5o6 
exportation in India, China, Ceylon and the world 
(the fraction sent elsewhere is not worth consider- 
ing, unfortunately) has to be infused and tasted in a 
few rooms in Mincing Lane, by a email nuaiber of 
men who have been trained to do this. Bit they are 
completely overwhelmed by the rush of the sales, and 
thousands of lots must be left untastcd and un- 
priced by the bnyera, who, probably, to reduce their 
own risk, bid only a price at which they could not 
lose if the tea turned out to be of inferior quality, 
The producers therefore are the victims of this state 
of things in the central and sole outlet for our tea. 
What is the moral 'i Should America be won for 
our tea surely every pound of it consumed there 
ghoHld be shipped direct, otherwise we should be no 
better ofi than we are now. Ofntralizatioti is some- 
times good, but not when that centre is unprepared 
to do the work thrown upon it. Unfortunately the 
sole sufferers from this state of things are powerless 
to alter it. It makes no difference to the merchants 
Bud brokers, who, therefore, don't care. 
Tea Sales in Mincing Lake. 
lb. lb. 
Ceylon . . 60,000,OOC in 4,000 lots equal to 15,0'i0 lots. 
India ..100,000,000 do do 25,000 do. 
China .. 90,000,000 do do 22,000 do. 
Other . . 20,000,000 do do 5,000 do. 
290,000,000 Days sales 100 67,000 do. 
Daily average 670 do. 
Each in 5 grades, each sale day 5 
3,350* infusions to be tasted 
by a dozen men, each sales day ; but each buyer is sup- 
poaed to taste them all, in about an hour and half , or 
about 40 minutes I The fact is no buyer tastes more 
than a dozen or 20 samples, so that competition is out 
of the question^ 
THE PRICE OF PEKOE SOUCHONG. 
Colombo, Deo. 7th, 
Dear Sib,— I notice a correBpondent in your 
paper quotes Fair Pekoe Souchong in the Colombo 
market at 22o 24o, against 30o in London, the 
standard being Messrs. Geo. Wilson & Stanton's as 
per their weekly telegram. 
Though I have attended the looal sales regularly 
I have not been able to purchase pekoe souohong 
equal to the London standard as under 30o— 32o, 
and therefore shall be glad if your correspondent 
will tell me where I can buy at the price he quotes : 
at that price I can take a oonsiderble quantity. 
—Yours faithfully, A BUYEE. 
THE PRICE OF PEKOE SOUCHONG. 
Dear Sie,— I see " A Buyer " disputes the fairness 
and truth of the inference drawn by me in compar- 
ing London and looal averages for P. S., and asks 
me to inform him " where he can buy fair Pekoe 
Souchong at 22 to 24 cents." This question reads 
almost like a joke, and the answer is very easy, 
namely:— At the Colombo sales every Wednesday. What 
he intends to say, cf course, is that the lots that are 
sold in Colombo every week at 22 to 24 cents are 
not average Pekoe Souchongs bb sold in London. Well, 
who is to decide ? I don't suppose any seller who 
accepts the 22 cents will rise up in hii wrath and in 
hie own name fight the question out. So all we can 
do is to fall back upon the published price lists, and 
on what we, upcountry, know of our neighbours' pluck- 
ing and make. I take the London value to be the 
average of all P. S.'s sold, it not such "as nenally 
made " by one or two big factories, usually under the 
averaye. My question, therefore, is very natural, "Why 
should the Colombo average be 6 to 8 cents lower than 
the London, as seen in every week's local price listb?" 
I would like to sell locally myself, but do not for 
thia reason ; though I see tea of my neighbours (the 
plucking and making of which I know) 1 ewe sold at 
22 cents, and I cannot understand WHY. 
» Correct quaatitieii required for the right answer. 
THE PRICE OF PEKOE SOUOHONG. 
Colombo, Dec. 18th. 
Dear Sir, — I was very much surprised at "Why" 'a 
first letter, but his second throws a little light on 
his astonishing statement that Pekoe Souchong 
equal in quality to those in London selling at 6|d 
per lb. are sold in Colombo at 22 cents per lb. 
Of course to anyone who is selling or buying on 
both markets, and so knows by the inexorable logic 
of account sales the relation of Colombo to London 
prices, the above statement is absurd. But " Why " 
states that he supposes the quotation which appears 
in your valuable paper every week refers to the 
average price of Pekoe Souchong sold for the week 
on the London market; if he reads carefully he 
will see that v iu quote the price of " Average 
Pekoe Souchong '' of one uoiform quality which 
does not vary, ns you explained in answer to a letter 
which appeared in your paper some time ago. 
The laleet mail from London is dated 26th ultimo. 
On referring .to Messrs. Gow, Wilson & Stanton's 
circular of that date I find the lowest quotation 
for pekoe souchong is 4|d, only a single package, 
it is true, but a large proportion sold at between 
5d and 6d, some from estates of high altitude, and 
good reputation. At about this date your quotation 
for fair pekoe souchong was 6Jd. This of itself 
is, I think, sufficient answer to " Why " 's question; 
I herewith send a sample of pekoe souchong 
sold in London at 5jd and sent to me as a buy- 
ing standard. If " Why" can tell me where I can 
buy tea equal to this at 25 cents (3 cents over 
his quotation for pekoe souchong worth in London 
6id) I shall esteem it a favour. 
If "Why" really thinks there is a margin for 
profit of IJd between the Colombo and London 
markets, why does he not buy all be oan get ? 
It is not often such a good thing offers. 
One other thing I may as well mention : tea sent 
down for sale on this market is not always what 
it is described to be. 12 chests described as pekoe 
souchong was sold at 12 cents; it was not pekoe 
souohong at all, but common red leaf. — I am, dear 
sir, yours faithfully, A BUYER. 
Tapioca Jelly. — Soak a quarter of a pound o( 
tapioca in water enough to cover it. Let it stand 
several hours, then stir it into a pint of boiling 
water. Simmer it slowly till it appears semi- 
transparent. Sweeten it to taste, and flavour 
with wine and nutmeg if approved of by the 
physician. Turn it into cups or molds. — 
Florida Despatch axd Fruit Groover. 
Low-Fired Teas. — We learn that telegrams have 
been received in Colombo announcing that the 
first Ceylon teas low-fired according to Mr- 
Davidson's system have sold in Mincing Lane 
at good prices, showing an advance on ruling 
prices of Id to 2d, thus proving the success of 
Mr. Davidson's method. 
The Zanzibar Clove Trade. — A proclamation 
signed by the Sultan of Zanzibar, and counter- 
signed by Mr. Gerald Portal, the British Resident 
was issued on November 27th, declaring that a 
duty will be levied on all the organs of florescence 
of the clove-tree, whether clove stems, buds, or 
seeds, after December 2nd next. The object of tbe 
measure, Reuter thinks is to increase the value of 
the clove stems, upon which no duty has hitherto 
been paid. We should rather incline to the belief 
that the measure is aimed at the discouragement 
of the exportation of parts of the elove other than 
the txiiB,—Chevmt and Druggist, Deo. 6. 
