1 68 TESTING, BLENDING AND PREPARING. 



wide as to cause dissatisfaction among consumers. There- 

 fore it becomes essential to the success of the dealer to 

 pay particular attention to .the quality of his tea, as 

 there is no article he deals in which will attract trade or 

 retain it longer than good tea, a fine tea creating more 

 comment in a town or neighborhood than any other article 

 used at table and if customers once lose confidence in either 

 the ability or honesty of the dealer they will be repelled 

 rather than attracted, it being next to impossible to get 

 them back again. So that it does not pay a dealer to 

 make any mistake in the selection of his teas, such mistake 

 proving fatal to drawing or holding trade. Poor teas will 

 drive more customers away in a week than can be made 

 in a year ; it is therefore much better and more profitable 

 in the long run to sell only good teas at a smaller margin 

 of profit than to sell poor teas at a larger one. Many 

 dealers make use of the argument, "I bought this tea so 

 much cheaper and my customers do not appear to notice 

 the difference ; they do not complain." This may be true, 

 but it is delusive, as people seldom complain ; they go 

 elsewhere and get better value. Every community be- 

 comes accustomed to drinking a particular description of 

 tea and is quick to discover any change in the character 

 and flavor of any tea that may be substituted for it, thereby 

 becoming dissatisfied notwithstanding that even a higher- 

 priced tea, of different character, may be given them. For 

 this reason the dealer will do well to keep as close to the 

 grade and variety in use there and as nearly uniform as 

 possible at all times maintaining a " standard." To do 

 this effectually it will be necessary for him to study and 

 learn as near as he can the particular grade and flavor 

 his trade prefers, which is best accomplished by first 

 trying them with various kinds until he has found that 

 which is best suited to a majority of his customers; having 



