November 2, 1891.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
3>3 
THE QUAf.ITY OE OERTEAS, AA’D SUlKiES- 
TIOXS IN THE DIRECTION OE LMEROVEMEXT. 
INDIA ti:a i’rodcction and E.VEORT. 
We continue to reoeive compitviuta aa lo the 
quality of our toes which have of late reached 
the London market, and it ia asserted that their 
inferiority has been the main cause of the low 
prioea of late obta’ned tor them. The coraplaiots 
have been of so Eti'ong a charaotfr, and have been 
received from quartets occupying so high a position 
in the trade, that it seems to bo most desirable that 
attention should bo forcibly directed to the matter. 
It is all very well, exclaim our homo friends 
and mentors, to say that at certain seasons 
of the year the leaf produced in Ceylon is of a 
quality inferior to tho general average, and that 
it is from this cause that the complaining in 
question has arisen. But the point should then 
be considered whether it may not be possible to 
obviate this, for it must mauifo tly be of great 
harm to the reputation of Ceylon teas that whole 
shipments should be received in London of an 
undesirable quality. Our Lmdon correspondent has 
informed us that it was within his knowledge 
that very reoently a large purchaser rolurnod to 
tho broker fully one-half of tho quantity bought 
by him as being far below tho quality of tho 
samples upon which he was induced to buy. Herein 
wo sea the element of uncertainty introduced indepen- 
dently of the inferior quality of the break dealt 
with. If buyers or.nnot rely upon their purohases 
being up to sample at least, however poor that 
sample may be, further great harm must result. 
It may be said, perhaps, that tho soleotion of 
tho samples rests with tho broker or his agents, 
but it must be exceedingly diffioult to discriminate 
in tho case of a larger break which is of uneven 
quality. The blame, therefore, in such a ease 
cannot bo said to bo wholly due to the agont at 
home, and it is manifest that more ears ehouUl be 
exeroiaed in keeping distinct and separate portions of 
shipments whioh may be below the standard of the 
tea generally. But quite apart from this view of the 
matter is the queslioii of seasonal general inferiority 
upon which wo first touched, Soma time ago 
it was determined upon, as the roauU to the 
prices obtained in London, that it would pay 
our planters better to produce teas 0 / a desoription 
below the standard of the highest class. Against 
this oonolnsion wo could find nothing to urge, 
the diflerenoo botwesn the prices obtained for 
medium and higher class teas being not sufiioient 
to render it worth tho while of tho planter to 
incur the extra oust involved in the production 
of the higher descriptions. Butwbathas now to bo 
considered, in view of the recent depretsion in prices 
obtained for our teas in Loudon, is whether at the 
season which is known to bo that at which 
our leaf dogonerates, it would not be wiser tor our 
planters to pluck it at earlier stages tiian is usual 
and so maintain a standard at least level with 
that ol the teas shipped during seasons more 
favourable to the quality ol the leaf. We oannot 
see that there could be any insuperable diflioully 
in doing this. It ia true that shipments at auoh 
times would have been more cosily to the planter 
than the average ol tho production of tho year 
tnkon all round ; but two groat advantages would 
be gained whioh must go far, we should say, to 
compi.nsato for tho extra outlay. Iq the first place 
wo should not annually have to look forward to 
tho serious dimunition in prices obtained whioh, 
under present conditions, wo seem to bo fated to 
expect ; and in the second place, the reputation 
of our teas would bo steadily maintained, and all 
40 
ooneerned with tho toa trade in London urge that 
this is a most important factor in regard to the 
tea trade ccnorally. If pluoking tho flush at an 
earlier stage of devolopmant than is usual, is 
objeoted to as hard on tho bushes, then every 
effort should be made to have space and appliances 
for good withering available. Mr. Jaokaon claims 
for his Britannia drier that it is a most effective 
witherer. Some extra expenditure in this direction 
would bo well applied, For wepan realize that the con- 
sumer who, we will say, is just making trial ol our tea 
and has had every reason to be satisfied with bis first 
two or throe ttla's of it, would be very likely to 
discontinue the use of Ceylon tea if he found that 
ills next purobases wore of quite a different quality 
and fiavour to those of his first essay. It may 
bo, as we have already indicated, that praotioal 
planters may say that there would be diffieulties in 
oarrying out whatiwe suggest, namely finer plucking 
during what may be termed tho off-season of our tea 
bushes. But if there be such diffieulties, it is, for 
tho reasons that we have pointed oot, only the more 
neeeasary that measures should bo sought for and 
adopted to overoomo thorn, or to improve watery 
leal to tho utmost my extra care in manufacture. 
The matter as it stands is an exceedingly serious 
one, and one that needs active measures to redra8.s 
it the reputation wo have earned is not to suffer 
materially. We bear muoh complaint ol the 
iusnlficinoy of the prices of late obtained to give a 
fair return for tho oost the grower has incurred. 
But, we would ask, is the latter not himself largely 
responsible for this very disagreeable fact ? We feel 
quite enra that unless a uniformity of quality — not 
necessarily in the highest classes of teas— can be 
maintained all tho year round, muoh of the ground 
that wo have gained will be lost. Wa ought 
never to hear of Ceylon teas being spoken of as 
" rubbish," and yet that is the unfortunate term, 
we are assured, applied to many of the shipments 
which have rceenlly been sold in Mincing Lane. 
Wa do not ptof-ss to havo proposed an infallible 
remedy against the evil, but what wo havo written 
seems to ns likely to afford soma hints in that 
direetion. 
After all is said and done, however, it is the Ceylon 
tea whioh is finding chief favour in Britain and her 
Australian colonies, in tho face of all the olamour 
about oooasional descents in certain conditions of 
weather, from the high standard of quality to which 
consumers had become aooustomed. The deliveries 
of Indian as well as China leas in Britain showed 
at latest date a comparative falling off, while the 
whole of the increase was in Ceylon. For the 
throe months from .lunn Ist to Aug. Slst the pro- 
portionate deliveries were : — 
Indian .. .. 21,000,0001b. 
China .. .. 19,533,000., 
Ceylon . . . . 10,000,000 „ 
Deliveries of Ceyion at the same rate for the 
twelvemonths would total 64,000,000; and even if this 
figure were not increased, deliveries would be well up 
to our rapidly increasing produetion. Then, we may 
take it for granted that Australia will take 5,000,000 
Ib. at loa.4t ami other oountries 1,000,000 more. 
We quoted, when it appeared, Mr. O’Oonor'e general 
review of the Indian tea trade ; and now the more 
detailed report has reached us, from which wa 
quote signitiiant figures and deductions. Beviow- 
ing the export trade of 1890, the Assistant Secretary 
of the Indian Commercial and Statistical Depart- 
m' nt wrote regarding Indian toa : — 
“ Tho exp.irta ninouiited to 107,014,993 lb., which 
was but littin more than 3 per cent in excess of the 
quantity expjrtod iu the previous year. This is ■ 
slower rate of progress than has been made in 
