March i, 1892.] 
rHE TROPICAL AQRICULTURIST 
681 
U undoubtedly a fine one the enterprise should 
end by proving sucoessfu . — British Resident 
at Pahanij, March Slst 1891. 
If the Ma ay Peninsula is ever to be a 
great ooifoc-growing and exporting country, the 
importation of labourers under contract from 
India is a neoeacity. and it a groat forward move- 
ment in agrioultiire could be reckoned on, the 
Government should do what is possible to facilitate 
and cheapen immigration. Put at present the 
number of planters and ef estates is very small 
and as long as a few hundred men are all that 
they can absorb, the question is not an urgent 
one. It is easy to allege that capitalists are 
deterred from embarking in agtioullure because of 
the didioulty in obtaining and keeping a labour 
force, but general statements of this sort must 
not be accepted. If planters in suQioient numbers 
Were to start operations in Belaugor, the labcur 
question would soon simplify itself. To make 
elaborate preparations to provide labour for agri- 
cultural purposes wbrn the employer is as yet an 
absent quantity is somewhat premature. In the 
meantime, the alleged scarcity of labour will con- 
tinue to furnish to land speculators an excuse for 
Dot opening tracts of forest land obtained ou easy 
terms from Government ostensibly for agricultural 
purposes . — British Resident at Selangor, March 31, 
1891. 
Notes on pkoduck and finance. 
1 iie I'ka Tmjjg OF China. — Col. Howard Viuemt 
writes in reference lo hn remarks, which wo quoted 
last week, some of which have been ehailengcd, about 
the decay of Ihe t hlna tea irsde; — “I am not sur- 
prised that lome of Ibo Blatements of fact in my 
recent artielia have bun clalli i,go0, as I hey are con- 
trary 111 lielnfs sedob iialv lo-tired at home. U ia 
not iiucesaary for me, 1 hope, lo say rliat they were not 
expresstd on the authority or my briit •iijou'ii in 
China, but entirely Irun iftieial data, suppitted by 
the personal views of ibe ixperienoed lesideuta to 
whose acquaiii'at ee I was admitted and Itmpercd bj 
a not untutored observation. Tho ixpres-sion ‘the 
tea industry in China is threatened with extinction ' 
to which *A Tea Broket' takes excepiioo, was bor- 
rowed from tho report of a very u'd-eetablisbed firm. 
It appliee, of course, particularly to the tea trade 
Wnh England. Your correapondant, moreover, him- 
*olf endorsea it in the eenteiica ‘I am of opinion 
that the present China tea gardens are exhausted. 
To remedy this state of affairs tho eflorta of the 
luspecor-Geiiernl of Maritime Cnatoms must be sup 
hnritd i,y 1^1, B united alreoglh of all peraous interested. 
They are not at present, lam imfoimed on good 
®’*htorty, oven safociatod together. 
Tsa piRKiQiiTs. — Tide question was discussed at a 
recent meeting of the Indian Tea Districts' Associ*- 
"’u; ,uj ij jg evident, from tho remarks of the oliaii- 
in«u, Mp mat the steamer companies fiavo 
■nade m, ,.Uort to get at the plautor individually, 
rather timu tackle him in conclave, as they ahould 
have done. If the planter be wise, ho will doolino 
te diaouas the matter in his individual capnoity, but 
"I refer all negotiations to iboao who represent the 
general body of planters. That union is strength is an 
^ maxim ; but it is as true today as it has evei 
Ceilnn^t** Tka. — Jtel'orring lo last week’s salo 
Ot the I d'roduce Markets' Review says 
bold .1, "^*^**, "“les of Ueyloii teas on record has 
Wni..il.f'*i,*®‘'‘' hut priooa have, iiolwilhstaiidiog, 
oek ho "‘’'‘•“‘■‘'■it.inod In the case of due 
n A niid broken teas, cumpMitior 
Wanv h*''*''uwlarly kei ii, and higher prii ee hnv 
iiDsii'ln.. e " ,heen paid ; for medium grades aiac 
lortii “* favourable for eol’ers' hut con 
low u.*. s' diatlnpt depline, and those are nc 
n (Hoy were during November. The qnalit 
the teas now coming forward is still considerably 
below what it should he, and it seems highly prob 
alls from present iudinatious that the old eioelleut 
standards of quality of two years ago will scarcely be 
again equalled without thn liberal use of artiSoial 
manures. This subject will have to be duly oonsideted 
by plantora it Ceylon teas are to maintaiu tlieirpre- 
seut positioD as the favourite leas of the British public. 
