THE  TROPICAL  A'GRfCULTLSRfST  [August  t,  1892. 
TEA  JN  TEE  PAST,  THE  FBESENT  AND 
THE  FUTUKE. 
ClipstoD,  Northampton,  Jure  7th, 
Sir, — Occasionally  it  is  instructive  to  look  back 
in  these  days  of  hurry  and  attention  to  the  day’s 
doings  only,  seasoned  with  the  ir evitable  forecast. 
In  this  instance  1 shall  venture  to  trouble  you 
with  the  ideas  upon  China,  especially  relating  to 
tea,  at  the  date  November  14tb,  1835  ; and  my 
authority  is  the  “ Penny  Magazine.”  Beferring  to 
tea  the  magaziue  expresses  the  opinion  that  of 
all  its  botanical  productions  “ that,  which  is  most 
completely  associated  in  our  ideas  with  China,  is 
tea.”  It  had  been  cultivated  however  at  Bio 
Janeiro,  and  a Mr.  Clarke  Abel,  an  authority  quoted 
several  times  throughout  the  length  of  the  article, 
saw  it  flourishing  in  S Helena.  The  Cape  of 
Good  Hope  is  mentioned  as  the  most  suitable 
geographical  and  geological  situation  for  its  growth. 
Allusion  is  made  to  the  transporting  of  tea  plants 
from  China  to  St.  Helena  and  Cape  of  Good 
Plope.  Mr.  Clarke  Abel  was  of  opinion,  tbat,  the 
difficulties  of  manufacture  could  be  overeeme, 
and  he  concluded  on  the  important  subject  with 
this  extraordinary  sentence— the  fulfilment  of 
which  we  all  know  1 — “ that  if  ever  it  ehall  suit 
the  policy  of  this  country  to  derive  the  tea  from 
our  own  dependencies  there  cen  be  no  doubt  that 
we  shall  cease  to  he  indebted  to  China  for 
an  article  tbat  enters  so  essentially  into  the 
comforts  of  all  classes  cf  my  ocuntrymen.” 
Contrasting  the  times  with  those  of  “ Queen 
Bess”  when  the  maids  of  honcur  drank  ale  and 
ate  rounds  of  beef  at  breakfast,  he  mentions  that 
30,000,000  lb  were  then  annually  consumed.  Ho 
considers,  that  it  is  not  proved,  that  the  use  of  tea 
is  of  comparatively  recent  origin,  and  refers  to 
positive  evidence  as  to  its  use  in  the  eighth  and 
ninth  centuries.  At  that  early  period  an  Arabian 
merchant  refers  to  a tax  on  tea — the  infusion  of 
a herb  named  “ Sab,”  which  is  a very  near  Arabic 
rendering  of  the  Chinese  "Cha.”  It  is  not  necessary 
to  trace  the  course  cf  increased  consumption,  as 
these  figures  being  so  very  email  compared  to  our 
present  experiences  they  sink  into  insignificance 
and  are  as  difficult  to  understand  as  our  millions 
of  today. 
The  praise  of  tea,  and  the  method  of  making 
it,  are  celebrated  in  (he  language  and  poetry  cf 
China,  and  the  method  may  be  here  reproduced  : — 
“ Place  over  a gentle  fire  a well-seasoned  long 
used  vessel  filled  with  the  pure  water  of  melted 
snow.  Boil  it  long  enough  to  turn  a lobster  red, 
and  then  pour  upon  it  the  leaves  of  the  choicest 
tea  in  a tea-pot  of  the  finest  porcelain.  When 
the  thick  cloud  rising  from  it  becomes  a thin 
mist  floating  on  ils  surface,  pour  it  into  the  cup 
and  drink  it  off.  This  precious  liquor  will  drive 
away  every  care.  The  delicious  state  of  quietude 
produced  by  such  a beverage  must  be  felt,  and 
cannot  be  described.”  The  mixing  of  other  plants’ 
leaves  are  alluded  to,  and  amongst  them  the 
‘‘camellia  seEangua”  (Ohawa  or  “ flower  of  tea  ”) 
the  olea  fragrans,  an  Arabian  jc-sBamine.  The 
prepaiation  of  “ brick  tea  ” does  not  commend 
itself  to  our  Ceylon  ideas  of  cleanliness,  the 
11  serum  of  tbo  blood  of  the  sheep  ” being  the 
glutinous  liquid  employed,  and  the  Tartars  scrape 
off  some  of  the  tea  from  this  briok  and  boil  it 
in  a saucepan  “ with  butter,  flour  and  milk,”  O 
my  propbetio  sou',  my  Lipton ! Much  is  said  ts 
to  the  qualities  and  properties  of  tea  ; and  it  is 
used  to  counteract  the  effects  of  “ the  half 
putrid  quality  of  stagnant  water,”  but  very  properly 
something  is  attributed  to  the  fact  of  the  boiling  of 
the  water  necessary  in  the  preparation  or  infusion.  | 
There  is  something  more  curious — the  use  of  tea 
will  correct  the  gross  humours  engendered  in  the 
syEtem  by  the  use  of  “ pork  and  fat  meats  at 
the  same  time  the  excessive  use  of  tea— the  abuse 
in  fact — is  deprecated  and  the  corrective  to  eat 
abundantly  of  fat  meat  1 The  description  of 
the  plant  is  unnecessary,  but  a word  or  two 
on  the  preparation  of  the  commercial  pro- 
duct may  not  be  unacceptable  to  your  reeders. 
