32 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICUL'I  URIST. 
[Oct.  i,  i E9 2 
beverage.  The  famous  herb  is  referred  to  in  the 
Chinese  annals  as  far  back  as  2000  B.C-.  at  which 
period  it  was  cultivated  and  classified  almost  as 
completely  as  today. 
An  ancient  legend  says  tbit  its  virtues  were 
learned  by  accident,  by  a Chinese  monarch.  King 
Shen  Nung,  “ The  Div  ne  Husbandman.  who 
flourished  forty  centuries  ago,  and  who,  in  boiling 
water  over,  a fire  made  from  tea  branches  on  which 
the  leaves  still  liung,  allowed  some  of  the  latter 
to  fall  into  the  pot.  During  the  reign  of  Shen- 
Nnng-She,  B.C.  2707  to  2706,  lie  not  only  dis- 
covered the  curative  virtues  of  plants,  but  also 
first  fashioned  timber  into  ploughs,  and  taught  the 
people,  the  art  of  husbandry,  and  instituted  the 
practice  of  holding  markets  for  the  exchange  of 
commodities.  Tea  was  highly  esteemed  in  nearly  : 
every  ancient  Asiatic  city  near  the  sea,  and  was  used 
as  a royal  gift  from  the  Chinese  monarchs  and  great  1 
merchants  to  the  potentates  of  the  East.  At  the 
time  of  Buddha,  China  possessed  a large  foreign 
commerce  in  tea  throughout  Eastern  Asia,  as  well 
overland  as  by  sea.*  This  commerce  culminated  during  j 
the  dynasties  of  Hung-Fung  and  Tang-Chi,  about  ! 
A.D.  1600,  and  from  that  time  there  was  a gradual 
decline  to  about  twenty  years  ago.  The  decline 
since  then  has  been  very  great,  the  trade  today  being 
scarcely  one-quarter  of  what  it  was  in  1870.  I11 
fact  the  industry  is  on  the  verge  of  bankruptcy; 
the  demand  from  abroad  yearly  diminishes:  the 
people  themselves  are  taking  to  other  beve- 
rages; while  the  taxation  necessary  to  Govern- 
men,  which  in  the  former  years  of  prosperity  was. 
a mere  trifle,  now  threatens  an  utter  extinction  of 
the  tea  trade  of  China. 
China  was  far  more  liberal  in  her  commercial  policy 
when  ruled  by  her  own  people  than  she  was  after 
the  Manchu  Conquest,  A.D.  1641.  After  this,  foreign 
trade  seemed  to  drop  out  of  existence,  as  it  were, 
and  foreign  traders  lust  all  status.  This  condition 
of  affairs  continued  for  nearly  two  centuries. 
European  influence,  and  especially  t1  e European 
steamship,  has  wrought  a profound  change  in  tho 
China  trade.  In  the  early  part  of  the  eighties,  the 
great  cities  were  in  the  interior,  and  only  a few 
communities  on  the  sea-board,  and  these  of  no  poli- 
tical importance.  Today  everything  is  just  the  op- 
posite. Canton,  Kowloon.  Hong-Kong,  Swatow,  Amoy, 
Takow,  Shanghai,  and  the  Yangste  river  cities  are  draw- 
ing to  themselves  the  trade  and  wealth  of  the  empire, 
and  the  old  inland  cities  are  visibly  falling  into  ruin. 
Peking,  the  present,  and  Nanking,  the  ancient  capital, 
are  scarcely  half  as  large  as  they  were  a hundred 
years  ago.  ' They  display  all  the  symptoms  of  decay 
and  death.  In  the  seaports  the  population  is  com- 
prised chiefly  of  “ Yronng  China,”  energetic,  enter- 
prising, and  commercial,  and  offers  a marked  contrast 
to  the  conservative  and  literary  communities  of  the 
interior.  From  the  former  will  come  the  rulers  and 
policies  of  the  next  century.  Even  today  their  power 
is  so  great  as  to  be  a stuinblingblock  to  the  Man- 
darins and  a menace  to  the  Imperial  Government. 
The  tea-growers  are  in  the  hands  of  usurers,  mer- 
chants, and  exporters,  who  charge  10  per  cent,  per  \ 
month  on  advances  taking  the  land  and  growing  crop  | 
as  collateral  security,  with  the  condition  of  having  I 
the  first  chance  of  buying  the  crop  at  market  rates  I 
— of  course,  the  money-lenders  bear  the  market  as 
much  as  possible,  in  order  to  profit  by  the  lowest  rates,  j 
Of  late  years,  the  Island  of  Formosa  has  become  a 
te  1 -producing  country,  and  appears  to  possess  unlimited  | 
possibilities."  Its  crops  increase  in  quality  as  well 
as  quantity.  Formosa,  tea  is  probably  the  best  in 
the  world,  and  Americans  consume  about  95  per  cent 
of  the  total  output. 
Amoy  teas  are  still  on  the  downward  path.  In 
the  year  1890  the  output  was  50,000  half-chests,  and 
the  average  price  ®13  per  picul,  or  fivepcuce  per 
pound.  The  following  year  (1891),  it  did  not  exceed 
* That  is  abcut  twenty-four  centuries  ago  ! IV e 
have  a'ready  expressed  a desire  for  confirmation  of  a 
statement  which  gives  tea  an  antiquity  beyoud  all 
other  accounts  vie  have  read,— JSd,  TM. 
48,000  half-chests  in  quantity,  or  yl2'50  per  picul. 
