first direct importation of tea into England 

 was in 1669, and consisted of but "100 pounds 

 of the best tea that could be procured." In 1678 

 this order was increased to 4,713 pounds, which appears 

 to have " glutted the market;" the following six years the 

 total importations amounting to only 410 pounds during 

 that entire period. How little was it possible from 

 these figures to have foreseen that tea would one day 

 become one of the most important articles of foreign 

 productions consumed. 



Up to 1864 China and Japan were practically the only 

 countries producing teas for commercial purposes. In 

 that year India first entered the list as an exporter 

 of tea, being subsequently followed by Java and Ceylon. 

 In 1864, when India first entered the list of tea-pro- 

 ducing countries, China furnished fully 97 per cent. 

 of the world's supply and India only 3, the latter increas- 

 ing at such a marvelous rate that it now furnishes 57, 

 China declining to 43 per cent, of the total. 



ESTIMATED TEA PRODUCTION OF THE WORLD. 



Total, 1,270,100,000 495,050,000 



