824 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[June I, 1898 . 
TEA ESTATES AND PROSPECTS. 
An e.x'perienced planter writes I liave been 
readiiiff VVilson Sinitliefct’s rei)urt for 1897. It 
is a luty they do not p;ive the yields for 1898 
as well as 1897, so that one could jndoje if re- 
sults of iiigher and lower prices were from finer 
plucking cr the reverse : — 
In 1897, cl. 
Diyagama in 
Agras. high 
goes down 
.. 1.1 
Galaha 
Medium 
do 
3 
• • 4 
Yataderiya 
Low 
Higher by 
1 
• * 4 
Abbotsleigh 
High 
do 
3 
• • 4 
Badulla 
Medium 
Lower by 
.. IJ 
Campion 
High 
do 
.. U 
Elbedde 
do 
do 
.. li 
Mt. Vernon 
do 
Higher ty 
S. Leonards 
do 
Lower by 
!! i| 
Talawakelley 
do 
Higher by 
3 
• • 4 
Densford 
do 
Lower by 
.. li 
Great Western do 
do 
.. 13 
TJry 
Medium 
Higher by 
.. 21 
Sheen 
1-IiMh 
do 
. . * 
VVootton 
do 
Lower by 
.. 1 
Diyanellakellj 
ao ’ 
Higher by 
.. 2 
Mahagastotte 
do 
do 
.. 1 
The general 
average is 
J(1 less, hat 
certainly 
there is a jnore general tumble down on high 
estates than on medium or ioiv except on one or 
two places. I do not see where the ‘ V. A. and 
Merchant’ finds the large number of estates that 
are to shut uj) if prices go down a half-penny 
more in 1898. Many a shuck old horse lasts longer 
than agay prancingslecd.”— It is reported now that 
the “ abaiulonment of a group ” in Matale means 
the abandonment of certain fields of the group. 
PRODDCE AND PLANTING, 
Thr Budget. — It was, of coarse, well known that 
the Chancellor of the Exchequer had a realised surplus 
upon the last financial year of over three and a half 
millions ; but the public generally had come to the 
conclusion that the deuiands upon the public purse- 
would be such as to leave no margin for the remis- 
sion of taxation. Members of the House of Commons 
were therefore pleased to find that there is an estimated 
gross surplus for the year of a million and three, 
quarters, which will, however, be disminished by the 
demands of Ireland and Scotland to about a million 
and a half. Large as the amount is it is not sufficient, 
such is our growing wealth, to cover the reduction of 
the Income-tax by one peuuy. Sir Michael Hicks 
Beach therefore directed his attention to the allevia- 
tion of indirect taxation. There are but four articles 
upon which revenue is raised on any considerable 
scale — beer, spirits, tea, and tobacco.' The Chancellor 
of the Exchequer, therefore, had to choose between 
the claims of tea and tobacco. Scorning the “ free 
bie.ikfast table,” Sir Michael’s decision was in favour 
of tobacco, partly, he said, because the working up of 
the raw material gave employment to British and 
Irish industries, and partly because the duty had 
not been reduced for neatly sixty years. Sixpence a 
pound, therefore, will in future be saved to smokers, a id 
the consumers of other produce a -e left where theywere. 
The Outlook for Tea. — It has been urged as a 
mitigating circumstances of the present position of the 
Indian and Ceylou tea industry, suffering as it is from 
too much Government interference with the currency, 
that there is no inducement to extend the cultivation of 
tea. This, no doubt, is so, but apart from tiie res- 
training influence of the rising rupee we should have 
thought there were reasons why some check should be 
given to the desire for extending the area of tea culti- 
vation. As lately pointed out in the statisii s 
given by Messrs. Gow, 'SVilson, and Stanton, 
and emiihaaised by a correspondent in our 
issue of last week, the imports of Indian 
tea in relation to the deliveries are not such as to 
warrant an increasing area of tea cultivation, 
in the case of Ceylon tea I/he sUtisIjical posi- 
tion is altogether different, due possibly to the 
forethought and enterprise of those interested, who 
have lost no opportunity of seeking new outlets 
for their produce and have not spared expense in 
the work of doing it. Oiir correspoudent who pointed 
out the large increase in the sto^k of Indian tea 
to secure a portion ot the Loudon trade, the whole, 
or ac least the larger share, of which it once held. 
We are quite aware th.at the difficulties in the way 
of the c hinese growers will be considerable. The 
market is in possession of the British grower, the 
public are accustomed to the flavour of Indian and 
Ceylon teas, and other points as well may be urged 
in their favour. Notwithstanding all this it is as well 
for Indian planters to bear in mind that this time 
their rivals mean business. The Chinese have hither- 
to neglected to equip themselves with machinery and 
up-to-date ideas. They appear to bs about to put 
their tea-houses in order, and they also have acquired 
a considerable amount of experience. They are more 
formidable than they have ever been, and to crown 
all, thanks to the Indian Government, they are in a 
better position than ever they were to compete with 
India and Ceyloti; owing to the artificially enhanced 
value of silver in the latter countries. It may be 
easier to assume that Chiua tea is hopelessly beaten 
and that things will right themselves, new markets 
will be found, and the rest of it. But it will be 
wiser to look the position squarely in the face. In 
view of the coming struggle some relief must be found 
for the glut of tea which comes into Loudon. New 
over diliveries as compared with the position two 
years ago dwelt on the importance — nay the absolute 
necessity— of flnding new markets for Indian tea. 
This warning has been preached for some years, 
but no special heed has been paid to it. Pessimis- 
tic forebodings are always unpleasant, and the voice 
crying in the wilderness is usually allowed to grow 
hoarse with lamentation. All the same it will he as well 
if tea planters in British dependencies bear in mind 
that they cannot expect to find the demand for their 
produce in the home markets expand indefinitely. 
To say nothing of minor matters, such as the boom in 
cocoa, there is the question of keen competition 
vvith the Far East, which is bound to come beforelong. 
China and Japan will soon be making supreme efforts 
to plant a firm foot in the tea markets of the world, 
and the former country will make strenuous efforts 
markets must be found and there must be no slacking 
of the spirit of enterprise. Moreover it will be very 
necessary to demonstrate to the Indian Government 
that the tea industry of India stands in danger of 
being throttled by the expedients now in force for 
inflating the currency, and that planters who are 
pursuing an active course of protest against the ex- 
isting state ot things are in no moed for tamely 
acquiescing in a policy which not only handicaps 
them, bat benefits their commercial rivals in every way. 
Very Pushing. — We do not know whether there 
are further possibilities in connection with the in- 
ducements offered by retail tea dealers to customers, 
but a pension scheme for widows is a fairly enterpris- 
ing proposal. A Lincolnshire tea firm is offering 
“ to every woman who shall have become a widow 
since Christmas. 1897, and who, since that date, shall 
have purchased not less than one half-pound 
of their tea per week for the last five consecutive 
weeks previously to her b scorning a widow. lOs per 
week so long as she remains a widow ; and to every 
woman who became a widow previously to Christmas 
1897, or previously to her commencing to purchase 
their tea, 10s per week as long as she remains a widow, 
provided that she shall have purchased half a pound of 
tea per week for ten years.” 
Tea in the Army.— Sir Herbert Kitchener, like 
Lord Wolseley, is a total abstainer, and he does his 
best to keep intoxicants out of the British camp. 
It is pointed out in a journal devoted to the advo- 
cacy of temperance that tea is in great favour with the 
troops in Egypt, that Tommy wins his Soudan battles 
on tea and coffee, and that tea is becoming increasing 
popular in the Army,—//, and C. 31ail, April 22, 
