Beptember I, iSgi.] THE TROPICAL AQRIOULTURI9T. 
igi 
oommoD, old tea — much of it many seasona old. The 
peculiar earthy flavour of this deaoription atliacted 
the attention of our Onstom-houBe tea experts, who 
by their action in seuding the flrat ahipmenta back to 
the original port, of abipment, caused the tranship- 
ment of the bulk of the shipments following, with the 
result that the adjoining colonies accepted leaf un- 
suitable for Melbourne to the extent of about 600,0001b. 
The net benefit to this colony was that, on the whole 
a somewhat purer tea reached the public at the 
expense of a diversion of trade to our neighbours. 
But if the rejected tea is good enough for Australians 
st large, why deprive Victorians of it P If however, 
ihe Viotbrian Oustonis ofiScets were right it is to be 
regretted that the other colonies admitted it. 
The inferior value shown at the commencement of 
the season for all low grade teas naturally reduced 
the export from Foochow, and so afterwards enabled 
a fairly remunerative trade to be done in them, but 
the abseuoe of London demand for all better qualities, 
bad such a depressing effect that qnantities of these 
grades out of all proportion to requirements were 
sent forward because they were relatively cheap. 
The result has been that except within the first mouth 
after the opening sales — when fancy prices were paid 
for finest congous — it has been impossible for shippers 
to cover cost above 8^.1.; and in some instances, to- 
wards the close of the season, heavy losses have bad 
to bo faced upon all good medium to fine teas. The 
excellent yalaue thus obtained bas certainly been of 
great assistnee to the blending trade, enabling them 
to more easily pay the higher prices ruling for the 
Indian, Ceylon, and scented requirements of their 
trade. Agsirstlho uuf.avoaralle risults to importers 
of good quality ro gens, coiirid simply by over-supply, 
wo find fancy lines, such as stented pekoes and o«p"rs, 
and also ksisow buds, commanding handsome profits, 
through shortage in sujiply, a shortage caused by tlio 
ruinous prices pai.l during the one or two preceding 
years curtsiling mannlaoture. 
INUISN T»A. 
From Calcutta we find a large increase in shipments, 
the respective figures being 4,800,00016 for the past 
season against 8,G00,0001b ntid 2, 880, 0001b the two 
preceding years leapotlivoly. Large ns this iiiorease 
has beep, it doea not fairly Indicate the increase in 
public favour of these full teas, betnuse tlio bulk of 
our demand at present is confined to plain, strong, 
clean kinds, and these have also been so freely taken 
for London at high rates that our limited selection 
commanded almost equal prices to fair pekoes. To 
more clearly indicate the strength of the demand, we 
find that for over eight months of the year clean son- 
cbonga were selling within Jd per pound of strong thick 
pekoes, whereas, had we bad a quiet market without 
disturbanee in the lower grades, probably the extra 
trade in them would have added another J, 000, 0001b, 
to out consumption. tVilh a strong London demand 
for low cost leaf and with our local market over-sup- 
plied in good pekoes and fine teas, it would have been 
unreasonable to have expected this trade to have been 
satiafaoiory to shippers, and it is surprising that large 
quantities were taken at and over 9.1d per pound, con- 
sidering that the colonial markets were mainly created 
by equally valuable teas at Id to IJd per lb. leas in 
souolionvB and pekoe souchongs, and by far smaller 
quantities of pekoes and fine tens. 
CEYLON TEA. 
From Oolombo we have even a more rapid dcvelcp- 
ment of the exportations of ten to the colonies to chro- 
nicle, the shipments ttmuing np to 2!0n,P(l01b. re 
ag,iinst l,ri0:),0‘'0 lb. and 940,000 lb. for 'tf c t«o pre- 
ceding years respectively. The public taeq' 1 as cer- 
tainly lakcu rapidly to the more fiavoury and >. ,f t|.r teas 
of Cejinn, and tbeto can be no doubt that not only 
China, but also India, lias much to tear from Ibr com- 
petition from Ceylon. The well-cured Ceib n le.s are 
certainly most attractive, being remarkably flair, uy, 
with good strength. Ceylon teas, howiver, liave oiie 
senons disadvantage, and that appears lo ho their 
inferior keeping qualities ; and, judging from the 
present year’s receipts, this trade is cortaiuly " the 
jam tart trade ” in tes— they are all better sold fresh 
than stale and fiat, which, in many instances, fbom 
inferior manufacture, they soon become. There is, 
however, a somewhat better demand for choice Oeylon 
pekoes than for Indian pekoes, and it only requires 
time to educate the public taite for the demand to be 
good for choloe teas from both Calcutta and Co- 
lombo. For this trade it is somewhat difl^cult to 
gauge the financial result, so much being sent upon 
garden acoount or upon specnlstivoocnsignment tba 
one becomes quite aecustemed to disastrous lo8.ses upon 
invoice ocst j but as far as wc can gather the trade, as 
a whole, has yielded better rtsnlts than that iu Indians 
thongb in many instances very imperfeotly cured leaf 
and, poor tondesoript breaks have been sent to this 
market because London did cot take them freely. 
