63 
THE TROPfCAL AGRICULTURIST, 
[July i, 1890. 
and considerably higher proportionate dock charges, 
as will be seen in studying the scale. These inter- 
mediate packages are also of not the slightest benefit 
to the retailers, who frequently have to make trouble- 
some enquiries as to the weights and tares of parcels, 
now that the trade custom is departed from of boxes 
representing about 201b. of tea, half-chests GO lb. and 
chests 100 lb. Larger sizes for either of these classes 
would also be objected to, though to a lesser degree, 
as they might be too heavy for the smaller buyer. 
Tea Retailed at a Shilling. 
The competition amongst retail tea dealers is going 
on so merrily, that the question when and where it 
will stop becomes an important one. This is the de- 
scription of the state of things in Wales sent by the 
correspondent of a contemporary “ Any retailer, 
whether he does his business in a village or town 
in the principality, in an out-of-the-way corner or in 
the leading street, will tell you that tea above 2s per 
lb. remains a *• dead stock ” on his premises. There 
was, it is true, a period in the history of the retail 
trade in Wales when 3s was the average price paid 
for tea by the people, but now a large percen- 
tage of the people do not pay more than Is 4d for 
their tea, and this is not to be wondered at when we 
find almost in every town ‘the finest tea in the world’ 
advertised at Is lOs and 2s per lb. If the ‘ finest tea 
in the world,’ as our large retailers inform the public 
can he bought at Is 10s and 2s, one can hardly expect 
the public to go in for a high-priced article. The mana- 
ger of one of the largest retail businesses in South 
Wales informed me, in reply to a question, that they 
sold more tea at Is 4d than at Is 6d, Is 8d and 2s 
combined !— the one at Is 4d being closely followed by 
a tea they retailed at Is per lb.” The tea retailed at 
Is per lb. must be a refreshing and invigorating com- 
pound. 
Indian and Oeylon Tea in Australia. 
The Sydney Daily Telegraph in a long article on the 
subject of Chinese r. Indian Teas in Australia says ; — 
Indian and Oeylon planters are now making determined 
effoits to win this (the Australian) market, too, from 
what they are pleased to call the “ post and rails” of 
inferior teas chiefly imported at present. Their effort.’, 
at any rate as far as New South Wales is concerned, 
would seem to be meeting with some degree of success. 
Thus, out of a total import of tea in 1887 of 6,518,695 
lb. only 161,584 lb. or 2 5 per cent, came from India 
or Ceylon. Next year 7,461,621 lb. were imported, 
426,383 lb. or 5 7 percent, being from the countries 
named, while in 1889, 549,535 lb. of Indian and Ceylon 
teas arrived, being 8T per cent, of the total importations 
of tea for the year. The significant changes which are 
taking place in the tea trade cannot fail to be of in- 
terest to Australians, for perhaps no other people in the 
world are to an equal extent tea drinkers. _ How deeply 
concerned the inhabitants of these Colonies are in all 
that affects the tea trade will be readily understood 
when it is stated that here the average consumption of 
tea per head of population is no less than 121 oz. per 
annum, as compared with 73 oz. in Great Britain, 21 
oz. in the United States of America, and 1 oz. in France 
and Germany. Any changes, therefore, which bring to 
the market a cheap tea of good quality will be welcomed. 
The Preparation op Ceylon Tea. 
The Grocer calls attention to what it terms “ an 
important defect in connection with the preparation 
of Ceylon teas,” which has “ just been discovered by 
the import trade,” who are under the impression that 
this article is but imperfectly cured by the growers 
before it is shipped to England, and the consequence 
\i that its commercial value is considerably less than 
it would otherwise be if tea were made as nearly 
perfect as possible while it was in the factory near 
where it was grown. The chief complaint is of the 
overfiring of these teas, which by being deprived of 
their best preservative qualities are rendered more 
liable to depreciation, and consequently are less ap- 
preciated by those dealers who would prefer to buy 
t hem for storing away rather than for immediate use. 
