May 2, 1898. 
THE TROPICAL AGRICLLTURIST, 
?47 
brought to bear in the carrying on of an industry 
that had hitherto been entirely in the hands of a 
seini-barbarous population, which obstinately adhered 
to the most antiquated methods of cultivation and 
production, the usual results had ensued. Modern 
skill and science, as applied by British capital and 
enterprise to the cultivation of the tea plant in 
India and Ceylon, produced a better article at a lower 
cost than the old fashioned methods of the Chinese 
produced, and the weaker industry went to the wall. 
At the present time China teas are practically 
driven out of the English market. When it' is con-- 
sidered in how short a time, comparative’y, this has 
been accomplished, this achievement can only be 
described as remarkable. It is within the experience 
of only middle-aged persons of the present generation 
that China teas were p.bsolutcly the only teas that 
could be bought in the English market. Indeed, it 
was only so recently as 1862 or 18G3 that there was 
any effective competition on the part of Indian tea- 
growers with China, and for ten or twelve years after 
that date the consumption of China teas in this 
country still continued to increase. It was not until 
Ceylon joined its forces with India as a tea-producer 
that an effective inroad began to be made upon the 
Chinese monopoly. From that time, however, the 
process of displaoinT China tea in the English market 
has been very rapid, as will be seen from the follow- 
ing table, which we have taken from returns pub- 
lished by one of the leading authorities on this 
subject, Messrs. Gov/ Wilson and Stanton : — 
Quantity of Tea on which duty was paid at all 
bonded Warehouses in the Kingdom during the years 
named : — 
Indian. 
lb. 
[).C. 
Ceylon. 
lb. 
o.c. 
China, 
&c. lb. 
p.c. 
Total. 
1883 
58,000,000 
33 
1,000,000 
1 
111,780,000 
66 
176,780,000 
1886 
68,420,000 
38 
6,216,000 
3 
104,226,000 
59 
178,891,000 
1889 
96,000,000 
52 
28,500,000 
1.6 
61,100,000 
33 
185,600,000 
1892 
109,628,000 
53 
63,102,000 
30 
34,483,010 
17 
2' 7,113,000 
1896 
116,343,000 
53 
74,024,000 
33 
31,333,000 
14 
221,800,000 
1897 
124,634,000 
54 
8.6,493,000 
37 
21,372,000 
9 
231,40 ',090 
Even these figures, however, do not give a complete 
idea of the effectiveness of the rivalry of Bri^h- 
grown teas, or of the real increase of tea consumption 
in these islands. For several years after the introduc- 
tion of the teas of India and Ceylon into the English 
market it was noticed that, although tea-drinking was on 
the increase, the actual amount of tea imported 
advanced by very slow degrees. This was clearly 
shown by the Customs House returns, which showed 
tuat the tea duty was almost stationary for four or five 
years. This led to an inquiry by some of the high 
ofticials at the Customs House, with the result that a 
report was presented which contained the following 
remark : — ‘‘ From the information which has been 
afforded us on the subject, we believe that we make 
a moderate estimate in assuming that Indian tea goes 
half as far agsii as Chinese tea, so far as depth of 
colour and fulness (not delicacy) of flavour are con- 
cerned. Thus, if 1 lb. of Chinese tea produce 5 gallons 
of tea of a certain decth of colour and fulness of 
flavour, 1 lb. of Indian tea will produce 7J gallons 
of a similar beverage." It is clear from this state- 
ment — the accuracy of which can be confirmed by any 
tea-drinker who has taken the trouble to observe 
and compare — that the present consumption of some 
210,000,000 lb. per annum represents a far greater 
actual increase in the tea-drinking of the 
country than the figures themselves would seem 
to show. 
