846 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[June i, 1891. 
"H i 
EXTEACT OF TEA. 
In a recent invention the tea to be extractccl i« 
placed in a digester of conical form provided with a 
movable perforated false bottom, and commni\ieatiDg 
by means of a eiphon-tube, with another vessel used 
as a boiler and placed at a lower level, A supple- 
mentary boiler is also added at a higher level from 
which water is run into the digester. In order to 
insure the better extraction of tho ten leaves, the 
digester is provided with a rod sliding through a 
stufiBng-box and provided with spokes, and through 
the lid of the digester a cobobating apparatus is pas.sed 
connected with small chambers cbart'ed with wool, 
which serve to condense the aroma. The tea is intro- 
duced into the digester, and hot water is run in from 
the higher boiler, and a current of steam from the 
lower boiler. When the extraction is complete, the 
latter is shut off, and the infusion sucked into the 
lower boiler, from whence it is run into an evaporator. 
The liquid is then concentrated until a sample taken 
out hardens on cooling. Daring the process it i.s best 
to keep the liquid in agitation. Part of the wool on 
which the aroma is condensed is stored up with lump 
sugar in a closed vessel, when some of the aroma is 
abstracted ; the rest of the wool is placed in a mixer 
with sugar, and the who'e moistened with water or 
“ aroma-water.” Tho aromatised sugar can be expressed 
from the wool and stored in suitable receptacle s ; the 
wool is washed and used over again. The more or 
less dried tea infusion is mixed with “ aromatised 
sugar,” and the whole heated to 100 degs. in a closed 
vessel provided with a mechanical agitator, which is 
worked until it moves smooth'y without resistance. 
After partial cooling the plastic mass is rolled, and 
out into convenient shapes. The ext.'-aot may be used 
for making a “ cup of tea” or for the purpose of 
confectionery ; the spent tea-leaves from the digester 
are compressed and made into blocks to be dispo.scd 
of as “manure,” or they may be carbonised in a 
closed retort to obtain tfB-oharoial and tea-tar, which 
contains ammonia, other nitrogen compounds, acetic 
acid, and similar products. — Grocer. 
SEEIO-HUMOUEOUS. 
EEVIBW OF THE INDIAN TEA TEA.DB. 
The clerk of tho Worshipful Company of TeaTastrr.-i 
presents his compliments to the editor of the Home and 
Colonial Mail, and begs to enclose a copy of the Annual 
Keview : — 
Eeview. 
Tea Lane, March, 1891. 
The tea season of 1890 being now sufiSciently ad- 
vanced to enable the Company of Tea Tasters to pro- 
nounce an accurate opinion on the crop, the master and 
wardens deem it advisable at once to issue the official 
review, in order that planters and others interested in 
tea cultivation may have due time for reflection, and an 
opportunity to pick out the golden tips before the new 
season opens. The season just closing has betn one of 
unusual activity. Several estimates of the quantity to 
be expected had been put before the company during 
theseasoa ; but the Court of Assistants received th. m 
with dignified indifference un'.il the mouth of January, 
when it became probable that the estimated quanlity 
would not be realisod, and a very lively interest u as at 
once display* d. 
The imports and deliveries for each month have 
been duly published by the usual authorities, and 
the figure heads of the Tea Tasters’ Oompany Lave 
regularly discussed them without materially adding 
to the giiural stock of iuforiuatiou. It is not 
therefore deemed necessary to make a detailed 
reference to them at present, as tho company does 
not exist for figurative purpo.'O-i. It rrav bn mentioned, 
however, on the authority of a jiasl in.islor, that tho 
crop of 1890 has fallen short of tho previous season 
for tho first time in twenty-five years, hut seeing 
that ill tho la^t thirty years tlie production of liidisii 
tea has iucroaBod one hundred-fold, this tcinporiiry 
halt in the onward march is only, as the French say, 
reculer four mieux sauter. And it may safely be pre- 
dicted mat planters will carefully note the wishes of 
the consumers lU th s ccuuiry, and favour them with 
an increased quantity next season, particularly in 
consideration of the more remunerative equivalents 
now offer, d them, and because tea planting ought to 
be a yrowing industry. 
