March i,-i888.] THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
535 
$ o it pond unco. 
. i / i .. — — 
To the Editor of the "Ceylon Observer" 
CEYLON TEA IN AUSTRALIA. 
| We greatly regret the oversight which has de- 
layed publication of this letter, but the information 
afforded is still interesting and valuable. — Ed.] 
15th Oct. 1887. 
Dear Sik, — Seeing in tho paper a discussion 
going on as to Ceylon tea being represented at 
the Melbourne Exhibition, I may as well give my 
experience. While in Australia I made inquiries 
with a view to gain knowledge as to the prospects 
of Ceylon tea down there. The majority of people 
I found quite ignorant of such an article. Others 
who had tasted Indian tea did not care for the 
taste, it being so different to the China stuff 
they are accustomed to drink. 
What strikes me is, that, if Ceylon tea is 
to be pushed in the Australian market, it must 
not be done in a half-hearted manner, but with 
energy ; it must be well canvassed and advertised, 
and this can only be done properly by a man who 
would give his entire time and attention to it, as we 
have not only China tea to fight, but also prejudice. 
In Australia one sees many ingenious ways of ad- 
vertising besides by the daily papers and bill 
postings. 
In my travels I saw but one nolico of Ceylon 
tea for sale, and that was in a shop window in 
Sydney Arcade, and the price asked was 3s per lb. 
Now many people would not care to give that 
figure when they can get a good China tea for 
about half the price. A few people who had 
tasted Ceylon tea liktd it very much, but did 
not know where to procure more at a moderate 
ligure. 
In Molbourno I also found Ceylon tea almost 
unknown : what good had been done at the last 
Exhibition to bring our teas to the notice of the 
public had no doubt been lost owing to there 
being no place known at which they could pro- 
cure it, and'also at the lime tho quantity being 
then produced being insufficient to meet any de- 
mand. Not having any samples of Ceylon tea 
with me, I was at a great disadvantage, as the 
first thing one was asked on speaking to any 
broker was " Havo you any samples '? " They told 
me what was wanted wa3 a good strong 
liquoring tea that tluy could sell at from 
Is lid to 2s per lb. Privately no doubt a small 
quantity of higher grades would sell well. But 
for the public sale our medium teas would be 
tho thing. Several shops have been oponed in 
Melbourne and other towns for tho eale of Indian 
teas. There is one in Melbourne where Indian goods 
are bold, where tho public are invited to come 
and taste the tea in cup free of charge. But 
even this is hardly advertised enough. In some 
shops I saw that sugar would be given away 
with the tea, — '20 lb. of sugor to bo given to every 
purchaser of 5 lb. of 2s (id tea. 
This shows that it will be a hard light with 
other teas unless we can sell cheap and so culti- 
vate the public tastes. 
At ono auction of China tea, I saw some of the 
teas sold for 5d and 6d per lb.,* ami at that Bale 
saw very few sell above Is per lb. When I say, sond 
down medium teas, I do not mean rubbish, us that 
would only mean ruination to the cause. What 
is meant is souchongs of good liquoring quality. 
It is a light that cannot be maintained by any 
• Inferior l'o ichow stuff, subsequently Weeded with 
dtroopcr tcu,— Ld. 
71 
private individual, as at first there will most likely 
be a loss, and no private person would be prepared 
for this. As it is for the benefit of all tea producers 
in the island it ought to be aided by all interested, 
while in Australia I met and heard of many Ceylon 
men : some doing well, others having rather rough 
times. It was a pleasure to meet anyone from the 
island. One had to answer many questions as to 
old friends etc. 
After being so much on the move and getting no 
news, it was a treat to get hold of an Observer, 
which, after I had perused, I forwarded to another 
Ceylon friend, who prized it almost much as the 
writer of this.— I am sir, yours faithfully, 
B. J. W. 
CEYLON TEA IN AUSTRALIA AND THE 
MELBOURNE EXHIBITION : AN OLD 
PLANTER TO THE FRONT. 
28, Flinders Lane West, Melbourne, 
13th Jan. 1888. 
Sie, — As I am a bad correspondent, many of my 
old friends will be thinking that on leaving tho 
island I had turned my back upon all its interests. 
As this is not the case, I must let them know what 
I have been doing, especially about their tea, and 
perhaps from my experience hints may be gained 
to enable them to push their teas better. When 
I came down in 1880, it was mooted that you were 
to have a Tea Syndicate to push your teas here 
and elsewhere. I was mentioned for the representa- 
tion of the same here ; however, as it was long in 
coming I bought on your market a few thousands 
of pounds. I tried to get at the public in a quiet 
way here, but I was not in a position to give away 
a sufficient number of samples or to push it 
thoroughly by advertising and taking a shop. I 
soon found then that in the meantime I could not 
work a living out of Ceylon tea alone. I put most 
of first shipments on the market here. For first 
two lots the result was satisfactory, but the demand 
here being so limited, I would have lost on the 
subsequent shipments had I not induced tho house 
(lea merchants) I had in the meantime joined 
to take them over at about cost price. I found 
my partners were indifferent about Ceylon 
teas even for our blends, and needless to say I could 
not get them to see the necessity for the whole- 
sale distribution of Ceylon tea samples. However, 
in a quiet way a good many samples have been 
sent all over the country. But as yet wo have not 
many customers for Ceylons only. A certain num- 
ber of dealers take Ceylons from us steadily, but 
these we know are for blending. To begin with, 1 
think the blend with Ceylon is just one of the 
ways to give the public a taste of and for it 
provided you can afford to put sufficient into 
your blend to leave the Ceylon flavour distinct. 
At present prices, this, the general dealer is 
not able to do. The teas I got down oost 
from lljd to Is £d landed here, and so that tho 
successive shipments might be of an even 
average quality, I had two or three estates' teas and 
qualities blended for me in Ceylon. What I got 
was a fair broken souchong which seems fairly cheap, 
aod now we shall see how it works out for the 
seller. It costs the wholesale dealer say Is, to this 
add duty 3d and bond charges say id. in all Is .>fd, 
wholesale dealer will want say ljd to 2d per lb. 
upon it, so it costs retailer Is -ljd to Is iU| on 
this market you cannot get more from the house- 
holder for this class of lea than Is ltd. This does 
not give tho retailer sufficient eneouragemonl to 
try and push a now tea. Of course if you get direct 
at tho householder, your position is improved a 
little, but for many years the quantity you got rid 
