August i, 1883.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



139 



point out : after we have drained with the greatest skill 

 and tilled with the most effective implements which me- 

 chanical art can produce ; after the scientific skill of the 

 botanist has been enlisted and exercised in the selection 

 of the best seeils and the most suitable plants; after the 

 application of the knowledge of the entomologist in the 

 destruction of insect pests: aye, after all these thinijs have 

 been done wisely and w'ell. the experimenter, like the 

 farmer, can do iwtliimj but to trust that the controlling 

 inlluence — tlie seasons — will be favoui-able to his work and 

 enable him to reap a good reward for all his labour and 

 expenditure of time and money. 



Science enables us to accomplish many things, but it 

 cannot help us warm the too cold earth with the telegraph 

 wire ; nor can it enable us to command simshine with the 

 mighty steam engine. 



Having settled the purpo.se and scope of an experiment, 

 the experimenter should, in the next place, consider how 

 far the character of the soil and the prevailing chmate 

 are suitable to the natural habits and reijuirements of the 

 crops upon which he wi.shes to exi)eriment. Thus, it would 

 be of little use to try field experiments on roots on a stiff, 

 imperfectly-drained clay soil which has never been brought 

 under the ameliorating influence of thorough drainage and 

 autumn cultivation, nor would there be any use in trjnng 

 to grow wheat continuously, from year to year, on a soil 

 so little suited for wheat as a poor fertile sand. — Southern 

 I'hintei-. 



INDIAN TEA IN AMERICA. 



[The following letter, which we take from the Indian 

 Tea Gazette, is very lengthy but exceedingly interesting. 

 The exhibitions of prejudice by interested dealers and 

 honest tea drinkers in America are repetitions of what had 

 to be contended against in Australia. — Ed.] 



New Jersey, IJ. S. A., 31st March. 

 After careful consideration and sufiicient experience of 

 American men and manners to permit an opinion being 

 expressed, your correspondent has deduced as follows, viz. : 

 Xo people as a nation are so apprerUttii'e of a tfood cup of 

 tea as the Americans, and i/et not one in a hundred knoirs 

 the true taste of pure tea, or tite diference hettreeatea leaf 

 and a wiHow, or any other leaf. 



The cuteness attributed to our '■ cousins " by those who 

 have not lived among them, often exists only in fancy; 

 anil any one who has spent his life amongst other people, 

 liarticularly in the East, wiU be truly astonished at the 

 childlike innocence and ignorance e\'inceil by untravelled 

 Americans, whose oidy information is gathered from book.s. 

 These remarks, of course, t)nly refer generally to all classes, 

 exceptions proving the rule. To commence with, the often- 

 ventilated and well-worn question of wiiat tea is required 

 to suit the American taste and market ? I humbly submit 

 that no definite rule can be laid down as to what sort of 

 Indian teas will suit the taste of the American tea-drinking 

 public. The general taste is so vitiated by drinking and 

 enjoying decoctions of rank poison under the name of 

 Japan and China teas, that when the pm'e unadulterated 

 teas of Assam or Cachar are tasted, these are actually 

 regarded as spurious imitations of their cherished Ooloni/s 

 and highly coloured " (freeu '" teas. As an old Indian 

 planter, used to the honest productions of Assam, Cachar, 

 and other districts, I can only .say I am astonished and 

 disgusted at the productions I have seen sold in this 

 counti-j' under the name of " Tea." 



Somemnnth.s ago, I happened to be in a Grocer's" Store," 

 in one of our large towns, and was making a few en- 

 quiries about some kinds of " -Japans " exposed for sale. 

 A "mercantile" gentleman (bagman) addressed me and 

 remarked that I evidently knew somethingabout tea, and 

 asked if I would look at his box of .samples. I con.sented, 

 and he produced a sm 11 box containing something that 

 appeared to me like leaden-pellets or buck-.shot. I pro- 

 nounced it to be, as I imagined, *' Gunpowder." "Yes, sir, 

 a \Tey fine kind indeed." He then produced another sample 

 whiech reminded me of No. 2 shot, very leady-lookiug. 

 '•That, sir, is our finest kind of tea," .said he proudly. I 

 humbly asked if I could express my opinion without offence, 

 nd permission being granted, I said that all his teas were 

 olored, and faced with some matter, either Black lead. In l- 

 ijo, or Prussian Uue. "No sir," said this truthful coni- 



I mercial, " the/f are coloured with copperas.'- I expressed my 

 horror and surprise, and he then added, •' hut the people 

 will haie it." 



