PUBLIC SALES, SAMPLING AND BUYING 73 



approximately of the same value, which takes the place 

 of the tea abstracted from the bulk. 



It is, of course, impossible for the individual who is 

 responsible at the warehouse for this work to taste the 

 various " returns/' consequently the tea which is taken 

 in exchange is judged solely by the appearance and 

 " nose " of the leaf. In case of complaint, however, 

 from the ultimate buyer of the package or packages, 

 it is possible to trace who supplied the returns. By 

 referring to the paper containing them it is generally 

 found to bear some distinct mark or number, the signifi- 

 cance of which is known to the warehouse authorities, 

 and it is then not a difficult matter to find out who has 

 been supplying inferior returns. It is satisfactory to 

 know, however, considering the thousands of packages 

 sampled, that the proportion of complaints is infinitely 

 small. The quantity of tea drawn from the bulk of 

 course varies according to the requirements of the buyer. 

 If the parcel has been purchased for blending purposes, 

 one pound is generally drawn ; the bulk so represented 

 is then tasted with the sale sample from which the 

 parcel originally was bought. This is very important 

 as it sometimes occurs that a wrong tea has been put on 

 show at the warehouse. Should a mistake have been 

 made the bulk would be different and the buyer could, 

 of course, then repudiate the contract. Another con- 

 tingency is that the bulk turns out inferior to the original 

 sample. In such a case the buyer would satisfy himself 

 that a correct sale sample had originally been placed 

 in his box by his own sampler, after which he would 

 notify the selling broker that the purchase was not up 

 to sample, and consequently the contract was void. 

 Similar preventative measures are taken if the teas are 

 to be resold in the original packages, except that as 

 samples have to be sent to the various representatives 



6 (1460) 