There is no doubt, at any rate, about the complete- 
ness of the triumph of British-grown over Chinese 
teas in the home market, and this is, of course, a 
matter of satisfaction and congratulation. But, on the 
other hand, the fact that the supply of India and 
Ceylon teas has been found sufficient to meet the whole 
of the British demand has given rise to grave doubts 
as to whether the danger of over-production would not 
have to be met in the near future. For two or three 
years past, indeed, this question of over-production has 
been discussed by those chiefly interested in the 
industry, and suggestions have been made as to the 
necessity of measures for curtailing the output. No 
grftctioal scheme to accomplish that object, however. 
has ever been devised, and in the meantime the 
difficulty has been met by a determined effort to 
open up new markets for the sale of British-grown 
te.r. Until quite recent years Indian tea has met 
with scomt favour in other countries, and China Ins 
almost completely maintained her monopoly in the 
continental markets, and even in the United States 
Canada and Australia. At the lime of the Chicago 
Exihibition, however, efforts were made by the Indian 
and Ceylon tea, growers to cultivate a taste for their 
teas in the United States and Canada, and the 
results of these efforts have been very encouraging, 
the consumption of British-grown teas in these 
countries having nearly doubled since 1893. Atten- 
tion has also been given to Australia as well as to 
the European markets, and in both these directions 
there is good promise of success, Australia, especially, 
is regarded as an excellent field ; she has a popu- 
lation second only to Great Britain herself as 
tea-drinkers, and already 50 per cent, of her tea- 
import is British-grown. Even Russia, which has 
obstinately adhered to her preference for the 
finest Chinese teas, has begun to appreciate 
the excellence of the Ceylon growths, and is 
importing more and more each year. The same is 
the case with France and Germany, and to a less de- 
gree with Turkey, Holland, South Afric.a, and the 
South American republics. The net result of these 
attempts to obtain possession of a share in foreign 
markets has been that the exports of Indian and Cey- 
lon teas to other countries than Great Britain have 
incresed from 19,600,000 lb. in 1893 to 51,148 124 lb 
m 1897. With a good prospect that this increase will 
make further progress in the future, the dread of over- 
production has to a great extent disappeared, as it is 
found that there is still considerable scope for expan- 
sion of trade in these foreign markets. 
It may safely be concluded, then, that the tea 
growing industry of our Indian possessions is in a 
thoroughly sound condition, and has a good prospect 
of a prosperous future. The trade has, oficourse, had to 
meet with bad times and seasons, and during the past 
twelve or eighteen months has been experiencing one of 
the worst periods in its history. The recent increase 
in the price of the rupee has had the effect of stop 
ping in a great measure the opening up of new es- 
tates, and this advance in the exchange and the 
famine and the plague in India have caused an ad- 
vance in the price of rice— the chief article of food 
of the coolies — -and so have increased the cost of la 
hour to a serious extent. But, in spite of these 
difficulties, the reports of the established companies 
as to the results of last season’s operations will show 
that in most cases profits have been fairly well main 
tallied, mid that there is no prospect of any serious 
falling off m dividends. ® 
Considering the amount of capital embarked in this 
tea cultivation— the total capital of the Indian and Cev- 
lon companies is somethinglike i40,000,00j—itis rather 
strange that so little interest has hitherto been taken 
in the shares of the various companies by the invest, 
lag public For one thing, the tea share market has not 
lent itself to any great extent to the purposes of the 
speculator, as the movements in prices are few and 
gradual. But there has always been a steady though 
quiet demand for the shares on the part of a small 
section of fbe investing public, and as during the last 
two years greater facilities have been offered for deal- 
mgs 111 the shares, there has been a marked increase 
in the amount of bus ness doaeon the Stock Exchange. 
A record of these dealings, with the fluctuations in 
prices and ?ther informa,tion regarding the principal 
companies, is published in our columns daily An 
examination of this table shows that there is an 
average yield on the present prices of the dividend- 
paying companies of something like 5 percent, and 
it would be supposed that such a return would offer 
an inducement to more general investment in tea- 
growing companies. Many of the companies possess 
considerable reserves, which have been accunmlated 
for the purpoies of equalising dividends, and in addi- 
tion they have in their holdings of actual landed pro- 
perty. buildings, machinery and tea plants such p, 
