August i, 1891.] 
THF TROPICAL AQRI0ULTURI8T. 
123 
able, consumptiou should progreaj, for there Is little pros 
pectat current prices that China tea will be takou in pre- 
ference by any who are not prejudiced iu its lavour; especially 
If the Rtatemontthnt the new crop from the North is *• tarry” 
should provecorroct. 
The noiut which most urjrciitly demauds attention is 
that of qiiality ; for the crops of the past year have at(ala 
fallen short of their early promise^ and in a way which 
justifies the opinion that the caiiso la within the Planter’s 
control,* We refer, of course, to the ab&ence of tea 
sullioieiitly loarkod by distinctly rich liquor, or finely made 
loaf, to lift it above the level of average quality, and 
to the predominance of (Oa too light Iu cup and pungent in 
tuts to suit the general body of ouliBuinerB, unless blended 
with other kinds. The narrowing range of quotations, to 
^bich we drew attent'ou a >oar ago, has been still more 
marked of Into, and it eoustiiutes a serious drawback to 
Ceylon that ntu<n< the large ainiplica now ottered weekly 
there should be so few breaks worth more than Is per lb., 
wherean in a giniilar quantity of liidiaa there would bo 
numerous Hum selling Jroui is 6d upwards. A wide range 
of quotation is of great help to the buyers lo re-selling, 
and It goes without eayiug that whatever makes the market 
a profitable ono for thum to operate la is for the good of 
the producer, 
aKuin refer to the multiplication of breaks. 
■Ihe biiHlues? is developing so rapidly that buyers cannot 
value all the aamples. Two luvoicos per week from au 
esiaie are frequoutly Keen iu pr.-nt, which is of itself a 
aifittiivautage, apart from thw extra work entailed. In 
■tii' i * the 1 1\ I lem hr.s been widely solvort by packing 
ifio tia dir c’ly finished, and Atoring tho chests 
until large ; can be despatched. Experience shows 
on fvf 'vhi. :i tio thin, and bulk hero, put their teas 
1, irtiTKyi wi high condition ; they uuquealiouatdy 
profit by oflor.Tig lercor quautilios of ihoir brand at less 
irequuiit iniorvii.U. 
Iheavcrugo price of Ceylon sold in auction during the 
rri ** “ouihshui been about lid per lb. 
fho following figures for the past eeusoo, kindly sup- 
plied^ to us by proprietors, Cover nearly 71,(500 acres yield- 
ing 2y,607,0oo Ih., nu nveiage of 4i:j lb. per acre, rea- 
‘‘n average ^ale price of il^d per lb. 
Lvvo quote aU with crops cxceeuiugSuU.OOU lb.— Ed. T» A.}» 
District. E.tato, 
<u 
Assam 
Afisam and 
Assam Co, 
JokaiCo. ,,, 
Jorehaut Co. ... 
As'Um Eroutior Oo... 
hrannmpooira Co... 
Upper As^nm Oo. ... 
Laud Murigago 
hank 
Ncakaobatee Co. ... 
IlisUuaHth Co. 
Duem D.joina Co, ... 
MungitdyeCo. 
Jahanr.ie Assouiatiou 
AuureeKliat Co. 
7.837 
4,4U8 
4,418 
•VlO 
1^.848 
8,788 
2.260 
8,auo 
1,517 
1.412 
l,4dy 
1,415 
1,2)U 
2,731,200 
2,:«j0,0oa 
l,4yb,yuo 
2,415 duo 
1,483,000 
I,u8e,i00 
017,000 
758,400 
057, 4t0 
Hvd.yuo 
408,500 
514, H’O 
620, OUO 
349 
521 
336 
702 
518 
3ya 
405 
828 
416 
838 
284 
864 
5 00 
Cachar British Indian Co 
t)arjpel- 
ing Darjeeling Co. 
"Ouars Lovars Co. 
Previous Tables showed the 
1,310 600,000 159 
1,906 007,000 81 a 
(abl.) (abt.) 
8.2^6 1,386,100 425 
luUowing reHuIts 
V 
s. d. 
11*20 
1 0*76 
11 08 
1 0 
11*07 
1 2*17 
11-26 
10*10 
11*88 
1 0*60 
9*76 
1 0*78 
10*75 
9*75 
1 0*66 
(abt.) 
10*75 
1889-90... 
1888-^9... 
1887-88... 
1886-87... 
Average. Quantity. 
U>. 
73,0j0 
66,1 Oo 
60,000 
56,100 
W. 
Price 
Per Acre, per lb. 
29,800.0CO 
27,‘jOu,000 
22,U«4,uoO 
J^l.&OO.tOO 
408 
412 
377 
382 
111 
lo 3-7 
0 1*20 
0 
A, H. Thompson, Brokers. 
