3i6 
TliiE TROPICAL AGRlCtJLTttRISf . [NoV. 1, 1902. 
colour of these answers to the colour of the Japan 
basket-lired green teas, which are also dried by 
a current of hot air, and passed on to the con- 
sumer without any colouring or finishing process 
being attempted. On the other hand, if the firing 
or drying operation is finished on hot pans, they 
will assume the desired green grey colour in the 
dry leaf. The Far East tea finishers, generally 
handling the tea when it is old, are oljliged to 
add colourini? matter to obtain the desired 
colour. On Indian gardens where the tea 
is finished in situ it may be coloured 
pure, for it will take colour without colouring 
matter when it is fresh, but only when it is fresh. 
The advantage which MrDeane's system of green 
tea making has over all others lies in the facility 
with which large quantities of leaf may be rapidly 
handled. It is not too much to say that the com- 
pany, to which Mr Hart alludes as making coloured 
teas by the aid of Mr Diummond Deane's machine 
and system, could never have taken up the con- 
tract to produce 200,000 lb. of coloured green tea 
for the Indian Tea Association, and now 160,000 lb, 
more at half bonus after experience of the cheap- 
ness of green tea production on this process, if 
they had not had Mr Deane's machine and process 
to rely upon to produce the green tea, from which, 
by a final firing, they make the coloured or finished 
article. MrDrummoad Deane by his invention has 
indeed introduced as great a revolution into green 
tea making as was effected by the first machine 
rollers and dryers in black tea. If we are now in 
a position to compete with China and Japan in the 
matter of green tea, as the experience of Mr Hart's 
company shows that we are, it is entirely due to 
Mr Drummond Deane ; who has made it possible 
to produce the uncoloured green tea, from which 
the coloured tea is made by the finisliing process, 
cheaply enough to give us a chance on the market. 
In later days the tea industry and its promoters 
will come to recognise the immense debt it owes to 
Mr Drummond Deane, who has rendered green 
tea, coloured or uncoloured, on a large scale 
possible in India and Ceylon. 
At the same time there is something to be said 
in reply to Mr. Harfc on the subject of uncoloured 
green teas. These, it is now admitted on all 
liands, are as truly "green" in character as the 
coloured variety. Indeed it would be absurd to 
contend to the contrary, for it is from these un- 
coloured greens that the others are made. Mr. 
Hart, iiowever, contends that the colouring 
process adds quality, developes the liquors and 
matures them, and that the process is necessary to 
enable British growers to cempete against the Far 
East teas. If the colouring process is so necessary, 
llow is it that some of the best Japan teas are 
not coloured or finished in the manner described ? 
I allude to the "basket-fired" teas of Japan, 
which are in great favour in America. These 
" basket-fired " teas are dried in an apparatus by 
a current of hot air, corresponding to tiie drying 
machine with which the uncoloured green teas of 
India and Ceylon are fired. Their colour in the 
dry leaf is an olive brown or green very similar to 
the colour of our uncoloured teas. I have pot 
heard that the trade considers that these Japanese 
" basket-fired " green teas are not true ' greens 
or that they show any dehciency in liquor or that 
they require further " development " or " iimtur- 
ing." 1 understand that they are well thought of 
by dealers and consumers. 
I do not hold a brief for uncoloured green teas, 
-bi^t I tUiak it ueieft^I to su^gust tiia^ there should 
be no dictation to tea makers which kind of tea, 
coloured, or uncolored they are to make. It is a 
we!l-establlslied fact that uncoloured green teas 
are going ahead well in Canada and that the 
demand for them is increasing both there and in 
the States. It is immaterial it the States' buyers, 
as Guggested, buy them for the purpose of colour- 
ing, so long as they do buy them. For that 
matter, they do the same with Japan teas at sea- 
port towns of Japan, for the Japanese do not make 
coloured teas on their gardens ; it all has to be 
coloured by the buyers after purchase. The point 
to be considered is that, the demand being in this 
manner assured, it is a matter of personal conve- 
nience with tea producers which style they shall go 
in for. The price obtainable for the coloured tea 
is certainly higher, but the process again is more 
costly and in many instances the margin between 
cost and price will not show to advantage compared 
Avith the margin between cost and prioe of un- 
coloitred teas. Possibly in .some cases it will be 
equal and in a few, Avhere the manufacture is taken 
up on a large scale, the advantage may be on the 
side of the coloured greens. But most concerns 
will not care to pledge themselves toa very large out- 
put at first or incur the expense of installing more 
plant than absolutely necessary. It would there- 
fore be a hindrance to the movemenl to rule out 
uncoloured green teas from the advantage of the 
Association's aid, especially as the demand for it 
is well sustained. Even if it is bought for the 
purpose of colouring, it is so much off the black tea 
market and so much more British-grown tea gone 
into consumption and so a clear gain. 
This I write without prejudice to the movement 
to produce coloured greens, answering t5 Japan and 
China teas, which deserves all encouragement and 
support. Spaaking from personal knowledge I may 
say that a good many of those who are now produc- 
ing uncoloured teas on the Drummond Deane 
system are experimenting with a view 
to colouring their teas before they leave the 
factory and, it they find that they can eco- 
nomically carry out the process, will adopt it ; 
but if any hasty action against the manufacture of 
the coloured teas is taken, they will probably drop 
green tea for good. 
PERMANGANATE OF POTASH AND 
MOSQUITOES, &C. 
Here is the exposure to which our Corre* 
spondent "E. E. d.' recently referred: — 
Other substances have been experimented with. 
Two years ago many newspapers contained an item 
aoncerning the use of permanganate of potash. 
As this item was credited to the Public Health 
Journal it gained a great deal of credence, and 
was afterwards mentioned in an interesting article 
by Mr A C AVeeks, in the Scientific American, 
The published note read as follows : — 
Two and one-half hours are required for a mosquito 
to develop hom its first etage, a speck resembling 
cholera bacteria, to its active and venomona maturity 
The insect in all its phases may be instantly killed by 
contact with minute quantities of permangauate of 
potash. It is claimed that part of this substinca ia 
1,500 of solution distributed in mosquito rnarsheB will 
render the development of larvss impossible ; that m 
handful of permanganate will oxidize a 10-acre swamp, 
kill its embryo insects, and keep it free from organio 
matter for thirty days, at a cost of 25 cents ; that with 
«Are a whola State may he l^ept free of insect {>eat« at 
