Nov. 1, iodl.j THE TiidPlci'Li AGRldt^Tt^EtSI*. 
3B3 
L. Also another large firm witli whoni tea is 
only a minor article, all of >vliicli they buy in 
London, and they sell principally thtiir Assam 
blend. 
M. A smaller firm who took iip Ceylon tea 
in 1897 and import it in packets direct trom 
Colombo. Tliey advertised and pushed it vi^^o- 
roiisly in 1898-99, and last year. It is gradually 
displacing their Cliina, as this year they will import 
two-thirds Ceylon, one-third China, but their total 
imports will not exceed 7,000 lb, this year. They 
go*; a grant last year, and I have promised one for 
next to include this year's expenditure. 
N, A new firm started two years ago and 
entirely tea. They are to put up and run a puie 
Ceylon tea of three qualities, are getting special 
placards for it and circulars, Their first pur- 
chases of Ceylon have just been made, and we 
will see what they can do. 
0. Is the Christiania branch of the Stockholm 
firm B. They opened in Cliristiania four years 
ago— and only sell Ceylon, Have worked up the 
iniportation to 8,0001b. but have lost money every 
year. They have advertised very largely, but the 
expensive part of the business is their travellers as 
it does not pay in travel only for tea. If I have 
funds available I will give them something 
towards their expenditure this year and have pro- 
mised them £50 for next. I fancy that nearly one- 
third of the tea sold in Norway is Ceylon tea, if 
not sold pure it is sold in blends. I have urged on 
the dealers the importance of getting grocers to 
reduce their prices. Tea especially in Sweden ii 
far too dear ; until it is much cheaper the public 
will not take to it. The drink of these countries is, 
of cou' se, coflFee. I fear nothing can be done at 
present in the way of tea rooms. The customs of 
these countries do not lend themaelves to after- 
noon coffee, and consequently not afternoon tea. 
The caf^? are deserted between 4 and 6, as 
this is the dinner hour of the dwellers in towns, 
Coflee is drunk at breakfast and at supper. In 
a few families tea is taken at 4 o'clock occasion- 
ally, but when it is drunk it is at 9 or 10 o'clock 
at night. The peasants and fishermen will have no 
tea. Still the taste for tea is growing, and there 
is no reason why the J million lb. of tea drunk 
now in these two countries should not be all 
Ceylon. 
DENMARK. 
In Denmark much more tea per head is drunk. 
Quantity entered for home consumption in 1900 
was 910,000 Danish lb. The total import was 
1,490,000 Danish lb., but as Copenhagen is a free 
port, a good deal is transhipped therefor Russia 
and Sweden and Norway. The steamers of 
the East Asiatic Company receive the same 
privileges as steamers flying the Russian flap. 
The import for home consumption in 1899 
was 900,000 Danish lb. but, in 1898 it 
was 990,000 Danish lb. The population is a 
little over 2^ millions, of which nearly half a million 
is resident in Copenhagen and suburbs. 900,000 
Danish lb- equal to say 990,000 English lb. is equi- 
valent to 0'35 per lb. per head of the population. 
I am convinced that the Copenhagen dealers sup- 
ply the retailers in South of Sweden, so that 
Denmark offers a good field for Ceylon tea. la 
Copenhagen I see no less than 5 large shops and 
3 smaller ones selling only tea. In addition to 
these special tea businesses, tea is displayed in many 
grocers^ >Yiaclows, Bq.^ iq Pemnark Ceylou has 
made but a very small beggining. and where 
other than China is used it is all Indian, that 
is used and prepared. The usual story is, it keeps 
better and is much better adapted fur mixing. 
IN COPICNHAGEN 
there are four large Colonial Importers wi'^k 
tea departments. Four firms selling tea onl.v 
wholesale, and five semi-wholesiUe, Avith good 
warehouses and offices but wiih retail shops 
as well. 
1. The oldest and most important in the firf-t 
group — do put (sic) Ceylon tea, but frankly tohl 
ine they only kept it if it was asked for. They had 
sold Chin* tea for 50 years and did not intend 
to sell any other, if they could help it. 
2. Keep only China— and their tea is a very 
minor article. 
3. A small house principally coffee and ex- 
clusively China tea, 
4. One of the partners in this firm has boett 
in Colombo, and has correspondents there. Their 
business is principally other articles, but he takes 
a keen interest in Ceylon te» and has tried to 
open up a trade in it though he finds it rery 
difficult to do so. 
The second group, all keep Ceylon tea and 
buy it in London or through Bremen firms. One 
of them gives all the preferable Indian, liut 
another tells me he imports 100,00* lb. of which 
one-third is Ceylon and Indian, mostly Ceylon 
bought in the London market. I have hopes 
that in time this man will t»ke up and pu«ii 
Ceylon. The 3rd firm have sgreed to make 
Ceylon a special feature in their trade, to 
run it in packets in 3 qualities under a special 
label and will issue special circulars. I am to 
contribute the cost of placards and ckeiilars, and 
this in a beginning at any rate the 3rd group, 
I found one who said he sold practically no China. 
He keeps to the China designations but his teas 
are all Indian blends. He maintains tne public 
do not care for C»ylon. The other four firms all 
keep Ceylon, but use it mainly in their blendo. 
The demand for pure Ceylon is they say very 
small. They buy all their Indians and Ceylo'u 
teas in London ; one of them has the agency for the 
Santhol Missitn teas from Bengal ! 
You will .see from the above that the work in 
the interests of Ceylon tea was begun in Sweikn 
and Norway long ago; and that what has been 
done there, has been through the initiatiye of the 
individual Ceylon Planter. The increase in tha 
consumption has been very slow, but continuous, 
and the work has been a very uphill work. We 
have made a beginning in Denmark and I hope it 
will not be either so slow or such hdrd work as in 
Norway and Svveden. 
The duty on tea in Denmark is 66 ore per kilo 
say 3|J. per English lbs.- Yours, &c., 
J. H. Renton. 
Copenhagen, September 26th, 1901. 
The Deaf Hear— No. 479 of the Illustrated 
World of 626. Chiswick High Road, London, W. 
England contains a desctiption of a remarkable 
Cure for Deafness and Head Noises wliich may be 
carried out at the_ patient's home, and wliich i.s 
said to be a certain cure, This number will be 
sent free to any deaf persons sending their ad« 
dress tQ tU? Editor, 
