October i, 1891.J 
THP TROPICAL AQRiCULTURIST. 
285 
la 1835 the ilutiee in force stood as follows; — 
Rate Revenue 
per lb, realised. 
2 1 
4,674,n;U 
2 1 
and 5 per 
cent, ad- .. 
. 3,472,804 
•litional 
1 10 
. 5,6«'^,7{»1 
1 6 
. 5,>28,M17 
1 0 
. 802, 086 
1 5 
o,4iiU,C98 
1 0 
, 4,J>ft4,47.' 
0 6 
. 2,500,817 
0 4 
3,416,802 
revenue 
of 2d. a 
has 
lb., 
I8.i6.— Boheii, 1 6 
CoijRou Twankay, 
Hysou skiu, Orange 
1‘ekoc audc’aiiipoi 2 2 
S 0 uch 0 UR, F I ow IT y )-£3, 833,372 
Pekoe, Hysou, Yoiiug I 
Hyson, Uunpowder, Ini' 
perial and other sorts 
miouumcraled .3 0 
These d.tfcriut ratts of duty were abolished in 1836, 
when the rate was made uniform. The changes then 
and subsrquently made have been ; — 
K. d. £ 
1 83d.— All sorts of Tea 
IStO „ 
1853 „ 
18.M-5 
l'.55*lj ,, 
1867-8 • „ 
1863-4 „ 
1865-3 ., 
l«00-t ,, 
The extent of the loss which the 
sustained by the reduction in duty 
when compared with the preceding yeir's receipt, 
is not so great as had been anticipated, the increase of 
oorsnmptiou having been very marked. The gross 
reveiino from tea in 1889-90 was £4 490.695. Lsst year 
it was £3,416,802, an actual loss of £1,073,803. The 
effect of the reduction of duty upon consumption has 
been as follows : — The quantity of tea on which duty 
was paid in 1889-90 was 179,620,000 lb. In the year 
under review tho quantity has turned out to bo 
202,633.000 lb., an increase of 23,013,000 lb. Thus tho 
actual grofs quantity cleared fer duty increased by 12'8 
per cent. But lhi.s result does not give the true state 
of the case. The Budget statement was made on April 
17th ; but the reduction in duty did not actu.slly take 
place until May 1st, Barly in January a large section 
of tho tea trade appeared to have formed the idea tliat 
Borne portion of the rurpln which it was known would 
be at the disposal of the Oliaucellor of tho Exclicquer 
would bo devoted to a reduction of the rate of duty. 
This anticipation soon begau to iefiaence tho quantities 
takou out of bond for consumption. Thus in January 
the oloarauccs for duty showed a decrease, a.s com- 
pared vrith the corn sponding month of 1889, of 
913,551 lb,, in February of l,129,837lh., in March of 
^'®67,086 lb., and in April of 10,040,401 lb. Altogether 
tire decrease in ih quantity on whieli duty was paid 
amouiited.forihe first lour month.s of 1890 to 16, 040„9351b. 
To this extent dealers uppiied the public wants out of 
their duty-paid stocks which worn depicted in a cor- 
responding degree. Whni the lower rate of duty osme 
into force on May 1st the exhausted stocks were 
quickly filled up, the clearances in May, 1890, amount- 
ing to no less th.an £33, 095, 2111b. against 16,527,1021b, 
in May, 1889, ru increase which more than made 
Rood the depletion in duty-paid stocks above men- 
tioned. But this replcnishiiient of slocks fell entirely 
within tho financial year 1890-91, while the revenue 
of the prccediiig year had suffered to tho extent re- 
presented by six million lb. of tea hold back from 
duty. For the sake of c'carncss we give a comparative 
table showing tho quantities of tea taken out of bond 
'n the mouths of Jannary, Febrnary and March in 
1888, 1889, and 1690 
1888. 
lb. 
1889. 
lb. 
1890. 
lb. 
January 16,760,669 17,114,627 16,201,078 
Febrnary 15,254,685 14,429,410 13,299,573 
March 14.790,845 14,996,038 71,038,952 
Total of three 
montfcs 46,796,199 48,540 076 40,, 539 601 
April 15,895,873 14,768,871 4,728‘,410 
Total of four 
mouths 62,092,022 61,308,946 45.268,011 16, 040, Of 
1890 
compared 
with 1880. 
lb. 