DISTniBUTION. 
The marked change shown above in the demand fo' 
Indian and Ceylon teas as agsinst China sorts has neces* 
sarily led to extensive changes In the distribnting bnsi* 
peas, compelling distributors to add bleuding and pack- 
ing to their existing tea departments. So rapidly has 
this trade increased, that even at this early stage it is 
not niicommoii to hear salesmen complaining sbont 
Ihe small volume of sales passing in ‘‘straight’’ teas. 
The complaints of dislribntcrs were heth lend and 
deep open discoTCiy that the offioial returns of st'-cks 
iu bond were understated, more espooially ns only 12 
months since they were issued as correct, this error 
leading to nnprcfitable speculation based upon the ap- 
parent shortnets of snpplies. 
STATISTICS. 
We are indebted to tbe conrtesy of the secretary t f 
Ouetoiiis for tbe following particulars (for Victoria 
only) regarding the iniporls, exports and home ooi - 
sumption of tea for the sesaon .luly let, 18S)0, to >Tmio 
30tb, 1891. 
Imports were as follows • — 
Duty Paid, 
Ware- 
Ex Ship. 
honsid. 
Total. 
From — 
Lb. 
Lb. 
Lb. 
Foochow 
122,969 
8 !I72|,S50 
0,005,319 
Hong Kong 
1-27,678 
5«a.412 
630,120 
Oaloutta 
... 43.974 
2,82«,23l 
2.869,003 
Uoiombo 
45,763 
1,297,578 
1,2.53,341 
Other colonies, &o. S6,11’0 
579,4-? 3 
(1.34,513 
Total 
... 894,604 
14,088,024 
1-4 182,628 
Quarter by qnarterthe iniporls wt i-o i a fi Iluivs 
Lb. 
September quarter, 1H90 
December quarter, 1890 
March quarter. I MU 
Jane quarter, 1891 
Exports comprised 2.870,295 ib. 
3,784698 Ib. ex hood. 
... 5.480,427 
... 5 280,043 
... 2,9.50,500 
771 1)52 
nuder urawback, si.d 
NOTES ON PKODUCE AND EINANOE. 
New Mabkets fob Indian Tea.— O ur rcad-rs will 
be glad to learn that a really buna fide attempt is 
about to bo made, nuder the auspices of infiueulial 
and repirsenlativo leaders of the Indian Tea Iniltislry, 
to coneolidale end place on a firm footing proposals 
for opening up new inarkots.for Indian lea. Various 
laudable, but at the same time more or less hsoUted 
efforts have, during the past eight or ton years, been 
mads to accomplish this end. But there liss unforiu- 
iialely been a great lock of continuity, an Bbsence 
if that " ehoulder-lp-sboul<ler ” movement, which 
is required, a want of the proverbial unity of’ 
C lose, which coiisli'.utiB slreng'h, nul lust hut not 
t a dcarlli of funds sullicient to ensure sustained 
action. Those faullsof the post, itis confi.le.iitly hoped, 
will no hu ger ixlst, and, <n the imrlly-Bbiitturcd, bnt 
still liviiig, rr mains of the movemon's initialod at tbe 
lleultherics.nt the It.disn mid Colonial K.vhibiiiou. by 
the Associated Planters (AmoHoati scheme), and at 
the Paris Exhibition, a solid and enduring Htruclure. is, 
we believe, arising. A small company has been formed! 
which it is proposed should oontmenoo its operation 
