626 
regard to the issues of proferenoe shares, and 
that too in spite of the very low range of tea 
prices. Their estates were all doing well, and the 
young tea was coming on in a way that gave 
good promise for the future. 
Your present staple has been the subject 
of several important articles in the news- 
papers this week. The leading one among 
these appeared in the Daihj Telegraph, of Wed- 
nesday last, and of this I enclose you a 
copy. I can only spare a brief apace in this letter 
to touch upon some of its more importaot points. 
The article referred to, which occupies a column 
and a half, is headed " Indian and China teas: 
what Mincing Lane thinks — by a City man." It 
reviews the relative course of trade with regard 
to Chinese and Indian and Ceylon teas during 
the last few years, and brings into prominence 
the supplanting of tho first by the two second 
varieties during the past two years. It says with 
reference to your own growth that " about 50 per 
cent more Ceylon tea- was used in Great Britain 
in 1891 than in the year previous," and further 
states that, while the consumption of Ceylon in- 
creased in this large proportion, that of Indian 
tea was 3 million pounds leas in 1891 than in 1890 
The article also mentions that " the abf-ormally 
wet weather which prevailed in Oeylon during the 
first quarter of the year occasioned bo rapid a 
growth of the leaf that production fairly outran 
the most sanguine estimate, aud in consequence 
London became somewhat flooded with unexpected 
supplies, and a gradual shrinkage in values was 
the result." 
Sir Andrew Clark's late statements then receive 
notice, and it is pointed out that that distinguished 
physician made no mention of Ceylon tea. It is 
further remarked that " speaking generally, Ceylon 
tea contains far more strength than Indian." As 
the result of an interview with a representative of 
the China trade, the rapid displacement of 
that growth is admitted. Eeference is made under 
this head to Dr. Hale Wbite's report on an 
analysis of Assam, finest China and common 
congou teas, but it appears that an infusion of 
fifteen minutes was allowed before that analysis 
was commenced. This report of Dr. White's was, 
I hear, made some years back, and the China tea 
which yielded so small a proportion as 7-97 per 
cent, of tannin was, it has further been mentioned 
to me, a sample which sold for five shillings the 
pound This, of course, was quite an exceptional 
tea, and far beyond the means of the ordinary run 
of consumers. No fair data could therefore be 
drawn from its analysis. There is no doubt that 
the general effect of this article will be good for 
your Ceylon industry. 
A second article was published in the GanUnimj 
World of January 2nd, and was headed-' Something 
about Tea." It reviewed a recent lecture delivered 
by Mr. Basil Holmes. This lecture dealt principally 
with the course of cultivation in Assam, and did 
not embrace ony allusion to the statistical position 
of tho several varietieH. The Chemical Trade Journal 
of the same date of isBue as the above gave a 
record by Mr. Joseph P. Geisler of the analysis of 
a pekoe Ceylon tea. It gives the following result 
to the analysis of the leaf itself' — 
Moiflturo ('lOSR by drying 
at 100° C.) 
Soluble Ash . . 
Insolublo Aeh 
Total Ash 
Theine 
Total Tannin . . 
Total oxtrHOtive matter 
Iiieuluble leaf . . 
. . 6-20 percent. 
.. 3-77 
.. l-.W „ 
.. s-a-i 
..22-79 
. A?,-10 
..G0-'10 
The specimen appears to have been of a high- 
class. A trial was then made of an infusion of it, 
ten minutes being allowed for this infusion. As 
the rule, however, few people allow more than five 
minutes for infusion of Oeylon tea, and we con- 
sider that with such a limitation very little of the 
high proportion of tannin shown by the analysis 
would be extracted. The second analysis yielded 
the following results : — 
Theine . . . . . . 2-44 per cent. 
Tannin .. .. ..17-19 „ 
Total extractive matter ..33-2.5 ,, 
Ash (total)' . . . . . . 3-44 „ 
Photphorie Acid (P, O J in ash G 18 „ 
The infusion is stated to have been of a golden 
yellow colour and as having " a very agreeable 
aroma and pleasant taste." It is stated that this 
ten minutes of infusion took up 96'6 per cent of 
the total theine, 75'3 per cent of the total tannin, 
and 91 per cent of the soluble ash. The article 
was extracted from the Journal of the American 
Chemical Sosiety. 
With reference to the three articles above referred 
to, it may be useful to tell you what passed in 
a conversation lately had by myself with a man 
largely engaged in the China trade, in effect he 
remarked: — Admitting all you say as to the degree 
in v/hioh Oeylon and Indian ttas are supplanting 
those of China, I can only say that we do not 
fear the continuation of the present competition by 
Oeylon teas. Your soil is not suited to perma- 
nent production of this, any more than it proved 
to be for coffee. Some years back certain Ueylon 
estates were noted for some specially high class teas. 
One never hears of such teas now on the market ; 
nor of the high prices which were formerly ob- 
tained for such. This proves a gradual decadence 
in quality which in time will show itself univer- 
sally." On my mentioning these remarks to a 
gentleman of planting experience in Ceylon, he 
observed: — "In one sense only was your friends 
right. We do not hear of any teas of exceptional 
quality from certain Ceylon estates aa we used to 
do. But why is this the case ? Firstly, because 
the quality of the whole export from Oeylon has, 
as the rule, been levelling up; and secondly, because 
tbe produution of smull breaks of excepiional 
quality did not prove to be a paying investment. 
If your friend had been acquainted with these two 
facts, he would not hf.ve inferred a deterioration 
due to unstable conditions of soil." 
We hear that your Mr. John Ferguson has been 
actively endeavouriog to stir up Sir William Gregory 
and Sir Arthur Birch to take steps to publicly refute 
the statements recently made by Sir Andrew Clark with 
reference to the superiority of China over other 
varieties of tea. We have not heard if he has 
been able to induce eithei? of tho.^e ex-officials to 
take up the cudgels, bus the general view is, we 
think, that as Sir Andrew did not specifically name 
Ceylon tea, it would scarcely be a sufficient obj'-ot 
for either of the geoilemen mentioned to unaer- 
take the work necessary for the purpose of publicly 
refuting his uncalled-for assertions. 
Cetlon Tea in Egypt.— The Egyptian Gazette of 
15th Jan. says : — 
Messrs. Ed-ar Kirby & Co. have requested us to 
insert in oar columns, for the iuformition of their 
numerous olients, that they have just; received from 
Ct-ylon a iresh supply of Pekoe Sonohong aa well as a 
trial shipaeut of " Oranye Pekoe." Both these teas 
m xed together in equal proportioas, will give a strong 
rich and delicious flavour. 
