63a 
*fH£ TROMCAL AGRICULTURIST, 
[March t, 1892, 
onr aoreage mast have reached its full bearing 
oapaoity, Nevertheleae, aooording to the Director; 
figarcB, no Ibeb than 22,000 acrea of additional 
land were planted with tea between 18S8-S0, and 
this should undoubtedly add to the crop of the 
present year. The most important reference to 
tea in the London dailies of late has been the 
following from the Daily Telegraph of Gth Jan : — 
IXDm’ AND CHINA TEAS. 
WHAT MINOING-LANE THINKS. 
[by a city man.] 
Everybody who baa any knowledge of the facts ad- 
mita that the preaent position of the tea trade is pe- 
.Guliarly inlereating, not merely to capitaliata, specu- 
lators, planters, brokers, and merchants, but to the 
public at largo. The oonaumer, however, appears 
to be still ignorant of points which are freely dis- 
oussed in Mincing-lane, in the public sale rooms of 
which the ancUons have recommenced. In order to 
place the views of the different seutiona of the trade 
upon an authoritative basis, I have consuited esperts 
in each of the three branebos, fur in that way oniy has 
it been possible to ascertain the relative prospects of 
India, Obina, and Oeylon. One of the firms to whom 
1 applied for information was Messrs. Gow, Wihon, 
and Stanton, whose tabniar statements, issued from 
time to time, are regarded as perfectly trustworthy, 
based as their statistics are upon official returns. In 
answer to questions, members of the firm named said : 
"Our own poBsessioua now contribute about 75 per 
cent of the tea we consume, and only 25 per cent is 
supplied by China. The home oonsnmption in 1891 
exceeded any previous record, and amounted to 
202.000. 000 lb. Look at this table." 
The table showed that less China tea was used in 
1887 than in 1860, when, practically, Chinn supplied 
the whole market ; but, on the other band, iu 1887, an 
almost equal weight of Indian and Ceylon tea was 
drunk in addition to the China tea. Since 1887 the 
importations from China have continned to decline 
and those from India [.and Ceylon to inert aso, I may 
add to this information from figures derived from the 
Board of Trads returns. It appears that in 1891 the 
consamption of Indian and Oeylon amnunled lu 
150.000. 0001b, and thatuf China, &o., to 52,000,0001 b, or, 
according to^tbe accepted atandard, the equivalent of 
39.000. 000 barrels in fluid tea, and it is interesting to 
note that it is oompated that the consomptiun of liquid 
tea jumped up 2,500,000 barrels iu 1891 , and that of 
1890, in its turn, had been 2,000,000 above the total of 
the preceding year, 
** Amooflit the features of tho pMt jq&Pi I uuder- 
stand, have been the oonlinned decline of the arrivals 
of China teas, the standstill in the consumption^ of 
Indiin, and the remarkable growth of the importations 
from Ceylon ?" I suggested. . 
“So long as the weaker teas of China were being 
rapidly displaced by the stronger teas of India and 
Ceylon,” was the answer, " the increase in the 
consumption of dry leaf was hardly appieciable, 
although a larger quantity of liquid tea waa being 
Died. The diaplacemont or China tcaa during the last 
two years has not been very marked ; hence the greater 
weiglit of tea required to supply the gradually ex,- 
pauding liquid consumption. This fact, with the 
reduction of duly last year to 4d, is doubtless answer- 
able for the heavy increase in tlie use of dry tea. 
There is this remarkable feature in the liome ooii- 
snmption of the past year. For the first time, Ceylon 
tea has been more largely drunk than China tea. In 
1887 10 000,000 lb only of the formi r were used, to 
90.000. 000 1b of China tea. In 1891 the use of Ceylon 
tea increased to about 60,000,000 lb wliile the quantity 
of China tea wrs reduced by about dO.OOO.OtlO lb, 
Indian lea supplying the bulk, t, s., atout half, of tiio 
homo coDflumption. About 60 per cent more Cejioii 
tea was aaod in Great Britain iu 1891 than iu Hie 
year previous. Extraordinary low prioea were current 
during the last few mouths for the lower gtades of 
Indian and Oeylon tea, these constituting the main 
portion of the tea drnnk in thisconntry. They were 
obtainable at a lower price than was ever previonely 
known.” 
