February i, 1892.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
S43 
Bnnaion to convinco them that thia beverage ia 
drinkable ! 
Auvebtisements In the press has also been nsed 
by mo on a moderate scale and proporiioned to my 
moans as the medium of reclame. This is no 
doubt a very expensive ilem when dune properly, 
but would 1)3 of great help for our success, aud 
if I could, by aome intelligeul sacrifices, prcHest 
generous entertainments, liberaliliea of champague auch 
like extravanganoios gain the hearts of the reduction 
of our best newspapers and induce them to write now 
and then some favourable atiirles on Ceylon and 
OeyloD products, Tea especially. We would undoubtedly 
carry the cause before tong. There are many other 
ways of doing good reclame, but even when done 
judiciously it requires much larger SEtcrifices of money 
than 1 can afford. 
HEOABDiirG Business in Geneeai, — Asyour Commit- 
tee is aware I, backed up by a fiim in Londoa have 
established myself in Moscow as part proprietor aud 
manager of the *' Ceylon Tea and Produce Agency of 
Kussla.^’seilrugin my Magaaine Tea, Coffee, an, 1 Cinna- 
mon, also Caeca, of which 1 have small atooks, and 
other articles (only Ceylon) on commission. The 
husineas so far, proportioned to my modest capital 
about fat. 2,000 has shown pretty well satisfactory to 
enable me, with the aid of your fuiids, to cover 
expensoa and to get cow convinced that it it were 
done on a more important scale, with a larger capital 
sufficient to conduct a well ordained reclame aud to 
permit the import of larger iuvoioes of tea leaving ready 
money at disposal for the clearance of duty whenever 
required, such a business would prove before long a well 
paying and lucrative oouoerui My oapital isevideutly 
not largo enough to give the enterpriae the desired 
rapid and noticeable progresa or extension ; I missed 
the sales — on this aitd the Nijini-markete— of many 
hundred chests of tea for the want of above-mentioned 
conveniences and thiv, I must say, rather impressed 
against me the pub ic who at first expected to find in 
the Commissioner of the Ceylon P. A. Tea Fund for 
Kuisia reprostutativs of a large commercial company 
able and prepared to invest millions in such an 
important enterprise. 
In Russia most of the buaincas are done on credit 
allowing to purebasera up to 9 and even 12 mon'hs’ 
terma ; my relai sales are all for ready money. At 
the opening of my businesa, I have, however been obliged 
to give also credit to a me extout in order to facilitate 
the iutroductiou of our tea, but, although 1 have 
been lucky enough not to lose anything of importanco, 
now that tho cireumstanoos are getting so critical 
aud business so difficult by bad crops, famine, etc. 
all over Kussia. I have established my business on 
the safe basis of tiie strictest cash conditions wh’ch 
were, of course, somewhat troublesome at the begin- 
ning, but to which the amateurs of pure Ceylon lea 
must now enbmit. 
Keeuming the foregoing, I may safely say that 
Oeylen tea is now partly introduced into Russia, 
sold, drunk and appreo’atod as pure to and 
a groat number of people of all olaases and 
that it only requires for the extenaiou, the develop- 
meat of its import and sale all over the country, a 
well establialied enterpriae, with a aufficient capital 
capable of importing large quantiliea to be distributed 
on the principal Russian markets, of clearing duty 
on whatever quantity required at a time, of opening 
piagsziues for the sale of lea in retail and wholesale 
to all the principal towns of this great Bmpiro and 
of advertising on an extoosivo scale and well con- 
ouoted manner, especially throngh tho press. 
From the above figures it will be seen that out of 
•he 42,000 lb. Oeylon tea 1 have up to date imported 
yo Russia, ^1,000 lb. have been already sold with an 
increase of about 3,4001b. per month for tho Isst six 
mouths from 1st of May to Slst October. As pointed 
put I could have much exceeded there figures, and it 
18 my firm belief thot out of the about 70 millions lb 
of tea yearly consumed iu Hnssia oue-fourth could — 
why iiQt ?— bocomo Ceylon tea before five years have 
elapsed, if its import were properly pushed forwa rd 
the more when considering that Chinese qualities 
are visibly deoreasiug gradually. 
