PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE OF INDIAN TEA. 177 



the cultivation, though year by year it is on the increase and 

 will so continue. 



On the other hand, I do not for the reasons stated, 

 viz., that Tea is an acquired taste and thus a new kind is not 

 at first palatable anticipate any very sudden increase in the 

 demand. If, however, I am wrong, and from a largely 

 increased demand the prices of Indian Teas rise, I do not 

 doubt that the cultivation will be greatly extended, and that 

 after an interval of four years (it takes that time for the Tea 

 plant to produce) the supply will be equal to the then wants 

 of the English market. 



The future of Indian Tea is, I think, a bright one, and 

 I know nothing in which capital can be more profitably in- 

 vested if the business is conducted with knowledge and 

 experience, but to embark in it without these two requisites 

 is ruin. 



A few figures may be given here. The imports into 

 Great Britain of Indian Teas have been yearly increasing, 

 till in 1873 they amounted to 18,367,000 Ibs., and, judging 

 from the estimate out here of the produce this year, viz., 

 1874, tne imports into Great Britain in 1874 Wl ^ n t be far 

 short of 20,000,000 Ibs.* 



But as the annual consumption of Tea in the United 

 Kingdom is not' less than 130,000,000 Ibs., India is still very 

 far from supplying enough to give a mixture of three-fourths 

 Chinese and one-fourth India Tea.f 



* Note to Third Edition. The imports have been as follows during the 

 last three years : 



1875 25,615,000. 



1876 29,384,000. 



1877 31,882,000. 



f Note to Third Edition. The annual consumption of all Teas in Great 

 Britain in 1877 was 



Chinese 158,000,000 



India . 28,000,000 



Total 186,000,000 



