TH?. TROP!Oa\!.- AQRiGULTURiST. [November 2, i8gi. 
ehould almost think that by this time he will 
have written direct to the Scerelary of your local 
Association. It occurs to me that in this connexion 
you would be interested in the following extract given 
you with reference to the state of the trade between 
Russia and China in the teas grown in the latter 
country. The infcrmaliou seems to show that 
the endeavours raaiung to introduce Ceylon tei 
into Kucsia are being met by increased aciivity on 
the part ot the Busaian sgencifs in China, which 
have evidently succeeded in stimulating the tra'ie 
between the two countries to a very grfat extent. 
There is truth, no doubt, in the consular state- 
ment that the folling-off in the imports of 
China tea into London are to no inconsiderable 
extent due to shipments now being made direct 
from Chinese to Eussian ports. This has been 
cootirmed to me by several traders with whom I 
have conversed on the subject : — 
The Tea Thade Between China and Russia. — 
Russia is regarded at the stronghold and mainhope 
of the Chines tea trade ; while the British islands 
are consuming Indian and Ceylon teas, and the Uni 
ted States those of Japan, to the injury of China, 
Russia continues faitliful to Chinese teas. The Com- 
missioner of Chinese Customs at Hankow, in his 
last report, says that the tea trade with Russia is in- 
creasing annually, while it is decreasing with Eng- 
land, because while in former years tea was shipped 
first to England and thence to Russia, the tea 
dealers in Russia now have their teas shipped direct 
from China. Last year the trade with Russia would 
have been very large if the supply of suitable kinds 
had equalled the demand. Only the better kinds of 
tea can now be sold in Russia at a profit, as the 
demand there has undergone a complete change. 
Between 1877 and 1888 the exchange of the Russian 
paper rouble was very low ; good teas were therefore 
dear, and the mass of the people could only afford 
to pvu'chase inferior kinds. Since 1888, however, 
the rouble has steadily risen, and has now reached 
a value higher than any of the past 15 years. Tea, 
with other foreign goods, became cheaper and the 
people began buying tea of good quality, whicli, in 
spite of having cost higher prices in China, realized 
large profits. The market in China last year was 
entirely governed by the demand from Russia, which 
was very large and much in excess of the supply of 
the suitable qualities. In fact, the very best tea of 
the season (Keemuns) sold very cheaply, shnply 
because they are a kind not consumed in Russia. 
Quite a batch of letters came to hand by the 
last mail from your Pianters' Association in reply to 
queries, &a., senl from here, and among these was one 
in which an attempt was made to soften down the 
annojance felt by the Tea Committee of the London 
Association at the letter first received which had 
rebuked the action taken by it in the matter of 
Mr, Lough's appointment as Bgcnt in Paris, The 
general feeling is, however, that although your 
local Committee disclaim having had any intention 
of judging the action on this side, that it really did 
BO on insufficient and unsupported representations. 
Your Committee state now that it only invited 
reconsideration here at home on the basis of 
information conveyed to it ; but we think that 
no one reading its first letter would limit their 
conclusion with respect to its teaour and purpose 
to any such view. — London Cor. 
THIi SALE OF COFFEE AND CHICORY. 
Ooft'cG planters will, no doubt, read with intereft' 
though not with rd'^aturo, the following iageniou'i 
defence of the ndulteration of coffco wilh cbicjry 
under ci rt^iii cndit'ons. It appears iu a lotter to the 
Grocer Bi.<iiod " Old Mocha." The law upon this sub- 
ject, as upuij UKiny others couueotcd with our trailo, 
h an uultiiowii quantity, throwiui; discredit upou the 
ImperiBl (;iuveniinont. The adrniuislration of this law 
aud of ttio Weights and Moasutee Act, and others, is 
left in many important particulars to the discretiou 
of the Great Urjpai I, causing a vast amonnt of un- 
certainty iu different districts. The contradictory 
d^ cisioDs arrived at are sufficient to breed contempt 
lor the presidioK justices, and the system of rewards 
to informers and proEecutors is a temptation to 
unscrupulous persons to misrepresent the facts in 
Older to get a convieiiou. 