BiHK AND DKUG BEPOIiT* 
(brom the Chemist and 
A.,^. -r^ ,1 * ^ ^ London, June 13th. 
bags West ludiau seeds, 
of good bright colour, 21d porlb. was pald.whUe 10 packages 
colouricBB seed from Ceylon Bold 
at id t j Id per lb, 
Abkoa nut.- F ive MgareaUBeil aosperuwt. 
Crown borU. only a BoniU quantity was 
and Balps are net of any impotlatfeo i ar paclt- 
aiiea very thin, but fair, Bolivian quil£ .old at Old to 
Ijb, good bright Maracaibo at 6id; damaged at 2d 
diii avpeudont on metootological con- 
— to, 'm oert.inly not within the control of plaiit.rB, 
■**”*", 
and 4jd; and 30 packages bold, partly quilly, rather 
dark Carthigena, imported from Hamburg, and ottered 
without reeerve at from SJd, rising to 4d per lb. 
CoOA Leaves. — A t today’s auctions 1 bale * of sound 
Ceylon loaves, imported via Madras, good strong rather 
dark leaven of Huanooo character sold at B^d per lb. 
Another parcel of 8 bulee thin brown leaves is held for 
6(1 per lb. There hue just been a franh arrival of 16 
cases (weighing only about 225 lb. in the aggregate) of 
coca leaves from Ceylon. The leaves are well cured, but 
rather dark, of decided Huanneo character, and well 
packed in tea lead. 
EsaENTiAL Oil. -C itronella oil was held for ll-16tli d. 
per 08. in sale today. 
Quinine.— T he market has been exceedingly flat this 
week, and pricoB are lower. German bulk quinine could 
probably bo bought from second-hand holders for lid per 
oz., and 10,U00 o£. are said to have changed bands at that 
figure early this week. Another report, however, gWo 
he price as 11 id per oz. 
PLANTING IN THE CENTRAL PROVINCE. 
[CIROOLAB NOIBS BY " WANDERER,"! 
THE NEW TEA COBPANY — NO USB EXTBNDINO TEA — 
BETTER TEA — THE RAILWAY — THE TEA CROP — COFFEE 
— CACAO — TOBACCO. 
Upoountry mjn .com to have settled to work, now 
thf t the leveo RBielie. iu Kandy are all over, 
A little “liolt from the blue” has fallen on employes 
of the 0. T. P. Co., in the shape of "an abienoe on 
leave” cironlar Irom their jove, who sita on hi§ Olympus 
iu tho Uill Bauat.rium. The Manaffers of that Company 
are eo well dealt hy iu tho matter of Home leave, 
that they niuiit expoot a little atriotncBB, whore abaonoe 
from the estates on short leave ia granted. 
Higher ratoB of exchange, and low prioes for tea 
are eieroUmg tho planting mind. The Labour qnestion 
however is a more pre.siug one, and the general felin g 
is clear on the point, that the cases tried in Oouit eo 
far have been most unfortunate ones, and give tho 
outside public Buything but a true insight as to tho 
goreral relationship oi master and coolie. 
Many planters are of opinion that there is no nso 
extending the tea area till we have a sufficiency of 
coolies to do justice to what wo have already planted. 
They m.iutaiu that the yield of made tea aud its 
quality depend moat on a sufficienoy of labour to 
"catch the flush on tlte hop.” A planter of great ex- 
perience told me the other ifay that he could get 600 lb 
per acre against the ordinary 350 lb, if he could be 
certain of his labour when he required it. Of oourso 
there is the other side of the question how to employ 
such a labour force when the flushing is scanty K 
The New Tea Company deserves the support of all 
tho Planting community. I presume it will run the 
Tea Kiosk, aud supply the orders that will be handed 
to the manager of that institution. 
Thu t' a flashing is now moderated, and the tea 
turned nut of the factories ia oonsvquently of better 
quality. I notice one of your oorrespundents advising 
his brother planters to prone in such a way, as to 
have light flashes in April, May and June. We all wish 
to get leas tea in these months, but Dame Natnre is s 
stubborn old lady. What we all aim at is to prune, 
so as to have no large portion of onr estates coming into 
full flush at one time. 
It is high time that the Government took steps to 
got their railway engine drivers, stokers and guards, in 
a less grumbling mood than they exhibit at present. 
The newly imported guards will no doubt tell their 
brethren in Ceylon, that Unionism can work wonders 
in the old country. Mesaurcs of reform should be 
Biitioipatod by employers {Qovornmont or priyat^ and 
not forced on them. A Pension Fund should be at 
ones started, §rds being contributed by the Govern- 
ment (as the Government and the employers share) 
anil Jrd by the men themselves.— This will at once 
make the service a favourite one. 
I don’t think the outturn of tea will be SO large in 
the last half of 1891, as in the first halt. 
Ci- ffee will be a very feeble crop this season. 
Cacao blossom is kept back by the long-oontinued 
wet weather, but we have all July before us. 
Tobaooo planting has I fear all ended " in smoke,” 
