June i, 1892.] 
THE TRDP10M. AQRfOOLTURlST. 
947 
though complaints of adulteration have been some 
what loud and frequent of late ■ years, the trMe 
returns afford no evidence of any maj-Md decline 
in either demand or supply. Indeed, taking into 
consideration the annually inoroaauig consump- 
tion of Indian mills, there is, he says good reMon 
to conclude that the total production of mw coUon 
has, on the whole, increased rather than diminished. 
What has taken place is a diversion of the Indnm 
exports from the markets of the United Kingdom to 
those of other European countries, among which 
Italy, Belgium, Germany, Austria, and Frane^e are 
the principal customers. As the year for which tr^e 
returas are compiled ends on the Blst March, the 
full effect of the present unfavourable harvest will 
not. Sir Edward Buck writes, be apparent till 1892- 
93 the traffic returns of which may he expected to 
show a largo falling-off. The exports by sea to foreign 
countries during 1891-92 will also in all probability 
bo much less satisfactory than those of the preced- 
ing year, as the harvest of I8iK)-91 was unfavourable, 
thSugh not nearly to the same extent as the present 
one. The total foreign exports register^ during the 
first ten months of 1891.92 (endmg Slst January 
18921 amounted to 9Sl,2.80 bMes, 
1,238,160 in the corresponding periods of 1H89-90 ana 
1890-91.— J/iidms Mail- 
Tea in China.— The reports from China 
regarding tea onniinue to be more and more gloomj. 
The Foochow Kchu of ■■3rd April has the following ; - 
From a native source we learn that four Chiueso 
millionaires (?) of Ilingbua have conceived the idea 
of substituting cotton for tea m several distri^s, and 
their agents are now busy sounding, the rmuntry- 
poople as to whether they wnU co-operate vrith them 
bur informant states that the scheme is well thought 
of gonerrUly, if only the Govornraont will assist the 
prefect (as ^before) Instead of obstruotiug it of w^ich 
there seems to bo some dread. Kews of the great 
falling off in advances to tlio teamen this season 
seems to have reached the tea districts apace, since 
we are already assured that growers, instead of 
allowing all their first pickings to lie at the mercy 
of the few who may be in a position to buy it on 
tho spot, intend sending large qnantities of it down 
to the Foochow dealers to sell to the local packers. 
As it is generally understood that the sooner tea 
k cured and paefied after picking the better, foreign 
tL buvers will not learn of this new dopartere with 
mucKtisfaotion. Nor will the up-country buyers be 
beat pleased if this move is carried out to tho extent 
talkel of1 they had planned to corner the growers, 
but if we may use a sporting expression, tho growers 
v.t'Sh oil.-. B-d. 
Eas now been started over tho bridge, making four 
ew 7nes “nee the commencement of tho now year. 
Colide“ng tho admitted unsonndnoss of bnsmess 
all i-nund WO learn of this with some surprise. 
The capital of this now bank is said to bo coiisidor- 
able 3 thev will have to uso it though in what 
way ’is not very clear. That they will have applica- 
tioL for loans from disappointed 
blit they must have more faith m the 
if they accept snoh men as customers, when the older 
banks, well acquainted with tho business, decline to 
loan money to them. Of course Uiero are several 
other articles of morohandise dealt in at tho port on 
a very large scale, but the trade is in an unsound 
state, and as the bankers have been sufferers with tho 
traders themselves, it is astonishing to hoar of so many 
new banks starting. 
We slso read ^ .. ,, „ 
A oorrPBPonrient »t Hsnko*, writing to the -C. 
nailu Ask’S O" ‘he 20th nU , savs ‘ Torrential rains 
here- bad lo' k out tor tho tea, as this is just tho pick- 
ing time. “t piokng sesson means “ tar” 
and too old leaf, wliile if this season’s crop should 
turn ou» abad one, it will put the finish on China tea.’ 
Accordir'g to reports in tl o native papors, this year's 
tea crop is going to be both bad and bmall, a iaot which 
is attributed to tho had weatlier, and in consequence of 
ibis the price of the first leaf has risen slready. 
Tire fihenpao’s Wenchow correspondent desrribea the 
yl. Id ul teaUiis jesr, in the PinKyung district, as being 
very bad. Owing to the unnsual cold and inooasaut 
rnin theteaplants have been much stuuted and the 
crop this Season is i stimati d to be only half of what 
was produced last jeer. Tea merchants who have 
gone in'o the m- uu sins to porebaso lev are paying 
high prices. For the best quality they aregivieg 50 
di liars per picul and fer an inferior kind 30 dollars per 
pgiouJ is charged. 
Coffee in Jamaica. — Sir Nicholas Laws, it 
is said, was the first pm-on who planted coffre 
in Jamaica, but dying three years afterwards hs 
did not see the cultivation make any eonaider- 
able progreer. In 1732 several planters and mer- 
chants subscribed £220,103 as a fnnd for defraying 
tho charges of soliciting au act of Parliament for 
lowering, lbs inland duty upon the importation 
of coffee from Jamaica into Great Britain, which 
at that time was £10 per cat. That year the 
duty Was reduced from 2. to 18d per pound pro- 
ducing a revetiue of £10 000 per annum. In 1753 
the export from Jamaica was 600 owt, in 1765 
it was, 4,000 owt. in 1891 it was over 75,000 owt. 
Madras I'imes. 
