, 1898-03-16

All enquiries to lie made at the ccmnnny'a
offices. "33, Old Broad %.sllert, &c. january
81, 1898"
Tea has lately beer having rather a bad
time brought about by several causes. n,mo
indirect aud temporary (as the Indian fNmns
and consequent DEAFNESS Of rice and cooIiv
Inheur) others direct hut possibly pertinent.
as the extending areas Of cultivation. and
greater output. and the yer-jncrtasinp conn
peiIt1"n In selling with the natural result OF
cutting IN prices. This latter ohitction-
able feature Is found rather in the lower than
the higher class glowtls, for with ten, nn
with other articles of roduce. that which
has acquired a name for good value tan
always get q far price paid for it. Tie
Increased parhaIlty Of Ito public for cocoon
must also affect ten sales, though in a
market like that CT England there Is annie
room en- ugh for both articles. The follow.
my extract from the pen of an acknowledged
expert (Mr. A. q. stanton of Mesers. Cow.
Wilson & StantonJ. though written as far
back as 1886 for the Colonial and Indian
Exhibition, will, we are sure, prove interest
ing to our rea lers -
Extract from q report on British grown Tea.
written by oIder Of the Royal Commission
ers for the Colonial and Indian Exhibition.
1856, by A.. q. Stanton (Messrs. Cow
Wilson Il Stantonl IL, Aood-lnue, London,
E.C),
JAmQica.
The director Of the Government planta.
"tlons OF Jamaica endeavuured as long Ago
las 1868 to test the suitability Of The island
"tor to" cultivation by planting about an
'aore as an experiment.. The following re.
cord, taken from The KcIoIt on the
"Conditlon and rogress of the Botanical
Gardens, Plantations, &c, for 1874 76'"
proves that these plants were hounAhing
at that date. Fair samples OF the Assam
variety OF tea have been manipulated. No
plant IN the island grows with more luxuri.
nhce ana facility than tins, and | see no rea.
SON why 1t could not bo extensively grown
Maly thousand Of nc es on tie Stones Of tba
Bluo Mountain range TIL Il cou.d be- obtained
for 4 few sliIliugS an acIo ale admirably
adapted to this product
III 1883 or 1884 another acre was planted
with Assam Hybrid seed, and in 1885 Mr..
d. Morris, the then Director Of the Botanical
Gardens, Wltes-"AbuAt 1000 plants Of to.
are und i cultivation ut the Cinchona Plan
tatlons at an elevation Of 5000 fl. Seeds
and plants are supplied to private planter.
aud i special effort is being made to establish.
q tea industry III the island; and IN tho
annual Report Of the Public Gardens and
Plantations 1or 1884, Mr.. D.. Aloris writes
- e~t'ma ed That with iudentured coolie
labonr, aud experienced planter from India
or Ceylon, tea might be grown in the West
Indies ana placed in the market ut a cost
not exceeding 74d. or Sd. per H."
The only private tea estate is at Portland
Gap, some fifteen miles from Kingston at
all altitude Of about $500 #. Twelve acres
have now been planted with Assam hybrid
supplied by Government, aud the plantation
is III a fair way OF being established.
There is d large area suitable for tea
cultivation in the centre of he island, ex-
tending for ab ut twenty milos along tile
higher slopes on either side Of the Blue
Mountalas, AMI comprising an average
breadth Of about ten miles, with an altitude
varying from 5000 to 5000 fl. The SOL
here is matamolp hic and |vo,canio. The M.
nual rainfall averages about 100 to 1O5
inches. Water ower is N good supply
Transport to Kingston is not excessive
Lubour averages about Is. 6I. per dav for
each mAu, and about is. for every woman
cml Logged upon I'm estate, all incidcnta OK.
penses included.
Considering that The retail price Of tea
in jamaica, Including Is. per lib. duty, aver.
ages Is. cd. to IS. per h., and there ia
considerable difficulty in obtaining realIv
good tea III the nearer Southern States Of