742 
TMP TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. [May i, 1890; 
versation some weeks ago when I mentioned I was 
experimenting on a oertain prepared paper to take 
the place of tea lead, I have now to inform you 
that these experiments have proved entirely satis- 
factory. I had 50 lb. of Elkaduwa tea paoked in this 
paper in London and sent out here : on opening it 
the tea was found to be in perfect condition. I am 
now having a consignment sent home packed in this 
paper instead of lead for sale in the London market. 
" I enclose a sample of the paper in question. It 
is perfeotly air, and water-proof and more pliable 
than lead, and not so easily torn. The prioe is in- 
finitesimal as compared with this latter, besides 
which, considerable saving will be effected in freight and 
railway oarriage here and at home and waste in cutting 
this last item, a considerable one in tea lead. I have 
delayed introducing this matter prominently until I 
had thoroughly tested it. The point now to be solved 
is how will the home trade receive it 9 and this 
appears to me to be a matter for the Planters' 
Association to take up, for if Oeylon generally adopt 
this paper in place of the lead the trade will be 
unable to help themselves. I have already had numerous 
applications from India for this paper, but until it 
was thoroughly tested I declined giving it prominence 
there. I am now going to send samples of it to 
the Bengal and Madras Presidencies." 
The testing of this substitute for tea lead is cer- 
tainly a matter of very great practical importance to 
our tea planters who will be much interested in 
learning the result of Mr. Maitland-Kirwan's 
further experiment. If it prove successful and the 
home trade do not objeot, we may be sure that 
the demand for Ceylon will be very large. Our 
correspondent should send samples to the Chairman 
of the Planters' Association and also of the Chamber 
of Commerce. One objection suggested to us has 
reference to the cutting of the paper for the 
sampling of teas ; would gumming over be 
sufficient ? We have no doubt, that further 
criticism will be offered on the samples being 
seen ; but it is possible that requirements could 
be met by paper still further adapted and improved. 
GREEN TEAS ; KINTYEE PEEPAEATION. 
We are enabled to publish the following Eeport 
and letter : — 
Eeport No. 155. Eeport on Kintyre Green Teas. 
Samples reoeived from John T. Eae, Esq., 4th Janu- 
ary 1890. 
Unglazed B. P. Grade not marked. — Leaf : Black- 
ish, yellowish, well twisted, wiry 0. P. leaf, with 
fine Bilvery tip, very pretty desirable leaf. 
Liquor : Fine pure, pungent China Moyune green 
tea. Value Is 3d. 
Infused leaf : Perfect color for green teas, be. 
ing of uniform yellow greenish and quite free from 
oxidization. 
Pekoe Grade not marked. — Leaf : Eather well 
twisted, wiry blaokish yellowish, Pekoe sort white tip. 
Liquor. — Similar in color and character to Broken 
Pekoe. Value Is. 
Pekoe Souchong not marked box 449. — Leaf 
Blackish, little mixed yellowish, useful Pekoe Sou- 
chong sort. 
Glazed B. P. Grade not marked (240s.) Liquor 
pimilar to Pekoe. Value lOd. 
Leaf. — Small, even, nioely glazed, bright black 
and yellowish, very well twisted wiry, leafy B. P. 
sort some tip. 
Liquor. — Similar in color and character to unglazed 
B. P. but more pungent and preferable. Value Is 2d. 
The tip in this grade has been lost in the glazing 
procens for which reason it is worth less money. 
The liquor, however, is slightly preferable, being more 
pungent. 
Glazed B. P. Grade not marked (Box 281). — Leaf 
of very similar appearance to the foregoing broken 
pokoe. Liquor ; Much as. Value Is 2d. 
The quality of these teas as green teas is highly 
satisfactory - in fact they are far and away, I may 
even say the only really fine green teas I hav e 
tasted in Oeylon, with the exception of some 
samples lately received from Mr. H. D. Deane of 
Kintyre. As specimens of what green teas should 
be in cup and infused leaf, they are about as 
desirable as it is possible to make them, the only 
fault with the leaf is a slight irregularity in the 
sorting which can easily be eorreoted by a little 
attention being paid to the sifting. 
I may mention that these teas closely resemble 
in cup character the finer lines of the best district 
China and Japanese greens. The most popular 
classes of tea in use in North America, as shown 
by tha faot that out of total export of 5 1 million lb. 
of China tea this season to the United States to the 
middle of November nearly 82 million lb. were of 
this unfermented class, 14 million being Oolongs 
(partially fermented), whereas the black (fermented) 
tea corresponding to the ordinary Ceylon made 
black leaf, was only a little over 1 million. 
I have already expressed an opinion in the local 
newspapers that if Ceylon planters resort to ship- 
ping any quantity of their teas to the States they 
must make teas to suit the American taste, i.e. greens 
and Oolongs and not their ordinary make of blaok 
fermented tea, for whioh there is only a very 
limited consumption. 
I am very strongly of opinion that there is 
a great future in the States f >r teas of similar 
character to the above and that they will soon bpcome 
become quite as, if not more, popular than Japans 
did shortly after their introduction from 15 to 20 
years ago. 
The export of greens from Japan alone last season 
1888 to 1889 reaching nearly 23 million lb. to 
which China added a further 15 million lb. The 
fact that these Ceylon teas are entirely free from 
foreign facing and coloring matter and therefore 
less injurious is, I consider, a strong point in their 
favour, now that all China teas entering the States 
are subjected to a strict Customs examination and 
in cases of suspected adulteration to analysis. 
The consumption of green tea in England is of 
oourse comparatively small, tome 7 millions lb. 
annually only, but I think there is not the least 
doubt that Ceylon greens, if they can be made as 
fine as the teas under notice, will drive the oolored 
China article out of the market, as soon as they 
are shipped in sufficient quantity to supply the 
requirements of the trade, in the same way that 
Indian and Ceylon black teas have and are still doing. 
In conclusion I may mention that my brokers, 
Messrs. H. A. Hertz & Co., sold in London a 
short time back some I eylon so-called Oolongs of 
much inferior quality to the teas, under report at 
Is 4|d for broken pekoe, Is 5d for pekoe, and 
lOJd for pekoe Suchong. 
Colombo, 7th January 1890. 
(Signed) Francis F. Street. 
(Copy) Kiuty re, Maskeliya, March 28th. 
My Dear Street,— Yours of 21st to hand and thanks 
for congratulations. You are now at perfect liberty 
to publish any of your reports made either to me or 
to Mr. Rae on the Kintyre green teas. I consider it 
only fair to you that the public should know that it 
is almost entirely due to encouragement I received 
from you, that I was induoed to make a break for 
the London market, which of course entailed some 
outlay on requisite temporary trial machinery. I am sure 
that those who are now turn 'ng thfir attention to 
green teas will do well to consult you on the subject 
before making large breaks. — Yours very truly, 
(Signed) H. D. Deane. 
P.S. — I shall be glad to either teach people by letter 
or on the spot for a consideration. The machine, I 
unders tand, will cost about E500. 
