Nov. 1, 1899.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 315 
PRODUCE AND PLANTING. 
Impokt Duties on Tea. — A despatch, dated July 12 
last has been received at the Foreign Office from 
H.M. Ambassador at St. Petersburg, reporting that, 
according to a decision of the Council of the Empire, 
passed on June 4-16, 1899, and published in the 
Bulletin of Laws of June 25-Jnly 7, 1899, the following 
alteiations, under the Russian Customs Tariff in 
respect of the duty payable on tea are, according to 
the " Board of Trade Journal," decreed : 1, Brick tea, 
black and green imported into Russia across the 
European frontier to pay duty at the rate of Rll"25 
per poud (former duty, R31"50 per poud). 2, Black, 
flower, green, and yellow teas imported at the frontiers 
of the Steppe, Irkutsk and Ois-Amur Governor- 
Generalships to pay duty at the rate of R22'50 per 
poud (former duty R19'50 per poud). "With the com- 
pletion of the Russian lines of rail to the Pacific the 
rates of the duty on tea ^will be subject to farther 
consideration. 
Tea Cultivation in the United States. — With 
reference to the exaggerated statements about tea 
cultivation in the United States, to which we referred 
last week, a writer in the "City Press," says: "I 
wonder what Mincing Lane thinks of the statement 
that experiments in tea cultivation in the United 
States have proved a complete success, and that 
America will in time rival China and Ceylon in its 
production, I do not know what is to prevent the 
Buoceasful cultivation of tea in the Southern States, 
but I could not think it likely to be profitable. There 
la about as much put upon the markets of the world 
aa can be disposed oti and prices rule so low that 
there aeems nothing to gain by further competition. 
There is, however, another side to the question. 
Prom the tea-drinker's point of view the revolution 
effected by the success of the Indian plantations has 
not been an unmodified advantage. I haTe never 
become reconciled to the flavour of the Indian tea, 
but have been sufficiently philosophical not to be 
very much troubled about it. If the American tea 
should prove to be superior in quality, and delicate 
in flavour, like the better teas of China and Japan, 
there may be some chance that its cultivation 
will pay." It will be seen that it is not from a tender 
regard for the feelings of India and Ceylon growers 
that this correspondent has been moved to write. 
While admitting that the experiments in America are 
unlikely to prove profitable, he is not averse to ex- 
pressing a faint hope that there may be some chance 
for American tea if the growers can only produce that 
delicate flavour he loves so well. But even this does 
not demolish his contention that the cultivation of 
tea is not likely to pay. 
Pushing China Tea. — The attempts made to re- 
vive the taste for China tea take various forms. 
The following, referred to by a correspondent of 
the "Liverpool Courier," refers to one of the latest 
of these. He writes : " It is the universal practice 
in London — and for anything 1 know to the con- 
trary it may be the universal practice in the pro- 
vinces — for hotel-keepers and publicans to designate 
the best liquors which they retail by the glass as 
' special,' Hence the customer will call for ' a spe- 
cial Scotch' or ' a special Irish,' and even if he 
calls for a glass of port or sherry be will pro- 
bably be asked if he wants ' special.' I mention 
thia because it partly explains a significant little 
incident in my recent experience. I went into an 
unlicensed restaurant and called for a pot of tea, 
' Special tea ?' at once queried the dainty maiden in 
attendance. I was rather surprised and amused, for 
with a wide experience of such establishments I had 
never heard that question asked before. ' What do 
you mean bj; " special " tea ?' I inquired. ' Why, 
good tea — China tea," she answered, with a strong 
emphasis on the word China. Of course I ordered 
the special tea, and, served as it waa with the accom- 
paniment of cream, I found it very well worth the 
extra charge o£ twopence. The incident set me upon 
making special inquiries, and as a result I find that 
the incident is simply the sign of a reaction against 
Indian and Ceylon teas and in favour of China tea. 
Having always used China tea in my household, and 
being familiar with its greater delicacy and superior 
hygienic qualities as compared with other teas, I 
rather wonder the reaction has not begun sooner. It 
has been hindered by the higher price of China teas 
which, taking them grade for grade, are about one- 
third dearer, whilst the very best qualities of China 
tea are more than double the price of the best Indian 
and Ceyloa teas. Then, too the average housewife 
does not understand that China tea, especially if it 
is good, requires a minute or two longer to infuse. I 
now learn, however, that in the best hotels and the 
best houses in London it is China tea that is gene- 
rally used, and that medical men are more and more 
advising their patients to give it the preference." 
The Profits of Tea Retailing.— The "Grocer'' 
quotes from a handbill issued by a London tea retailing 
concern, in which is the following : " Remember — 
tea is sold at a price within the reach of all, viz., 
2s per lb. Owing to its immense strength and fine 
quality it will go twice as far as many ordinary 
teas, and is therefore cheaper. The Tea Com- 
pany, Limited (incorporated under the Companies 
Acts, 1862 to 1898), will pay to every woman who 
becomes a widow the following sums of money : If, 
at the commencement of taking tea, the husband is 
under thirty years of age £30 ; forty, £25 ; fifty, £18; 
sixty, £12 ; seventy, £7 ; provided she has purchased 
a balf-pound of tea for the five consecutive weeks 
prior to her becoming a widow. Customers who pur- 
chase a quarter-pound of tea weekly will receive half 
the above sums. In the interest of bona-fide custo- 
mers the Conpany require that the husband shall be 
proved to be in good health at the commencement of 
the continuous taking of the tea. Quarter benefit 
in five weeks, half benefit in six months, full benefit 
in twelve months. List of moneys paid with the 
names and addresses of the widows who have received 
the benefit, can be seen at the registered offices of 
the company in London or at any of the company's 
branches." 
Jyeee Tea. — "By the kindness of Mr. G. S. Peter- 
son, of Weston-super-mare," says the "Kew Bulletin," 
" we have received a sample of this so-called tea, and 
find that it is made of leaflets apparently belonging 
to some species of Acacia. Mixed with the leaflets are 
petals which may well be those of a Cassia, and a 
little ordinary tea had been added to one sample, but 
Mr. Peterson says that such is not always the case 
Jyree tea is the name under which this mixture has 
been offered for sale in Britain. It is of Indian origin, 
probably from Madras, and cannot as yet be said to 
have any extensive use. ' Jyree,' we are informed, 
is a name derived from that of the native servant of 
an Anglo-Indian who claims to have discovered its 
virtues. ' Jyree ' oil is said to be a cure for aches 
and sprains ; ' Jyree ' soap is said to soften the skin, 
and 'Jyree' may be used, too, for aoftening leather," 
THE CHARGES ON TEA, 
Elsewhere we refer to the question of Customs 
rates and Warehouse charges. Upon the subject of 
bulking in London, a correspondent, signing himself 
" Planter," in the course of a letter which is an 
indictment inter alia of the agency system, so far as 
charges, commission, &c., are concerned, which we 
do not think it necessary to print in its entirety, 
says : " Notwithstanding the most painstaking per- 
sonal supervision of this operation, which I carried 
out at the factory for years, break after break of 
tea waa reported from London aa irregular in 
quality, necessitating rebulking there, and I ulti- 
mately gave up the practice and packed each day's 
manufacture separately. In the light of observation 
made during the past two years in London, it has 
become quite evident to me that my agents have 
not supported 'my efforts to the extent I, as manager 