913,561 
1,120,837 
3,957,086 
6,000,474 
10.010',4G1 
Tho effect of tho redaction of duty upon con- 
snmption cannot, therefore, he seen until allowance 
has been mode for these deferred duty payments. 
In this ca'O tho dirty payments do not represent 
the normal conditions ot clearance for homo con- 
sumption, which can only he arrived at by dednoling 
the 6,0000,174 lb. from the clearances of 1890-91, and 
adding them to tho duty clearances of 1889-90. But 
taking the eleven months sinco May Ist. 1890, during 
which the lower rate ol duty wan actually in force, 
to March Slat, 1891, the quantity of tea cleared for 
home use am^ unted to 197,905,000 lb. From this must 
bo deducted the estimated “ held back ” tea of Janu- 
ary, February, March and April, amounting to 
16,OIX),1'00 lb., wbioli gives the normal olearanoe 
for home oonsumplion for the eleven months as 
181,905,000 lb. Comparing this amonnt with tho quan- 
tity cleared for dnty in the same eleven months of 
1889-90, vir. : 164,852,000 lb. (lo which latter total we 
must first add six million Ib. properly belonging to tho 
consumption of Jaunary, February and March, but 
only cleared in May), we bavo tho followiug re- 
sult : — 
Ib. 
May 1889 to March 1890 inclusive 170,862,000 
May 1890 to March 1891 inclusive 181,905,000 
Increase in 1890-91 11,053,000 
being an increase of consumption at the rate of 6'5 pa 
cent. The subjoined figures show tho consumption per 
head of the population: — 
1886- 87 
1887 - 88 
1888- 89 
1889 90 
1890-91 
lb. per head. 
4-92 
4-97 
4-94 
491 
514 
Tho calcnlaiion for the last two years shows tho 
effect of tho change of dnty, due al owance being made 
for tho •’ held hack ” tea. Tho actual quantities of tea 
en which duty was received for 1889-90 and 1890-91 
would show a consumptinn of 4 75 Ib. and S’30 lb. 
respcclively per hold of tho popnlation. Tho procesy 
of con.sumptioii of Indian and Oeyloi: teas in sub- 
stitution for China and other tens still progresses, the 
percentages for the past year being 70 9 to 29 1 roapeo 
tively, as against 68-3 to 31'7 respectively in 1830 90 
— II, and V, M«i7. 
^ 
EGGS AS FOOD. 
Egg.s, at average prees, arc ainong the cheapest 
and most nutritious articles of diet. Bike milk, an 
egg is a complete f-.iod in itself, cou'a’uing everything 
necessary for the deve’opmonl of a perfect aoima', as 
is manifest from the fact that a chick is formed 
from it. It sec-ma a mystery how muscles, banes, 
feathers, and everylhing that a chick requires for 
itr development are made from the yolk and white 
ot an egg ; but tuch is the la;t, and it shows btw 
complete a food an egg is. It is also easily 
digested, if not damaged in corking. Indeed, thoru 
is no more concentrated and nouri.shing food than 
eggs. The albumen, oil and saline matter are, as 
is milk, in tho right proportion for siis'aining animal 
life. Two or three boil"d egg", with tho addition 
ol a slice ortwoof toast, will make a hreakfast sufficient 
for a man, and good enough for a king. 
According to Dr. Edward Smith, in his treatise 
on ‘-Fooil,'’ an egg weighing an more and three 
qiiartersconlniLS 120graiu8 of citbou nad 17J grains 
of nitrogen, rr 12*25 per cent of carbon and two per 
cent of nitrogen. The value of one pound of o;gs as 
food for sust lining the active forces of the body is 
to the value of one panud of lean beef as 1584 to 9000. 
As a flosh irrodiicer, one pound of eggs is about 
equal to one poniid of beef. 
A lien may be consvlercd to oonsunro one bushel 
ot corn yearly, snd to lay 10 dozen or 15 pounds of 
eggs. This is oquivaltnt to saying that three and 
one teutli yionnda of corn will produce, when fed to 
a hen, flvc-sixths of a pound of eggs; but five sixths 
of a pound of pork requires about five pounds gl 
