jUNE I, 1892.] 
THE TROFtdAL A^CtSLTORtSTL 
893 
NOTES ON PRODUCE AND IINANOE, 
Not riREDlTABLE TO THE NATIONAf, TaBTE.— The 
latest Buggestion aiient the popularity of Indian 
and Ceylon teas as compared with Ohina is that the 
palates of consuuiers are viiiatetf, and that their pre- 
sent preference reflects ou the national taste. This 
is the opinion of a writer iu the Liverpool Courier, 
who says: — " Oommerciolly [there is no neoessity to 
rfgcet the ohenge which has taken place in the oouise 
and volume of this important item of merchandise. 
India and Oeylon are British possessions, and British 
capital lias been invested to an enormous extent in 
this particular trade. And yet tbe transformation 
which has been achieved is tiot at all creditable to 
the national taste. Indeed, there is reason to fear 
that we have ceased to have any just ground foe 
sneering at the French lack of appreciation for tea 
on the score of their inability to brew it properly or 
recognise it when it is really good. In the days of 
the China monopoly there also existed a high duty. 
An impost of 1^ per pound might be very unjust, 
but at all events it rendered the importation of rub- 
bish a basineSB not worth embarking upon. We do 
not say that if the high duty were to be re-imposed 
the old conditions of the trade would be restored. 
Far from it. Primitive habits in an isolated way 
may live far into modern civilisation, but when 
once they have been eradicated it is, whether for 
wtal or woe, for ever. But why has China tea 
fallen into the third place? First of all, because 
it continues deir- It is still prepared by tbe old 
manual processes, while Indian and Ceylon teas 
are dealt with by machinery, which, for anything 
that we know, may be capable of making tea out of 
almost anything. Even new laid eggs can now ba 
fairly well counterfeitel by machintry. Secondly, 
Ohina tea is mild in flavour, and tbe doubled con- 
sumption in Great Britain has brought with it a 
great deterioration of taste. A 'strong syrupy tea' 
is what the advertiser announces, and apparently 
this notion of the plant has become popular. It is 
not realised that strength mesns tannin, and that 
tauniu is another term for indigestion. Thirdly, 
while Ceylon and Indian teis are much cheaper to 
the consumer, as that individual mistakenly supposes, 
they pay the retail dealer much better than Ohina 
teas, and therefore the latter misses no opportuni'y 
of extolling them while disparaging the virtues of the 
more delicate beverage." 
SocH Good Old Days. — Presuming that the writer 
is not personally interested in the Chini tea trade, but 
is really lamenving the good old days when he could 
satisfy his desire for Ohmese tea without the " strong 
twang " he so much dislikes, his picture of the 
" once upon a time" is quite touching. " Good strong 
full-bodied tea at eighteenpence per pound," he says, 
" That is the brand in vogue today ! Once upon a 
time one could have gone to the house of a friend 
with the certainty of receiving an enjoyable cup of 
tea, whether one liked it with milk or sugar, or 
without; one or both of these additions. Now the almost 
universal assumption aeems to be that the visitor 
likes a strong ' twang ' to the oup which ought to 
cheer without inebriating. We can easily imagine 
that those who tell us we should take our tea with- 
out either cream or sugar may be right, and that 
it would be no great punishment to the sweetest- 
toothed to drink what uied to be three-shillings China 
tea prior to the last reduction by the Chancellor of 
the Exchequer under such conditions, if properly in- 
fused. But what amount of sugar and milk can 
BUfiBoiently modify the character of the cobrse, pun- 
gent liquid as a rule now purveyed as tea?" The 
transfer of patronage from China to Indian and Oeylon 
teas is commercially all right. We are far from say- 
ing that the two latter may not be discriminatingly 
used without any material injury to the consumers. 
