it is becoming evident 
that its produce tends to become intrinsically more 
valuable as a whole : while with regard to Assam 
the high standard of quality reached and uniformly 
maintained in certain parts has been so noticeable 
as to warrant the conclusion that methods superior to 
those formerly followed, by slow degrees brought to 
perfection by skilful managers, have been adopted by 
others in the locality, to the general benefit of its pro- 
duce. ... 
Whether the tendency of prices to widen in their 
range will continue ; and whether it will find expres- 
sion in higher rates for “ fine” or in lower quotations 
for ‘‘ common,” are questions which time alone can 
decide : but inasmuch as the contributory causes, 
to which we have alluded, are likely to be permanent, 
it is not unreasonable to look for some movement 
in each direction. An influence not to be overlooked 
is the gradually growing enquiry for line-Aavoured 
tea from abroad, not yet sufficient to affect the value 
of the larger supply from India, but already so 
constant as to raise the level of rates for the smaller 
quantity produced in Ceylon. 
This is a matter of deep concern to those engaged 
in extending the area under plant, as it has a direct 
bearing upon the two alternative policies, viz. ; 
whether to open up new districts whose ability to give 
good tea is doubtful, or to concentrate energy and 
capital upon more favoured localities. As regards 
districts where large crops can be produced at a 
low cost, it is obvious that if the value of such tea 
as they yield should decline much more, and cost 
be enhanced by higher exchange or difficulty in 
getting labour, the present margin of profit would 
disappear. It would be unwise to disregard the 
^gntingency of a further fall iu the value of common 
tea, in view of the extensions made in recent years 
in districts which yield it, and of the possibility that 
however steadily the world’s demand may grow, it 
may not expand fast enough to keep pace with the 
output. 
This is an eventuality suggesting discriminating 
caution in breaking new ground, and the devotion of 
far more attention to the quality of produce than 
to the outturn of a heavy crop. 
There are processes involving expenditure of time 
and labour — e.g., excessive manipulation of leaf for 
purposes of classification, and factory-bulking (save 
in exceptional cases), which are of secondary im- 
portance compared with attention paid to work in 
the field and in the tea-house \ — sometimes, indeed, 
they impair values, and they seldom raise it. 
The needs of the day are to bring tea rapidly to 
market ; at regular intervals ; in as large breaks as 
can be made ; sub-divided into the four or five re- 
cognized grades ; to break the leaf as little as pos- 
sible by mechanical process ; and to maintain the 
distinctive character of the garden’s produce. 
WM. JAS. & HY. THOMPSON. 
STATISTICS. 
Showing the development of the Indian Tea Trade 
during the past three Seasons. 
Exported from Calcutta. 
1894-95. 1895-96. 1896-97. 
To the United 
Kingdom . . 
To Australasia 
To America . . 
To Asia and 
elsewhere . . 
116,083,000 
4.846.000 
584,000 
3.934.000 
121,166,000 
6.842.000 
1.086.000 
5,390,000 
132,600,000 
6.171.000 
1.938.000 
4.855.000 
125,446,000 
134,483,000 
145,564,000 
From other In- 
dian Ports to 
U.K. 
2,000,000 
2,000,000 
2,500,000 
Season’s Re- 
Exports from 
the U.K. .. 
3,680,000 
3,800,000 
5,250,000 
Showing the development of the CEYLON TEA 
TRADE during the past three years. 
Exported from Ceylon. 
1894. 
1895. 
1896. 
To the United 
Kingdom 
75,350,000 
85,573,000 
93,936,000 
To Australasia 
7 , 447,000 
9,380,000 
11,063,000 
To Elsewhere. . 
1,796,000 
2,807,000 
3,142,000 
Season's Re-Ex- 
84,592,000 
97,940,000 
108,141,000 
ports from the 
U. Kingdom.. 
5,787,000 
7,500,000 
9,150,000 
Showing the progress of CEYLON TEA TRADE 
in London : — 
Season ending 31st May 1887. Imported 8 million lb. 
Sold in auction, 124,000 packages. Average price Is 
IJd per lb. 
Season ending 31st May 1892. Imported 64 million 
lb. Sold in auction, 790,000 packages. Average price 
9|d per lb. 
Season ending 31st May 1897. Imported 93 million 
lb. Sold in auction, 1,095,000 packages. Average price 
8d per lb. 
LONDON WAREHOUSE RETURNS, including 
all kinds of Tea, for the past three Seasons, ending 
31st May. ® 
Import — 
1894-5. 1895-6. 1896-7. 
lb. lb. lb. 
Indian 
Ceylon 
China 
Java etc. 
115,046,000 
74.045.000 
46.572.000 
4,105,000 
117,932,000 
81.870.000 
40.996.000 
3,947,000 
131,650,000 
92.073.000 
33.012.000 
3,606,000 
Total .. 
239,767,000 244,745,000 260,341,000 