Mr.  Abel  admitted  that  black  and  green  tea  were 
produced  from  either  of  his  specimens,  which  were 
lost,  and  the  difference  boih  of  colour  end  quality 
could  be  explained  “ by  the  different  management 
of  heat  and  in  drying  the  tea.  ” He  says  there  can 
be  little  dcubt  that  a leaf  dried  at  a low  beat  will 
retain  more  of  its  original  colour,  and  more  of  its 
peculiar  qualities,  than  one  that  has  suffered  a 
high  temperature.” 
The  strongest  tea  tbat  he  tasted  called  11  Yu-tien,” 
aDd  usfd  only  on  occasions,  scarcely  coloured  lhe 
water.  These  were  “ the  scarcely-expanded  buds  of 
the  plant,”  in  other  wordp,  if  i may  be  so  bold, 
•‘  golden  tips  ” ! 
The  “ copper  plate  drying  ” business  is  indig- 
nantly set  aside  as  being  on  cbemicsl  grounds  quite 
absurd.  Planting  is  described,  and  it  is  asserted 
that  it  is  not  considered  advantageous  to  the  plant 
to  pluck  frem  it  under  three  years  old  aDd  at  tbo 
height  of  four  feet,  which  is  mentioned  as  the  usual 
growth  for  that  age. 
Now  for  reasons  which  will  be  patent  to  every 
experienced  planter.  (“  Conjum  vepeny  doraili”  ?)  I 
shall  allude  to  the  March  or  first  gathering, 
” Great  precautions  are  takeD  in  this  gathering.” 
What  are  they  ? For  weeks,  the  people  engaged 
study  diet  and  habits  of  personal  eleanii 
ness  eating  only  such  foods  as  communicate 
agreeable  odours  to  the  skin  and  breath  and  wear 
gloves  in  order  to  prevent  any  damage  to  the  flavour 
cf  the  tea  ! Of  course  we  know  better  now  and  are 
aware  that  the  finest  teas  ever  produced  were  picked 
by  Tamil  coolies!  Nevertheless,  there  is  a lesson 
to  be  learnt  in  this,  April  and  Jane  produce  the 
coarser  teas  and  the  abundant  harveet.  The  factory 
procedure  is  not  worth  alludmg  to,  for  present 
science  has  dealt  and  is  dealing  with  this  in  a 
manner  hitherto  unknown.  1 he  preliminary  packing 
in  baskets  is  peculiar,  however  ; and  drying  again 
just  before  the  final  packing  for  sale  or  expectation. 
“No  tea  is  drunk  in  China  until  it  has  been  pre- 
pared at  least  a twelvemonth  ” sounds  very  peculiar 
to  nineteenth  century  notions. 
The  best  tea  is  said  to  oome  from  the  province  of 
“ Kiang-nan  ” : but  the  greatest  quantity  of  black 
teas  exported  to  Europe  from  “Fokien.”  The 
overland  trade  with  Bussia  is  alluded  to,  and  the 
remark  is  made  that  a son  voyage  does  not  in- 
juriously effeot  tea.  The  quality  of  the  tea  obtained 
for  Bussia  depended  more  upon  “the  greater  I 
fitness  and  excellence  of  the  soil,  &o.,in  the  districts  , 
from  which  the  Bussians  alone  are  permitted  to 
draw  their  teas.” 
Here  then  are  the  thoughts  about  tea  in  1835, 
and  it  seems  almost  incredible  that  the  con- 
sumption should  now  approach  six  times  tholj 
quantity  then  consumed,  our  population  ODly 
having  doubled!  200,000,003  is  an  amazmg  quan- 
tity, and  with  Ceylon  contributing  nearly  half.] 
still  more  so!  How  literally  the  idea  of  the  British)! 
dependencies  furnishing  us  with  our  wants  has 
come  true.  Long  may  the  enterprise  flourish  in 
Ceylon  1 The  Englishman  (Calcutta)  has  a correJI 
spondent  who  refers  to  the  lamentable  want  of 
energy  which  has  distinguished  the  Indian  tea 
industry  in  its  competition  with  Ceylon,  and  saydl 
that  every  device  known  to  the  “new  advertising  ’ 
has  been  employed  in  popularising  the  Ceylon 
