[Mav I, 1892' 
330 tuE YflOPlCAl. AQR10ULT0RI8T. 
Deecwpiions. 
Dust Ml 
Broken tea and fans.... 
Broken peb. souchongs 
Souchongs and congou 
Pekoe souchongs m. 
Pekoe ..t 
Broken pekoo ... 
Orange pekoe and bro. 
orange pekoe 
per 
por 
per 
cent. 
cent. 
cent. 
li 
U 
U 
n 
8 
i 
P| 
6 
20 
23f 
224 
334 
3‘2f 
m 
10f 
20\ 
21 
1* 
n 
Sales from UthMay l?9l to lOih March 1892. 
433,678 packages sold. 
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Average Exchange— for 6 months’ Documoots 1-5. 
Average Freight.-ie2-n-3 per ton of 60 0 feet. 
NOTES ON PRODUCE AND FINANCE. 
Adyick to Gbowebs A0 to Quality ox’ Tbab. 
Messrs. Steaniog»Io»Wipp & Oo. have issued the follow- 
ioff oirouUr with reference to tea season, 1892-93 : — 
In view o£ the approeching raauafaoluring aeason, 
we keg to offer a few remarks tor jour cooBideration. 
The fact that common ami medium grades have sold 
with difficulty for but little more than half the prices 
tnling at this time last year, must ho a source ot 
auxious concern to producers. This heavy depression 
is due to exoessive quantity and poor quality, aud to 
the sudden andenormons inorcaae in the imports from 
Ceylon. Fine and finest have been rather scarce 
throughout the season, and have sold readily at sitis- 
faotory priooi. Ceylon tois have shown some falling 
off in quality, but the demand for them has about 
kept paoe with the import, as will be seen by e 
figures for tlio last nine months, viz Import, 
46,630,000 Ib i Delivery, -15,239,000 lb. The imports 
from all India for the season will probably average 
9i Bullions per montb, and tbo delivexies bait a 
million of pounds less, giving an exotes of supply 
over demand of about 6 million of pounds. The stock 
of Indian in London st the end of Fohrnary la.t stood 
at 47,558,000 Ih. or more than five months eonsurap- 
tioii. Under these ciruiimatsnooa it would seem that, 
while avoiding the danger of plucking too flue, the 
only course open to growers is to improve the strength 
and flavour of their teas, and thus make them more 
attractive. We think this may be done by pluckiiig 
moderately ; by getting the leaf off in gcod time— 
that is, before it has become hard and coarse— and by 
giving the olosest possible attention to the manu. 
fnctnre. We also think tlie endeavour sliould bo to 
produce a fair proportion of true Pekoe and broken 
Pokoe, which wonhi redooo the quantity of “medium,” 
and help to bring up the average price. Tho export 
from China appsars likely to still farther fall away 
in the future, ihe teas being in disfavour, owing to 
their continued inferiority, and the blow tho industry 
has snstsined in coaseqnonco must be held in mind by 
Indian and Ceylon ■ Isoters, who should not allow 
qunatity to bo their first consideration, or prices may 
sink to a point below coat of prcduction. 
Tea from Natal.— On Monday Mesars. Gow, Wilson, 
and Stanton offered S03 boxes of Natal tea, oontaining 
about 15,00Ulb. from tho Kearnsay eBt.vto. The prices 
averaged 6d per lb. bat wo iiuagiue that tho Natal 
growers sent Ih ir first largo consignment more with 
a view of testing prices than making regular ship- 
ments, as there is a good market in South Africa for 
their tea. Fears of the failure of tho coffee crop seem 
to have first prompted the Natal colonists to seriously 
contemplate tea cultivation, but altbongh a few sam- 
ples were obtained from Kew many years ago, the 
antnal beginniog of the industry teems fo have been 
only made in 1877, when A'sam hybrid and Assam 
indigenous seed were imported from Csloutta Since 
that dale steady progr,sa lias been made, and even 
in 1884 llie Assistant Exeeiilive Commissioner of 
Natal, reported that over 50,000!b. were produced 
and disp. sed of locally. Thu rainfall is low for a 
tea-growing country, but this is supplemented by 
such excessive dewfalls that its want is not 
several felt, and Ihe fact ot tho oultivitiou 
thriving is a strong testimony of the adaptability 
of the colony for tho purpose. The tea is grown near 
the coast where tho Inara is light. 
Last Week’s Tea Market.— There has been a 
smaller quantity of Indian tei brought forwsrd at 
the pnblo sales, namely, 24,763 packages against 34,900 
packages in the preceding week, says tho Produce 
jTarekU' lievieic. This diminution in thoqnanti'y has 
not, however, improved tho low quotations of common 
tea to any extent, sllhough at the later sales a 6li,ghtly 
firmer tendency was noticeable, dfowever, as the 
supply of these grades will probably continue to bo 
quite sufficient to meet the dcoiining demand fnr 
them, there appsars no immediate prospoot of any 
reaction of importanoo in prices. The demaud that 
prevailed some time ago for common kinds appears 
to have fallen off oomiderably, and it is evident 
that tho coufiimi r is prepared to give a fair price 
for good tea. For tho medium grades there is a 
good enquiry, and, as the proportion of tlieso is 
gradually getting more res*ricted, tboir valne has 
been well maintaiuod. Finest descriptions are ea- 
gerly competed for, aud sell readily with an 
upward tendency, especially tho finer Darjeelings, 
which have fetched extreme prices. The pudlio sales 
ot Ceylon tens have again been remarkably small, 
but, as the demand has not been good, there has been 
little variation in values. Tho finest grades, both of 
whole and broken tea, are still in requst, and their 
value is fully maintaino.!, but medium grade Pekoes, 
worth 81 to 10 I, aro rather easier. There has been a 
slight inorcase in the demand for common teas, at 
last week’s quotations. A material centraotien in the 
supplies at auction las heiu noticed this week, 
fays the Giocer, tho total quantity put up not ex- 
ceeding 26,010 packages, in comparison witu 
.34,680 packages previously, hut at the rosqm. tion 
of business on Monday this diminution in tn 
offerings of ludian tea did not appear to have 
