CHAPTER VIII 



PUBLIC SALES, SAMPLING AND BUYING 



HAVING now described the various processes of manu- 

 facture, etc., it will be interesting to follow the tea to 

 London, where nearly the entire quantity consumed in 

 the^United Kingdom, or exported from England, is sold. 

 x'When the teas arrive they are immediately taken to one 

 of the many London public bonded warehouses, \\lkiv 

 they are weighed by H.M. Customs, inspected, and 

 stored until the delivery foreman is empowered to 

 release them. The merchant, or his agent, who owns 

 tin- shipment selects a broker to whom instructions are 

 given to sell at the Public Sales in Mincing Lane. This 

 is the usual custom, although in certain cases the pro- 

 duce of the gardens does not pass through the salerooms, 

 but is sold by private contract. The next step is the 

 notification to the wholesale buyers that certain teas 

 are to be disposed of. This is accomplished by the 

 selling broker issuing catalogues to all the largest 

 operators. The conditions of sale are clearly set forth, 

 and together with other details is given, date of sale, 

 the garden or gardens where the teas were grown, the 

 quantity and description of each grade, and the lot 

 number. The. public warehouse is also advised that 

 particular teas are to be offered at Public Sale, and it 

 is the duty of the warehouse keeper to see that repre- 

 sentative packages of each parcel are put " on show." 

 The large wholesale houses who are interested in the 

 coming Auctions then send messengers, known as 

 " samplers," to the various warehouses named in the 

 catalogues, and on presenting their authority to draw 



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