November 2, 1891.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
315 
Javii, aud Oeylon tea Imving bceu abipped to the 
extent of nearly three million pounds to Persia from 
Bombay. This tmdo is to a larRS extent a divcraion 
from the overland route by wUiob Uliine-so tea used to 
(and ulill duel in dimicisbiuR quantity) go to Central Asia 
through Afghanistan. The region whieli is traversed 
northwards from Bu.shite and B.ainiar Abbas forms in 
itself a batter anil freer mark, t than Afghanistan, and 
the transit of the tea to Meshed aud ptaoes beyon.l 
is not so expensive aud so subject to tolls aud extor- 
tions as transit through Afghaniatan 
Tile quantity of Indian tea sent to Persia also 
slightly increased, but it amoniitod to only 1,221,178 lb. 
compared with the 2,1)73,817 Ih. of foreign tea ex- 
ported.” 
The ‘‘ foreign tea” alluded to is China, Java and 
Ceylon. In the notice of the export trade to Aue- 
tralia it is stated ; — 
” Our exports to Australia consist mainly of gunny 
bags, tea, and castor oil ; bags being the staple of tlio 
trade, of the value of which they represent about 60 
percent. The exports of these have kept fairly steady 
siuoo 1887-88 when, with good nlieat harvoits and 
wool clips, tiiey more than itoubled iu one year. Last 
year tlioro wss another sub.stantial inoroase. There 
was an increase also in castor oil, end a very satis- 
fsotoiy development in the export of tes. The ex- 
ports of tea to Australia in the last five years may be 
noted here : — 
Pounds. 
1886- 87 ... 1,645,888 
1887- 88 ... 2,471.927 
1888- 89 ... 2,880,596 
1889- 00 8,419.139 
1890- 91 ... 6,118,714 
Rapid and largo as this increase has been recently 
it is not so rapi.l us the incresso in the exports of 
Ceylon tea to the Oolonios. On this subject the 
following extracts are taken from a revieiv of the 
tea season in the ilelhourne Argm of the 24th July; 
"From Calcutta we find a largo increase in shipmeuts.' 
* * Large as this inorease has been, it docs not 
fairly indicate the inorease iu puhlio favour of those 
fu.l teas a • From Colombo we have oven a more 
ra pid development of the exportations of teas to the 
colonies to ohronicle, the siiipniouts ruiining up to 
2,900,000 lb., as against 1,500,000 lb. and 146,000 lb. for 
the two preceding years respectively. The public taste has 
certainly taken rapidly to the more flsvoury and softer 
teas of Ceylon, and there can bo no doubt that not 
only China, but also India, has much to fear from 
the competition from Ceylon, The well-cured Ceylon 
teas are certainly most attractive, being remarkably 
navoury, with good strength. Ceylon tea., howuver, 
nave one serious drawback, aud that appears to be 
their inferior keeping iiusIiticBj aud, judging from 
the present year’s receipts, this trade is oertaiuly 
the pim tart trade’ iu tea, they sre all bettor sold 
fresh than stale and Uat, which, in many ii'Stiiuoes, 
trom inferior manufactare they soon beoome.” 
e ought to supersede Chinese tea iu Australia as 
we are doing in J'logland, and it is not too much to 
anticipate thot in another live years or so our exports 
of tea to the colonies, tf the business is judiciously 
and porseveringly worked, should reach 15 or 20 
million pounds. ” 
In donounoing the fiscal regime ol the ruler of 
Afghanistan, which has praotioally stippreBsed the 
transit trade from India to Central Asia through 
Afghanistan. Mr. O'Oonor givoa the following il- 
lustration, which casta ovsn Chinese Ukin and other 
Q WiiODs into tho shade : — 
"Dues on Kangra tea, 6r3t quality, purchased at 
tour onuas per pound, per osmel load of 450 lb 
average value of tho load K140, 
10 Kabuli cupeoa at Dakka. 
at Butkhsk, 
atKabul (townorimportduty) 
” i’ll (export duty) 
as the tes takis the Shaikh 
Bamiau route 
at Kalutn 
15 
do 
m 
do 
37J 
do 
19 or 12 
do 
7 
do 
9 do at Khaim Tangi 
7 do between KLulm Tangi and 
Khilif 
Total 138 Kabuli rupees equal to UlOO or about 76 
per cent. 
The tea has further to piy 2J per oent ad valorem, 
at Ookharn, the value being the valno there not what 
was the value at Peshawar. Adding the oost of the 
conveyance by camel between PoKliawar aud Bokliara 
(ibe hire of a osmel from Peshawar to Khilif is 
1{81'4) it is manifest that it is cheaper to ship tea 
from Bombay up the Persian Gulf and send it through 
Persia (where a 5 per cent duty clears it through 
the country.)” 
Here wo have the usual self-pUDishmeut of inordi- 
nate greed exemplified ; but surely the patience of 
Britain with her ‘'faithful ally" of Afghanistan 
seems to border on weakness. When Bussia resolves 
on a transit trade through Afghanistan to India 
(and it may pay to send tho kerosene ol the Caspian 
by this route) i he will adopt a difleroDt tone, we 
Euspeot. 
As tho oonolusion of the whole matter it may 
bo well for tis to ponder tho value of the oritioism 
on the painting, that it would have been better, 
if the painter had taken more pains. We know 
what the didienUies are and that planters generally 
do their best with the moans available to them. 
Those moans, in the shape ol improved machinery, 
cspeoially air-changing appliances, ought to be 
multiplied and improved. 
PHOSI’IIATIC Ji[A>'UKt:S. 
Our planting readers have doubtless observed 
that a Colombo ineroantile lirm has advertised 
superphosphate of lime and dissolved bones at 
the identical price ol BlOO pot ton. The most 
important ingredient of each, the soluble biphoa- 
phate of lime, is only as 1’2 53 pec cent in the 
bones to 21'85 in the superphosphate. Othtr- 
wiso stated tho equivalents of ordinary bone 
phosphate rendered soluble is only 19 02 in the 
bones to 34-21 iu the superphosphate. In 
plant food immediately available, therefore, tho 
superphosphate (bone superphosphate, we take it 
(or granted) has greatly the advantage of the dis- 
solved bones. How the bones are entitled to be called 
" dissolvtd," when they contain 17 00 of insoluble 
phosphate, is a problem wbiob, no doubt, ohemioal 
BoiencB can answer, as well as tho faot 
that 3-20 per oent of insoluble phosphate 
resisted the uotion of sulphuric acid in the 
manulaoturo ol the superphosphate. Tho insolub'e 
phosphates in the bone (not really insoluble 
hut only becoming soluble slowly to the aotion 
of soil, moisture and plant rootlets) so far 
place the dissolved bones on a level in value 
with tho snporphosphato. But much more, we 
suppose, is ihe superiority of the suporphosphate 
m soluble bi-phosphato and hydrated oaloium 
Bulphate (bouo iirCS to Buper-phoephate 
47-21) oonnletbalanood by tho loot that 
while the superphosphate oontains only ’29 
per oent of ammonia, this valuablo oonatituont 
in tho bone is up to 2-78 per cent. Both are 
" valuable manures for tea," as claimed, but, in 
applioation, they would be improvad by admixture 
with white castor cake and euob hnmio matter 
as may be available on the plantation. As the 
suporphosphate is deficient in ammonia, we should 
suppose a small quantity of ainmonio sulphate or 
good fish manuro would bo a vahiiiblo addithn 
to it. Otherwiso, wo should fool inclined to ad 
vieo a proportion of at least twice as much oa.tor 
cake to be mixed with the superphosphate as with 
