February i, 1888. J THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST, 
537 
PROPORTION OP THEINE IN TEAS 
Or DI I' IT, HE NT QUALITIES AND GROWN AT AT DIFFRENT 
E LEVATtONS. 
Prom the figures obtained by Dr. Paul, which we 
published on page .001 (January number), it is quite 
evident that in drawing inferences, we must qualify 
our conclusions by allowing for difference of age in 
teas, different grades and difference of circumstance 
under- which teas may have been prepared — weather 
specially — as well as for the varying elevations at 
which they are grown. Such qualifications madc.it 
seems evident that on the whole the distinctive 
alkaloid, theine, which i;; supposed to give tea its 
chief characteristic preponderates in teas grown at 
low olevations. High-grown teas seem to have less 
theine as well as less tannin (the latter the element 
on which strength and probably colour chiefly de- 
pend), but there is, doubtless, truth in Mr. John 
Hughes' suggestion that a volatile oil and not theine 
is the origin of the aroma of tea, which is peculiarly 
delicate in that grown at high elevations. Such high- 
grown teas may not be so valuable for blending or 
mixing purposes, but they have a valuo of their own 
for thoso who liko to drink genuine teas unmixed, 
— for those who are connaisscurs in teas, just as 
somo aro in wines. It is a fact that as a rule 
Kangra Valley and Darjiling teas are prized for 
their delicate flavour, as doubtless aro the 
high altitude teas of Ceylon. Remarking that 
the general inference is justified that the pro- 
portion of theine in fully manufactured tea is 
higher than in the green leaves (such we take 
"original tea" to mean), and that on the whole 
Indian and Ceylon teas seem to rank much alike in 
theine (allowance V eing made tor our younger Ceylon 
plantations), wo now proceed to place plantations 
and figures for dry tea in comparative order. Pirst 
the high altitude leas, all grown above 1,000 feet : 
Estates. 
Calsay 
Radella 
St, Leys 
Vcnturo 
Elevation in ft. 
o.OOO 
•1,800 
1,000 
itfLQO 
Percentage of theine, 
3;43 
4-30 
3-66 
r.i-ur, 
) 3-6? 
1 L-26 
( 3-118 ) 
3-57 
•1-09 
scale of decreas- 
in altitude from 
3-87 
Woodstock 1,200 
St. Clair » ,200 
The anomalies which disturb the 
ing theine according to increase 
1,200 feet to 5,000, seem to receive their explana- 
tion in the grades of leas experimented on. Radella 
at only 200 feet lower than Calsay shows nearly 1 per 
cent more theine, but tlien the Radella tea analyzed 
was broken pi koe against the pekoe souchong of the 
higher estate. The higher quality of the tea makes 
all the difference, and it seems a great pity Dr. 
Paul did not secure for his experiments teas of 
the same grade for each estate. St. Leys with 
pekde dust seems in its proper place in the scale 
ot altitude, and bo does Venture with its specially 
complete average of four kinds. Tho different re- 
sults lor Woodstock and St. Clair at precisely the 
mine altitude ore, of course, accounted for by tho 
difference in the grade of the teas, pekoo souchong 
in the ease ol Woodstock and broken orange pekoe 
in that of St. Clair. On the whole we seem justi- 
fied in temporarily assuming an average of 1 per 
crnt of theme for teas grown at 1,000 feet, the 
avcrago going down gradually to 3J per cent at 
6,000. That, if the proportion wore observed, 
might mean 3 per cent at 0,000 and 2J per cent 
at V.000. Hut further analyses of teas of uuiform 
grade aro duaiderutud to establish absolutely certain 
08 
results. Qualities of soil may modify the effects of 
high altitude climate. 
When we come to teas grown below 1,000 (and 
the figures in the table leave, unfortunately, a 
hiatus between 4,200 and 3,500), the anomalies are 
greater and more violent than in the figures we 
have been considering. We take the only figures 
available, thus : — 
Estates. Elevation Percentage of theine. 
in feet. 
Hardenhuish 3,500 4-24 
Penrhos 2,500 4-80 & 4-96^4'92 
Strathellie 2,000 4-33 
Morton 400 4-15 
Nahalma 300 4-80 .V.- 4-29. -4-55 
Here the lowest figure is shown opposite the estate 
of highest altitude, but with a drip of 1 ,000 feet to 
Penrhos, all gradation is disturbed by the very high 
average of 4-92. This and especially tho 1-90 
(close on 5 per cent) for Penrhos broken pekoe beats 
the record, not only in the caseof Ceylon but of India, 
the highest figure opposite an Indian tea (orange 
pekoe) being 4-89. Penrhos in rainy Ambagamuwa 
at 2,500 feet elevation excels in theine even the 
famous low-country estate Nahalma, at only 300 
feet above sea-level. But tho Nahalma tea is, we 
suppose, half-a dozen years younger than that on 
Penrhos. Strathellie at 2,000 differs only a littlo 
from Morton at 400, although the first-named 
estate had orange pekoe against pekoe. Taking 
Nahalma as a type of low-country estates, we suppose 
that, as the lea grows older, we may count on 5 
per cent at sea-level and on to 2,500, going down 
to 4j between 2,500 and 4,000. Then 4 per cent going 
down I per cent for every 1,000 feet additional 
altitude. But further experiments are demanded 
before we can adopt any definite scale. 
Wc should like to see similar analyses for tannin, 
and, if such a thing is possible, for the essential 
oil on which flavour is supposed really to depend, 
just as is the case with cinnamon bark. 
CINCHONA BARK: 
FROBAIJLE CBTLON AND JAVA EXPORTS. 
We call attention to the interesting figures and 
remarks forwarded by Mr. James Sinclair on 
page 517.. Without endorsing his calculations, it 
is rather curious that his estimate for the current 
season's shipments should work out so near to the 
press figures, our own estimate being 10 million lb., 
Mr, Sinclair's 9,835,000. 
Prom Europe, we have important news respecting 
Java bark showing that the total exports from 
private plantations to Amsterdam, may be put down 
as follows : — 
1885 
1880 
1n>7 
1888 (estimate) 
1HS9 ( do ) 
IS32.250 II) 
847,800 „ 
11200,000 ,, 
2,260,000 „ 
3,750,000 ,, 
From the letter on page 5t:t, the nnthorily 
for these estimates will be seen. Besides the above, 
the 'Government plantations give from M00, 000 to a 
million lb. a year. Hi re then we seem to have tho 
probable increase ot lino bark from .lava which has 
to be faced for the next two years, a very mueli 
loss formidable quantity than was to be anticipated 
from the figures of Mr. Mundl and other authorities. 
We have been reminded, however, with reference 
to the Amsterdam report we published a few days 
ago, that although special consignment* of Java 
bark analyse up to 7 and lu per cent sulphate 
of quinine, yet tho average of all the sales work out 
to not much more than 3 per cent. The average 
will certainly be hither ut> the older barks hHMMf 
