June i, 1882.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
1013 
containing exhausted leaves, wc 
nounce such in the interests of 
[This is what is honest and rigl> 
that Mr Everard denounces tin 
chemists, those statements bcinj. 
severe analysis !— liD.] 
In answer to one of these repi 
th« Argus of 5th October 1881, 
held in Messrs. Praser's rooms the 
moved the motion that has been tl 
Melbourne, viz. : — "Thai the state 
Cosmo Newbery ami P. Dunn regs 
of China teas are unjust to the rr 
s" of the 
results of 
jroughly burlesqued in 
lents made by Messrs. 
ding the adulteration 
rchants and traders, 
and untruthful." Immediately alter this motion Mr. 
Everaid purchased the four lines of tea at the auction, 
the analysis of which 1 have just furnished you with, 
and are so strongly condemed by Mr. Newbery 
Mr. Kverard states that 300 were present at the 
meeting — the Argus and Age both say 150 ; but this 
is on a par with other Munchausen statement*, aid 
characterizes the gentleman. Of these 150, at least 
100 are to be found constantly about the exchange, 
for it is the stock, share, and mining exchange as 
well. And I have it from the clerk I sent to watch 
the proceedings that only about twenty tea merchants 
or dealers were present; the rest were attracted by the 
fun tbey expected, and which actually did take place ; 
and a more undignified meeting was never beiore hi Id 
in Melbourne. 
The Messrs. Henty never intended and did not go 
to the Exchange meeting, for it was arranged from 
the first that I should take a part, but, finding n 
preliminary meeting had been held, slips distributed, 
and exerything done to prevent discussion, I did not 
attend. 
For many years past I have endeavoured to im- 
prove the standard of tea used in Victoria, aud, tailing 
to get fine teas fr<>m Foochow of late years, have 
imported small lots fiom Hankow, but so far the leaf 
has been against its sale. 
During the last twelve months I have sold 2,000,000 
pounds weight of China lea, and, therelore, do you 
thiuk it likely, Mr. > ditor,* that I should rundown 
China teas, in which we are so laigely inteiestid, 
for ihe purpose of driving them out of themaiket? 
Certainly not; my sole aim is to improve the standard. 
Take the total sales by auction (only) of t hina teas, 
for last season, 1880-81 — 2,8"-!) 6>0 lb. >old a' 3^d to 
Is. per lb. j l,5b'5,S4() lb. sold at Is 0£dto la. lOd. per lb.; 
aud the bulk this season also consists of teas sold at 4d 
to 9d. per lb. in bond. Will any sane man tell me that 
teas at 3Jd and 4d per lb. are pure and unadulfr rated ? 
These are facta and figues wmch can be checked. 
Agaiust my wish teas do come down from C>>iua 
that I dou't like selling, for we are ioo much in the 
hands of iho Chinese, and therefore the value of the 
'lea Act just passed. Hence, al o, the support I have 
given to Messrs. Cosmo Newbeny aud huuu in iheir 
endeavour to improve the foods supplied to the con- 
sumers of Melbourne. 
And now, as I have been slandered, a few words 
for myself. The first Indian tea that ever reaobed 
Melbourne (a small quantity) was sold by me years 
ago, and came from Mr. .lames 1). Bruce's gardens, 
Mundaldyo; it realized 3s Gd per lb. A small lot was 
then imported which I sold at 4s per lb, and ollowed 
it up by heavier shipments for two or three years, 
being well hacked up by one <>i my assistants, a new 
arrival from London, and who had bci u )cu- in the 
Indian tea trade, and was then the only prison in 
Melbourne thoroughly up in it ; hut hu left to better 
himself. I could then obtain no one m Melbourne 
with sufficient ability to show customers the value of 
" Readers of the QbttfVtr w ill b. ar in mind that Mr. 
Moody is addrcssiug the Indian Ttd OttStctU.—KO, 
Indian tea, and my time was too much occupied to 
attend to it mj self. 
When the Syndicate commenced their operations in 
this market I entered zealously into the work ;* aDd 
to me, as the representative of Jas. Henty & Co., is 
due the success of Indian tea in the Melbourne maiket. 
The traders ovly gave me support. The brokers at 
first (with the exception of Mr. Harley, the oldest 
tta-broker in Melbourne) were against it; such ex- 
pressions as "might as well take leaves from the ti- 
tde shrub," "too herby," " made ine sick," " beastly 
leaf," &c, met me at every turn, all kindly got up 
in 'he interests of Chinese importers. What wonder, 
then, that I should retort by having the Indian tea3 
analyzed, and paying also for whole tea sales of China 
kinds to act as comparisons. Put on my mettle, 
I have induced no less than twenty-nine films to 
blend Indian teas, and have shown them all how to 
do it. Every Saturday afternoon and holiday for the 
last twelve months I have been found at my office, 
either bleuding teas for some customer or el.se trying 
new combinations, or analyzing tea in the Liburatory 
I have attached to the tea -room. 
Aud what is the result? That Indian tea, pure 
and simple, is obtainable in nearly every shop in 
Melbourne and suburbs, and all over Victoria, and in 
another year or two ihe gentle public will not be able 
to do without it. And in this the Calcutta Tea 
Association— no connection with the Syndicate — have 
lent invaluable aid, by being the lirst to pack pure 
lndiau tea in 1 lb. and Jib. packets, tins, &c. 
All the encuiars isstud on behalf of the Syndicate 
have been sent to you, and you can judge if I have used 
other than fair and legitimate criticisms in pushing 
Indian teas. Cl ina importers and brokers have run 
down Indian teas ; I reply by analyzing both and 
comparing them together. This is met by talk that 
too much tannin is left in Indian tea, giving it a 
herby flavour. 1 show, by analysis, that s> me China 
teas are exhausted and adulterated, and this has been 
the nsult; eveiy auction sale of Indian te is has 
shown an advance in pi ice on its predecessor — and this 
in the presence of a stock of tea 4,000,1 00 lb. over the 
same quantity held last season — whilst every sale of 
China tea has shown a decline on its predecessor. 
I dou't talk twaddle, nor am I ever abusive, and 
generally only show (in answer to repeated attacks) 
the analyses of the Chiua aud Indian teas together, 
with a brief footnote, such as— "M.B. — The result in 
favour of Indian teas is too maiked to need further 
comment. Many of the China teas will not pass the 
standard of a genuine tea."— ( Vide Circular, 2Ulh July 
18sl ) 
Do you think, Mr. Editor, any money value will 
repay ine for the trouble I have taken? Certainly 
not. I have taken up the subject con amove, and 
with the sincere conviction that ludian teas are the 
finest produced in ;.ny part of ihe world. 
The Calcutta Tea Syndicate have done their work 
we.l and thoroughly, and their brand on the package 
is now considered sutlicii nt evidence that the tea it 
contains is pure and genuine; bj all means lei your 
tea planters give them liberal support, and with a 
good supply of tea to this market, the continuance 
of the analysis of the teas — which is now deemed so 
important hero that even retailers are sending in 
samples to th- technological Mucum for examination, 
and Messrs. Cosmo Newbury and Dunn andataff have 
* Moat zealously : that itv can testify. The Indian 
Government were fortuuaio in khier representatives. 
Mi-. ■ Bnok, India and Sibthorp, hut these gentle- 
men would be the iii>i to acknowledge that their 
success, rapid and great a* it wan, was mainly duo to 
the untiling and zealous ullorU of Mr. J. O. Moody.— 
Ei». 
