102 TEA 



made especially for the purpose, are procurable from 

 dealers who stock such materials, and are easily used. 

 The packet turned out, however, will not be as satis- 

 factory as could be wished unless made by experienced 

 hands. The large wholesale houses have moved with 

 the times, and rapid strides made in order to meet the 

 demands of present-day competition. From the time 

 the chests are opened at the blending warehouse, to the 

 time when the housewife receives her small packet, the 

 tea is never touched by hand, and as the varied opera- 

 tions are done by electrical and other recently-invented 

 machinery, the tea is blended, weighed, packed, and 

 labelled at a fractional cost. 



As the tea trade has become so specialized by the new 

 forms of competition, it is absolutely necessary that the 

 retailers who buy original tea and blend and pack it 

 themselves, should thoroughly understand the business ; 

 and no one can increase his trade under modern con- 

 ditions unless he does so, or unless his trade is large 

 enough to enable him to employ a thoroughly skilled 

 manager. On the other hand, if his business is a small 

 one he can only conduct a trade by buying tea already 

 blended, or blended and packed from one of the larger 

 wholesale houses, who make a study of the business, 

 and have large resources enabling them to buy suitable 

 varieties at a given moment and to hold them till they 

 are wanted. The essence of success is continuity in 

 quality, and only very large buyers can command this. 

 Under the conditions spoken of there is not the slightest 

 doubt that the grocers can regain their hold on the tea 

 trade, and with the increase in consumption, sell more 

 than they have ever done. 



