CLASSIFICATION AND DESCRIPTION. 127 



promising tea gardens have been extensively laid out by 

 planters from India, with seeds and plants obtained from 

 Ceylon. The soil and climate of the region around 

 Natal particularly are very similar to those of Southern 

 India, and especially favorable to the successful and 

 profitable production of the tea plant. Recent reports 

 pronounce the venture a complete success, the product in 

 1892 amounting to over 20,000 pounds of tea, although 

 introduced only three years prior and grading in quality 

 with the average teas of Ceylon and India. It is pre- 

 dicted that in a few years South Africa will not only 

 rival but excel the latter countries not only in the quan- 

 tity but also in the quality of their product. 



Singapore Tea. Tea plantations have been recently 

 formed in the districts of Johore and Seragoon, from 

 seeds and plants imported from India, but as yet are 

 only in an experimental stage. Samples already received 

 are large in leaf, coarse in make, coal black in color, an 

 effort being made to imitate Oolongs in style. The infu- 

 sion is dark red, heavy, strong and somewhat astringent 

 in flavor. 



Perak Tea. Recently an invoice consisting of some 

 eighty half chests of tea grown in the Straits settlements 

 was shipped to London. The general quality was so 

 favorably commented on by the brokers and dealers 

 there that it found a ready sale at full prices for its 

 kind. 



Fiji Tea Is another new addition to the constantly 

 increasing teas of commerce. It is produced from plants 

 imported from India and assorted into Pekoes, Congous 

 and Souchongs, grading with and approximating to Java 

 teas in style, color and character. 



Caravan Tea Is simply a fine Lapsing or Padrae 

 Souchong, put up in Hankow for the Russian market, and 



