42 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[July 2, 1883. 



plints, acknowledged by Mr. Howard himself to be high 

 class Ledgeriauas, and (most conclnsive of all) that 

 the analysis of the bark of that particular tree, shewed 

 11-29 sulphate of quinine ! We erred, therefore, in 

 saying that Dr. Triinen was unfortunate in liis specimen. 

 The picture, certainly was poor, compared with our 

 recollection of the splendid plates in Howard's book- 

 but then Dr. Trimen's picture was a true present, 

 nient of a true Ledgeriaua, while Mr. Christie throws 

 doubt ou Mr. Howard's drawings. We have not 

 these latter to refer to, as our copy of the Quinology 

 of the Eist Indian Plantations is upcountry. But we can 

 corroborate what Mr. Christie mentions respecting the 

 Annfield Calisayas. Mr. Anderson was, naturally, 

 anxious to ascertain if his trees were true Ledgerianas 

 and we took the Ijook to Annfield for purposes of 

 comparison. Leaves from Mr. Anderson's trees, placed 

 side by side with the coloured foliage of Ledgeriana 

 in Mr. Howard's book, were declared not only by us, 

 but by several planters present to be counterparts of 

 Howard s types, in every respect. The late Dr. 

 Thwaites, U. M. G., made the same comparison and 

 came to the same conclusion. But Mr. Moens, who 

 sent Mr. Howard his specimens, pronounced the Ann- 

 field calisayas not to be true Ledgerianas ! The 

 mystery, therefore, tliickens, and it is not Dr. Trinien 

 but Mr. Howard who now seems placed on the 

 defensive. 



The great comfort for us in Ceylon is that thi^ 

 controversy does Ijut confirm the fact, that we have 

 Ledgerianas of the best possible types, growing in 

 our island— on St. Andrew's, onYairow (Mr. Howard 

 himself being witness); on Mattakelly and on many 

 other plantations. Independently, therefore, of seed 

 from .Java or anywhere else, the king of all the cin- 

 chonas is here established and supplies of pure seed 

 and good plants are available and will be increas- 

 ingly so. 



WHAT IS GOOD TEA 

 Mr. Kong Meng, 



the Chinese merchant, holds that all tea if pure 

 and unadulterated is wholesome, the only difference 

 between the clioice descriptions and the commoner 

 sorts being that tbe former is composed of carefully 

 selected lemes, which give an infusion of better and 

 more _jlelicate flavour, although not necessarily of 

 greater purity. There is, be tbinks but little tea of 

 bid quality, or which is adulterated, made in Cbiua, 

 the I.1W tliere being very stringent and providiug for 

 the iiiflicti'..! of heavy penalties on offenders. There are 

 no means by which the ordinary consumer can dis- 

 tinguish good from inferior tea, that requiring a 

 special training ; and it is only the expert who can 

 determine the quality of samples placed before him. 

 The general idea that good tea gives a strong black 

 liquid is a mistake ; the best tea gives a liquid ol a 

 pale sherry color. 



By J. 0. Moody. 



A good tea has always a small to moderate sized 

 leaf, irpproved by having golden Pekoe tips ; it is 

 uaiiallv lilack, grey, or red, or modifications of these 

 colors ; is regular, wiry, or well twisted: is neve, 

 irregular, open in tbe leaf, flaky, stalky, seedy, dustyr 

 dirty, or contains any impurities. Ihe infused leaf 

 is always bright, never dull colored or mixed with 

 b!^ck or dark leases. 



The liquor is strong, full, brisk, and flavory, never 

 dull, insipid, soft, thin, or burnt. The aroma is strong, 

 and rich scented, never the sickly scent of artificially 

 in;i'le teas, or dull, burnt, or mousey. 



<;cuuine tea is prepared by two methodi", the fer- 

 ni.ed and underfermeuted. Botli kinds can be made 



from the same bush, it is simply the process of 

 mauufaciiire that determines each ; tliey are easily 

 distinguished by infnsiug in hot water, when tbe 

 fermented shows a bright reddsh brown, and the 

 underfermeuted a briglit green leaf. 



A third and fraudulent process of manufacture 

 adopted by the Chinese is to make a strong decoction, 

 and exhausted, decayed and rotten leaves and other 

 rubbish is steeped in it and then dried, rolled and 

 made up into tea. Tliis has deceived many people, 

 but is easy of detection. 



Fermented teas are all black teas, with in the dry 

 state grey, red, or black leaves or variations of these 

 colors, and usually have bright red liquor. The 

 underfermeuted vary in color from black to iiright 

 vivid green, but these two extremes are always arti- 

 lically colored, the natural dry leaf being a dull 

 olive color, the liquor is pale, almost colorless. 



In India the fermented teas are known as Pekoes. 

 Pekoe Souchongs, Souchongs, and Congous, and the 

 underferniented as greens or Namoonas. 



In China, the black teas are all Congous and 

 Souchongs, and the underfermeuted teas Oolongs, 

 Pekoes, Capers, Gunpowders, Imperial Hysons, Twan- 

 kays, etc. 



Underferniented teas are invariably the strongest, 

 but the infusion is almost colorless, showing the popular 

 fallacy of color as a guide for strength. Our American 

 cousins are the lar^^est consumers of this class of 

 tea, which in the writer's opinion is the worst to 

 drink, owing to the heavy percentage of tannin it 

 contains . 



The process of fermentation no donbt acts ou the 

 juices of the tea leaf in a similar manner to the 

 change that takes place in barley when converted into 

 malt, and a nell fermented young leaf, with its silky, 

 tender gossamer texture, seuii-transparency, and suc- 

 culence, indicative of quick growth (size no guide), 

 its rich reddish brown leaf, bright, ruddy infusion 

 and delicate aroma, at once points out a first class 

 tea, and one that any invalid, however delicate, can 

 drink with safety. 



Nothing is easier than to tell if a tea is good. Fol- 

 low this plan : — After a meal drain the tea-pot, then 

 empty the leaves on a white cloth and pick them over. 

 1. — Take out the leaves described above ; this will 

 indicate the tii-et quality. 



2. — Then leaves hardly so bright or young, this will 

 indicate tbe second quality. 



3. — Dull looking leaves of dark brownish color will 

 indicate age or indifferent fermentation. 



4. — Black eiilor will indicate decayed, rotten or 

 charred leaves ; tliey should not be in and condemn 

 a tea. 



5. — Tough or hard leaves indicate a perished con- 

 dition and condemn a tea. 



6. — Hard stalks or tea seed if in quantity indicate 

 addition for the purpose of adulteration. 



7. — Green leaves may be added for flavouring, but 

 are often used to hide the faults of a port. on of the 

 bulk. 



Dust and fanning! are valupd for their strong dark 

 infusion; they are in demand in the London market, 

 but are best avoided. 



The good teis of this season have been Darjeelings, 

 Assams, Cachar=, D oars, and Rangoons fiv^ir. India; 

 Ningchows, Kecinun^, Kutons, and Tong Ma Quami, 

 from Hankow : Paklumn, and a few Panyongs, and 

 Ching Woos, from Foo Chow. 



Probiibly as line teas have come to Melbourne this 

 season a.s to any pare of the world but unfortunately 

 the bulk has been very common, while in spite of 

 our boasted Act some teas have been admitted unfit for 

 human consumption. — Melbourne Herald. 



