August r, i88v] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
203 
will, send into the markets of Australia and other 
parts of the world, a comparison can be instituted 
with similar teas from the hot Dooa: 
Darjceling, from the fat alluvials of As 
Ca 
tea — (if thi 
jeeliug, Ku 
are reserve 
Dooars pek 
Darjeeling 
Assam 
Cachar 
Ceylon' 
In this case 
in the imi 
ill. 
, from lofty 
m, and from 
high fjuality 
f from Dar- 
the JN'ilgiris 
both th. 
; item . 
ract. Soluble Salts. Tlieine. 
)-97 3-08 2 '86 
•80 3 20 .1-96 
)12 3 04 1-66 
)-66 3-24 1 44 
2-80 3 12 1 86 
others, Ceylon takes the lead 
total extract; 
figures for soluble salts, and but for the ex 
figures for theine in the case of the 
would compare well in respect to the prop 
specially present in tea, is also a principl 
There 13 little doubt in my* mind, that 
properties of the tea lent', theine is 
variable in proportion to care or I he reverse 
tion. Let us now 
souchongs : — 
Darjceling souchong 
Assam , , 
Cachar ,, 
Ceylon 
In the case of this, 
Ceylon is likely to make and send 
the markets of' the 
not only in total 
theine : in all wliic 
Had no other cl 
hibition from Ceyl 
exception of " firs 
of all the 
the most 
prepara- 
compure the Indian and Ceylon 
Extract. Soluble Salt. 
36-99 3 02 
39 27 3-00 
40-29 3-12 
40-40 3-20 
the lowest class of 
Theine. 
i-66 
1-46 
1-76 
1-84 
■Inch 
into 
auU 
juantit 
our produce ranks highest, 
ital extracts bnt in soluble salts and 
vhich makes tea valuable in fact. 
sr descriptions of teas been sent for ex- 
Deylon, its teas would rank as without 
first class quality." The high average 
swhat lowered, if the congou and green 
be taken into account. But I fancy 
will, like their Indian brethern, leave to 
monopoly of manufacturing " congous," 
at present 
s's the pity 
higher 
in the 
would 
teas vi 
Ceylon 
the Chi 
while for green tea there 
of Central Asia. The niore's tl 
tea (which is really of a copp 
made and has merits of its own. 
and adulterations of the "Cel 
the trade in green. It is no mc 
less likely to succeed in this n 
London. The specimen analyse, 
gave a very good result in tota 
than the highest yielded by Cac 
of Indian teas, but 2-66 for s 
for tlieine were in the first cas 
than Foo-chow congou gave anc 
theine. If there were only a d 
theiv can be little doubt it con 
Ceylon, so that soluble salt a 
present in better comparison to 
total extract. Mr. Dunn was ai 
he did not mean to condemn 
congou as positively bad — but 
inferior. For mixing purposes i 
that a tea yi 
most valuable 
revives, our 
quality of thi 
ably with the other- in extract and is somewhat below 
the m u-k in soluble salts. In tlieine, however, it ranks 
with Ceylon pekoe, and if wo compare our Ceylon 
cougou with tho average results obtained by Mr. 
Newbory from 15 samples of Foo-chow congous, the 
Ceylon tea is largely superior exeept in the one item 
of theine Tho figures are : — 
Extract. Soluble Salts. Theine. 
China congou 29*26 2'88 1M 
Ceylon ,, :J7 to 2 116 L"82 
t in the 
een tea 
lared in 
luld be 
.llll 
sdom will l>e to make black. Our 
lescription (congou) compares unfavor- 
Except, therefore, in a very trifling deficiency of 
theine, the Ceylon congou is immensely superior to 
the China tea which is chiefly used in Australia, the 
congou of Foo-chow. But, useless circumstances exist 
with which I am unacquainted, the Ceylon tea planters 
need not descend, any more than their neighbours in 
India do, to a competition with China in tiio produc- 
tion of coikjoil Compared with China congou, no 
doubt the Ceylon article is superior, but if Ceylon 
congou is compared with Ceylon souchong, it will be 
seen that the latter is better by 3 per cent of ex- 
tract ; by -24 of soluble salts ; and by -2 of theine. 
Our aim, it appears to me, should be to send into 
this and other markets, teas, which on analysis, would 
give not less than 40 per cent of extract ; 3 '15 per 
cent of soluble salts ; and 2, or, at least, 1 -SO, per 
cent of theine. Tho British analysts' stand aid for 
lowest class tea is stated by Mr. Newbery to be o0 per 
cent for extract and .*! per cent for soluble salts. The 
first test is very largely exceeded by all our Ceylon 
teas, while the second is also considerably exceeded 
in the case of all eave the congou and the green tea. 
As they stand, the results obtained by Mr. Dunn 
seem most satisfactory. The average of mineral ash 
in our teas is only 4 82 per cent as against 5 34 in 
the case of Indian teas, but, as explained, this de- 
ficiency of ash is entirely in our favour as proving 
that eo much less of the constituents taken from 
the soil by the plant remain inert. In total extract, 
which I take to be the real test of tea, the Indian 
average is 39-42, which is more than 10 per cent above 
the China congous, Our Ceylon average, even when 
lowered by including the congou, is 42-20, or nearly 
3 per cent higher than the Indian and 13 per cent 
over the China. But as no congou was included in 
the Indian teas, the fair course is to exclude it and 
also the green and to take the average of the teas 
common 10 both lists. We then get for Ceylmtas 
42-95 or 353 higher than the Indian average (39-42), 
and 13 -69 per cent above the China congou. These 
are the great points in Mr. Dunn's analyses of Ceylon 
teas, resulting in an average of extract of nearly 4 
per cent, a result never exceeded, so far as my know- 
ledge extends. Excluding again the two exceptional 
teas, our average tor soluble salts is a little over3'12 
per cent, against 3 16 in the case of Indian teas. 
The slight excess in favour of India here is as nothing 
when compared with our superiority in extract. \\ e 
may say the same in regard to an excess of '02 pet- 
cent in favour of India 111 theine, the figures being 
for India 194 against Ceylon 1-92 per cent. The 
superiority of India in theine is mainly due to the 
enormous figures, 2 - 86 and 2'42, against the two 
specimens of tea from the Dooars included in the list. 
But for those two exceptional teas Ceylon would shew 
higher than India in theine. In soluble salts the 
difference in favour of India is scarcely appreciable, 
while toe superiority of our teas in total extract is 
Indian teas were chosen for analysis t> the number 
of 15, our Ceylon teas of each description were mixed, 
so. as to rive an average. If Mr. Moodv had oulv 
was to bring out the general character <>[ Ceylon teas, 
and not that of shewing individui 1 superiority. For 
tho latter purpose I could not use the public tnouey, 
although I was very g'ad to send tho opinions of 
Messrs. Moody and Sibtborp. Those opill 0D8, BO far 
as they relate to the superiority of Ceylon tea, have 
been fully confirmed by Mr. Brown, a London tea 
taster. Ho wishes bis brother, who was formerly in 
Ceylon, to return thither to tnke put in the tea 
enterprise. As regards .la \ a tea Mr. Browu told me 
that as an imitation of tho best, smallest, and most 
curly China leaf, it could not bo excelled. But tho 
