NoVEMnER 2, 1891.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
323 
wbeii j'ou want to coo! ofE quickly, sip tho tea boiling 
hot, with a slice of previously peeleil lemon, or nicer 
still, of orange, wiihout tto rimJ, floating in it. In 
winter, especially when yon have a c hi uu'l require 
a Ruiorlfic, adij a wiiieglsssful of arrack to it and 
drink it down as hot as you can stand it. It brings 
out a profuse and hoUhful perspiration when punch 
or hot Scotch fails to thaw j*on cm. 
Beware of gioen tea! It is an abomination and a 
fraud. A^(!liineso coolie wouldn’c give it to hia pig. 
IIo will give th«t patient porker dead rats, old 
boots and other ofT..! and buoU uncousidircd trifle?, 
but ho dTaws the line at green ten. In tho 
first place it 13^ simply tho unripe liaf and boars 
the saino relation to tho real article that tho 
“ little peach of ompralJ hue’* does to Delaware’s dedi- 
ciouB fruit in it.s richest ripeness. It huatho saino ef- 
fect upon tho stomach and aLduuiinal nerves as in ibo 
case of poor “Johnny Jones and his lister Sue/' The 
grocn tea of commerce derives its rare color from 
being cured or rather killed, cn dirty copper pans, from 
boing mixed with weeds and ?hrubs, from being ftained 
with indigo and ebrurue yellow, from being colored with 
verdigris, grapa-iuioe orchlorophyl. Kv ^ry green dye 
known to commi-rco has boon useci to produce the much 
ndmirod but death dealtug color excepting it may be 
Tiiria green. As soon as the use of that poisonous feub- 
Btauco ^ will give a pridU of a cent a pound you rau 
wager it will 00 liberally used by the mercenary Mon* 
golian merchKiit and the much more nietoeuary cul* 
taredEiiropouu tea trader, 
I’il vonturo the statement that there is no fine tea in 
tho Uniled States. What goes to our couutry ia tho 
choap stuff used lu re by the coolies and inil ininateH. 
When fill Arn ^rioan houkokeeper pays SI per pouud 
for hor Oolong or English breiikfa.st she is buying what 
18 sold hero for25 cents. No really good toa is sold 
hero for less than $11 per pound by tho wholesale. If 
laid down in the markolat home it could not bo sold for 
loss than ^1*76. 
This tea la the usual article for cletk.s, poor trades- 
men and mechanics. For tho woll-to-do, the oflioial olasi 
and notability are finer pickings that run from to §50 
nor pound. The only Faropeuiis who i urebaso these 
high-priced leaves arc liussiaus and a few connoisseura 
in France, Oeromny, Austria, Spain oml Turkey. Thi 
bold Briton peruiits pairiolisin and his purse to 
guide his palate and usts the viciou-, vitriolic horrors 
of Oe}loD and India. Good DlcIs Sam patronizes h 
Cheap John, who gives away to each purchaser a §2 
cu^ and saucer with every 25 cent pound of toa. 
The tea plant is as flansitivo and delicate us a Wtst 
Walnut street belle. It flonrishes be.-»t on a mountain 
Qjdo, where it is neither very warm nor cool, where 
the soil is dry, but tho raius and dews are frequent, 
where the force of the wind i.^ broken by iiJjiCent 
woods or hills, where thoro is a tnaxinauni of sun- 
light and, according to the Celestials, of moonlight 
and where the surruundiug ground is kept free from 
weeds or oth*T vegetable growths* There are farms 
in Formosa,^ Fj Kieu and other tea distiicts whtro 
those conditions exist unchangingly, whoso tea crop 
is as famous and distinctly known in the eastern 
world as the various chateaux of France are to the 
wine experts of Europe. Just as the million lirei of 
Europe control certain vinojnpdB^so do tho millionaires 
01 the h lowery kingdom control tea plantations whose 
annual output iti worth a king’s ransom. 
Aimther point of the many we have to icaru from 
Ohiuese, is the propter mode of packing tho leaf. 
That which goes to America is dumpud as soon as 
It IS “ hred, burning hot. into a lead lined box, 
tho 15 soldered and tiia airtight coffin ia sent 
arooud the globe in the hot hold of a steamer. The 
tea sweats and undergoes mnuy changes which alter 
its flavor and vitiate Uh quiihty 
The Mongolian packs the poorest kind in strong 
paper paokHge.H and these in turn in mortuary load} 
bolter kinds in sofl-Un paper.Qoverod boxes; still better 
ones m silver.foil luaide ot 000 pounl cases made of 
spilt suu-dried bamboo, and the best in porcelain jars 
and vases. 
