1 34 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
[June  i,  1893. 
a certain  weight  of  tea  for  a given  time  with 
a given  quantity  of  boiling  water.  The  bouquet 
is  mainly  due  to  the  presence  of  a volatile  oil 
very  .appreciable  to  the  senses  of  smell  and 
taste,  but  for  the  estimation  of  which  the  chemical 
processes  at  present  in  use  are  unsatisfactory. 
The  six  analyses  last  given  were  of  teas  grown 
at  medium  elevation  2,400  feet.  I now  give 
determinations  of  total  extract  tannin  and  theine 
on  other  six  samples  of  teas  grown  at  a high 
elevation  about  4,200  feet  on  land  that  was  for 
a number  of  years  previously  under  coffee. 
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The  average  results  of  the  above  table  might 
be  compared  with  the  corresponding  average 
results  of  the  previous  table  taking  the  “medium” 
and  “fine  plucking”  averages  separately. 
Comparison  oj  total  Extract,  Tannin,  and  Theine 
(luoqueoHS  extract ) in  high-grown  tea  and 
in  tea  grown  at  medium  elevation. 
In  100  parts. 
High 
Medium  Elevation- 
eleva 
tion. 
Medium 
Fine 
plucking. 
plucking. 
38'71 
40-5 
42-5 
10-41 
10-56 
12-16 
1 *31 
1-78 
1-88 
are  com- 
Total  extract  . . . 
Tannin  in  aqueous  extract 
“Theine  in  aqueous  extract 
When  the  first  and  sec — 
pared  the  difference  in  the  proportion  of  tannin 
is  but’ small ; while  in  the  total  extract  and  theine 
the  difference  is  tolerably  marked.  When  the  first 
and  third  column  are  compared,  there  are  marked 
differences  in  the  amounts  of  all  three  items. 
* By  ether  process, 
(To  be  continued. ) 
“STALK”  IN  MANUFACTURED  TEA. 
We  doubt  very  much  if  it  would  be  generally 
admitted  by  p-lanteis  that  the  teas  smt  home  from 
Ceylon  contain  any  appreciable  amount  of  “ stalk  ; ” 
but  the  results  obtained  by  Mr.  Hughes  according 
to  his  reoent  analyses,  and  since  shown  to  our  London 
correspondent,  seem  to  indicate  that,  at  ail  events 
in  the  case  of  Ihe  samples  operated  on,  there  was 
no  inconsiderable  adm.xture.  Of  course  it  may  be 
conceded  that  it  must  be  almoBt  impcssible  to 
altogether  avoid  the  presenoe  of  Borne  ‘'stalk’’ 
Piobably  the  most  careful  and  expert  pluckers 
C0'- Id  not  altogether  avoid  breaking  off  some 
trifling  portion  of  stalk  when  taking  off  the  leaf, 
and  perhaps  there  muBt  be  a greater  liability 
when  the  plucking  is  done  at  an  advanced  stage 
of  maturity  in  the  leaf.  Neverthe  ess,  while 
admitting  this  liability,  we  would  urge  a 
greater  degree  of  strictness  being  exercised  over 
pluckers  and  the  punishment  of  coolies  guilty 
of  such  careless  pluckiDg.  It  seems  certain  that 
when  an  undue  amount  of  stalk  is  detected  in 
tea  samples,  the  price  is  affected.  Mr.  Hughes, 
during  the  course  of  the  analjses  lately  made  by 
him,  appears  to  have  be  en  struck  by  the  amount 
of  stalk  that  he  discovered  to  be  present  in  the 
small  samples  operated  upon  ; so  much  eo,  indeed, 
that  he  mentioned  the  fact  to  the  dealers  from 
whom  he  obtained  them.  These  gentlemen  were 
so  incredulous  of  Mr.  Hughes’  statement  as  to 
this,  that  the  latter  went  to  the  trouble  of  sepa- 
rating the  dried  stalk  by  hand,  and  then  swelling 
it  by  hot  infusion.  The  result  was  evidently  a 
surprise  to  the  vendors  of  the  tea,  and  Mr.  Hughes 
pointed  out  by  reference  to  drawings  of  the  tea 
plant  how  liable  the  position  of  the  leaf  upon 
the  stem  was  to  cause  the  breakage  off  of  a part 
of  the  latter  in  the  plucking.  In  less  than  an 
ounce  weight  of  tea  a large  number  of  pieces  of 
stalk  about  half  an  inch  in  length  were  discovered. 
This  substance  is  Dot  likely  to  improve  either 
the  infusing  strength  or  the  flavour  of  the  tea, 
for  Mr.  Hughes  tells  us  that  the  stalk  contains 
none  of  the  valued  theine,  though  it  probably — 
as  does  all  bark— oontains  a very  material  propor- 
tion of  taDnin.  We  should  think  it  to  be  very 
difficult  to  separate  stalk  from  the  leaf  at  the 
Faolory,  and  therefore  that  the  only  remedy  must 
be  to  insist  on  more  careful  manipulation  by 
the  coolies  when  plucking. 
Perhaps,  however,  some  of  our  upcountry 
friends  have  had  their  attention  directed  to 
this  matter  before,  and  could  tell  us  what 
measures  they  have  adopted  to  ensure  the 
absence  of  any  considerable  admixture  of  stalk  in 
the  teas  they  have  sent  home  ? In  any  case  the 
opinion  of  practical  planters  on  this  question 
of  “ stalk  ” would  be  very  acceptable.  Mr. 
Cochran,  to  whom  we  referred  the  matter 
in  the  first  instance,  writes  very  sensibly  as  fol- 
lows:—“I  am  of  course  of  opinion  that  the 
presence  of  stalk  other  than  the  mere  petiole  of 
the  haf  which  in  tea  is  very  short,  the  leaf  being 
almost  sessile,  must  deteriorate  its  value.  It  is  not 
a new  thing  to  find  some  stalk  in  tea  as  after 
infusion  everyone  is  familiar  with  the  appearanoe 
of  a small  pieoe  of  stalk  floating  on  the  surfaoe 
of  the  tea  occasionally.  I should  think  where 
tea  is  plucked  by  hand  there  should  be  no  diffi- 
culty in  keeping  down  the  amount  of  stalk  to  a 
minimum  : but  when  patent  clippers  are  used,  I 
oould  easily  understand  an  undesirable  amount  of 
stalk  being  taken  along  with  the  leaves.”  We  may 
put  the  question  as  to  whether  the  tea  samples 
operated  on  by  Mr.  Hughes  could  possibly  have 
been  prepared  from  “ leaf " cut  by  a " patent 
pluoke*  ”? 