Amoy  at  one  time  was  the  greatest  tec  country  in 
the  world,  and  exported  as  high  as  500,000  half- 
chests  (10  times  its  present  production).  At  one  time 
the  Amoy  teas  were  excellent,  and  the  tea  districts 
correspondingly  prosperous.  By  degrees  its  reputation 
fell,  until  it  became  known  as  the  vilest  and  filthiest 
coinp.o 
und  in 
the  mark 
et.  Today 
■ no  te 
ia  drill 
leer  kuow- 
ingly 
uses  it. 
In 
those 
days.  1 
Formosa 
did 
a bio 
siness  of 
25,000 
to 
50. 000  lm 
df-chests 
per 
annum,  when 
Amov 
v.  as 
doing 
100,000. 
Now 
the 
figures 
are 
exactly 
r verse 
d.  Blit 
the 
tea 
trade  is 
passing  more  and  more  away  from  China.  Thus, 
for  example,  in  1878,  the  export  of  tea  from  Ceylon 
was  25.000  lb. : in  1891,  the  export  was  about  61.000.ooo 
lb.  while  the  consumption  of  China  tea  in  England 
fell  from  125,000.000  lb.  in  1879,- to  61.000.900  lb.  in  1889. 
Tea  culture  is  assuming  large  proportions  outside 
of  the  Chinese  boundaries.  The  Spanish  authorities 
have  tried  to  raise  it  in  the  Philippines  : the  Dutch 
in  Sumatra.  Java,  and  Borneo;  the  English  in  the 
Straits  Settlements,  and  the  French  in  Cochin-China. 
The  Consul  concludes  his  report  by  a few  wolds 
of  advice  of  tea  drinkers  ; — When  I left  the  Cnited 
States  1 was  considered  a fair  judge  of  tea.  Now 
after  having  visited  Ceylon,  Formosa,  and  the  Amoy 
district.  I find  I knew  nothing  of  tea.  We  Americans 
don't  know  the  first  principles  of  making  tea.  The 
delicate  leaf  should  never  torch  metal.  It  should  he 
kept  in  paper,  wood,  glass,  or  porcelain.  To  make 
it,  put  a small  quantity  into  a porcelain  cup,  fill 
the  latter  with  boiling  water,  cover  it  up  with  a 
porcelain  saucer,  aud  let  it  stand  for  three  minutes. 
Then,  if  you  desire  to  be  au  epicure,  drink  only  the 
upper  layer  of  the  golden  liquid;  throw  the  rest  away, 
rinse  the  cup,  and  begiu  drawing  <le  no ro.  Never 
i use  sugar  any  more  than  you  would  sweeten  Chambertin 
J or  pour  molasses  into  Mumrn's  extra  dry.  Do  not 
j use  milk.  It  ruins  the  flavour  of  the  tea,  and  the 
j combination  injures  the  stomach.  The  cloudiness 
1 produced  by  adding  milk  to  tea  arises  from  the  action 
of  the  tannin  upon  the  casein,  and  is,  chemically 
j speaking,  pure  leather.*  Above  all  thing  , do  not  boil 
i tea.  The  heat  drives  off  the  perfume,  spoils  the 
flavour,  and  extracts  the  tannin— the  astringent 
1 principle.  If  the  toiling  be  done  in  a tin  or  iron 
I pot.  the  tannin  attacks  the  metal  and  makes  the 
; liquid  Mack.  The  fluid  is  simply  diluted  ink.  Never  let 
J the  tea  stand,  except  in  a tightly-closed  porcelain  pot, 
I Standing  changes  it  from  a delicious,  wholesome  bever- 
j age  into  an  ill-tasting  and  bitter  liquor.  Better  make 
it  in  small  quantities,  and  make  it  often.  In  summer 
I when  you  want  to  cool  off  quickly,  sip  the  tea  boiling 
I hot,  with  a slice  of  previously -peeled  lemon,  or  nicer 
I still,  of  orange  without  the  rind,  floating  in  it.  in 
| winter,  especially  when  you  have  a cold  and  require 
I a sudorific,  add  a wineglass  full  of  arrack  to  it,  and 
drink  it  down  as  hot  as  you  can  stand  it.  It  will  bring 
out  a profuse  perspiration,  when  punch  or  hot  Scotch 
fails  to  thaw  you  out.  Beware  of  green  tea  It  It 
is  an  abomination  and  a fraud.  In  the  first  place, 
it  is  unripe  leaf,  and  bears  the  same  relation  to  the 
real  article  that  the  green  does  to  the  ripe  peacli. 
The  green  tea  of  commerce  derives  its  rare  colour 
from  being  cured,  or  rather  killed,  in  dirty  copper 
pans,  from  being  mixed  with  weeds  aud  shrubs,  from 
being  stained  with  indigo  and  clirome-yellow,  from 
being  coloured  with  verdegris,  grass  juice,  or  cliloro- 
phyl.  Every  green  dye  known  to  commerce  lias 
been  used  to  produce  that  much-admired,  hut  death- 
dealing  colour,  excepting  it  may  be  Paris  green.  As 
soon  as  tliq  use  of  that  poisonous  substance  will  give 
a profit  of  a cent  a pound,  no  doubt  it  will  be  liberally 
used  by  the  mercenary  Mongolian  merchant,  and  the 
much  more  mercenary  cultured  European  tea  trader. 
I will  venture  the  statement  that  there  is  110  fine  tea 
in  the  United  States.  Wliat  goes  to  our  country  is 
! the  chief  stuff  used  here  by  the  coolies  and  jail  in- 
I mates.”— Discovery,  July  16th. 
* An  absurd  o.xapgei  ation.—  Ed:  T.A 
j And  let  us  add,  ‘-Beware  of  spoiling  black  tea  with 
arrack.  Ed.  x , J, 
