260 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. [Oct. 1, 1902. 
COLOURED AND UNCOLOURED GREEN 
TEAS. 
{TO THE EDITOR OF THE " HOME AND COLO- 
NIAL MAIL.") 
Sib, — I notice in your issu? of July 18th that 
you have published a letter to me, from my old 
friend, Mr Hart, on the subject of finished and 
unfinished green teas. He is of opinion that the 
Canadian buyers will consult their best interests 
by using at once the teas lie recommends, the 
finished article. My reply, copy of which is at- 
tached, states the case for Canada, and explains 
why the finished teas cannot be used at present) 
—Yours faithfully, Ross W. Hayter, 
50, Front Street East, Toronto, July 28, 1902. 
Bobert Hart, Esq., 
Sir, — Thanks for your letter on the subject of 
finished and unfinished Greens from India and Ceylon. 
We are not in a position yet to go into gaestions of 
the relative merit and quality of the " finished " 
krtlcle, as it ia only daring the last month that any 
samples of finished Greens from India have been 
shown. It may be, as yon say, that they are superior 
and will fetch higher prices. This may happen when 
they become known and have been well advertised, 
like uncolonred green Ceylons have been. At present 
the Ceylon and Indian Greens that are wanted in 
Canada (I speak for Canada only) are the 
" unfinished " (to adopt the proper title) 
Ceylon Greens, and have been extensively adver- 
tised as such, as distinct from the coloured teas of 
Japan and China. They have got a firm hold of the 
public taste here. The reason is qnjte evident. When 
Mr Larkin and Mr Mackenzie undertook to push 
Ceylon Greens, the "finished" teas you are now 
making were unknown here, all the Ceylon and Indian 
Greens being of the " mamana " type, and some 
of them excellent in both style and cup, brisk 
and pungent, and better than the finest Japans that 
can be bought here, and with plenty of the cha- 
racter that is wanted in Canada, which is, after 
all, the main point. In fact they have proved to be 
qnite suitable. These are the teas that at a tremen- 
dous expenditure of energy and money on the part 
of Mr Larkin have got established, and, unless the 
supply of the " unfinished " type falls off, as you 
seem to think it I may, I predict that it will hold 
its own for some time to come. The public here have 
' been educated up to the appearance, and are shy of 
a Ceylon Green that looks green, suspecting colouring 
matter. The keeping qualities, too, are all right. I 
have some that I have had nearly a year, and they 
are perfectly sound whereas a black tea would have 
gone o£E. 
The motives you attribute to buyers here for using 
these teas is hardly a fair one. Tney had to use 
them or none, as there were no "finished" teas 
available when they commenced to pnish them, and 
the great point in advertising these teas is that they 
were natural uncolonred teas. You will understand, 
therefore, that Mr. Larkin takes but a small interest 
in these " finished " greens, so far as his own business 
is concerned, although be takes interest in them 
from another point. He can get gardens in Ceylon 
to make as much of the sort he requires — or as much 
as Canada requires — without much trouble, and also 
at the prices Mr. Larkin and others are prepared 
to pay. 
There will no doubt be a market for both sorts 
as time goes on, but it will be some time before 
they get in here and displace the unfinished type, 
which has got a three years' start. I don't wish you 
to think that I am extolling the merts of " unfinished " 
greens as against the " finished," for I have had no 
opportunity yet of forming an opinion; what I want 
to make clear is that for Canada at present (for the 
ce^souH before stated) the anfiuishedl tesis are what 
as wanted both as regards appearance, cup quality 
and price. They beat the Japans used in Canada on 
all points, prices not being the least important. — 
Yours faithfallv, Ross W. Hayteb. 
50, Front Street East, Toronto, July 28, 1902. 
NOBODY'S BUSINESS. 
( To the Editor of The Home and Colonial Mail ) 
Sib, — It 18 satisfactory to see that some interest is 
being aroused in tha extension of the use of China 
tea among those who are prepared to pay the highest 
prices — in the tea-room of the House of Commons 
and also among our richest consumers. Imperialism 
only interests itself in those who protect themselves, 
i.e.. self governing colonies. Regarding reversion to 
China teas the cause is not far to seek. The blenders 
catering for the masses provide an article in which 
strength, more than ever, is the chief consideration. 
What tbose who are prepared to pay highly require 
is a good flavouring tea with most of this pungent 
character eliminated ; substituting in its stead a 
brisk, light; flavoury tea. The masses will for the 
present stand by the stronger compound ; unless they, 
as is so often the case, imitate their betters. Nor 
am I sure that 30 per cent of the public really 
care for strength in preference to delicacy of flavour. 
Fifteen years ago, when Ceylon teas so successfully 
and exclusively won the markets, they were thin ana 
flavoury ; and I well remember going ronnd dealers' 
tasting rooms and being assured that, notwith- 
standing the public approval, they aud soma 
Indians were fetching far above the value put upon 
them by specialists. Having both Ceylon and Indian 
investments, I am writing in the interests of both, aud 
am convinced that a delicate, light, brisk; pleasant tea 
of flavour can be blended from British-grown teas, aa 
acoeptable to delicate palates and as satisfactory to the 
doctors as anything China can produce. It would also 
be able, strength for strength, equally to bear with 
China tea the test in the laboratory. The one great 
evil of the ordinary pungent blend of commerce is 
that it is inclined to be "leathery ", if drank weak. 
Darjeelings, Ceylons, and some Dooars, and many 
other gardens from various districts could, by lighter 
rolling and brisker firing, produce an article which 
would please a finer taste and reassure the doctors. 
If this question were as fully advertised as Ceylon teas 
were fifteen years ago it would, as then, soon become 
the fashion now, as it became then.— I am. Sir, yours, 
W. FORBES LAURIE. 
—H. and C, Mail, Aug. 15. 
MANURING TEA. 
Mr Henry M AUeyn, the Ceylon planter to whom 
v^e owe a new sysitera of plucking, which has 
been very largely adopted to the advantage of 
Ceylon gardens, favours us in this issue with his 
views on manuring, a subject whichjindian planters 
would do well to study, as it is the backbone of tha 
industry in many parts of Ceylon. Mr AUeyh 
pins his faith to manuring for quality, and we 
may state here that he has applied in India and 
Ceylon for patent rights in a new mixture of this 
own composition, with which he claims to effect 
the object of improving quality in tea manufac- 
tured. — Indian Gardening and Planting, 
August 28. 
Paper Buildings.— The Paper-makers' Monthly 
Journal reports that a Russian nobleman has 
upon his estate at Savinowka in Podolia a paper 
house of sixteen rooms, built in New York, at a 
cost of 80,000 roubles, and its architect declares 
that it will last longer than a stone building. 
Bergen, in Norway, has a church built of paper 
capable of seating a thousand people. 
