Congous figure for 73,138,133 lb., chiefly of the common and medium kiuds ; and Souchongs for 4,693,8671b., mostly to Great Britain, S. Africa, Continental Europe, America, and Hong Kong. The consumption of fine scented teas, such as Orange Pekoe and Caper, as well as of Oolongs, is greatly interfered with by Indian tea. Foochow has now become of but little consideration in the production of Oolongs, being cut out by the increasing quantity prepared in Formosa and Japan under the superintendence of foreigners, and through the inordinate quantity of tea-dust that was mixed with it, the bulk of the Foochow leaf is now manufactured into Saryum Congou. Attempts have been made to introduce Indian tea-seed, to improve the quality of tea from this port, but so far they have not met with any encouragement. A considerable trade bas sprung up between this port and Russia, either direct to Ode,ssa, generally in British bottoms, or Tientsin overland to Kia,chta. Three Russian firms are connected with this trade, and have establishments here and in the neighbourhood of Yenping, principally for the manufacture of briek-tea by steam process. It is surprising that British firms have not, in the same manner, taken to makingbrick-tea for exportation. Being portable, and taking up little room, it would be suitable for army supplies. The Russian firms export, besides brick-tea, the best qualities of Pehliugs, Panyangs, and Paklums, and can afford to give a higher price than buyers for the English market.
Hankow in 1879 exported 511,213 piculs (of 133i lb.) of black tett and duat, value 3,810,1971. ; 144,756 pins's of black brick-tea, 145,9571.; and 25,651 piculs of green brick-tea, 35,6191.
Ichang exported of black tea only 36 piculs in 1878, and 91 in 1879. The Chi tea, 80 called from the place where it ia grown,—Lo-tien-ehi, near Ichang,—is considered very good, but is scarcely known to foreigners. Hao-feng, Shi-nanfoo, and Patung are also tea-groiting districts, but little of tbe tea comes to this port. Large quantitiea of a coarae-acrid leaf called toa, and aometimes wild tea, are brought down the river to lehang, and thence aent to small towna below ; it is very cheap, and used only by the poor.
The values of the tea exports from Kiultiang in the yeara 1877, 1878, 1879 respectively were : 2,333,094/., 2,333,7841., 2,005,0861.; the quantities of the varioua kinds were : black, 176,498 206,798, 190,150 ; green, 51,476, 40,316, 40,368; brick, 7452, 11,285, 14,7136; leaf, 480, 516, 510; dust, 9236, 9181, 3663.
Tea forms the principal export from Macao, being grown in the neighbouring distriot of Tayshan. It is brought down in a half-prepared state in bags, and undergoea the necesaary firing and manipulation at Macao, where it is packed in boxes, and ahipped by river steamer to Hong Kong, the bulk ot it finding its way thence to London, a little going alai) to Australia and New York. The expert in 1879 was about 9,000,000 lb. Ningpo exported of green tea, 145,018 piculs in 1877, 103,006 in 1878, 127,821 in 1879.
The exports of tea from Shanghae, in piculs of 133i lb., in 1879 were :— About 18,000,000 lb. of black tea were also aent to Siberia.
The exports of black tea from Tainsuy and Kelung were 69,231 piculs in 1877, 80,261 in 1878, and 85,033 in 1879. The northern end of the island of Formoa t could easily treble its present out-put. Formosan teas aro gaining favour in America, but not in England.
Wencbow exported of Congeu and unfired teas respectively, 350 and 331 piculs in 1878, and 72S and 251 in 1879.
The exporta of tea from Wuhu iu 1877, 1878, 1879 were : black, f, 383, and 2154 piculs ; green, 3162, 707, and 232. Tbe supplies came chiefly from Ching Hsien, T'ai-p'ing Hsien, and the hills near Ning-kwo-fu. The famous tea of Lin-an-chow, in N. Anhui, which is renowned for its delicate flavour, and accounted the aecond best in China, remains untouched by the foreign buyer, and the whole production, some 300,000 piculs yearly, is prepared exclusively for the Chinese market.
India.—The production of Indian tea has rapidly increased since 1860, when our imports first reached 1,000,000 lb. In 1870, our importa were 13,000,000 lb. ; in 1880, 45,000,000 lb., value 3,000,0001. ; and the figures will aoon be 50,000,000 lb. a year. About 200,000 acres are covered with tea-bushes, 15,000,0001. of capital invested, and over 250,000 persons employed. Assam occupies the first place. In the liamrap district, in 1874, the area was returned at 2687 acres, and the out-turn from 24 plantations waa 321,962 lb.; these figures are far short of the totals. In the Darrang district, in 1874, the area under tea was 3856 acres, the out-turn being 1,008,077 lb. In 1872, the black teas produced were :—Congou, 36,659 lb. ; Pekoe, 371,233 ; Broken Pekoe, 175,766; Pekoe Souchong, 215,605; Souchong, 114,659 ; Broken Soucboug, 55,601 ; Pekoe tan nings, 14,188 ; broken tea, 65,213; tannings, 135,845 ; greeu, 6000 lb. In the Nowgong district 1872, 1278i acres were occupied by mature plants, and a total of 12,319 acres was selected for tea culture. The y kid was :—Congou, 20,000 lb. ; and Souchong, 9500; 28,276 ; Pekoe, 217,794 ; Pekoe and broken Pekoe, 47,604 ; broken Pekoe, 4450 ; broken Pekoe uud fannings, 15,397 ; fannings, 13,120 ; total, 370,901 ; average yield per acre of mature plants, 288 lb. In the Sibsagar distriot, which is second only to Cachar among all the tea-growing districts of India, the area under tea in 1874 was 22,573 acres ; the total out-turn, 4,528,329 lb. The total area taken up for tea to the end of 1874 was 108,050 acres. The approximate yield in 1872 was :—Congou, 210,026 lb.; Pekoe, 1,006,874 ; Pekoe Souchong, 85,266 ; Souchong, 526,150 ; fannings, 866,784 ; total, 3,199,500 lb. The average yield per acre of mature plants was 238 lb, The exports from Lakhimpur in 1871 were :-546/ tons, 43,650/. The area in 1874 was 89,370 acres (11,680'in bearing) ; total out-turu, 1,811,920 lb.