March i, 1P92.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
637 
CEYLON TEA IN LONDON IN 1801. 
INTERESTING} CASE TO TEA-TRADERS. 
We plane below Measra. Stenning, Inakipp & Co.’s 
review of Ceylon tea for 1891. In the past year, 
out of 59,708,(1#0 lb. imported into London, the 
delivery was 53,180,000 lb, Prioea bad, however, 
unhappily gone down in proportion to quantity 
sent to the London market, from la 8Jd for 68,921 
paokagea in 1885, to9Id par lb. for 755,562 packages 
in 1891. The reaeonable hope now is that the 
large amount of our teas which have gone into 
consumption will create a demand at better prices. 
Poor China is likely to bo driven out of the market, 
as at present the favourite tea is certainly Ceylon, 
Our deliveriea were 53| million lb. against 10. 
million Indian and 50,817,000 China. The per- 
centages now are : — Indian 49 ; Ceylon 253 1 total 
Indian and Ceylon 743 against 241 China. The 
latter figure is likely to become small by degrees and 
beautifully less. 
The Couii.sE or the Maiucet. — A good demand at 
higher prices took place on the resumption of busi- 
ness, but in March, owing to indifferent quality, 
values receded until April, when an enquiry for 
teas “for prices’’ up to lid took place; with heavy 
auctions in May the market gave way except for 
really good invoices; from .June to August values 
for all nut good Teas declined, the imports contain- 
ing a large proportion of undesirable kinds. In 
September arrivals were of bettor quality, and more 
hnuiioBs was shown, the superior parcels going 
dearer; tiiis position contiunod throughout October 
and November; the year closed firmly with an advance 
on all descriptions. 
QUiVEiTV. — Tile abnormal weather experienced during 
the greater part of the year in Ceylon caused a 
large yield of leaf, hut at the cost of quality ; still, 
a foir proportion of the Teas has been exceedingly 
good, and, in mnnv instances, with fine Hnvoiir. 
The Imports generally have met a ready sale, tlieir 
freshness and freedom from coarseness being in 
contrast with much of the China crop which it so 
largely supplants. 
Uelivekif.s in IHHI. — Although the supply has so 
rapidly increased, being .59,708,000 Ih. against 10,012,000 
in IHiK), or equal to 49J per cent, the Delivery has 
likewise shown a roiiiarkahlo expansion, vis. ; 5 :i, 18B,(KK) 
lb. against lb , in ISiil). or an increase of 421 
lier cent. Tlio poor (jualitv and conqmrative dear- 
ness of so mticli of tlio Cliiiia Crop liave undoiilit- 
ediy given a great impetus to the use of Coylon 
growths, which, combined with Indian, are steadily 
forcing the produce of China out of the market; 
at all events, the preference on the part of con- 
sumers for Ceylon and Indian 'J'ea is now so strong 
that it seems impossible China can recover any of 
Its lost ground ; on the contrary a further displace- 
ment is probable. 
Impobts. — It is calculated that the area nnder enl- 
tlvatioii is about 2.59,(100 acres, and that the crop 
1st January to .‘list December 1891. will total about 
"7,000,000 lb., and in 1892 about 72,000,000 lb. The 
Imports have increased so rapidly, ttiat it would bo 
™ the advantage of all ooncorned if Auctions were 
held more frequently in the week than hitherto, tlie 
one day and a part of another, as nt present, com- 
pressing too great a quantity into that space. Wo 
Would point out that much iiiav be done by managers 
‘ gardens to ensure tlioir 'Teas being more fully 
xamined by buyers, by keeping the qualities down 
u four at the outsido in each iiivoioo, and tlius 
uiakiiig larger breaks. 
AraBAdE Pbice 
1891 
1890 
1889 
1888 
1887 
1886 
1885 
755,.')()2 I’ackagos, average Os 
,535,61) 
„ Os inid 
431,0-13 
M 
„ 03 lid 
303,284 
„ Oa Hid 
182,9.55 
>1 
„ la Ofd 
101,145 
»» 
„ la Id 
58,921 
» Is SJd 
FOROIKO A TRADE MARK, 
Under this hesdisg the Overland China Mail reporti 
a case in which, on 30th Deo., 1891, at the Magis- 
tracy Ho Ifip Chi, broker, was charged before Mr. 