I still would strongly impress upon all the Oeylon 
planters the noceseity of their tea packages being of 
butter make and in stronger condition; slso more 
evenly tsred in order to prevent further complaiuts 
on these respects. 
Aud should the business take the desired and ix- 
pcoted proportions, I would recommend as an important 
and indispensable factor the establishment of a pur- 
chasing forwsrding agency with blending store in 
Oolombo. 
It remains to me, gentlemen, in submitting the 
accompanying sooounts to the eiaminatiou of your 
Committro to beg for the cootiunation of their support 
in tho welfare of an enterprise, which has now so 
entirely taken possession of mo, that it is ray solo 
object to bring it to an end,* and trusting yonr Oom- 
milteo will understaud that my not having furnished 
sooner and more frequently reports of my doings was 
only due to want of time. — 1 bog to remain, gentle- 
men, &o., (Signed) M. Rooivue. 
(Appendix to Mr, Bogivue's lleport,) 
Translation. 
Mr. M. liogivue, Mosco.v. 
Dear Sir, — After having bought from you a small 
lot of Ceylon Tea, I sold it with the greatest cars 
direc tly to consumers whereby I had the opportunity 
to get the opinion of several and to oonvioce myself 
of its superiority over China Tea, 
The oonsumerH immediately appreciated the streuglh 
of its infnaion and its flue colour and geuerally praised 
the sgreeable, tliougb perhaps somewhat peculiar 
Btite to which thoy however soon get accustomed. 
Lately many large firms began to mix Oeylon Tea 
to Chdis, therewith accustoming the public by degrees 
to the tas'-o of Oeylon Tea. For this roBsou the con- 
sumers buy williugiy pure Ceylon Tea with preference 
to Chinese on account of its economy and strength, 
For tho iitonsiou of tins artiolo it is necessary to 
open here a special magazine uoder your own firm. 
1 am thorooghiy conviuced that the sale of Ceylon 
Tea would be sueceisful as well in retail as by 
wholesale if you would give the buyers oouTeuient 
discount and credit. With energetic work aud good 
management of the business it would be easy to 
gain iu a short time a great many purchasers. 
Many people win bought Lorn me your Ceylon tea 
row refuse to return fo Chinese aud this is^a guarantee 
to me that by proper dealing in this special business 
this article would soon make its way amongst the 
public. According to a' ovo mcnt'oiied advautages I 
would piopose tho opining here of a nicely put up, 
well fitted small magazine which management I am 
willing to take under certain conditions. 
Karkoff, the centre of business for the South of 
Russia, has six yearly fairs visited by numerous 
merchants which makes this plsce the must favourahlu 
for the introduction of this article. 
All the important tea fiims like K. 8. Fopoff, 
Kostoigujew Khinonchine, Wogan etc. have bore large 
stores and magazines. 
If you are willing to give me for some years the 
management of this business, within a limited radius, 
I would be ready to oome over to Moscow in order to 
arrange matters with you.— Waiting your reply, I 
remaio etc, 
(Sign.) F. Assman. 
Karkoff, Oct. 21th. 
Kxtract of an article in the Pyechoe Odosporrio 
(Rnsaiatt Iterue.) 
The Ceylon ti'S, worthy of the highest praise for 
all its good and prodominent qualities, is now exported 
in considerable quantity to England. As a proof of tho 
progress it is making in the trade wo give the following 
figures 
Export from IstOct. 83 io 13th June 84 — 263,4641b. 
do do Ist do 84 to l3th do 85— 461,559 „ 
do do 1st do 85 to 13th do 86—106,2302 „ 
do do 1st do 88 to 13th do 87—188,4307 „ 
