THE 
MONTHLY. 
Vol. XI. 
COLOMBO, JANUARY isx, 1892. 
[No. T 
THE INADEQUATE SAMPLING OF TEAS. 
F what has been stated to our 
London oorrespondent rela- 
tive to the above matter may 
be accepted au fully correct, 
we can readily understand the 
Etrong feeling on the subjeot 
evinced by the Indian Tea 
Planters' Association, and can sympathize with 
the steps that body has seen fit to adopt 
with reference to it. It is very certain, of course, 
that a grievance of such a character must be 
fully shared in by our own planters, and we can 
only wonder that it has not before evoked re- 
monstrance by them. We are not aware, however, 
if the facts aa now stated to us— if they be really 
facts— have on any previous occasion received 
public notice, Some of our upcountry friends and 
correspondents may possibly have heard complaints 
of this nature, but if bo they have not been 
oommunicftted to us. The Indian Association may 
be able single-handed to have the evil remedied, 
and we are quite sure that Mr. Leake and the 
Committee of the Oeylon Association in London 
well co-operate heartily with their Indian confreres 
in the endeavour to secure such a result. But if 
their combined efforts should prove to be unable 1 
to secure success, we hold that it will be 
the duty of our Planters' Association to unite 
with both the bodies named and so impress 
upon the brokers its feeling on the subject as to 
enforce the observance of what is but a rule of 
aimplB and neoossary justice to our hard-working 
tea planters. For how can it be expected that 
we can avoid hearing of complaints of the quality 
of Oeylon teas being constantly not up to sample, 
if, as a matter of fact, those samples have never 
been in any way tested ! As we understand the 
allegation made, it is that in the rush ind hurry 
of basiness as it is at present conducted, in the 
baste to put teas which arrive on the market 
directly they are landed, the sampling if done at 
all is most inoUioiontly done. It would seem to 
be the case that in very many instances a handful 
of ten is just taken out of one of the chests of 
a break, and that without oven the necessary 
preliminary of liquoring and tasting this is offered 
as a sample of the contents of perhaps one hundred 
chests. Now we know from experience, from 
repeated instances mentioned to us, that perhaps 
not even two or three of the chests in a break of 
the size mentioned would fairly represent the 
average quality of the whole. Some defect in 
packing on the estate, or injury arising from 
rough usage or from the unseasoned wood of a 
particular box, may cause the one selected 
to be of very inferior quality to the great bulk 
of such a quantity of tea. As a matter of fact, 
we should ourselves say that a sample for each 
five boxes should be subjected to the most careful 
tasting and description before an average sample 
should be determined upon. We can fancy we hear 
shippers on this side. But we can hardly think 
that, if the difiioulty had been fairly represented to 
them, if the possible loss arising out of undue hasta 
had been fully explained to them, these would 
continue a course of insistence almost certain to be 
fraught with bad financial resuUs to themselves. 
They would, we should think, moderate their 
demands as to speed of disposal so as to give the 
brokers a chance of carefully sampling their teas 
before ofieriog them to public sale. Doubtless we 
shall soon heir more particulars as to this matter; 
At present we are without details, and have only 
heard the statement of one side, so we must suspend 
judgment as to the degree of blame to be awarded 
and as to the parties to whom it should be im- 
puted. But although thus compelled to await 
fuller information to do so, this does not detract 
from the necessity for calling particular attention 
to the subject ; for if what is stated is practised 
on any extensive scale, the fact may go largely 
towards acoounting for the very seriously low prices 
that our teas have been for some mouths past 
fetchiD;; at the London sales. 
BOGUS CEYLON TEA IN ADELAIDE. ; 
A correspondent writes as follows : — 
" A friend of mine bought in Adelaide the 1 lb. 
packet of tea herewith sent for 29. It bears a label, 
'Fare Baltioola Ceyloa Teti.' Is there such an estate ia 
Geyloii, or <io you think it is m?ant for ' Battlgalla ? 
You caa make any use of this aa you may think fit. 
Have it tested to see if it is Ceylon tea." 
There is no such tea estate in Ceylon, and this, no 
doubt the person who adopted the false name for 
a fraudulent article well knew. The opinions of 
brokers are most decidedly adverse to the so-called 
Ceylon tea. Mr. A H. Thompson writes : — 
" I htvo tested tl»« tea. I think the Oeylon men 
.should go for this Company, as I am sure 50 per cent 