Wise with having, on lOtb Dec., falsely applied to 
certain packages or boxes of tea a trade mark pur- 
porting to be the trade mark of the Yuen Shun firm, 
of Canton, without the assent of the proprietor ot 
the said firm. Mr. Kwena aondaoted the prosecation, 
and Mr. Pollock defended. 
Inspector Stanton stated that some time ago ho re- 
ceived a warrant for the seizare of some tea bearing the 
forged trade mark of the Yuen Shun firm. By virtns of 
that warrant he seized sixty empty tea boxes hearing 
the trade mark of another firm, thirty-five paoksigee of 
tea bearing the trademark of the Yuen Shun firm, four- 
teen bags of tea in the tup fioor of a bouse at 74 
Queen’s Road West. There were also three boxee 
containing some tea, some seals, and a number of 
stencil plates. The three boxes bore no mark. 
* * . * When the tea and boxes had been at 
the Station a long time an application was made to 
the Captain Snperiotendent of Police for the four- 
teen baga of tea and the thirty- five packages. The 
application was for tea marked ‘ Yuen Sin’ not Y’uen 
Stimi. The tea was not given op. Afterwarda the 
Oaptaiu Superintendent was summoned in the .Sum- 
mary Court for the value ot the fourteen bags of tea 
and the thirty-five packages. So far as witnesa knew 
nothing further happeued till the defendant came 
and claimed the tea. He believed there was an- 
other application made before that, but he did not 
see it. He was present when the tea was delivered 
up to the defendant, who said he claimed it under 
a power of attorney. Defendant ordered the cooliea 
to take the tea back to the bonse where it had 
been seized. 
Inspector Haddon staled that be arresated the 
defendant by virtue of a warrant. He asked the 
defendant if the tea was bis, and the defendant 
answered in the affirmitive. Witness then produced 
the warrant, arrested the defendant, and seized the 
tea. He seized the whole thirty-five packages of tea, 
one of which was produced iu Court. 
Chi Yu Tiu, the eomplainant, itatsd that he was the 
master ot the Kwoug Man Tni shop in Hongkong. He 
was also a partner in the Yuen Shun firm and was 
their agent in llungkocg. The firm had been in exis- 
tence for 22 years, its headquarters are at Honam, 
Canton, and the firm dealt only in leas, making special- 
ties of two kinds. This kind was known aa Wau-loo 
tea and it was priiicipslly sold in Anaeriea. Shown 
labels — These were not the labels of hia firm. They 
were initiatiuna. Shown box— That was not one of hie 
firm’s boxes. He was sure it was an imitiation. The 
trade mark was not put upon this tea with his consent. 
It bad been put ou without bis knowledge. Shown 
wrappers of small paroela of tea— These seemed to be 
the same as those used by his firm. There was only 
oueshop in Honam bearing the name of the firm. 
Croai-eiamincd— » • » He knew the tea produced 
was not from the Yiien Shnn shop because the obarao- 
ters on the wrappers were not indcntical. It road the 
same, bnt the shape of the characters was not the 
same. Tlia slrokes on the imitation were very thin 
whereas the strokes on the genuine wrappers were 
thick. The imitation could not possibly have been is- 
sued by the Yuen Shun shop. After a minute exami- 
nation of the wrappers, witness pointed out that the 
real wrappera and the forged wrappers could not have 
been printed from the tonic stamp. The Yuen Shun 
firm had only one stamp, wliicli thoy^ had been using 
for several years- They had no duplioate* 
Mr. Follook submitted that the case for the proseou- 
tion had broken down, as the only thing that had been 
proved was that the defendant got the tea nnder a 
power of attorney. 
Mr Wise said it was his opinion that there had been 
an attempt to swindle. This Cheuii Yuk Pan wai 
opparently guilty and he was trying to get the 
tea out by mean* o£ the deteadaiit. He was oot 
