688- 
THE TROMCAL AGRICULTURIST. [April 2, 1894. 
'o Ho a feasible collection at the rate of the 
biDall_ cess DOW imposed on the Ceylon Custome. 
But whether that cess can be continued and the 
money handed over to the Planters' Aaeociation 
or a Special Committee, it is for the Government 
to say. In the case of Indian tea, the neoessiry 
colleciion, wo undcrotand, would be guaranteed by 
B Committee of Calcutta Tea Agents. There are 
no doubt diffiouUi PS in the way of workioR out a 
joitit Scheme ; but we Bee nothing insuperablp, while 
It ia certainly very desirable to have neither 
the opposition nor the confusion sure to result 
if separate agencifis and schemes arc establisbeJ 
in America lor India and Ceylon t<as, instead 
of one joint representation on behalf of British- 
grown teas. 
Since writing the above, a merchant addrepscs ns : 
— " I send you the Shippiny and Commercial List, 
New York, see the article in Ceylon Tea " :— 
The TaAFric in Ceylon Tka. 
Davenport. Iowa, Fel>. 9, 1894. 
Editor Sbippiog and Commercial Lia^. 
You would oblige me very mnob, if you oouJd give 
me the emonnt of Ceylon teas brought t> tbe United 
Bt»te8 in the yeir 1893. Thanking you ia advauce 
lor the trouble. 
Very respectfully jonrs. 
ChABLEB BEIDIiliBF.OKE. 
[The importations of Ceylon tea are so li^ht and 
irregular compared with other grades, that no record 
is kept of receipts. It is estimated that tbe ar- 
rivals of India, Ceylon and Java teas during 1893 
aggregated about one million and a quarter lb., 
which is a small increase over previous years, 
TLe ins'gQificance of this amount can be belter 
appreciated when it ia stated that the total annual 
consumption of tea in the United States is hetwet-n 
80 and 90 million pounds. Great eflEorta were made 
by the planters of Ceylon to introduce and popularize 
their teas in the United States by establishirg a 
branch house in this city, which was conducted at 
considerable expense ; although the new enterprise 
was well advertised and pushed energetically it failed 
to accomplish the desired object. Consumers of teas 
in this country held on to the unfermented, tannin 
teaB_ of China and Japan, beoauce tbey bad not 
cultivated a taste for the other and becanse of the 
diffierence in pr'ce, probably. The promoters of 
the Ceylon Tea Company made a mistake, no doubt, 
in ignoring the regular importers and jobbers. 
The latter could have been of contidejable assistanct 
in advancing the interests of Ceylon tea. To cre- 
ate a demand far any new article, it is neoeseary to 
advertise Jiberally, meet competition in price, and 
prevent oppo-ition by having the article pass tbroujjh 
the regular trade channels,— En.] 
Very important we deem the above counsel. 
♦ 
INDIAN TEA DISTRICTS ASSOCIATION: 
CHICAGO EXHIBITION. 
A meeting of the Indian Tea Districts' Association 
was held at the offices, 14, St. Mary Axe, B.C., on 
Tuesday, for the purpose of hearing an address from 
Mr. Blechynden ou the work done at Chicago in 
the interests of Indian Tea and its future prospects 
in the United States. 
The chair was occupied by George Williamson, 
Esq., Vice-Pieaident of ttie Association, and 
amongst those present were Messrs. B. G. Shaw, 
A, Bryans, K. li. Magor, W. Roberts, C. W. 
■Wallace, B. Lyell, G. W. Christison, G. Seton, 
T- Carntt, k'. Jjulioek, G. While, U. JSaroshaw, A. 