The Tea Tasters’ Company view with much sitis- 
faction the gradually increasing size of the breaks of 
each kind; audit may safely be affirmr-d that some 
of the best; prices obtained in the Minciog Lane 
sales during tue season have been for some of tbe 
very largest breaks offered. It is also satisfactory to 
notice the gradual di appearance from the sale catalogues 
of non-sampiiijg break-, which in times of extreme 
pressure are frequently overlooked. Some members 
of the Tea Tasters’ Oompany are of opinion that 
every further increase in the crop of Indian tea should 
be managed by making laiger breaks of eacti grade 
rather than by increasing iheic number. Some, indeed 
regard the regulAtiun twelve chests as too small a 
quantity to diaw a sample of, and draw the lino at 
thirty chests. Others are accustomed to “ look at ” 
every sample, smdl break or large, but only 
carefully to go into the mi rits of the desir- 
able ones. Planters will the.efore do well to avoid 
the undue multiplication of breaks, as in the 
long run the geueial result is not furthered by such 
a course, Ths observation is now much more 
necessary than it was fen years ago. The values of 
the different varieties were then 4d to 6d per lb. as 
under, so that careful sorting had its advantages; but 
it would now seem to be needless spending labour and 
pains on making three or more grades when the differ- 
ence in the market price dees no exceed J 1 or Id per lb. 
Fr,queut instances will occur to any careful reader of 
the weekly record in the Home and Colonial Mail in 
which Peko€‘ has realiied 101, Pekoe Souctu ng O'Jd and 
Seiiclioag 91d per lb, whereas if the three graoos had 
been assimilated in one una,sor ed conglomeration it 
is not at all unlikely that the result might have been 
OJd. Certain it is that in the future, unless the aasimi- 
lation of grades receives more attention in ihe dirtcticn 
indicated, a deadlock will result iu times of pressure 
which may prove disastrous. It ought to be mentioned 
however, that under tho auspices of some prominent 
members of tho Oourt oi Assistants an arrangement 
was coma to early iii the season among-t the tea im- 
porters to regulate 'he quantity to be offered in public 
sale each week, sn that it should uotexcerd 35 000 
packages. It was li.ped that this concerted actmii 
would prove a sort of “ aaiomatic governor and feed 
regulator,” end it was fairly successful during the 
autumn. But in January when the machinery was set 
in motion after the holidays, a quantity of unexpected 
“fat” was squeezed out, which lubricated every wheel 
so much that the governors lost control of the machine 
entirely. The vent pegs got loosened and finally the 
sluices gave way, and the docks were nearly empty at 
the end of the month. It was then dhcovered that 
170,000 packages had slipped through during that time 
The engineers 1 ave since made some show of repairinr 
the machinery, but it is to be feared that it will oulv 
work m fair weather, when there is not much need of it 
and that directly self-interest prompts anyone to loosen 
the vent peg, it will speedily be kicked out. 
The number of samples rtp rted on by the com- 
pany during the season has been at time.s sufiicient 
to lax very seriously the capabilities of the livery 
Frequently the obscurity of the atmosphere has beeti 
an added difficulty wliich it was not easy to see the 
way out of. Gratiful acknowledgment is, therefore 
due to Protessor Hunter, who under these trying cir- 
cumstances geuerou.Jy afforded the company the 
benefit of his valuab e invention, the Biennial hydrogen 
pekosoope, a scientific discovery of ihe utmost brilli- 
aiicy, by whicl; the fog fiend is effectually defied in 
considoration of which it is coi fidently believed 
that the proposition to confer on the professor tho 
freedom of tho c mpnuy, enclosed in one of 
Andrew’s patent metal caskets, will meet with general 
approval. 
