TESTING, BLENDING AND PREPARING. 179 



the blend can be varied without seriously affecting its 

 regularity so that advantage may be taken of the 

 cheapness of any special variety or grade of tea. The 

 importance of retaining the uniformity of a blend, when 

 once a satisfactory combination has been discovered, 

 must also not be overlooked. Other combinations may 

 be as good, or better, their component parts skilfully 

 arranged and properly mixed, but unless one standard 

 blend is decided on, and then sedulously maintained, 

 fault will be found and customers go elsewhere. This 

 difficulty is best avoided by paying proper attention to 

 the selection of the teas constituting the blend, having 

 each sample matched as close as possible before purchas- 

 ing, as well as by not changing more than one of the 

 teas composing the blend at a time when it is the inten- 

 tion to alter the character of the tea. When a large 

 number of teas are used in the formation of a blend, the 

 alteration of any provided that a particular one is fairly 

 matched will effect but a comparatively slight variation 

 in its general character. But, if more than one change 

 is to be made let it be done by degrees, for, if the changes 

 in the various teas forming the blend are made gradually, 

 few, if any, will detect the alteration. 



The proper Blending of tea is an art that cannot be 

 correctly taught in books or easily learned, it must be 

 acquired by study, experiment and experience alone. 

 Like all other knowledge there is " no royal road to it " 

 the dealer must endeavor to learn himself, to understand 

 the flavors, characters and affinities of the teas that will 

 be either improved or deteriorated by combination, as 

 no absolute rule can be substituted for the practical 

 knowledge so acquired. In the proper blending of teas 

 it is essential also that all combinations should be judi- 

 ciously and thoroughly mixed together, the leaves of the 