I sampled these teas and fairly tried them ; the infu.sions 

 were disgusting and sickening, and utterly undrinkable as 

 tea. and yet a high price was paid for these "teas" (! 1) 



I subsequently procured other high-priced " vncolored 

 Japans" tried them, and reported that they consisted of 

 •• some tea I eaves highly colored with some blue substance — 

 mixed with leaves of other trees than tea, as also aoine old. 

 tea leaves, which had evidently been once used and remade." 

 Yet this ■■ Tea " ^1) is sold pubhclyin packets bearing the 

 name of a New York fii'm ; poison is a mild name for it. 



Being convinced that an erroneous opinion exists in this 

 country as to the merits of Inilian teas, I determined to 

 find out for myself what is thought of the teas forwarded 

 from India, through your Sj-ndicate or other channels, and 

 accordingly I called ux^on several of the largest wholesale 

 tea fii-ms in one of our most important cities. Entering 

 oue large store filled with dozens of gaudily painted China 

 and .Japan tea boxes, I politely enquired of the owner if he 

 would pmrchase a few chests of " Assam " teas, manufact- 

 ured by myself. " No, sir, I don't want your Assam teas." 

 " But," said I, " perhaps you would like to try it ':"' " No, 

 sir, we have heard of 'Assam teas,* and don't want any 

 new kinds of China teas. Good morning, sir." Scotched, 

 but imcrushed, I called on another large 'importer.' Woulil 

 he buy "Assam" teaV Here education shone forth, and 

 the " head " told me that they h.ad already several chests 

 of " .\ssams '' procured from the "S\nidicate " Agents in 

 New York, but that they could not sell them, as it cost 

 more to introduce and change the public taste, than it was 

 worth. This gentleman added, i\ia.i" half what u-e get from 

 China, is not tea at all" ; and fiu-ther, that ' we never drink 

 amjtiiinii but Assam tea ourstl ves." This from a firm whose 

 stock-in-trade consisted of boxes of " Chinas" and " Japans" 

 by h>mch-eds. Entering another house, and having picked 

 my way through matted chests from " Foochoo," " Amoy," 

 " Formosa," and other ports, all " via Suez Canal," I found 

 myself face to face with an august personage, ensconced 

 behind a barrier at his desk. I introduced myself as a 

 planter, and asked if he would buy a few chests of "As sajn" 

 tea? "This consequential " Boss," answered me ek duni, 

 "Don't want your Assam tea. Every day some fellow comes 

 alony claimin;/ to sell Assam teas. IVho do you represent ?" 

 I simply replied, I only represented " myself," and wished 

 this gentleman (!) good morning. 



After several such interriews I finally entered oue large 

 establishment, introduced myself and my business — " Would 

 they buy A.ssam tea 'r* " I was requested to sit do^\m.anil 

 was asked m.any questions about teas, and was then told 

 that they had a great deal of "Assam" tea in stock, which 

 they would be glad to sell at any price almost. Hereupon 

 I was askeil to taste some " Assam " teas, which I ac- 

 cordingly did, and tasted some of the loveliest samples of 

 teas I ever saw. On referring to records to find what 

 factory in " Assam " could make such tea, I found we had 

 been drinking superb " Darjeelinys" and " Chittayonr/s," — 

 yclept Assums. On asking the prices these teas woidd be 

 likely to bring, I was shown the ' sale'-book, and learneil 

 that these splendid teas wouhl probably be sold at from 27 

 to 3.5 cents per pound (or about 9 to 12 annas), — and 

 this was tor Pekoes. Mortification and disgust were my 

 feelings, and muttering some remarks about "pearls" anil 

 " swine," I thanked these gentlemen, and left sadder, but 

 wiser, as to the prices first-class Indian teas will go for. 

 Observing an advertisement in a certain town, of "Assam" 

 teas for sale, I " interriewed " the '■ storekeeper " and 

 asked to see it, and was shown a 20-.seer box of tea 

 mai-ked " Chittayony." The tea was a sjilendid " Pekoe " 

 full of tips, and lie told me he .sold it for 80 cents a 

 pound when he did sell it, but no one wotdd buy if, and so 

 he was mi.viny it with China to />«,»■ it off. I pointed out 

 ,ts.<((«i was not Chittayony, and he has never since that 

 time advertisetl " Assam" teas. Now it is a great mistake 

 to imagine that cheap teas are what are most needed to 

 introduce Indian teas into the American market. By' 

 market I mean the people who are the consumers, and 

 not the merchants or brokers. From observations and ex- 

 perience, I venture to .say that the only sm-e way to intro- 

 duce and popularize Indian teas in this country, is to 

 place a fair class of tea at a fair price direct into the 