“Well, what of the future?’’ 
“ During the early part of December the very 
low prices then current for Indian and Ceylon 
tea caused increased competition, and resulted in a 
rise amongst the lower grades, which supply the bulk 
ut the oontumption, of about a ballpeuny to one penny 
porpound. This rise has since been maintained, and 
at the first sale of the year, which took place for 
Indian teas on the 4lb, and for Ceylon teas on the 
6tli inat., the prices at which the year closed have not 
dropped. But it is idle to say whether we are likely 
to have tea dearer. People’s ideas differ, Oeylon tea 
may go di arer because it appears to be most in 
demand. Its consumption increased 60 per cent, last 
year, whereas, uKlioiigh Indian tea fell iu price, the 
couBiimptioD has been 3,000,c00 less than in 1890. 
There are many things which one cannot calculate 
upon in forecasting tbe markets.” 
" What was the cause of the late depression ?’’ 
“ Id Indian teas tbo year opened with very high 
prices for low grade teas, short supplies being 
anticipated both from India and China, bnt prioea 
gradually fell off until the close of the year. Fine 
flavoorod tcaa and teas of exceptional quality 
have hi on aoaroe, and commanded full rates. The 
general quality of the crop has not been equal lo 
that of last year. With respect to Ceylon, the 
early months of 1891 were marked by high prices 
for the low grades. The abnormally wet weather 
which prevailed in Ceylon derieg the first quarter 
of the year occasioned lo rapid a growth of the leaf 
that production fairly outran the most sanguiue 
estimate, and in consequence London beoame some- 
what flooded with unexpected supplies, and a gradual 
sbrinirnge in values was the reenlt.” 
“ Can you tell me why Obina, which in 1849 mono- 
polised the supply, now occupies in this country its 
thiret-rate place ?” 
“Well, China tea of the first quality is of a 
very delicate flavour and very fine drinking ; bnt 
the proportion of that class of tea is so small' that 
it is practically unobtainable by the general public, 
except at certain aeasons of the year atid at very 
high prices. The beet of the crop goea direct to 
Rusaia, but the greater part of the growth is of 
very poor quality, and conVuna a very small por- 
tion nliioh is solublo in voter. It was owing to 
this deterioration of China tea which caused years 
ago, a demand for Indian tea, and, more raoently. 
for Ccjlon tea. Ilad China continued to be abfo 
to eeud tea of really good quality, and comprising the 
whole ot ita crop, we should probably never have 
hoard of Indian and Ceylon teas. 'I'hen, too 
the latter sell better, they go further, and, in a word* 
they are more economical. According to tbo Cuatoma 
testing I lb. of Obina leaf will produce five gallons 
of liquid teij but lib. ot lodiau Ua will give 74 
Or 50 per cent, more.’* 
“ What have you to say of Sir Andrew Clark’s 
condemnation of Indian lea, which he alleges dis- 
orders tbo nervous system, and produces a state of 
tea intoxication ?" 
Ceylon ten ! But the general 
mistake made by the public is to infuse Indian tea 
too long. It oontaiuB a miibli stronger body in tba 
extract ’ — tbnt is In the amount s luble in water— 
than China tea does. Yon obtain in liio minutes’ ir- 
fuaion of Indian tea peihaps as s'rongacupa. with 
ten minutes’ infusion of China tea. Consequently it 
IS unnecessary to draw cat tbo total strength possessed 
by the tea. Ladies ehonid never allow Indian tea to 
stand more than five lo seven minutes, and oortainly 
not as long ss ten to fifteen minutes. By the first 
method they would get the flavour of the tea without 
the tannin, beoanse tannin is not so soluble in water 
as th< 68 constitnents which give the quality and deli- 
cate taste.” 
“ Does that advice apply also to Oeylon tea?” 
“Speaking gonecally, Ceylon tea contains far more 
strength than Indian, and the same obaervatioui apply 
