428 THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [December i, 1888. 
HOW TO TELL GOOD TEA FROM BAD. 
1. Half a teaspoouf ul of good tea will make one 
large cupful, and give a good second half-cup. 
2. Good tea, when bought, has a smell like a 
bouquet of sweet flowers. 
3. After infusion the leaves should be like a new 
penny in colour. 
"1. Bach particle put into the pot should turn out 
the above colour, and be a piece of strong, healthy leaf. 
It. Any black bits that tco to mud between the finger 
and thumb are rotten leaves, or dirt, and injurious to 
health. 
6. The liquor when just made should be quite clear 
and pure. 
GET INTO THE HABIT OF TESTING ALL THE TEA YOU 
DRINK BY THESE RULES. 
And (finally) remember that no really good British- 
grown teas (made by machinery with scrupulous clean- 
liness, whereas the Ohiuese prepare their with dirty 
hands and feet) can be imported under one shilling 
a pound, to which bixpence duty has to be added ! ! 
This should be issued by an "Association of British 
Tea Growers." 
CEYLON AT THE MELBOURNE 
EXHIBITION : 
(By a Lady.) 
THE CEYLON TEA KIOSK, OLD FRIENDS TO THE FRONT. 
A CAPITAL HINT FOR CEYLON TEA PLANTERS : 
PERMANENT CEYLON TEA-ROOMS WANTED IN MELBOURNE. 
Victoria, Oct. 25th. 
I have just returned from a very enjoyable 
and instructive visit to Melbourne, spent 
chiefly in the Exhibition, and more particularly 
in the Ceylon kiosk. The entire Show is now very 
complete, and much of the ' scattered ' impression 
has disappeared since the exhibits have been 
arranged. Of course the great amount of space 
covered prevents a proper idea of the attendance, — 
in fact, gives at times a feeling of emptiness, but 
I am glad to say that perhaps nowhere in the 
building is this less felt than around our well-known 
motto Unitas Salus Nostra. 
Before this reaches you, you will have received 
a copy of the article in the Age headed "The 
Plantations of Ceylon," the shorter notice in the 
Argus, as well as the direct reports from the Kiosk. 
I had also the pleasure of meeting your friend and 
correspondent "Old Colonist," whose fluent and 
graphic pen has doubtless ere now been turned to 
good account. 
As I have from time to time given you a detailed 
account of the difficulties and progress re the P. A. 
representation here, I feel on this occasion inclined 
to leave you to gather from " Old Colonist" as 
an independent witness what is now being done 
and its probable effect on the Australian tea market. 
All I need therefore say is, that my most sanguine 
anticipations are more than realized, and the 
success already achieved through the small effort 
made by the Association makes me reiterate my 
regrets that more was not attempted. For instance, 
unfortunately for Ceylon, its kiosk is in the vicinity 
of the elegant marquee into which Van Houten 
invites all visitors to partake of a cup of his cocoa, 
and by comparison our tea although prettily is 
rather shabbily housed. 
However tea, not cocoa, is the everyday beve- 
rage of Australia, and therefore we console our- 
selves with the fact that the foi nier product needs 
less poshing inid advertising than the latter. Yet 
one cannot restrain a sigh for a great opportunity 
only half taken advantage of, or the abiding regret 
that the Ica ling spirits of the P. A should have 
Leon so deeply possessed with that safe virtue 
" Prudence" as to confine their Melbourne donation 
to a sum, which to a solitary well-to-do Colonial 
would be a mere bagatelle in advertizing. 
Advertizing full, and without regard to expense 
is, as you kDow, the feature of the age, and thus 
the sooner the localized and therefore timid and 
unadveuturous among our planting mind permits 
the recognition of this fact, the better will it be 
for the Ceylon tea industry. 
Although rather late in the day as regards 
the Exhibition, even now much might be done. 
From remarks in the papers and observations 
in society, it is evident that families in particular 
are becoming more and more discontented with 
the teas supplied to them, and it has been suggested 
to me by more than one intelligent observer that 
the P. A. should follow up what they are now 
doing at the Exhibition, by cuntinuiDg their support 
to a tea-room in some central part of fashionable 
Melbourne. 
Supposing for instance that some reliable person 
undertook to run such roomB for, say, a year, 
guaranteeing that everything should be done in 
the best style and under P. A. rules, would it 
not pay the Association to give some £200 towards 
rent should the venture fail at first to be self- 
supporting ? I feel certain it would, as, besides 
meeting a social want, a very considerable business 
would be done in taking orders a9 could now be 
done at the kiosk if the tea stock was larger. As 
this outlet has, by the way, occurred to the kiosk 
to assist in its own upkeep, I trust every effort 
will be made to hurry off a further consignment 
of tea, and I would again emphasize the necessity 
for the greatest care being exercised in its selection. 
There is a good deal of Ceylon tea in circulation 
in Melbourne, which is pitiful stuff, and must 
detract from our good name. Should therefore Tea- 
rooms be continued to be run after the Exhibition 
is over, I would suggest that the initial rule be 
that all teas passing through them either at table 
or as orders, be specially blended to a standard 
combining good flavour with fair strength. As the 
Argus remarks, " this Ceylon tea with its delicate 
flavour is something of a revelation " to tea drinkers, 
and we should before everything strive to deserve 
this high recommendation. 
Cards of invitation are now being printed, which 
will be forwarded to prominent residents before 
"Cup week " (the carnival of entire Australia) and 
by this means it is hoped to secure further and 
more influential notice. Considerable interest is 
evinced in the various exhibits, and the photo- 
graphs are very good. A number of people have 
either left cards, or introduced themselves, who have 
or formerly had connection with Ceylon, and it is 
proposed to open a Visitors' Book with special 
reference to such. Were it placed on "Old Colo- 
nist's" beautiful round table of many inlaid woods 
— which he has kindly lent for Exhibition— and sur- 
rounded by the " Jubilee Ceylon," "Handbook and 
Directory," and other Volumes which you are kindly 
forwarding, we would have the ready-made nucle- 
us of a Ceylon Club ! I understand " Old Colonist " 
had much to do with forming and supporting the 
Aberdeen Institution which held such pleasant 
social gatherings some years ago. 
I shall have something further to say re- 
garding the effort to popularize Ceylon tea 
when I return to Melbourne, and I should 
like to tell you something of the little 
Seychelles Court with its Vanilla specialities ; but 
I am pressed to catch the mail, and besides, as 
I havo said, would like you to gather your im- 
pressions this time from photographs and the re- 
marks of more mature and iudepend> nt witnesses 
such an " Old Colonist." J. J. M. 
