AtRlL I, 1898.] THE TROPICAL 
LONDON TEA REPORTS. 
We issue for our planting and mercantile sub- 
scribers the usual “blue” circular with reports 
on tea and sales of Ceylon tea. The market 
report on “Ceylon’s” runs as follows : — 
Ceylon. — A second week of heavy auctions proved 
too much for the market and prices gave way all 
round to the extent of fully ^d. per lb., medium 
biokens being frequently difficult to dispose of except 
at a still further reduction. Average for week 7‘40d., 
against 8d. same period last year. Ceylon tea sold 
on Garden Account 1st Jan. to date 1898, 141,060 pkgs., 
av. 8d. 1897, 126,290 pkgs., av. 8d. 
In addition there will be found in another 
column a letter from Messrs. Gow, Wilson and 
Stanton, regarding the progress that has been 
made i.a the development of the sale of British- 
grown teas in North America. In 1897 the 
quantity was 5,698,596 lb. as against 1,489,479 lb. 
iri 1892 : in five years the quantity of Ceylon tea 
imported has quadrupled. It is noteworthy that 
the sale of Indian tea progresses at about the same 
rate in North America as that of Ceylon does. 
Mes.srs. Wilson Smithett & Co., in their memo- 
randa for 1897, which we shall give with an early 
issue, say : — 
The cry of over-production has been warningly 
reiterated for years past, but so long as planters show 
due regard to the quality of the leaf plucked we see 
the reason to indulge in pessimistic apprehensions. 
When we consider that the increase in the Imports 
of Ceylon tea during 1897, over those of 1896, amounted 
only to some 2,000,000 lb., whilst the total deliveries 
showed an expansion of over 7,000,( 00 lb. we need 
add nothing to allay ^ny fears on the score of over- 
production. It has long been felt that if Foreign 
and Colonial markets could bebroughtlo recognize the 
economic and dietetic values of Ceylon leaf, a safety- 
valve against any prospective over-supply would at 
once be assured ; consequently the efforts of all 
interested in the industry have for some years past 
been directed towards popularising the article in all 
Colonial and Continental tea-consuming countries. 
It is one of the hopeful signs for the future of the 
Ceylon tea industry, that the effects of producers and 
distributors alike in exploiting new markets have 
hitherto been eminently successful. One of the 
leading features of the market during the past year, 
perhaps the feature for which we have to be most 
thankful for, is the important expansion in the re- 
exports to the Continent. When we point out that 
more than a quarter of the substantial increase in 
last year’s consumption of Ceylon leaf is due to 
foreign appreciation and support, and that fully 10 
per cent, of the Imports into the U.K. last year were 
re-exported, and almost entirely to the full benefit 
of the producer without any intervening profits, owing 
to the orders received for auction on samples sent out 
previously, we feel entitled to indulge in hopeful 
anticipations for the future, and to congratulate 
planters on a success which has certainly never been 
vouchsafed in anything like a similar degree to their 
Indian brethren. As we anticipated years ago the 
merits of the Ceylon leaf have been most fully recog- 
nized and appreciated by the Russian distributors. 
For many years the work of gaining over this 
important market proceeded silently, patience and 
diligence in submittimg samples being duly rewarded 
by the important Russian orders which now almost 
weekly constitute an important factor in the com- 
petition at the London auctions. 
THE LETHENTY TEA ESTATES ASSOCI- 
ATION, LIMITED. 
The first ordinary general meeting of this Asso- 
ciation, incorporated on October 9th, 1897, was held 
on February 3rd at Winchester House, Old Broad 
Street, E.C. 
Mr. W. J. Skene, the chairman of the board, who 
presided, informed the shareholders that the meet- 
ing was but a formal one summoned in complianoe 
AGRICULTURIST. 68 1 
with the provisions of the Companies’ Act, 1862, 
at which no real business was proposed to be 
transacted, but as it provided him with an oppor- 
tunity of speaking to the shareholders as a body he 
must avail himself of that opportunity by giving 
them a little general information on the subject of 
their undertaking. In the first place, he stated that 
the whole of the debenture capital and the whole 
of the share capital, with the exception of 
£4,500, which the board thought it desiiable to 
hold in reserve, had been allotted, the whole 
of the estates had been conveyed to the com- 
pany, and thereupon mortgaged to the trustees for 
the debenture holders, and all other formal matters 
in connection with the amalgamation of the pro- 
perties and businesses satisfactorily completed. 
Further, he stated that since the date of the first 
general allotment applications for shares to the 
extent of upwards cf £3,000 had been made by 
persons having interests in Ceylon and knowledge of 
the company’s properties, but that the board had not 
thought it desirable to allot any portion of the 
reserved shares, as the available working capital of 
the company appeared to be sufficient. With regard 
to the business of the Association the Chairman 
stated that the reports from Ceylon were highly 
satisfactory, both as to the product of the estates and 
the prices realised on sales at Colombo, and that a 
substantial increase in the demand on the part of 
their home customers had occurred, which they had 
had considerable difficulty in satisfying, owing to the 
fact that, pending the completion of the transfer of 
the properties, they had thought it expedient to realise 
a larger proportion of their output in the Colombo 
market at good prices then offering, and their 
shipments to England had, as a consequence, to 
some extent fallen off. 
The Chairman further stated with regard to the 
retail or private trade, which up to the date of the 
formation of the Association had been strictly con- 
fined to sales of one fixed quality, all other quali- 
ties being disposed of in the Colombo market, that 
the directors having satisfied themselves that the 
demand for other qualities was such that they 
were justified in putting additional qualities on the 
home market had given directions for the regular 
shipment from the estates of two other grades of tea 
for sale at lower prices, wholly distinct from the 
particular grade ot tea hitherto known in England 
as “ Lethenty tea,” the grade of which would be 
strictly maintained as heretofore. 
Generally the Chairman stated that the board re- 
tained all their original confidence in the prospects 
of the Association, and that everything that had 
occurred since the formation of the Company tended 
to confirm their belief that after the initial difficulty 
and expense incidental to the conversion of several 
separate businesses into one joint concern had been 
allowed for, the Association would be found to have 
started on a happy and prosperous career. 
Mr. Skrine, one of the directors of the Association, 
then addressed a few words to the meeting in con- 
firmation of what had been stated by the chairman, 
pointing out the desirability of every shareholder doing 
his utmost to supplement the efforts of the board by 
spreading the knowledge of the company's business 
amongst their friends and all other possible cus- 
tomers with whom they might be brought in contact. 
The meeting then closed with a vote of thanks to 
the chairmain, proposed by Mr. R. A. Cameron and 
seconded by Dr. Bolton. — U. d; C. Mail, Feb. 11. 

TEA IN AMERICA. 
experts’ report on impure tea. 
(From the American Grocer, Jan. 26.) 
Washington, Jan. 23 — The full text of the recom- 
mendations of Board of Tea Experts is as follows : — 
New York, Jan, 21, 1898. 
Hon. Lyman J. Gage, Secretary of the Treasury, 
Washington ; — 
Sir, — In accordance with yom: instructions to select 
standards of teas under the Act of Congress approved 
March 2, 1897, entitled “ A bill to prevent the im. 
