454 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [November i, 1881, 
for the same from Is l|d for large rough leaf with little 
liquor to 2a per lb. in bond for even, wiry, leaf with 
strength. For some rather good broken Assam Pekoe 
with tip 2s Id per lb. B was paid. The Kaugra Valley 
teas were too high fired, and Dehra Doon too herby to 
sell well. 
At the same sale, some Ceylon teas were tried, a 
small line of broken flaky realizing lid per lb. The 
other two lines were withdrawn, higher prices than pre- 
vious sale being evidently wanted and not obtainable at 
the time. 
I send you the Age of 6th September containing 
a full report of the opening of the Calcutta Tea 
Association (no connection with the Calcutta Tea 
Syndicate) new premises in King Street, Melbourne. 
This Association is formed for the wholesale and re- 
tail sale of Indian teas only, and have opened large 
premises in Charlotte Place, Sydney, for the same pur- 
pose. Their advertisement offers the public pure 
Indian teas in \ lb and 1 lb packets, 51b, 101b, and 
25 lb. tin cannisters, and chests, half-chests and quarter 
chests. The planters of Ceylon and India should 
wish this Company every success in their endeavours 
to sell Indian tea straight. We have blenders here 
of India and China teas, but this means adding the supe- 
rior Indian tea to bring up the very inferior China tea. 
"The Calcutta Tea Association, 26 King-street, Melbourne, 
and Charlotte-place. Sydney, are now booking orders 
from grocers and storekeepers for their pure Indian teas, 
in Jib and lib packages, 51b, 101b, and 251b. tin cannisters, 
also, chests, half-chests, and quarter-chests, to be sold at 
2s 6d., 3s, and 3s 6d per lb. 
" Until the grocers are supplied the public can obtain 
sample packages from our wholesale warehouses. 
" The above teas are the produce of upwards of 50 tea 
estates, blended so as to make the most perfect tea the 
world can produce." 
THE CALCUTTA TEA ASSOCIATION. 
(From the Age.) 
Under the auspices of this Association the Indian tea 
interests are now making a vigorous atempt to introduce 
Indian teas to Australia. To this end large premises have 
been taken in Kingstreet in this city, and also in Sydney, 
where the operations of the Association are carried on on a 
large scale. Yesterday a large number of gentlemen, in- 
cluding the leading business men of the city, visited by 
invitation of Mr. Inglis, a gentleman largely interested in 
fostering Indo-Australian trade, and recently representa- 
tive of India at the Melbourne International Exhibition, 
the stores of the Association in King-street. The building 
is a large one of three stories, the ground floor being used 
as an office and store. In the upper story the blending 
of the teas is carried on by skilled workmen, under the 
supervision of Mr. Fraser and a gentleman who has been 
thirty-four years in the trade. The floor is divided into 
bins "and the products of the various districts, principally 
Assam, Cachar, Sjlhet.Darjeeling, Dooars, Kangra Valley, 
Nilgiris and Ceylon are united, so that the good qualities 
of each tea may he apparent in the whole. After being pro- 
perly blended the tea is sent down to the second story by 
means of shoots where it is r acked for sale, and in this 
room a number of the youth of both sexes are employed. The 
tea is made up principally in ^ lb. to lib. packages, but 
a consideiable quantity is packed in from 10 to 40 lb. cases.. 
The aroma of the tea was spoken of by experts yesterday 
in the highest terms, and the purity of the leaf was the 
subject of remark. In the Mending room is the necessary 
machinery for reducing the leaf if it is too large, and the 
whole arrangements have evidently been made by those 
who thoroughly understand their business. About twenty- 
five hands are at present employed in Melbourne, but 
forty at least would be required when the Association is in 
fnll work. As showing the excellence of the teas offered 
to the public by the Association, the following analysis 
has been made by Messrs. J. Cosmo Newbery and Dunn : — 
The Calcutta Tea Association, pee Me. J. A. 
Moody. 
Marks. 
Percentage 
of 
mineral ash. 
Percentage 
of 
extract. 
Percentage 
of 
Soluble salts. 
5.36 
41 42 
3.38 
No. 2 
5.26 
42.41 
3.35 
No. 3 
5.32 
40.41 
3.26 
The above, samples have been carefully examined by us. 
They are absolutely pure, and we may add that even the 
lowest quality of your tea has a higher extract than any 
packet teas we have examined. 
J. Cosmo Newbeby, 
Fredeeick Dunn, 
The packet teas examined by Messrs. Newbery and Dunn 
up to the above date comprised the following : — Koyal Mix- 
ture, Challenge Mixture, Universal Mixture, Governor's 
Mixture, Exhibition Congou, Taeping Mixture, Oriental 
Mixture, Family Mixture, International Mixture. Nonpareil 
Mixture, Celestial Mixture, Steamer Brand Empress Break- 
fast, The People's Choice, Phesant Brand, Cock Brand, Pa- 
goda Brand, and Mikado Mixture. After the party bad 
been shown through the building they were entertained at 
luncheon ; Mr. Inglis occupying the chair. After the usual 
loyal toasts had been duly honored, the Chairman said he 
had a toast to propose which he thought would be drunk 
with enthusiasm, but before doing so he shonld like to say 
a few words to those present. He stated he had been asked 
as the representative of the Indian Government at the late 
Exhibition to invite those present to assist in the promotion 
of the Indo-Australian tea trade. For years past a great trade 
was being carried on between Australia and India with horses 
and now India was trying to start rpoollen mills, in order 
to utilise Australian wool. What he asked them to do now 
was to assist the Calcutta Tea Association in pushing the sale 
of pure Indian teas in the Australian market. Of course 
there was a prejudice to combat. People were accustomed 
to Chinese teas, and might think the Indian tea unpalatable 
the first time they tasted it, but after taking it he Would 
guarantee they would appreciate its purity and flavor. That 
there was a prejudice against the tea in the public mind 
was really not an insurmountable obstacle, as those present 
knew what an unnatural prejudice had been exhibited at 
first in England to the Austrian wines sent home, which all 
here knew were pure and wholesome. Another point in 
favor of the Association teas which would soon make itself 
felt was the fact of the operations of the Company being 
carried on by experts. The teas passed through no inter- 
mediate hands, but were in the possession of the Associa- 
tion from the time they left the gardens in India till they 
were offered for sale to the Australian public. That was a 
sure guarantee that no adulteration would be permitted. 
Another point in favor of the teas was that those offered 
to the public by this Association were products of ten or 
fourteen gardens blended nicely together, so as to produce 
the most pleasant flavor possible. The Association intended 
to gointo the trade with spirit, and did not doubt, to con- 
quer in the end. As instancing the manner in which Indian 
tea had increased in popularity in England, he might men- 
tion that in London last May 4,500,000 lb. more Indian 
tea were sold than in May of the previous year, and the 
total export from Calcutta to London for the month had 
been 44,500,000 lb. He would now call upon them to 
drink success to the Calcutta Tea Association. 
Mr. E. S. Haeley begged leave, as one of the oldest 
tea brokers in the colonies, to say a few words before 
the toast was honored. He could assure them that the 
teas were bound to become popular, although a prejudice 
might exist against them atfirst. Anyone who had taken 
Indian teas for a few days would never go back to Chinese. 
The starting of this Association was of more interest to the 
colonies than the generality of the public were aware of, 
and he sincerely hoped the operations of the Association 
would be successful. 
The toast was then drunk with great enthusiasm. 
The Chaieman proposed the health of the manager, 
Mr. Fraser, and spoke in eulogistic terms of that gen- 
tleman's qualifications for the post. 
