November 2, 1891.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 
tea generally at some length) to the Editor of the 
Vienna " Neue Freie Presse." The letter has just 
gone, and I will send jou a copy by next mail. 
I did my best to interest Mr. Stanek of 
Prague in Ceylon tea, pointing out to him how 
it was bound to become the great tea of the future 
for oonsumptioD, even on the Continent of Surope. 
Hie business is a very extensive one, and among hia 
stafi I found a negro assistDnt who seemed to 
have the faculty of picking up readily every Isngungo 
of the Continent, he having already the command of 
some half-dozen. 
So far as the retail and use of tea in Vienna and 
Prague are conc>rned, however, one might well 
despair of making any impression on the taste of 
the Austrian people in respect of tea-drinking. Tea, 
unlike coffee, is regarded either aa a luxury rarely 
to be indulged in, or as medicine to be taken only 
occasionally ; and we might suppose it impossible 
to efieet a change were it not for what Mr. 
Osswald's friend has told us of the distribution of 
his " pound packet " and still more from what I 
Ifave seen of 
Tea-Drinking in Karlsbad. 
Just as the " afternoon teas" which have of late 
years become fashionable in Paris, may gradually 
lead a large proportion cf the French people to 
appreciate and use tea freely as a refreshing beverage, 
BO may we have very great confidence that the 
universal custom of drinking tea at this, the most 
popular of continental Spas, may gradually spread 
a taste for the infusion not only among Austrians 
(including those of German, Magyar, Czech, Slavonic 
race) but Germans, who o£ course make up between 
them the larger proportion of visitors. The difficulty 
elsewhere on (he Continent is to get anyone to 
look at, much less diiuk, tea. Here at Karlsbad 
from April till September at scores if not hundreds 
of cafes, restaurants and hotels, the cry every 
morning between 8 and 9 o'clock from visitors who 
number altogether 35,000, is for " Ein" or " Zioei''- 
Thee, by the individual, or couplo ! And considering 
that only a very ordinary "China " or "Melange " 
(Blend) is used, it is wonderful how drinkable a 
eup of tea one gets. The proper infusion of tea 
has, in fact, been thoroughly learned at Karlsbad 
no doubt, in the first instance, under medical direc- 
tion ; for EH I have said, the diet and regimen 
of those seeking a " cure " ere infinitely 
better regulated here than in Vichy where indeed 
"tea" or one thing was never heard of. We 
have given our "Ceylon tea" to the waiter at an 
hotel to gut infused, in entertaining friends 1o' 
a cup of "high-grown, delicate tea," and the 
result was a perfect infusion and every justice 
done to the superior aroma. Here then in liarls- 
bad would be the place to introduce Ceylon tea, 
for the benefit of the restaurant-keepers (in 
giving them a better and no doubt cheaper article) 
as well as of the visitors. But it is not easy to 
see how a start in the business is to be made. 
The result of our enquiries goes to shew that at 
the beginning of each season, a Hamburg iivm 
sends a large consignment of tea (valued according 
to our authority at 150,000 marks say £7,500) 
for sale to the oaf^s and hotels. I have not 
been able to learn exactly at what rate this is sold 
to these establishments, but I do not suppose any 
of it at less than the equivalent of 7a to 8a and 
for a tea which could be better supplied from 
Ceylon at 3? 6 1 duty, freight and charges all paid 1 
1 liave only discovered one considerable tea-deuler- 
importcr in Karlsbad— and on entering his oUioe 
and awking for " Ceylon tea " we were told " there 
was no such deeoription 1" The information that 
we came from Ooylon which would this year 
pel haps send 70 million lb. of the article into 
consumption, changed the answer into " Wa do not 
know Ceylon tea hero"; and most interested then 
did the comparatively young Austrian principal of 
the firm become in all we told him of the new 
tea. He had a considerable stock of China which 
he sold in various classes— Congou, Souchonw 
Melange, &q. He had exceedingly neat boxes 
(made in Vienna) lined with lead, daintily papered 
with Chinese pictures outside, sliding lids, for 
forwarding 1 lb., 2 lb., or 5 lb. to customers— just as 
we had seen in Vienna itself exceedingly neat paper 
and lead packets for J lb. and -J lb. with English and 
German inscriptions :—" Eeal China Tea— Extra 
choicest — New Season's First Crop China Tea— The 
China Tea Company, Limited." This is no d ubt 
from a London distributing house, On another 
side of the package we read ;— " This packet contains 
the choiotst Chinese Tea selected with greatest 
care and experience. The tin foil and parchment 
packing is entirely free from lead, or other deleterious 
substance." And then on the fourth side, come 
very full and minute instructions in German as to 
the proper inaking of the tea, with, of course, a 
great deal of praise of the description enclosed. 
I have had a translation made and here it is, showing 
how well the Austrians are instructed to make tea: — 
The Peepaeation of Tea demands the greatest 
attention in order to make it agreealle to the con- 
sumer to utilize its essential propertieB, its aroma 
and theine, and to make it valuable in point of economy, 
hygiene and taste. 
'The Following Method is Recombiended.— Soft 
water of pure taste, every time fresh is most saited for 
the extraction of the aroma and theine of the tea 
leaves. Hard water contains minerals in solution, 
such as iron, copper, feltpetre, salts of all kinds and' 
other subttancee, and is therefore unfcuited for tea- 
making which process is simple but must be carried 
out ratioijaily and precisely. A tea-spoonful (about 
2-2| gram is sufficient for a large cup or glass, the 
water must be boiling hot, until all frothiiiess has 
ceased and then poured on ; by this means the drink 
ia clearer. The,tea-pot which is used for tea only must 
first be rinsed out with bot water, the tea mnst be left 5 
minutes after the wa'.er is poured on to it, but avoid 
any further boiling of the water after it ia poured 
over the tea. If one requires weaker tea, then 3 
minutes will suffice for extracting the aroma and 
theine and the strength can be regulated by adding 
boiling water. Properly prepared tea must be golden 
yellow and quite clear. The brewing of tea before- 
hand, that is the pouring away of the first infution 
of boiling water, which is so often done, is certainly 
not to be recommended as thereby much aroma is 
drawn from the teo. 
To return to the Karlsbad dealer : he seemed 
very free from prejudice and ready to apply for 
samples and a small.consignment of Ceylon tea to 
begin with, to the Colombo house (whose addresa 
we ventured to give him— Messrs. Volkart Brothers 
as representing his country. Consulate and national 
Steamer Company there. 
The mora I think cf it, the more I am com- 
pletely puzzled aa to the enormous difference in 
the prices at which Coffee, Cocoa and Tea are 
respectively retailed, or even sold wholesale 
throughout Austria. The difference in duty does 
not account for more than a fraction of the 
proportion. Nothing but habit, and the cus- 
tom of treating lea as a "medicine" can 
account for it, along with the fact that the 
import business is confined to a few who are 
quite content with their pDsititon. [The parallel 
case is to be found in the treatment of "quinine" 
in England, still retailed at Jd a grain equal to 
£2 un ounce !J For iubtanoe, wo want iato a leading 
grocer's here this morning, and asked him for 
the relail prioo of the three products. Hero ia the 
