Dec. 1, 1S98.1 THE- TROPICAL AQRICULTUEIST. 443 
able quality. The most expensive the " Caravan " 
and " Kaiser Melange " types (ranging from 12 to 20 
shillings per lb.) contained a large percentage of leaf 
which was hardly rolled or fermented at all, very large 
and bold and of a Souchong type. Broken, flat 
leaf, however large, did not appear to be dis- 
liked, so long as it was free from dust and small 
broken leaf. 
The tip when present was prominent, bold and silvery 
(not golden) iu colour in these (China) teas. Dust then 
appears to be objected to mainly as a suspected impur- 
ity, and possibly as productive of too dark and pungent 
a liquor. 
PRICE OF TEAS. 
Even making allowance for a duty of nearly lOd per 
lb. and the expenses of carriage oia London and 
Hamburg or overland via Kussia, the price of 
teas in general use in Austria is prohibitive of a daily 
consumption in an ordinary household. The teas are 
really good teas, but sold at an exorbitant rate, and it 
will be a hard fight to induce the trade to forego their 
present enormous profits. The bird in the hand seems 
worth two in the bush, [and they have no desire 
whatever to make a smaller profit per lb. on the sale 
of a much larger number of pounds. 
Still there is a wonderfully large consumption of 
tea under the circumstances, and the demand appears 
to be on the increase, especially on the Galician 
frontier where Russian inHuance is very marked, and 
this demand might be increased by the following 
mfans: — 
1st. — A reduction of duty. 
2nd. — Competition between dealers, reducing prices. 
3i-d. — The spread of the knowledge of the fact that 
a good tea can be got, at about a quarter of the 
present price. 
I may add that I am opposed to the free distri- 
bution of tea although I, at one time, believed strongly 
in it. I am now of opinion that a large proportion 
of tea distributed free is never consumed at all, but 
allowed to lie forgotten until it is spoiled, and un- 
less tea, when drunk for the first, time is made by 
some one who kaows how to properly infuse it, it 
stands a good chance ©f being actively disliked, and 
the advertisement works against instead of in favour 
of Ceylon. 
Besides this there is the tendency a man always 
has to under-value a thing he has got for nothing, 
whereas he values exceedingly what he has had to 
pay for, although he may have paid dearly for a 
bad article. 
I'liOSPECTS OF TBA. 
I am everywhere iaformed that the use of tea (even 
at the present prohibitive rates) is on the increase, 
and I have no doubt that a carefully conducted 
campaign will be prodirotive of a further increase of 
consumption. 
I cannot too strongly, however, express my opinion 
that we must have a reliable representative ou the 
spot for some few weeks at least every 
year, Such a representative must be able to talk 
German at least and as many as possible of the 
other (a or 9) languages in use in the Austrian Empire, 
80 as to be able to collect information and listen to 
complaints at first-hand. He [should go round the 
various cities twice per annum, in Spring and Autumn, 
and facilitate trade by every means possible. 
For this work Mr. Maiinitsch would be iu many 
ways suited, especially as being an Austrian subject 
and a first-class linguist, he is also already known in 
Court and commercial circles as your accredited 
representative. I should bo glad to hear that the 
Thirty Committee confirm my opinion, 
I understand that IMr. Marinitsch's services would be 
available. 
HunucTioN or hutv, 
This should not 1)0 lost sight of as the present high 
duty is probably based by the Fiscal Authorities on 
what they know to bo the retail price of Tea in 
Austria, 
Individuals have been surprised on being inforhied 
of the fact that the present Import Duty, exceeds the 
dverage wholesale price of Ceylon Tea iu London, 
It might be well officially to acquaint the Fiscal 
Authorities with the respective market values of Indian, 
Ceylon, and China Teas in London. The Consular 
Kepresentative in Vienna and Buda Pesth would be 
the proper channel through which to address such 
communications. 
.iDVEKTISING. 
Mr. Marinitsch has formulated a scheme for ad- 
veitising Ceylon Tea by Posters and also by adver- 
tisements in the Press. It would be noticed that the 
cost of advertising is comparatively cheap, 
GENERAL OPINION OF ADVERTISIXO. 
Indiscriminate advertising must be avoided. In 
Austria, the populace is not an advertisement-read- 
ing one to the same extent as Germans are, and 
advertising generally is much less prominent, 
while comparatively few people advertise. On the 
other hand the small number of press advertise- 
ments secures greater attention being paid to such 
goods as are advertised. 
Austria proper being a German-speaking nation 
there is a free interchange of newspapers, and in this 
way all advertising of Cevlon tea in Germany (al- 
ready sanctioned by your Committee) would do good 
work in Austria and vice versa. 
Advertising being more or less restricted iu Austria 
I think it . . . will be difficult to get persons to do 
business on the lines of our paying one-half or one- 
third only of the expense of advertising. I therefore 
think that the best way would be for the " Thirty 
Committee" to prepare for general continental use 
a good taking aflvertisement of Ceylon tea, leaving 
space at the bottom for the name or names of the 
individual vendor or vendors iu particular towns and 
to defray the whole expense themselves (to begin 
with at least). 
This would do more general good than the distribu- 
tion of free samples costing a greater sum and would 
sensibly help the dealer to do his work. 
If your agent chanced to find any dealer failing 
to supply Ceylon tea or not making satisfactory in- 
crease on his sales, he could withdraw the said dealer's 
name from the Committee's advertisements and sub- 
stitute another name if necessary. If business was 
at a standstill in the particular town advertising could 
be stopped altogether, 
HOTEIiS AND RESTAUEANTS. 
The only form of free distribution of tea that I would 
countenance would be that certain first-class hotels 
and restaurants should get a grant of tea (say 500 lb. 
weight) one half to be infused iu cup and sold to 
customers and the remainder to be sold in packet — 
the whole profit to go to the vendor. — There are several 
good shops in Vienna where the fashionable world 
goes to drink coffee and tea, and eat ices and con- 
fectionery of an afternoon, and one of these might be 
induced in the above manner to make a specialite, 
once or twice a week in the season, of Ceylon tea. 
The others would be forced to follow suit if the 
thing became fashionable. I should not propose to 
risk more than say £100 sterling to begin with in this 
form of advertising. 
It would be of course advisable for your Agent to 
be ou the spot at the time so as to give the scheme 
fair play. 
TEA FOR THE AUSTRIAN TROOPS. 
Owing to the courtesy and help of His Excellency 
Sir Horace Kumbold, and Col, Wardrop, I was able to 
sje certain members of the Imperial General Staff. 
In conversation, their attention was drawn to the 
Military aspectsof the late British Campaigns conducted 
on teetotal principles, and it was suggested that any- 
thing in the nature of an experiment as to the value 
of tea in Army iManrouvres would receive the co- 
operation of the Ceylon Planters who would gnarautee 
that a reliable sample of tea would bo supplied for 
purposees of experiment. The incidence of cost was 
not directly mentioned, but it was made clear that 
the Planters were not acting as retail vendors, but 
as producers of tea, wishing, politico-ecouoniically to 
extend their area of operations. 
In reply we were informed that :— (1) No ration of 
tea was issued in the Axistriau army j (2) Tha( (hg 
