October i, 189 1.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 
245 
aWe, but neverthelefs inioet for the^e kinds imvo fe- 
maino ! s'«ady. Good new semon’s toss have been in 
aative demand and have realised firm to advance ! rates, 
while a few parcels of Darjeeling growth of unusnnlly 
good quality have felched h’ghor prices thou the trade 
have been acoustomed to pay foreomo time past, tho 
arorage for one invoice ( f about GO pickagea being over 
Us. 2 I. p r lb. At thepubiio -ales about 18,300 packages 
were olfnri d nearly the whole of which wore sold at firm 
to advanced rates. There has been n distinct revival 
in tho enquiry for Ceylon tins, ami as the quantities 
brought forward have not b.-cn at all excessive there 
has been a renewal of oonddenoe on tho part of 
biijers; prices have shown an improvement for all 
kinds, except perhaps for teas at from 6i I. to GJ1 1 
which are slightly easier. Very high rates have 
agiiu beonpiid for the finest specimens, which are 
only fine, however, in respect of being tippy teas 
as real quality i.s a'iH conspicnoualy absent. Urokens, 
of all grades and Pekoes at from 8d upwards have 
ndvanccii considerably. Reports from Ceylon s ill 
point to largo supplies for the next few weeks, and 
as the stnok is eqnal to about three months’ 
consumption, thore soems little reason to anticipate 
a repetition of the rise wliich has characterised 
this time of year for tho last two season*. 
Tub CoNsuMvnON of Te.p. — The Ilritlsh piopio 
now consumo ratio r mote than 5 Ih. of ten per 
head each year. 'When the tea duty was reduced 
from 6 1 to 4J per lb., H was said that s.icli a 
small ri mission would scarcely influence consumption. 
'Tho thiity-fi th report of the Commissioners of 
flustoms jiistifies Dr. Ooechen’s more liberal 
anticipations. In tho year under review the imports 
showed an iuorense of over 23,000,060 lb, 
OEvr.oN CccoA. — Wo reprmluce elsewhere some re- 
marks from tho Fimnciat jVeies on fho subjeot of the 
Ceylon cocoa industry and Ceylon tea. Wo presume 
that, apaitfrom ihefiuanciil aspect of the question, 
the future of Coylon cocoa cannot havo very much 
interest for readers of tho Pmaac'uf iVeiej. Perhaps 
we are to havo a boom in Ceylon cocoa ! The oon- 
cbid ng remirks of the writers are as follows : — “ Tho 
reason why so little infoi instion as to tho possibililics 
of Oeilon cocoa roaches the investing public is 
that the holders of stock in the prosperous companies 
are satisHod with their seoniities, and prefer to keep 
the good tliii gs to themselves.” Is an endeavour about 
to be made to imlnce some of theso holders of stock 
to pirt with it fur nc nsideraticn and will the invest- 
ing public be asked to psrticipito iu the ' good things ” 
hitherto hidden from them? 
^ 
THE CONSUMPTION OF TEA AND 
COFFEE. 
(From tho OivcerJ 
Our anticipation of the ofTaot of tho reduction of 
the duty ou tea to fourpence per pound, whiolt we 
expressed last year, has been fully borne out by tho 
snbstnn'ial iuorease in the consumption which has 
already tiken place. In fact te.i has now become 
such a popn'ar beverage that it is almost ditlieult 
•o say to what extent the onsumption will grow. 
In 1860 the average ouiBumption per bead of the 
population of the United Kingdom was 2 671b., 
>'i 1870 it reached 3-81, iu 18S0 I'SH, and iu 1890 it wn.s 
over 51b per hea l, Tho weight of tei consumed iu 1860 
Was only 77,OOU.O(IO;b., whilst in 1870, 1880, and 1890 
it was 112,000,060, 160,000,000, and lOl.OOO.OOOib,, res- 
Paotively, This wondirtul increase was, of course, 
mainly clue to ths roducod cost of the article. We 
find, ou reference to tho books of one of the largest 
whjleealo teadoilers in London, that tho average cost 
in (ho three periods mentioned was, omiUing small 
fractions, is IPd, Is, and O^d per lli. in bund, ami 
the duty was iu the first instance Is, then (id, and 
in the last mentioned year 4d per lb. ; so that the cost 
on the market has fallen fr.im 24 lOJ to Is IJl duty 
paid. Ab the duty was only reduced for part of the 
year 1890, tho ouusumption for the first half caonot 
fairly be compared with the corresponding period of 
1889, but taking the six moiitha ending June 3(Tth 
last with the tamo period in 1889, when the daty was 
6d. per lb, wo fiud that duty was paid upon about 
8,009,000 more pounds at tho fourpeuny rate ; and 
as the market lor tea during tho rarly mouths of 
this year was very firm, the inoronso ii even more 
remarkable. 
