Feb. 1, 1899.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
545 
THE TEA CONTROVERSY IN AMERICA: 
CHINA vs. INDIA AND CEYLON TEAS. 
New York, Dec. 2. 
Editor of '' The Journal of Comraerce and Com- 
mercial Bulletin." 
Sir, — Knowing your desire to have your representa- 
tive piper give the public facts I again ask your 
indulgence. 
The article which I sent you on Novenibsr 3rd, 
making a plain statement of fact regarding the relative 
purity of China teas and India Ceylon tea.^, has 
provoked replies from those interested in advertising 
the latter teas in this country, and this was to be 
expected, as no one has hitherto come forward to 
refute their extravagant statements used to advertise 
their wares. For instance, I quote from an advertise- 
ment in your issue of October 26. 
" Irapoits of tea from China and Japan are 
scarce, dear and bad, and are apparently at a 
standstill." 
Comment on such a statement as this is unnecessary. 
The facts remain jnst as I tben stated them, for it 
IS absolutely true that the Formosa Oolongs and China 
Congona imported under our present laws are purer 
and of better flavor and quality than Indias and 
Ceylons. This fact should be known to consumers 
who otherwise might be led bj' the extensive advertis- 
ing of foreigners seeking to introdaoe India and 
Ceylon teas here to believe that those teas were 
better. The quality of China teas imported here has 
improved very much during the last two yeors, owing 
to the inspection law and import duty, and I speak of 
the facts as they exist today and will exist in the 
future under our present laws. 
That Ceylon and India teas have some merit and 
are desirable in blending is true, as, owing to the 
climate, soil and stuff used in fertilizing they have 
a rank growth and a correspondingly strong and 
rank flavour, which is usable to a degree when 
blending with China teas having a more deli- 
cate flavor and greater purity. Such cele- 
brated medical authorities as Sir Andrew Clark 
and Dr. Hale White, of London, have pointed out 
the extreme amount of tannin contained in Indian 
teas and warned the consumers of its injurious 
effect upon the nerves, and advised them to use 
China teas and to be "satisfied with flavour and not 
desire intoxication." 
While hundred thousands of dollars are being spent 
annually in this country to advertise Indian, Ceylon 
and Japan teas, my only purpose ia to tell tea drinkers 
whenever such advertisii.'g becomes misleading, as it 
has lately, and is now. iilr. Blechynden's answer 
to my first statement is not to the point, as he 
wrongly assumes that I am defending Japan teas 
and colored teas from his advertising attacks. He 
will .sse by reading my article again that I spoke 
of comparing Formosa, Oolongs and China Congous 
with India and Ceylon teas, and no matter by what 
process of preparation the results are obtained the 
facts remain just as I stated them, that ''the China 
Oolong and Congous teas are decidedly clearer in water 
and without the muddy liqour of the Indian and Ceylon 
teas, and are alsoof decidedly better flavor and quality.'' 
I will not answer the parties seeking to advertise 
their particular brinds through the medium of cor- 
respondence in your columns. — Yours truly, 
B. A. WILLARD, 
New York, Dec. 3, 1898. 
Sir, — Although I am confessedly advertising India 
and Ceylon teas in America I ask the courtesy of your 
columns, as I desire to bo put upon the same footing 
as those heavily interested in Japan and China teas, 
to whom you extend this i)rivilege, and who thus 
advorti.-;e for nothing. I welcome the reappearance of 
Mr. Willard as one of your correspondents, as, to use 
his own expression no one else ap[)ears desirous to 
try nnj " refute the statements we make in advertis- 
ing our wares." Let ns see how much success attends 
Mr. Willard'sown itlorts in this direction. Tlio corrc- 
spoudcuue originated with a letter from ilr. Wil- 
lard reflecting on our advertising of India and Ceylon 
teas. To this I replied, challenging him to deny the 
ma-m contention they contain, viz., that India and 
Ceylon teas are manufactured, by machinery are 
uncoloured and unadulterated, and that Japan and 
China leas are rolled by hand— frequently by foot— 
and that the bulk of them which come to this country 
are artificially colored. To this he has made no reply 
so that your readers may draw their own inference and 
see how much of refutation he accomplished. Mr. Wil- 
lard now charges other correspondents with beiiig inter- 
ested in our advertising and with booming theiv own 
brands. Besides Mr. Willard and myself there have so 
far been five other writers, two of whom, Mr. Nicholson 
and Mr. R'jbertson, are importers of India and Ceylon 
teas, and are thus open to Mr. Willard's charge. The 
other three are Messrs. Eppens, Smith & Wiemann 
Mr. Thomas Martindale and ftJr. Jenks, who I need 
hardly tell the trade sell any tea their custome>-s 
want. Many of your readers must, like myself, have 
been struck by the evident sincerity of the writers 
and as for the jibe at brands, a simple statement 
of fact made by Mr. Blartindale, that by adding India 
and Ceylon teas to one of his mixtures he has trebled 
its sales, is worth any quantity of loose generalities 
1 have further to point out that the advertising of 
India and Ceylon tea is of the most general character 
and is irtended to benefit the trade ; there are now 
few if any firms who do not sell these teas, and 
consequently any one of them taking a part in this 
correspondence is open to the charge that they are 
interested. Even were this not the case it would be 
obviously unfair to debar those who import this tea 
and are the most familiar with the growing demand 
for it from stating facts known to them. If Mi- 
Willard attacks these teas he must expect to he ir 
from the other side. 
I will now reply to the charge that our advertise- 
ment saying that Japan and China teas were scarce 
dear and bad, was wrong as a matter of fact. ' 
According to Montgomery s return the shii^ments 
of these teas on the 1st of December, 1898, were 7 
million pounds less than shipments to the same date 
last year. To this shortage has to be added the 
large quantity of rejections, which cannot be much 
short of another million pounds. Now, the shin- 
ments last season were considerably short of previous 
years, and it is clear that these teas are by com- 
parison scarce. 
The new tea law is admittedly excluding the most 
inferior teas, and by its action his put a premium 
on the stocks of unsaleable rubbish which has lain 
over from previous years, none of which would pass 
inspection now, and some of which has been in this 
country over twenty years, and was fit only to be 
consigned to the same destination as "salt which has 
lost its savor." Such tea was selling— when it could 
be sold— at, say, 4c per pound; it now brings 18c or 
'20c. It is dear and bad. 
As to the statement that India and Ceylon teas 
owe their strength to the use of fertilizer.s" it is ab- 
f olutely at variance with the facts. The tea plant is 
found wild in its nitive home, India, and every tea- 
man knows that the "indigenous" and ''hybrid" 
varieties of the plant are richer in the essential pro- 
perties of tea than plants grown for centuries on tho 
same soil under artificial conditions. The plants in 
China and Japan owe their very life to the dome'^tic 
habits of the thrifty Mongolian, who preserves and 
carries to the field that which the caste and relieion 
of the natives of India and Ceylon prohibit beintr 
touched. Night soil is the great fertilizer in China 
and Japan, and is absolutely unused in India aud 
Ceylon, where the tea gardens flourish on practical] v 
Tirgm soil. ' 
I could if it were desirable quote medical authority 
against the use of all tea, and especially ngainst Iho 
use of green ton, but in this c.<»so India, Ccylou jnpan 
and China have a common interest in do'iug iiothinR 
which will n- lucc tho .already small consuiiiptiou of 
tens generally in America. 
I may, however, point out that tho active principle 
of tea la caffeine, uud India aud Ceylou tea contuia 
