Jan. i, 1S95.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
483 
CEYLON TEA IN AMERICA. 
San Fraucisco, California, U.S.A., Nov. 20, 1891. 
My Dear Sir, — It is soma considerable time 
since last I wrote you, and during the interval 
I have not been idle, but have gained a good deal 
of information that may be useful to the planting 
community, and may also be of service to the 
" Committee of 30." 
I think I forwarded you a copy of the Los Angelas 
Herald, containing a descriptive article I was asked 
to contribute oa "Ceylon" generally; though I was 
rather hurried when writiag it, 1 managed to work in 
Ceyloa tea pretty stroagly I thiak. 
I remained for some time in Los Angeles aad 
district, aad as the aanual raoe-meetiag took place 
during my visit there, I atteaded the races oa two 
days. There I saw the faiaou3 racer, Silkwood, wia 
3 out of 4 heats, the best time made being 2 minutes 
8 3-5 seconds I think. I do not think either trotting or 
pacing races are as pretty as flat racing or hurdle 
racing, but these former are quite a feature of this 
country, where the breeding of fa3t trotters and 
pacers has become quite an industry and a science. 
CEYLON TEA TOO HIGH PRICED. 
I found during my second visit to Los Angeles 
that there was somewhat more inquiry for Ceylon 
teas, but they required pushing and advertising in 
some prominent and nooel manner, something that will 
at once attract the attention and stimulate the 
curiosity of the people. To the subject of advertising 
I will refer later on. I mentioned to the leading 
tea dealers that I thought they had handicapped our 
teas by charging far too highly for them. At present, 
the very high grade teas are not what are wanted 
for the American market ; of this I am certain, and 
others Will bear me out in this coateation. A very 
small proportion of tho tea-driakiag people of this 
country can afford to pay $1 per lb. for their tea. 
Now this means 4s 2d sterling per lb. and there is, no 
duty on tea, or at present rates of Rupee exchange 
about R3'58 (say R3'50). This is, of course, absurd. 
How many practical proprietors and planters in Ceylon 
would object to make a yearly contract to sell all 
their broken pekoe, pekoe and pekoe souchong for 
Rl, R0 - 75 and RO'50. This would work out at about 
oents of a dollar 23, 21 and 14 for the three grades, 
and surely if grocers charged only $075, $0't>0 aad 
$0'40 they would have an ample margin of profit. 
I have seen no Ceylon tea in this country retailed 
at $1 per lb. that was worth such a price I Of 
course at the Chicago Exposition, our tea was 
generally beautifully made aad served in the 
cup for the public, and to most it was a reva- 
lation. Many came there to spend money freely ; 
but now that times are harder even tban ever 
they were, you cannot persuade them to invest $1 
in a lb. of new tea, comparatively unknown to them, 
when they can get the same quantity of Japan and 
China, and to wuieh they are well accustomed, for 
$0-40 or 0-50. 
This is a subject that must be very seriously con- 
sidered by Planters, Agents, &c, for it is far better 
in our present circumstances, to sell a million lb. 
at a fair business profit, than a quarter or a fifth 
that quantity at an immence profit, mostly benefiting 
the dealers, and not the producers. 
" MISERABLE " CEYLON TEA PACKAGES. 
I met, by appointment, the leading Tea Broker of 
this City, who is Importing Agent for the leading films 
of Yokohama, Hongkong and Shanghai, Amoy, 
Foochow and Formosa, and Canton ; and had 
quite an interesting interview with him, (by the 
way he is likely to become a subscriber to your Urerhind 
issue.) We touched on several points, and I give 
you his opinions on the " inisorable Ceylon package " 
as compared with the bright and attractive packigos 
from China aad Japan, to which the trade are usod 
here. 
This gentleman further convinced mo of the 
numerous complaints of the trade, which seem justified, 
for tho condition in which Ceylon Teas reach this 
pjarket, is not at all creditable or conducive to trade, 
and in fact very often does more to " get their backs 
up" and put the trade against Ceylons than anything 
else. 
He sxid, "We have a good article, a first-rate one, 
why d — n it at the outset by such a miserable- 
looking repulsive box: the very poorest rubbish from 
China and Japan comes to thi3 country beautifully, 
artistically and attractively packed." This was the sub- 
stance of our conversation on that point. Planters, 
Agents and Proprietors, to capture, or even gain a footing 
in this market, must pay more attention to their 
packages, and the unsightly and crude box into 
which their fine teas have been put from tho 
beginaiag, must be entirely dnoe away with, or 
greatly improved. (N. B. — Has any improvement been 
effected in the Ceylon Tea Chest generally used, 
since we began to grow and export tea ? I think not.) 
Look at the care taken by your Eastern competitors, 
whatever hanky-panky tricks they may play with 
the contents of their tea chests. The chests them- 
selves are almost perfect ; artistic, and a thing of 
beauty, therefore a " joy forever." "Loss of weight, 
open seams, torn bad lining, damaged tea, unsightly 
appearance, and useless and far too much marking" 
are some of the loud complaints made against the 
unpopular chest in vogue in Ceylon. 
Growers require a neat attractive box with which 
to dress their windows, and stores ; where they like 
to build pyramids of pretty tea chests, and show 
rows of them oa their shelves. Can aay one faacy 
rows of Ceylon chests ia high-class grocery 
stores, as an ornament or attraction ? 1 hope 
in my next monthly letter to be able to send 
you more definite information oa this point, with 
drawings, cost, and geaeral data, for a chest suitable 
for this country, more in accordance with the neat 
p.tpered and matted boxes of China and Japan. 
Ceylon must be prepared to pay more for a proper 
package than she has done in the past. Everyone 
knows how much there is in appearance, and a few 
cents extra on a chest would be money well spent, 
if it assists in gaining a footing for your teas here. 
The size of the chest is an important thing, and 
the 100 lb. chests are not adapted for this market. 
I have this information on the best authority : 60 to 
70 lb. is the size for the American market. I would 
advise no large forward contracts being entered into 
for the supply of tea chests until such time as the 
desired information mentioned above is available. 
NATIVES TO EXHIBIT TEAS. 
While south on my second trip, several of the lead- 
ing tea people, when talking over the pushing of 
Ceylon Teas, were almost unanimous as to the great 
benefit that would accrue and the impetus that would 
be given to these teas, were the idea carried out of 
having Natives to visit the different towns, in 
charge of a competent person, one who knew his 
subject, as well as knowiag the Natives, aad who 
could " talk tea" to the crowds who would visit the 
stores where the Natives would be serving the cheerful 
cup. Many of them said they would gladly give the 
requisite space in their stores, supply all things 
required, such as crockery, heating apparatus for 
boiliug tho water, cakes, &a. and bear a portion of 
advertising locally and send invitations to their 
oustomers to attend these "afternoon teas", provided 
the Natives were sent by the (Jeylon Planters, 
I am confident this would be one of the best modes 
to advertise our teas and attract attention to them. 
I know somo people hold that the wholesalers are 
the ones to interest first and they will push our teas 
with the retailers, who will then ask the public to 
purchase them. 
There is another way to look at the matter. The 
grocers say "You should interest the individual 
members of the community, the families, and then 
it will be tini3 for us to handle and keep in stock these 
new teas, when we we asked for them." Tho whole- 
salers will then import largely, when they find a 
steady and increased demand coming from the 
grocers for them. 
My imnudiato object in returning to San Fran- 
cisco was to meet Mr. R. Valentino Webster, who 
arrived from the East gu tho 12th instant and lef^ 
