6 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
[June i, 1881. 
As a rule, the younger and better the tea, the higher 
the percentage of extract. The following table gives 
an analysis of genuine teas : — 
Locality. 
£3 
■ ■ 9 <o 
° Z — 
Pekoe ... China 5-90 38-40 3 75 * 1 
Do ... Ceylon 4-71 4560 316 1-81 26 
Do ... Indian 5-19 41-41 3-19 1-77 2 
Do Souchong ... China 6 00 36-40 4-14 * 1 
Do do ... Ceylon 478 45 11 3 06 1-81 13 
Do do ... Indian 5-42 39-G6 3-19 2-05 7 
Souchong ... China 5'80 40-80 4 24 * 1 
Do ... Ceylon 4-72 4368 3-10 1-79 13 
Do ... Indian 5 26 38 85 3-04 1-62 3 
* Not determined. 
With regard to this table, it would not be fair to 
use it for the purpose of making a comparison between 
different tea-growing countries inasmuch as the Ceylon 
teas were Exhibition teas, while the Indian and 
Chinese were obtained from bulk samples which had 
been sold in Melbourne. 
The next table gives the results of an ana'ysis of 
Chinese teas obtained from the importers, and taken 
from bulk samples : — 
Price per Percentage Percentage 
Name. lb. in of Mineral Percentage of Soluble 
bond. Ash. of Extract. Salts, 
s. d. 
Congou 1 0 5-26 27'52 2 90 
do 2 3 5-74 32-24 2-83 
do 1 0 5-40 3300 3-56 
do 0 10 572 25-36 2-66 
do ... ... 0 10 5-80 24-20 2-09 
do 1 5i 5-50 22-84 2-13 
do 1 5 5-84 21-04 2-64 
do 1 4 5-40 26-66 274 
do 1 5 5-90 25-04 3-23 
do 1 3 770 29-04 4-77 
do 1 2 5-40 27-68 2-60 
do 1 3 5.20 31-92 3-02 
do 1 93 5-38 31-12 3'38 
do 1 6 5-60 29-44 3-09 
do 1 5 5-40 28-24 2'87 
do 1 7 5-66 31-60 277 
do 1 7 5-90 29 04 289 
do 1 7 5-60 31-44 2'94 
do 1 9 5-46 29 44 2-62 
do .. ..2 3 574 32-24 2-83 
do 2 1 5-72 31-44 3-26 
do 2 3 5-60 32-24 3'11 
Souchong 3 6 5-40 31'44 3-21 
Congou 2 9 5 80 33-84 3-25 
do 3 3 5-60 32-24 3-20 
do 1 9 574 31-04 3 34 
Scented orange 
pekoe ..1 9 (HO 34 64 3-27 
There are very few teas in this lot that would pass 
the standard for a low class: genuine tea, and this, too, 
ii( twithstanding the high price paid for a number of 
them. The majority of the samples must be classed 
as made-up teas, and consisted principally of exhausted 
tea-leaves re-fired, tea dust, and withered leaves. In 
many of the samples an excess of stalks and foreign 
leaves were detected: In some, especially those men- 
tioned in the table as being sold at lOd. to Is. per lb. 
ill bond, chemical analysis distinctly showed that, besides 
the adulterants already named, the leaves had been mixed 
with some foreign matter evidently added to give ex- 
fcract and colour. One or two samples had been very 
strongly faced, >i artificially coloured, with plumtmgo. 
.Starch paste was likewise found. Had it not been 
for these foreign matters, which are soluble in water, 
t pei oent.'i'j'. ' \ - 1 art would have been much lower. 
As it was it will be seen that in the great majority of 
poreunni^.i <>l' extract was below the minimum 
frT the lowest- classed genuine teas. 
With regard to Canton short-leaf, it may be men" 
tioned, in the first place, that Canton is the centre 
of tea adulteration. An analysis of a sample of this 
description of tea showed that, in 100 parts, it con- 
tained : — 
Percentage of stalks . . .2871 
Percentage of green tea ...15-74 
Percentage of black tea 55 - 55 
100 00 
Many stalks were found foreign to the tea plant, and 
-were ascertained to be cut-grass stems. The percent- 
age mentioned as black tea was, in reality, a green 
tea which had been faced, probably with plumbago. 
Foreign and withered leaves were also detected, as 
were likewise a large number of small nodular particles, 
which proved, on analysis, to be tea-sweepings or lie, 
tea, held together by starch paste. An analysis of 
the whole sample of Canton short-leaf gave the follow- 
ing results: — 
Percentage of mineral ash 670 
Percentage of extract 37*69 
Percentage of soluble salts 317 
Percentage of theine 072 
This percentage of theine, which is one of the chief 
constituent parts of tea, is very low. At the same 
laboratory, about 70 samples of Foo-chow congou 
yielded 1-67 per cent, of theine, the lowest percent- 
age being 1 -50. In 71 samples of Ceylon (exhibition) 
teas, the average percentage was l - 89, and the lowest 
1-82; and in about 60 samples of Indian tea, the aver- 
age percentage was 177, and the lowest l - 44. It 
may be added, with regard to Canton short leaf, that 
it has a very large sale, and is used by grocers to 
give the pronounced flavour which is so appreciated 
by the public. Jasminum sambac, evidently used for 
scenting purposes, was likewise detected in the samples. 
As a rule, Indian and Ceylon green teas, which 
have been analysed at the laboratory, have proved to 
be perfectly free from adulteration, and the opposite may 
be said, with a few exceptions, of Chinese green teas. 
Some 60 samples of Chinese black teas, obtained from 
the most respectable grocers in Melbourne and suburbs, 
and sold at a retail price of 2s. to 2s 6d. per lb., 
were a short time since analysed. The following is 
a summary of the analysis : — 
£ 8 S2 
Congou 
Congou 
Congou .., 
Congou 
Congou 
Congou ...2 65-40 35-20 3-50 Highest percentase obtained 
from 30 samples. 
.2 6 5-47 2678 2-56 Lowest do. 
.2 6 5-63 31-92 3-26 Average of 30 different ana- 
lyses. 
0 5-52 34-80 3-13 Highest percentage obtained 
from 28 samples. 
0 5-60 19-57 2-49 Lowest do. 
0 5-55 30 08 3-06 Average of 28 different ana- 
lyses. 
We will conclude with a few general remarks. The 
sales by public auction of China teas for the six months 
ending 3 1st December, 1880, is stated to have been 
3,391,0001b. Of this -'.005,0001b. were sold at and 
under Is. per lb. in bond. The remaining 1,386,0001b. 
were sold at Is. O^d. to Is. lOd. per lb. in bond. The 
duty on tea is 3d. per lb. There can be no doubt 
that grocers make a great profit out of tea. Some 
articles they sell at a very low price to get custom, 
but they make up for that on tea. Pure tea will go 
much further than I he ordinary teas, and consequent- 
ly less need be used. It is well to bear that in mind 
because when pure tea is used, too much may be put 
into the pot, audits very goodness may create a pre- 