.^I6BsrB. I. A. Rucker and Bencraft, Mincing Lane 
ttoker*, in their circular of the 16tb la»t., apeak very 
strongly on the subject, where they say that “we feel 
called upon to warn our readers against a practice 
that has been in evidence lately, that of incompletely 
withering and partially fermenting teas, to give 
what is supposed in some quarters in Oeylon to bo 
‘grip’ or ‘point’ to teas which otherwise would 
be good thick coloury useful qualities. The con- 
sequence is that a good many parcels have 
come forward with a very mixed infused leaf, 
green and undesirable. These teas no doubt have a 
character of their own, and may here and there be use- 
ful for blending. They can, however, for this purpose 
only be used sparingly, for the incomplete witheiing 
and short fermentation cause an absence of ‘colour’ in 
cup. The trade don’t like it, and the ultimate result 
will be loss to the planter. We are still of the same 
mind as we were when we wrote three years ago, that 
one general fault of Ceylon teas is that they are on the 
whole over-fired, and that this partly accounts for their 
non-keeping qualities.” This ‘ general fault,” says the 
Grocer, is indeed a serious one, and ought certainly 
to be remedied without delay. There are persons, how- 
ever, who have doubted the truth of this charge of 
defective curing in the manufacture of Ceylon teas, and 
have refused to be convinced of the alleged want of 
skill and judgment in preparing the different kinds 
for this market. Tc satisfy the minds of these people, 
and place the quesiion beyond dispute, we are also in- 
formed by the same authority that last year it was deter- 
mined to try an experiment for the purpose of ascer- 
taining which of the two sorts of tea were really pre- 
ferred by the trade here, the “over-fired” or the “under- 
fired ; ” and accordingly instructions were sent out to 
Ceylon to prepare a special invoice for sale, one part 
to consist of tea less tired tl an the other, and the 
remaining ha.f to be treated in the same way as 
heretofore. This plan being adopted, “underfired” 
teas on their arrival in London were pronounced to be 
2d to 3d per lb. better than those that were completely 
or, as it is termed, “ over ” fired. Further than this, 
the samples were carefully slowed away and sealed up 
for twelve months, and upon being opened and 
tasted the under-fired teas in each case retained the 
same advantage over the fully-fired portion, both with 
respect to their excellent keeping qualities and their 
colour in the cup. Nothing is easier to understand 
than that a delicate article like tea, when fired till it is 
extremely dry, is more apt than ever to absorb every 
kind of moisture with which it may come in contact, 
either in the steamer afloat or in the warehouse ashore, 
and if so, can it be the least surprising that de- 
terioration should set in directly the tea is turned out 
of hand? It is well known that in firing their teas 
the Chinese do not extract the last drain of moisture 
from the freshly gathered leaves, but apply the heat 
so judiciously as to preserve all the principal virtues 
of the tea without impairing some or destroying 
others ; and if there are still any individuals who 
doubt the eflSoacy of the method just described in 
giving the quality of the tea a more lasting 
character, let them bear in mind that, although 
China teas are none of the strongest, they will for 
years keep close to their original flavour and condi- 
tion, even if they do not actually improve by being 
kept in reserve until they are thoroughly matured. 
The Produce Marlcets Eeview on the same subject says : 
— Complaints as to the falling off in the quality of 
Oeylon teas are, however, now extremely general, and 
it cannot he too strongly impressed upon planters that 
prompt steps are necessary, either by refraining from 
weakening the trees by overplucking, or by judicious 
manuring, or other means, to maintain these teas in the 
high estimation in which they have been held by the 
public. A great deal of this falling-off in quality is said 
to be due to the custom of under-fermenting and over- 
firing, which reduces the sap, and produces thin fla- 
voury teas, very liable to rapidly deteriorate in quality. 
It is the thick juicy teas which have made the present 
reputation ot Oeylon growths, and planters should 
remember this. 
Tea and Ooefee fob the Public. 
" Why,” it was asked on Tuesday by the Daily Telt- 
graph, “ on these great holidays {videlicet Bank holi- 
