THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
852 
[May 2, 1892. 
BbGsdy growth of this braocb of Colombian ngricul- 
tore may bo gstherod from the fact tliat tha exports of 
coffee from the Kcpublic, which in 1885 amoanted 
to only 1'31,583 had reached in 1890 £116,259; 
The report ntalea that there is an abundance of 
fertile land suitable for ooffco-growing in tbo 
district. 
Lady Tea Mkrchants. — Another rival to the regular 
tea-dealer has arisen- The lady as toa-merehant is 
quite the latest development. A Ladies’ Own Tea As- 
sociation have scoured premises in Bond-street, and 
there independently import, blend, and sell their tea. 
Their ambition is to have “ lady agonts” in every town 
in tbo kingdom, B. and C. Mail, March 23. 
TUB OUTLOOK FOR INIllAN J’LANTBRS. 
To the Editor of the Home and Colonial Mail. 
Sir, — As your readers would doubtless notice from 
the tenour of a letter which I sent to you last week, 
i l appears to mo that very much misapprehensions ex- 
ists in regard to the relative economic capabilities of 
India and Ceylon respectively to produce tea ata profit. 
1 accurdingly venture to make one or two remarks on 
certain points referred to by yonr correspondent “ Scru- 
tator,” in last week's issue. 
“ Scrutator,” of course, writes ns a Ceylon planter, 
and I confess frankly to writing as an Indian one. 
He points out that a great and serious difference 
between the two countries lies in their cost of 
production, and then proceeds to assert that 
Ceylon is capable of laying down her teas several 
pence per pound cheaper than India ; and he adduces, 
in proof of this, first, an assertion that Cevlon 
teas are laid down at a cost of 61 i a Ih arid second, 
statistics, shown in black aud white, in regard to the 
cost of the Indian, compauibs’ production from Mr. 
Earnshaw’s well-known statement for the season 1800. 
Might we ask for n similar statement, worked ont 
00 the basis of publicly publish d reports for u 
large number of Coylon compani's ? No doubt tVe 
large aud most favourably '•itualcil Ceylon companies 
can lay down at alow coit, despite the oomparalivoly 
small Boresgo product and the morn expensive fuel 
and wages of that island; but what about the 
thousand and one smallor and loss thoroughly or- 
ganised estates ? 
In regard to Mr. Ktrnshaw’s statement, I would 
make the following remarks. Iho greater number 
of Iho Londuo companies there represented ate in 
the province of Assam proper, whence come the 
strong and pungent teas which realise in the London 
market pence per pound more than either Ceylon 
teas geiiotally or than the getieral average of Indian 
teas. Under this category come eighteen ont of 
the twenty-soven oompiiuies. Many of those gardens 
also are old cunoerna, which have not yet freed them- 
selves from the old traditions of expensive working, 
altbougb they are beginning to bestir themselves in 
that respect. 
Even as tegarda mndernly organised Assam com- 
panies, despite the high cost of importing fresh la- 
bour, there is no doubt that, should they be driven 
to extremities, they could immensely reduce their 
cost of production, many of them having fortified 
themselves in good times by going in for heavy “bet- 
terments,” which have been paid for out of revenne. 
The enormous areas now under tea in the districts 
of Oaohar, Sylhet, and Western llaoars ate only re- 
presentod in Mr. Eatnshaw's list by five companies — 
chiefly small ones— the great bulk of the proportics 
in these districts being eilhor Oalontta companies or 
private ownerships, and the capabilities of oheapnees 
in their working bating practically no limit if com- 
petition should pl.aco thorn on tlie'r mettle. 
Another point is that despite the oomparatively 
high cost of production of these oompauies they showed 
on average about 2|fd. per pound profit ; and further 
it should be pointed out that the year 1890 was the 
year when the working oost was largely enhanoed by 
the rise in exchange. 
