242 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



health than cojBFee itself; and if this Club were to consider the 

 question of chicory at all, it would be most appropriate to con- 

 sider the best mode of cultivating it. 



Mr. Fuller. — Is this any more doctored than the imported green 

 tea ? I have seen that blue the hand. 



Mr. Carpenter. — It is the practice in China to color it with 

 prussiate of iron, and it is dried upon copper. Both these sub- 

 stances are known to be detrimental to the health ; and scientific 

 investigation has long since determined that much of the green 

 tea brought from China is not fit to drink. The teas generally, 

 which are used in this country, I think are detrimental to the 

 health ; and I think, if the people must have something to drink, 

 there might be substitutes which they might drink Avith less injury. 



Dr. Trimble. — I have been in the habit of drinking green tea 

 for many years, I like it; I never experienced* any ill-effects from 

 it ; I go to dealers who I think are honest, in whom I can have 

 confidence, and I think I have obtained the article I desired. 

 There are plenty of tricks and traps in New York city. — 

 Champagne is made from the poorest cider and whiskey ; 

 and New York is full of such transactions. As to chicory, I think 

 the objection to that in England was that the people were de- 

 frauded. 



Mr. Steele. — I have seen in one bin, in a coffee establishment, 

 six hundred bushels of peas ; but they never came out again as 

 peas. 



Mr. Fuller.^ — The only damage done was the swindling, for peas 

 are better than coffee : and so in almost all cases of adulteration, 

 the articles are better after adulteration than before. 



Mr. Carpenter. — You lose sight of the fact that damaged peas 

 and beans are used in coffee. 



Mr. Fuller. — The way to remedy it is to go to responsible men ; 

 men whom you can rely upon. 



Mr. Carpenter — I,,have sometimes found that there is danger 

 of having too much confidence. 



Mr. Fuller. — I will tell you a swindle in our line : A gentleman 

 came to our nursery last year, and wanted to buy the cheapest 

 strawberry plants we had. He took them over to Broadway and 

 sold them to greenhorns, under great flaming handbills, "wonder- 

 ful new plants, just imported from France." I saw members of 

 the American Institute in there, who ought not to have been 

 deceived. 