But the fnct romaina that the change iu taste has 
been artificially brought about. Tbo oonRuincr likes to 
have what stems the cheapest tea, and it pays tbe 
retailer to encourage thu natural tendency. Tuis is 
why Eu many people now regard China tea as at ouce 
costly and insipid, Iu point of faot, it is to tboso 
IVi 
who know how to prepare it absolutely economical, 
and It provides a delicious delicacy otherwise unobtain- 
able. It ia the custom of the age to sneer at epicures, 
evtn though all tlasses in their various apheiroa pro- 
fess in tome degree to belong to tho order. But per- 
hapa tbe most ref;rettable circumstance connected with 
the revolution iu the tea trade is the fact that it is 
so difficult even for people who are willing to pay 
for China tea to get it pure. They have, as a 
rule, to be content and feel thankful when they oan 
obtiina moderately decent blend. It is sad to think 
of the writer, with epicurean taste and stoical philo- 
sophy, yearning for pure China tea, willing to pay for 
it, yet only able to obtain a moderately decent blend, 
and withal generously admitting tbat, in spite of this, 
it is " commercially all right." But he should kindly 
remember that it is all a matter of taste, and that his 
views aa to tho delicacy of the Ohine.9e teas he bo 
fondly admires may be due to some natural deficiency 
in his power to appreciate the more robust, but never- 
theless admirable, teas grown in India and Ceylon. 
The Oeoi? Outlook. — Discussing the position of 
Indian tea, the Qroccrs' Chronicle says; — It is now 
pretty well known iu the market that there is only 
about as much of the crop unsold as there was at 
same date last year ; and, as the 12,000,000 lb, 
surplus is all disposed of already, and prices have 
had all the tall they are likely to have, a more 
confidont feeling prevails, and importers are taking 
heart of grace to refuse bids which a month age 
they would have been willing to accept. The only 
disturbing element in the forecast of events is : 
What will Ceylon do diring May end June? It 
will be remembered that at the moment when Indian 
tea was up to lOd. last April, heavy supplies 
of Ctylon, owing to a heavy rainfall, were 
unexpectedly sent forward, and smashed the 
market here down to 8d inside a week or two. This 
year, however, prices are 40 per cent lower. Oeylons 
themselves have never been previously m low, and it 
is no secret that the agents of several leading gardens 
have cabled out instructions to pluck fine, so that 
it is improbable that supplies will bo much in excess 
of last year even allowing for the natural expansion 
of the industry aud the bringing into full bearing 
of young gardens which last year sent nothing to 
market. The season is now closed at Calcutta, and it is 
expected that the crop will weigh out 111 millions or 
thereabouts in London. 
Last Week's Tea Maeket. — Of last week's market 
the Grocer eays: — There having been a coosider. 
able lightening of supplies in importers' hands, 
and the parcels now offering not being pressed for. 
ward 60 eagerly as they were a short time back, the 
market for Indian tea has acquired much more stability 
than of late, and the auctions of about 23,000 packages 
this week have been oharacterifed by greater bnojancy 
than before at again stiffer rates. This remark, how- 
ever, applies more directly to fine and finest grades, 
strong in cup, and with other points of excellence — 
such as being last of the season and of autumn flavour 
— which teas, being briskly competed for when they 
are comparatively few left, have fetched another 
advance of quite Id to 2d per lb.; and thia helps to 
prove that tho trade in the article is in a sounder and 
healthier condition than haa been generally supposed. 
Medium and useful qualities have likewise gone 
off more favourably tor holders, though not, of 
course, to the same extent, whilst the broken kinds, 
with fannings and very low sorts, have been taken 
slowly at only a trifling, if any, improvement in value. 
More animation was noticed at the sales of Ceylon, and 
the market haa a better tone. Useful medium and tine 
teas sold very well, and values for some of these marked 
an upward tendency. The absence of finest grades 
has its effect on prices, and no rise can be looked 
for until there are fewer cotumou kinds ofl'ering, Low 
rates are still recorded for the latter. 
What is a Broker ?— The Prodticc Jl'irhxla' Jierifw, 
taking its cue from the correspondence on the subject 
in the ritMiv Lvdger, has been discussing tho question, 
" Whfvt is a Broker V" It says ■ — ".i very remarkable 
and serious change has taken plaoe among Cit; 