There is auo'her important element to Vear in 
mind, that a poai d of Indian or Ceylon tra will 
make in re cup.s than the same weight of China 
prodUin ; and it is marvellous how tho c iiBumplion 
of the tormer has inerea'od. For iiistauce, twenty- 
live yiars ag i the consumption of In linn ami Ceylon 
tea was 25,600,000 (in 1865), against 120 (XX), (M)0 from 
China, whdat iu 1890 tho coutumptioa of Induii and 
Oejlon was 1.87,01)0 000, and the total from China had 
decunod to 55,000 096 lb. Tlu reiia largo field for 
grooirs In thin business, and, notwithstanding the re- 
duced pries, it is still a trade well worth cultivating. 
No one ought to kuow better what kind of tea suits 
the cuslomBr and tho water of the district (wh'ch is 
very import mt) than the grocer who i« on the spot. Of 
late we havo hoard that some person-, under the guise of 
phil.intbrjpists, are sending tea direct from the place of 
groavth to the cousmnor at ridionlon-ly low pricev, 
with tho view ef cutting out tho distributor in tbit 
coniiliy ; but wo do n d think a grocer who knows 
what hiB custoniera' wants are need fear this oppo- 
sition. When tho price of tea was much higher than 
it i.s now, retailors had an opportunity of making a 
good profit on tho sale. This fiy competition and 
other caiiaea has boon considerably rednied and tho 
iutereat of the grocer has iu many inslaiioes propor- 
tionately diminished, but the inert ase in the ooiistimp- 
tiou shoul 1 Btiim.lato the deairs to push a trade which 
ov< u now bears a fair perooiitago of profit, and if 
enorgeiiciilly citUivated, would still contribute iu a 
astisfac'ory mosBura to tho weekly takings. 
Aa a eouttast to tbo anbstantial morea'a in tho eon- 
sumption of tea iu the United Kingdom, it is iiiter- 
esliug to oompuro it with that of coffee, which 
iu 1864 waa about 14,6'()0 tons, and the aver- 
age price in bond 74 1 per cwt. with a duty of 
28s making 1024 per cwt.j in 1873, when the duty 
w»a 148. tho prica in bond bad men to lOSi per 
owf and tbo o insiimption had only reached 14 43.S 
tons; while last year tho average price waa, sin- 
gnlarly, tho same aa iu 1873, viz., 105s, and the 
duty Hs, or a total of lltts pet cwt, but the cjn- 
sum ption hiul declined to 12,810 tons. It is a well known 
fact* that a pound of tea will make a larger mimbor 
of cups to drink than the same aveigbt of colfee, 
and taking into consideration the loss in weight which 
colfee sustains in the proctst of roasting, it will be seen 
that tea is now luuoh the cheaper oommodity. The 
imperfect manner in which coffee is g, uerally made 
in this country helps to retard oonsumptiuii, tor iu 
Uolland, wliero it is almost the national b’avorage, 
it is roasted, gruitud, iiud made within a few 
minnles, in ordir that tho aroma may he re- 
tained. In England it is roasted, and often ground, 
for weeks before it is required, and instead 
of being made by simply pasdng boiling water 
through tho coffee, it is practically stewed, and 
undesirable elements are extracted which really apoil 
tho liquor. This deooolioii is mot with at isilway 
stations, &o., and travellers are led to entertain a dislike 
to a tirinlc avhich on tho Goutiueut, where properly 
made is so gcuerally used and appreoiated. Wo havo 
indicated some of the oanaea which have lad to tea 
making anch rapid atiiJos in advance of its rival drink, 
ootfec, and although tho price of tea cannot bo reduced 
ill the same proportion as during the past twenty-fire 
or thirty years, Vseva is still room for a ro,luotiou or 
abolition of the foiirpoimy duty i and while we do not 
advocate this at present, we kuow thore is strong 
pressure brought to boar upon the Ohanoellor of tho 
Exobaqiier every year by the ndvo-ates of tfio free 
broakfasl-table. AVhon the duty is removed we shall 
bo surprised if a further marked increase in the oon- 
sumption dues not take plaoo. It is therefore highly 
desirable, as wo have pointed out, that grocers should, 
by all moaus lu their power, cultivate a trade which 