There has been no diminution in Ihe supply of In- 
dian teas (says the Produce Markets' Review), the 
quantity brought forward nl public sale having even 
iiceeded that of last week. Monday’s auction was 
Ihe argest on record, consisting of nearly 2ti,000 pack- 
ages ; but, n ttwithslaudiug the large total, the Supplies 
meet with general support, while teas with point and 
quality in many cases slinwed au advnuoe. As might 
be eipocied, however, some irregularity was notice- 
able, and lower prices had to be acoepiod lor Ihe com- 
mon ai d inferior sortt, With smaller supplies coming 
forward a firmer market may be expected, aud, as the 
trade have evidently teen waiting tho result of tho late 
heavy rales the drinaud fur borne cousumpt'ori will no 
doul t ii. crease, more particularly as prices are now at 
a comparatively safe level. 
East 'Wkek’s Tka Sales.— Says the Grocer -. — 
‘‘Beating the rccora ’ ia au expression frequently 
used in describing the iueieasiug extent of the sup- 
plies of Indian tea by auction, but it has never been 
more applioable ibiin in the present week, during 
which about I’J.IOO packages have boon submitted for 
public sale, iovoiviiig au amount of lime, latonr, and 
fatigue in tasting aud valuiug the teas and pricing 
ihe catalogues such as the dealers would not relish 
very ofien, aud which culminated on Thursday in a 
Icelnig of cxLauit on, nut uumiied with a sense of 
relief that the. ecveie and oobtinuems strain was over 
for aiiOlber week. Oompi titiou w as liveliest on Mou- 
oay's sales, when the assortment was largwt, and 
slrong-liquoritig kinds of favourite growths were tskm 
lit firm to rather high prices; hut teas tbiu and [uor 
in cup were, as a ruli , avuidid by the trade, and were 
disposable only cn easier terms, which became still 
more so towards the end ef the final series yesterday, 
and though the bulk of the supplies in auction baa 
fouud buyers, the tone of the market at the fiuisb was 
uncommonly tame, as if the wholesale men had over- 
bought themselves and ncc ted breathiug time to work off 
rhoir surplus stocks. About tho larguat sales yet held 
of Ceylon ten have taken place this week, amountdg 
to nearly £.">.000 packages. Tho uumher ef sampela 
to be examined was great, and small breaks formed a 
good proportion of the general total. The tlToria 
made to curtail Ibe trouble iuvuivcd iu the hitter sesm.a 
of little avail. Tuesday's auotiuiis occupied the greater 
part of six hours. Prices, especially for commuu, are 
uiosily lower. Tho biddiogs lacked a cantiouance of 
spirit, aud the market closes with a fiat toiiu. The 
pressure of ludiuu, along with the baste lo sell, has 
quite altered the ospeot of the market (luring the past 
week, and some li w rates have to be reoordoil, tho 
presence of low teas also help ng the depression. The 
week s imports have oompriseu The Glenshiel. 
TTifi, 3001b.; Ori. nt, S97,900lh ; Uuneta, 
21.1,6001b.; total, 7htl,8001b.— o«d f. d/aif, Jan. 22nti 
THE AFSTRALIAN IIIRKIATION COKONTKS 
OF MEtieiKS. CHAFFEi' BROS., LTD. 
Iu the fifth annual report of the Victorian Mi uiaid 
of Water Supply, which was lately preaented to both 
Houtea of tho Parliament «t that eokmy, wo find it 
stated that the progress of these setllcmenia is giving 
Btrikiug proof that I fie arid waste lands of Australia 
cau be tilled aud brought tosiistaiu I host) who setilo 
on tbsm, thereby affording what is so miii'b needed iu 
these days of over-stocked labour market.s and con- 
gested ccnties ol popnlaiions — greater scope and mote 
opportunity for working qftpsetly. It is, by its ex- 
ample aud leaching, assfiiliug lo develop a compara- 
•ively new hut uiostimportaut industry, by which tli® 
r. sonrce.s of tho colony will bo greatly increased, aud 
It demonslrating to tho farmers and frnit-growers of 
