September i, 1883.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



I8S 



the Melbourne luternatioual Exhibition o£ 1880-81; the small 

 perceuta"e of Ash and Soluble Salts is in-obably owing to tlie 

 rapid Krowth of the Tea plant, and also the carefulness bestowed 

 dOTing the process of msinufacture. The three last samples are 

 the best that could be obtained, but -we do not cousider them as 

 representatives of the " Finest Teas " that their respective local- 

 ities are capable of producins- The results of our examinations 

 lead us to expect that each country is capable of producing a Tea 

 which contains the same percentage of Extract 



J. Cosmo Ne-itbery. 



FRKDliRICK DUNX. 



These teas may be classed as the highest standanls 

 (so far obtaiued) of escelleuce from the analyst's point of 

 view, which is also confirmed from a Tea Taster's stand- 

 point by the aroma and hquor of the teas analj zed. This 

 result tends to show that many countries can grow the 

 finest description of tea. 



To the consumer the question of the greatest importanc 

 is, How near do the teas of commerce go to tlie above 

 standards ? As far as Melbourne is concerned, the question is 

 easily answered by the following tables, prepared from numer- 

 ous analyses made by Messrs. Cosmo Newbery & Dunn: — 

 Percentage Percentage Percentctije 



Sea-SON, 1882-3. -liin 



Average of 12,000 half-chests of 



Indian Teas 

 Average of 13,2S1S) half-chests of 

 1st crop Foo-Chow Congous 

 Average of 10,299 half-chests of 

 2ud crop Foo-Chow Congous 

 Average of 10 samples 3,000.half- 

 cliests of Mouing Congous 

 Average of 4 samples US pack- 

 ages of Japan Teas 

 Average of i samples of Java 



Teas ... ... 5-28 41-53 3-20 



The Japan and Java teas, though sold in the market, are 

 rather too small in quantity to give a fan- average for this 

 class of commercial teas. 



It is claimed for India, and confirmed by the foregoing 

 analyses, that her commercial teas rank far higher than 

 those of any other producing country in the world, and are 

 nearest to the highest standaril of excellence as determined 

 by one of the most exact sciences (chemistry) that civilized 

 nations possess. 



Professor Hassall writes: - "Tea owes its properties mainly to 

 tannin, theine, and the volatile oil. The first gives it astrmg- 

 eney, tlie second stimulates both the vascular and nervous systems, 

 while tlie third acts not only as a sUmulaut but imparts the 

 aroma, which is .so characteristic of good, tea, aud which is grate- 

 ful to many. Tea exerts its power chiefly on the nervous system. 

 It excites the activity of the brain, aud stimulates the flow of 

 thought." 



Professor Johnson writes: — "Tea e-^ilarates without sensibly 

 intoxicating. It excites to increased activity, and produce.s wake- 

 fulness. It soothes, on the contrary, and stills the vascular sys- 

 tem, hence its use iu inflammatory diseases and as a cure of 

 heaiiache." 



From the above it will be seen that, as far as pro- 

 portion of extract is concerned, no tea analyzed by 

 Messrs. Newbery and Dunn of Melbonrne, or, we 

 feel perfectly conhdent in saying, by any other chemist 

 in the world, has excelled a specimen of Ceylon tea 

 sent to the Melbourne International Exhibition of 

 ISSO SI. The tea in question was prepared by Mr. 