•p packs in eighths end quarters of a pound, ho that 
It ft few loftves ure improperly trested or not cured, they 
t will not contaminate much surrounding tea. The 
i llft.'-Bian. oomprt'88 the toa into hricks, or cover it with 
I silver-foil and many paper wrappings; or else put it iu 
I glazed jars. 
Tho principle is tlio same — the sub-division of the 
toa, aud the prevention of risks attending larger 
pack-iges or iu bigger hoik, such as heating, sweating 
and moulding. 
'f'hi< prinoiplo wo have yet to loam and apply. But 
ah, the exquisite ptessure to bo fouud in a cup cf truly 
fine tea. The colour is a delicate gold ; each leaf uu.- 
folds into a perfect olive oval ; its fragaiice flits the 
I bauque' tog-hall, d< licate aud yet penetrating, dainty 
I hut distinguishable above all other perfumes ; aud the 
I flivour! Too famous Clover Club Punch pulse into 
dim distance iu oomparison to Ibis “oup that cheers,” 
Words cannot dasoribo the delight in a brew of fresh 
Purmosn tea. It fills tho ■}Stem and makes every nerve 
thrill with joy. It lingers on the p.late for hours. 
Aud “ the next day,” think of it, O votaries of Baoohus, 
the brain is clear, the body all alert and tho eoul ready 
for the haitle of lUe. 
I never taste the fragraut leaf without reoalling Edna 
Standard’s lines, 
” With kindreds souls iu many a spot 
I’ve had good tea ; from uru and jar, 
From caddy, Oha-hoi, Kogliab pot, 
Aud flery Kuasian samovar. 
But none so fragraut or so sweet 
A' that wliich from thy hands today, 
With some cnolisuter's art replete, 
Drove every thought of care away.” 
PREVENTION OF BLIGHT IN TEA. 
(From Capital, Sept. 30th.) 
We are indebted tu tho Aoting .Secretary to the 
Indian Tea Aisooiation for a copy of the following 
oorrespondonoe on a cure lor red spider and possibly 
other blights 
From J. liuCKlNonAM, Esq., to J. H. H. IfoLra, Kiq., 
Secretary, As.s im Branch, Indian ’Tea AESooiatioii, 
(dated Amgoorio, ilst duly, 1891). 
I have been favoured by ilr, Bruce, of Measrs; 
Kilburn & Company, with semo oorre.spotdence be- 
tween Mr. Himsun of Meesrs. Iloare, Miller IkUoaip.ny 
and Mr. APealou of the Siugoll Tea Company regard- 
ing a cure for red spider and probably for other blights. 
I send you tho loticra forpu’ lication, and it would be 
iuterestiug if experiments were made and the results 
communicated to you. 
From A. J. Simson, Esq., to W. Wkston, Eb<i., 
dated Calcutta, 6th October 1890. 
I should lo much obliged if you would, when you 
have leisure, let mo have a report on the tomato de- 
coction prevention ajainat blight. You will know 
better than 1 do what points should bo speoially 
mentioned, hut I may siy I should like them to 
include : — 
1. What blights may be preveutod by it ? 
2. To what extent each is affected and fur what 
perio<l ? 
3. Wheu is tho deccotiou applied, how, and in what 
quantity f 
4. How is tho flushing of tho bush affected f 
5. Is the health of the bush impaired ? 
0 Is tho leaf sffoetod in color, taste, or otherwise f 
7. What labor is required to apply the dimoation ? 
8. Is the tomato leaf easily obtainable ? 
w. now IS me accoom.n maou t 
10. What are tho advantages, if any, that can eloarly 
be attribut.il to the use of the decoction ? 
II. What are Ibo disadvantages of the same ? 
1 hope this list will not oppal you, and that you will 
frankly give your opinion as to the value of the treat- 
ment. While on tho subjeot I should much like to 
know whether yeu think lha outturn of your garden 
has been aff.oted in any way by your experiments, if 
fo, to what extent, and whether yon look for anv 
further result, 1 am sorry to give you so much 
