, 1893-12-27

to English merchants, who were obliged TO
acquiesce in conditions it was out of
their power TO alter. Time has brought
about a natural remedy and wrecked the
false economic policy Of the Chinese. For a
long period the people of England, one Of the
principal consuming countries, looked ask
ance at Indian and Ctylon tea; its favour
was different to that they had been accus.
toned to- and in IN ny Of their cnstoms the
English are strongly conservative. Tea mer
chants, however, never cease 10 press upon thelr'
attention the superiority Of theIndian article.
and the writer knows OF one Hong established
firm with an extensive c0nnexlon which con.
stantly brought the latter quality before its
customers by means Of samples accompany
ing the ordinary Chinese grades. Thus gIa-
duaIly familiarsed with the new teas grown
by British cultivators the consumers b gan to
ask for them in preference to the foreign
varieties, and to meet the demand the area
under cultivation soon increased. In India
the industry has developed enormously since
1870, and the prophecy has been made by
those who know the country that she will
eventually not only rival but supersedo
China in this product. In Ceylon the indus.
try is only a few years old and yet that
island 10 now one of the principal centres
of production, and pure Csylon tea is rapidly
becoming q fevorite with the public. Japan
has also entered the field with first class
grades aud these are finding an inexhaustt-
BILE market in the United States.
The result Of this activity in other coun-
tries has been the marked decline in the trade
with China. During the past twelve years
the expectation from two treaty ports alone
has decreased by about a million pounds
weight, and this in spite of the great IN
crease of consumption III America. In All
dltion to the loss to merchants engaged IN
the trade this condition of matters naturally
affects in iuriously the importation Of me1tl@s
featured goods, as q declining demand means
q lack Of money among The population Of
the tea growing districts. 1t is not sur
prising, therefore. to find that the Chinese
authorities are alarmed over the prospect and
that they have dispatched commissions to the
rising foreign centres to ascertain wherein
'.es the secret Of the popularity OF their teas.
We're they not bi2otted in all their relation
with other countries they could have retain:
ed the market very much longer IN th'ur
handF and their shOrtslghted Follcy is SIM"
ply meeting its own reward. The Indian
and Ceylon teas with which we are now f.
miliar are pure, wholesome, and clean, and
these qualities have contributed much to
their success. The demand for them is in
creaairg, even in countries whore hitherto
they have found no favour, aud the prospect
for growers is sat i~sfactory in HE extreme.
The question has often been asked by visl~
tors who pay their dollars per ID. for the
imported article here, Why tea is not grown
in Jamaica ? No answer is given to ths
enquiry. Mr.. Fawcett states that tea of
good quality grows rapidly in the island. DR.
Nichols says that the plant grows very we'll
in the West Indies. Nevertheless large
quantities of tea grown in the eastern tro-
pics are imported through Europe to the
western tropics. where the shrub flourishea
equally well. The climate is we'll adapted for
the cultivation. For the hills" says Mr..
Morris 'the tea plants already established
there, being Of the Chinese kind, are admir-
bly, suited but for the parish of Portland.
with it's warm moist climate and splendid
rich valleys, the Assam kind appears to be
more suitable" The only circumstance
which has been found to initiate against ths
prosecution of the industry is the want Of
abundant and cheap labOur, but in districts
whore this sane qua non is present the plant
might be grown successfully for home CON
sumption. Jamaica cannot be said to I've a
tea loving country, but the reason OF this is
obvious; the finest pure coffee is cheap and Is
grown here. the poorest grades of tea IS ex-
ppnsive and imported and the population
have no opportunity Of acquiring that relish