Now, how domauy of the magistrites airive at their 
decifious ? They hold that, a large perceniage ot 
protit amounts to fraud. But is this really eo? We 
ileny the right of magistrates to fix our profits. In 
the absence of a fixed limitation of the amount of the 
mixture, who is to decide the actual value of the 
article or the amoant of profit under certain circum- 
stftuces a person shall or shall net charge ? 
It is a singular fact, but none the less true, that 
the greatest number of prosecutions and conviction! 
are obtained from iitt'e hucksters' shopp, and it ia 
the exception that respectable good-sizi l grocers are 
caught or trapped. Now I maintain that these little 
hucksters' shops are entitled to a greater percentage 
of prefit than a large establishment would require, 
because they do not sell a large qmntity ot goods 
in a week, neither do they seil a considerable quantity 
at one time, but mostly sell ia the smallest quantities 
possible, such as halfpennyworth?. They may really 
not tjuy their goods in wholesale quantities, but per- 
bap.'i at actual retail prices to sell again. 
Now, I will show that the fr.iuj found by the 
magistrates really does not exist, except in their own 
misgui'led imagication. Take the article tea : the 
keeper ot the huckster's shop may buy one pound of 
tea at Is 4d per lb. to sell at 25 per lb. If he ehould 
sell the whole tf this quantity in a week, certainly 
the profit would not bj an exorbitant amOant towards 
piyiug root aud taxes. But in the case ot coffee, 
whit would be the component parts and the quality 
in an article purchased in the same way to jieldthe 
same results ? 
A coffee to sell at Is per lb. would have to be bought 
at 8-1 per lb., and perhaps this quantity would tike twice 
ns long to sell as the pour,d of tea; so that if halt a 
pound of this 8d 0 ffeie were sold iu a week, the profit 
thereon would amount to 2d. Having arrived at this 
point, juBt picture to yourself the bright intelligent 
smile lighting up the cnreworn coantenance of the 
proprietor or hia wife if a real reiidy-mouey customer 
should coH-.e in and actually ask fjr a whole two ounces 
of ceffee at Is 41 per lb. Do you think it is in human 
nature to turn away such a splendid opportunity of 
oblifjing a new customer ? The inspector's assistant 
thus procures the coveted article, aud iu comes the 
inspector, when explanations follow, and the inspector 
is now sure of h s case. The usual proceedings are 
taken, and. rightly or wrongly, a conviction and fine are 
imposed. 
Now a few words upou the component parts of 
tho mixture usually sold. I think the fact can be 
proved by tho b.^st «nthorities that grocers buy a 
high-priced coffee to use for mixture. They hold 
that a high-priced coffee with a larger percentage 
of chicory produces a better beverage than a low- 
priced commnn coffee with less or without any 
cliicory. Also, it is a fact, going to prove the same 
thing, that families grinding their own coffee buy a 
high-priced, and not a common low-priced coftee. Thus 
they would not bo to foolish as to pay la. 83. and Is. lOd. 
and 2s. per lb. if one at Is. per lb. could be procured 
to give them satiafaction. 
Therefore what kind of coffee cm wo suppose the 
keeper of the little huckster's shop could obtain for 
8d. per lb.? The only wonder would be, that there was 
any coffee at all i.i it. Aud yet thes? worthy magis- 
trates, whuu trying the case, lift up their bauds in holy 
horror at the dreadful fraud perpetrated ! 
This is the unvarnished trutli of the majority of oases 
got up. It is eomevvhnt amusing how these people 
scufHd out of the shop when they are really served with 
the article they ask tor ; sometimes they say, " Oh, I 
dou't want to si 0 it ground," — which is perfectly true; 
tUey vvouUl rathor see it mix=-d,aud then buy it without 
notice of the fact.— i/, C, Mail, 
