272 
With the view of obstructing as nuieh as possible the introduc- 
tion of diease into the Island, an Ordinance has been passed em- 
powering the Government to prohibit the importation of plants 
from infected countries, or to require them to be fumigated on arri- 
val, according to the necessities of the case. A small fumigating 
chamber is about to be built at Kochchikada for the treatment of 
imports. 
lea has passed through a critical period. The year 1900 was 
distinguished by an unusually favourable season for heavy flushing 
in most of the Ceylon tea districts, and there appeared also to be a 
prevalent belief that common teas were likely to find a good market. 
I he result was a total of shipments far in excess of the estimate, no 
less than 149,264,602 lbs., of 1 9 A million pounds above the exports 
in 1899. This heavy increase, more especially in tea of poor quality, 
combined with large shipments from India, led to a rapid fall in the 
av erage price, until towards the end of the year and during the first 
Jiafl of the present year it approached a figure that could leave little 
or no margin of profit to a certain proportion of the producers. For 
a time production had overtaken consumption, checked as the latter 
undoubtedly was, to some extent, in the United Kingdom, by the 
Imperial War Tax of two pence additional per pound on our staple ; 
and with large stocks the prospect before Ceylon and Indian 
planters was at the opening of the present year by no means 
bright. But the planters of Ce} Ion, as in former crises, rose to the 
occasion, and by plucking finer leaf and preparing a better quality 
of tea have gradually circumscribed shipments and established a 
standard for which a much better and improving average price is 
now offered in the London market. The prospect then, at the 
present moment, is by no means unfavourable to the Ceylon tea 
planter Let us hops that the lesson has not been lost, and that 
he has .learned how shortsighted it is to rush the home market with 
large quantities of common tea, and how much wiser it is to en- 
deavour, as far as possible, to make tea of good quality. Any 
extension of planting being for the present stopped, it is’improb- 
able requirements of home and foreign markets. Further, let us 
hope for an early termination to the troubles in South Africa and 
for the consequent removal of the war levy on tea, followed by a 
better progressive rate of consumption in the United Kingdom. In 
regard to foreign markets, the progress made more especially in 
Russia — continues to be satisfactory, and there is good reason to 
believe that the manufacture of pure green tea to suit the American 
market will benefit the local industry. The record for the six years 
so far as available may be given as follows: — 
1896 - - 108,141,412 lbs. - 
1897 - - 116,054,567 „ - 
1898 - - 119,769,071 ., - 
1899 - - 129,894,156 ,, - 
1900 - - 149,264,602 „ - 
1901 (Estimate) 146,000,000 „ - 
ncrease on previous year. 
- 10,000,000 lbs. 
- 8 , 000,000 ,, 
- 3,700,000 „ 
- 1 0 , 000,000 „ 
- t9,5°o,ooo „ 
- Decrease. 