The only gardens, except a tew moribnnd and 
worked out gardens, ohiefly in Cachar, which may 
have difficulty in reducing their cost are the gardens 
in the Darjeeling district where yield is small, 
but this is largely compensated for by the fact 
of their wonderful capabilites of producing a 
tea of exceptional merits, for whioh, in fairly favour- 
able seasons, they can always command a high range 
of prioes. 
Your correspondent, however, will not have done 
harm if, by bis letter, ho may have aroused the Indian 
planters to the great importance of strict economy, 
oonsiatent with eftioiency. 
As to yonr correspondent’s suggestions for a remedy 
to the existing state of things, I cordially agree with 
i him in the importance of, first, effecting economy so 
I long as this is not done to tno detriment of onltivation ; 
secondly, organising for the opening out of Iresh 
markets ; thirdly, of keeping up the standard of 
quality so far as can be without too much enhancing 
the cost ; bat in regard to his fourth recommenda- 
tion — " to absolutely desist from planting more land 
with tea” I would merely remark that, bowuvor this 
might bo desired, it is that which there is not the 
least possibility of aiicceediog in doing, for the reason 
that by extension alone oan tbo present existing com- 
panies provide against possible deterioration and by so 
doing aloDo can they expect to further rodunetho poun- 
dage ooat of their crop. — Yours, &o. Obsekveb. 
— II. and .Wail, March 23. 
TisA in DAIUEKLINa, THE DOOARS AND THE 
Terai is thus noticed by the Darjeeling Standard : — 
The tea season may bo said to have begun, 
plucking loaf having been commenced on some estates. 
'J'lio season is considered an early one, especially 
for gardens favourably situated as regards moisture ; 
rain is much needed however, as tlie showers which 
fell three weeks ago wore not sufficient to reach 
fiirtlior than three or four inches below tho surface 
of the ground, whioh has now become as dry as before. 
Altlioo^ last season proved to be such a trying one 
for the tea indnstry, owing to the extremely low 
liricos ruling for tea, yet there are very few of the 
gardens in this district which show a balance on 
tho wrong side of the books, while most concerns 
have made , a satisfactory profit. The pnblished 
accounts of public companies in the district almost 
all show a dividend ranging from 3 por cent to 15 
per cent ; a result which mnat bo gratifying to 
holders of tea scrip in these bad times. Tho 
accounts from tho Dooars district are still more 
Ratifying, as much as It) per cent on tho capital having 
lioen made in more than one instance; those from tho 
Torai, however, are somewhat doleful, tor allhougli 
many of tho best concerns have paid well, yet a 
largo number have Buffered loss ; this is not to 
be wondered at in tho face of the exceptional diffi- 
culties of tlic season. 'Tho death rate is said to have 
lieen exceedingly high, not only from cholera, but 
from influenza and Cover of a specially malignant 
typo, which carried off a much larger miuiber than 
the former disease. The result of this was of course 
a great scarcity of labour, and consequontly some 
managers had to temporarily abandon hundreds of 
acres of tea, whilst others resorted to special money 
inducements to obtain labour, a proceeding very like 
that described as “ burning the caudle at both ends.” 
Huch an unhonlthy season for coolios has never been 
known boforo, and it is hoped will never occur again. 
The present prospects of cooly labour are un- 
usually bright, food is scarce and doar in Nepaidi 
and coolies are flocking in largo numbers into British 
torritory, where tlio resources arc greater 
and a local scarcity mneh more ea.sily romodied- 
Tea prophets tell us that tlio London market 
is not likely to open with a better tone than litst 
year, tho imports from Coylon have already assuinc*' 
gigantic proportions, and ' it has hooome quite a 
rognlar part of Tea Brokers' reports that there is 
a superabundance of teas of a “ common ’’ description’ 
whilst good parcels a*o still well oompoted for. O'lr 
friends the planters will no doubt find it their best 
policy to go in more than ever fni|;tlio lino ilavoury 
teas for which this district is famous. 