 James Taylor of Loolcondura estate, Hewaheta, and 

 we recollect that Mr, Dunn was, in view of the 

 large result iu extract, puzzled to account for the 

 low percentage of mineral ash and soluble salts. In 

 consultation with the chemist, and Messrs. Moody 

 and Sibthorp, we were inclined to trace the low 

 proportion of mineral ash to the comparative youth 

 of the Ceylon bushes. About 5 per cent of mineral 

 ash is the received standard for pure teas. Wlicn 

 the percentage appreciably exceeds G per cent, the 

 presence of foreign matter is certain. The low per- 

 centage of mineral ash in the Ceylon teas, shewed 

 that tbey were absolutely pure. The small quantity 

 of soltible salts we were inclined to attribute to 

 under-fermentation ; but it will be observed that so 

 good a judge as Mr. Moody attributes the low 

 proportions ot both mineral aah and soluble salts to 

 the rapid growth of the plant iu our forcing climate 

 and also to care in preparation. It will be observed 



that the standard specimen of Indian tea, while coming 

 ■within "23 per cent of the Ceylon tea in extract, 

 exceeded it in proportions of mineral ash and solu- 

 ble salts, and that in these respects (ash and solu- 

 ble salts) both Ceylon and Indian teas shewed results 

 lower than did the standard China, Japan and Java 

 teas. In looking at the results given by the China 

 and Japan teas, our readers will keep in view the 

 fact, that the specimens analyzed werrt the very choicest 

 that could be pio^ured,and that compared with the 

 bulk of the stuU imported from China (especially 

 from Foo Chow) such teas are " few and tar be- 

 tween." Even i" the choice specimen of Fow Chow 

 tea, it is a suspicious circumstance that the mineral 

 ash should be bo high as G'SO per cent. While the 

 Hauk..w tea ranks close to the products of Ceylon 

 and India in extract, it will be seen that the very 

 best Foo Chow gave only 46-71. Japan was better 

 with 49-50 of exUaet, but Java gave a result in this 

 direction which we certainly never could have anti- 

 cipated : only 45-82 of extract, or lower even than 

 Foo Cl.ow, and 7"oO below Ceylon. We could under- 

 stai d the i-ich volcanic soil of Java giving a peculiar 

 and not over-pleasant flavour to tea, but we should 

 have expected it to produce a larger instead of a 

 laser amount of extract. The secret may, possibly, 

 lie in the larger proportion of iron in the soils of 

 India and Ceylon. It is possible, however, that, as 

 so little Java tea now goes to Melbourne, the speci- 

 men analyzed by Messrs. Newbery and Uunn was 

 not the very best which Java could produce. The 

 general result of the scientific work of Messrs. New- 

 bery and Dunn is that each of the great tea countries 

 is capable of producing a t.'a " with the same pro- 

 portion of extract" ;— meaning, no doubt, a propor- 

 tion between 52 and 53 per cent. But capacity and 

 achieved results on a large scale are different 

 things, as is shown by the extent to which 

 the bulk of the t'as ot commerce, in the case of 

 China, fell below the standard of choice specimen.'-. 

 A"ainst a'M-i-nijM of 47-04 of extract in Ihe case of Ind- 

 ian teas, and 41 53 in those from Java (the nianu- 

 taeture being in both cases conducted under the 

 oversight of Europeans), we get for China averages so 

 low a? as 30-04, 34 5S, and as the high, st 37-51. The 

 lowest is over 1(5 per cent and the highest fJ-47 below 

 the Indian average ; while the average of the three 

 China bulks of tea is .'i4-51. or 12J per cent below 

 the Indian commercial average. The Japan teas are 

 betier by nearly 2 per cent than the gcnenal average 

 of the Chinae teas. It must, finally be remembered, 

 that the Clnn;i teas of which the general averages are 

 given, were teas of fair ordinary quality, ami that 

 from the ctniiparisons are entirely excluded the large 

 amount of imferior and adulterated teas which are 

 forced through the Melbourne customhouse by the 

 influence of interested brokers, who, buying them at 

 3d or 4d per pound, we may take it for granted, 

 mix them with superior teas, especially Indian, for 

 which they pay three or four tims the price. 'J'he 

 great point for the consumer to keei> in view is, that, 

 in paying a good price for Indian, Ceylon, or Java 

 tea, not only is he certain of obtaining an article 

 w-ith the maximum of extract, combined with fine- 

 ness of flavour, but that he h.as alsot he moral cert- 

 ainty that the tea is really and wholly tea : absol- 

 utely pure and unadulterated. The reason why more 

 Ceylon tea has not gone to Australia, and why the 

 fine Indian teas sell iu the Melbourne market at such 

 inadequate prices, is that the colouists have been so 

 louf accustomed to 'cheap and nasty" teas from 

 Foo' Chow Foo and other ports in China that they 

 grudge .living a good price for a good article. Nevcrtlie- 

 less,"the good article is making headway against t.isle 

 prejudice and very strong interested opposition. The 