G. Stauton, W. H. Verner, D. AI, Stewart, D. t. 
iSfeftcn, U. Hel;der^oD, A. Thompson, C. M, Jack, 
Ke th, and G. Cum ick, 
M'. Blechyi.drij, who was warmly received, oom- 
me'jotd his udduss by giving paiticulars of the 
ditbcuitieg he bad had to contend within securirg 
^ suUaiilie space at dUe SshibitioQ, When be 
arrived in Chicago he found that onW 500 leek 
had bren allotted, and having explained that tbia 
was qiii'e ioaufficient — at in adoition to (lie 
Indian Tea Indnttry, he, with Mr. Tellery, repre- 
Kenteii the Indian Art Ware— be waa, after 
rome dif&cnlty, enabled to eeeure 3,000 feet la the 
MHiinfartures Building. Owing to difficulties 
raised by tbe Secretary of tbe Kcyal Comminsionera, 
tliu i>piice nas reduced to 1,600 fi., an allotui-iit i>o 
insufficient for tie purpose tbat it waa rescibde<t. and 
oftpr n< gotiatin^ for two months, a site for a pavJion 
was finally decided upon. The building, which wm 
erected at tbe north etd of the gronodr, wbc-ra all 
tlie State and foreign buildings w«re, ocat 16,000 
(iol!ari<. The Exhibition waa managed by reveral eum- 
mittres, and concessions were most imperfect y dealt 
with hy them. OwiuR to tbia difficulty thire uioutbs 
elapsed before they were able to eell lea. Alter 
innumerable rebuffs and delaja permisiion to do bO 
was given on Angual 29. Mr. B.eobyuden thtn 
read a dercriptive account from the Oflicial 
Directory of the World's Fair of the bnild- 
ing which was erected at the exbibitioo. Tbe 
site he considered was u very good one, being at tb« 
'junction ( f tour roads and in tbe midat ot a great 
tboroaghlxre. Large pyramids of samples oi U a 
were placed on either side o( the eotiauce to tbe 
bnilding. Ten natives and six girls were employed 
and after permission was given to tell tra 
two osfhiers were ergtged. II waa difficult tj 
cnlcniate the number ot cups of tea that were «iT«« 
sw>y free of cbarge before obtaioing permia^iou 
to tell, but roughly it might be stid thai tbe number 
WIS about 1.000 a day— in all 100,000. Tbe grani 
total of the number of cups ut lea give ■ away 
and sold was 220,0C0. Tbe tea was iound to 
ba agreeable to tbe tastes of the public and tbe 
grocirs who vitited tbe exhibition were always 
tHken amongst Iboao whu were partaking 
it ia order that tbey might bear other peoplc'a 
opinions about it. It hud been said thai the Aoicri- 
can water was unsuitable for making tea, but he (51r. 
BUcbynden) found no difficulty lu making tea of 
the most excellent quality in America, and he thought 
this erron'ous theory might be at ot ce explooed. 
Two qualities of tea were sold at the exbibitioo, one 
called "Tbe Light of A"ia," was sold at 1 dol. pet lb 
and tbe other called "The Star of India," waa sold 
at 80c. per lb., and as a proof of the estimation in 
which the tea was held Mr. BlecbyLden stated that 
orders had been received from practically every Slate iu 
tlie Union. 1,500 grocers in different pirts of theUnitid 
Stites were handling the tea before ne left. Hisearuest 
wish was that visitors to the Exhibition might be in- 
duced to purchase the tea after they arrived bome. and 
it was with this object in view that sample packets 
of tea were given away, and he regarded the object 
attained in this respect as of more value than tbe tea 
that had been sold. Good work had been done in se- 
curing the assistance of Messrs. Reid, Murdoch, <fe Uo. 
This tirm does an immense business, and employs 64 
travellers, who go through all the towns and villages 
in the Western States, Had the plan been adopted 
of setting up a store for the sale of Indian lea, as 
was at oue time contemplated, it would have been 
impossible to have employed such a large number 
of travellers. The arrangements made with 
Messrs. Reid, Murdoch, & Co. were that they 
were to be supplied with teas of two standard quali- 
ties at market prices, four months' credit being 
allowed, this being the usual trade custom iu 
America. The tirm undertook to put the teas in 
packets. The difference between Indian and Ceylon 
tea waa not yet recognised, Indian tea being often 
sold as Ceylon. Mr. Blechynden then referred to 
future operations and read the following letter on 
the subject which he had addressed to the Chamber 
of Commerce at Calcutta : " When I left Calcutta 
it was the intention of your Committee to continue 
pushing teas in this market for a period of two years. 
'This was also approved by the London Committee, and 
has the warm support of all wlio are in auy way 
interested in Indian teas with whom I hav€ discussed 
tiie iubiect All ti§iu that tb«^ p&e toetbod-^f 
