May 2) 1898,] 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
767 
TEA REVIEW: 
ANNUAL REPORT OF MESSRS. GEORGE 
WHITE & CO., TEA BROKERS, LONDON. 
We reproduce and issus as a Supplement 
the valuable Report received by a late mail 
from the above well-known firm of tea-bro- 
kers, and to which we direct the attention 
of all interested in our “ tea industry. ” It opens 
with a review of the Indian, Ceylon and Java 
Tea Trade with the United Kingdom in 1897 ; 
and to take the Last-mentioned first, we are glad 
to see that the said trade in .lava tea is not in- 
creasing according to the landings in the United 
Kingdom. AYe have always insisted that with 
so good a market before them as Hol'and and 
Belgium (not to speak of the adjacent provinces 
of (-lermany.) the .Java tea planters ought not 
to trouble the London market at all with their 
produce. Jn the year’s review, we are slu.wn 
how the Ceylon average has fallen from S|d in 
189.5, to 8R1 in 1896 and to TJd in 1897 ; but in 
t-he interesting comparative talde appended to 
the Report, the a\erages are given lor eight 
months only in each case, namely 1st July to 
end of February and for 1897-8, the returns may 
be quoted as follows : — 
All Ceylon . . 8d 
All India . , 85 
All Java .. 6| 
Now to take the Indian districts ; — 
Darjeeling 
. . lOgd 
Assam 
.. lOi 
Dooars 
7§ 
Kangra 
.. 7i 
Cachar 
7 
Travancore 
.. 6| 
The above is for 8 months ; but we may com- 
pare this with the Ceylon district li.st for 12 
months : — 
Udapuasellawa, Nuwara Eliya, New Galway 
ar.d Dlmbula .. 9|d 
Maskeliya and Dikoya . . 8| 
Uva . . 8g 
Eastern Districts from Maturatta to 
Rangala .. 7^ 
Central (Pussellawa, Ramboda, Pundaluoya 
Kadugannawa) . . 
And so on — see thirteen divisions of distiiet.s — 
some of them rallier .arbitrary — as detailed by 
Messrs. Geo, White & Co. in their table. It 
may be mentioned that of the Indian districts 
Kangra Valley is the only one that shows an 
improved average — 7RI in 1897 against 7d in 1896. 
The slow progress made in the re-export tea 
trade from the United Kingdom is not satisfactory. 
In three years we miglit expect a greater 
increase than from 30^ million lb. in 1895, 
to 365 in 1897 or 6 million Ih. of an in- 
crease. As regards prospects, Messrs. White 
hope for improved trade and laiger home con- 
sumption, last year Peing affected by industrial 
troubles ; hut if war breaks out, we fear, there 
may be disappointment. Ail the nioie reason there- 
fore, that, by liner ]ilu(ddng and more careful 
treatment, a better average quality of tea should 
be sent home during the present year. To this 
end, the Report before us makes one practical 
recommemlation, which deserves attention here 
and in Inditi. VVhy, it is asked, .slioubl coar.se 
and dust teas be -sent to Loudon to increase 
the supply ot poor and low-class grades really 
not wanted at home ? Can an effort nob be 
made both in India and Ceylon, to encourage 
a local native consumption that would work off a 
large quantity, if not the whole, ol these lowest 
94 
descriptions ; and ,so relieve the pressure in 
packages and weight of descriptions of tea that it 
can scarcely jta.y, in any case, to .ship to London, 
while jtrices are so Jow ? 
JAVA QUININE. 
AVe have received this week from an indepen- 
dent manufacturer in Java a sample of quinine- 
sulphate made by himsel.k He says it contains 
“ less than 1 per cent, of ciuchoiiidinc.” So far 
as the absence of alkaloids other than quinine is 
concerned we find th.at the sauijtle is good, and 
passes the ammonia-test; but the .salt has in bulk 
a sli_;htly yellowish tinge, although less so than 
another .Java quinine, which was received here 
in January. We have submitted a jroition of 
the sample to a well-known e.xiiert, who reports; 
—■“It is evidently a very imperfectly refined ])ro- 
duet from a Ledg..n-iaua bark. It might pass as 
‘ unbleached cpiinine,’ but it is certainly not of 
‘ good commercial quality.’ ” Apparently, Java 
manufacturers liave yet to learn the trick of bow 
to make the sulphate absolutely white, and light 
as to (lensity . — Vhemiat and Driujqu-t, 
BANDARAPOLA CEYLON CO., LD. 
(Special Report Jor the '^Tropical AgricuUurint,” ) 
The fifth annual meeting of tliis Company was 
held at 16, Philpot Lane, London, on March 31. 
Mr. George W Pain (chairman), presided, and 
among those 1 resent were Messrs. Hugh Fraser 
(manadng director), Leopold F Davies, Mennel, 
Campbell, G G Anderson, A Leslie, AV AV Lord, 
W C Scott, J F Anderson, W Mackenzie and 
G AV Dodds. 
The Chairman said that the net profits for 
the year had amounted to £1,956 Is 8(1, ami the 
directors proposed to pay a final divideml of seven 
per cent and to write off for depreciation on 
buildings and machinery the sum of £295 Is 2d, 
carrying for ward a balance of £66. They had had 
an average of 632 lb. per acre in tea,’ hut the 
shareholder.s would notice that there had been 
a slight falling-off’ in the realized price. The 
director.s had decided to incur no further expense 
for clearing for fresh tea while e.xehange was 
in its present unsatisfactory position, hut they 
inteiidetl to continue to manure the estates freely 
(hear, hear). Excejrt in that respect, and in re- 
gard to the ordinary expenses of the acreage 
now in full working order, they did not mean 
to incur any expense that could be possibly 
avoided till there was some settlement of the 
exchange question. They wei-e able to pay the 
same dividettd for 1897 as they had pal'd for 
1896, althougii otr an increased capital ; atrd they 
had itrereased lire re.serve fund by £1,000 an’d 
wiitteu off nearly £300 for depreciation. The 
directors thought that, under all the cireum- 
stairces, the I'eporb was a very fair orre. and they 
felt thit tlie_y were justiliecl in thankiirg their 
nranager, Mr. James Anderson, for tire very satis- 
factory manner in which he had helped to achieve 
a vei-y good le.sult (hear-, heai). He moved, 
“ That the report and statemeirt of accounts he 
received and adopted,” 
Mr. Hugh Fhaskr seconded, remarking that 
he considered they were in a very favourable 
and a very strong position, He did not think 
there would he any dilliciiliy whatever in getting 
the shareholders to api>rove the report. 
