November 2, 1891.] THt TROWOAL AGRICULTURIST, 
33 * 
THE PROSPECTS OF CEYLON TEA 
IN AUSTRIA. 
All the way up from Brindisi to Venice, but 
more eepeoially (rora Venice to Karlsbad, we have, 
without intruding the subject unpleasantly, preached 
the merits and ‘ economy ’ of Ceylon tea I With- 
out venturing to antioipots great results, we may 
at least say that we have thoroughly interested a 
largo number of persons, among our fellow- 
travellers, and still more residents in Vienna, 
Prague and among the floating population of 
Karlsbad, in the subject. “ The pjanters of Ceylon 
want everybody in Austria to drink Ceylon tea " 
was usually the semi-jocuUr remark with which' 
interesting conversations closed. “Ob,” said a 
8tyrian vineyard proprietor, one of a group of 
eager listeners and questioners on the Semmering, 
“ that is what we desire and have not yet 
managed for our wines." 
To several tea-dealers we have ventured to give 
the address of Colombo firms, and more parti- 
cularly of that (Messrs. Volkart Bros.) represent- 
ing the Austro-Hungarian Consulate and Lloyds, 
when the question was asked where they could 
get samples and prices, or a certain quantity of 
the tea on trial. This was the case with the 
principal tea importer in Graz (the capital of 
Styria) who, fortunately, travelled with us to the 
neighbourhood of Vienna, He expressed himself 
as especially interested in all we told him, and 
as determined to make a trial of the tea among 
bis customers. 
IN VIENNA. 
In Vienna^ we devoted a day to a round of 
visits among the principal tea importers and 
dealers. We found their addresses readily enough 
in the City Directory. In the case of the town 
dealers, even those doing busioese on an extensive 
scale, the curious combination holds good, which 
prevails all over the Continent, of “ Tea and 
Rum ” as the two articles to be imported, dis- 
tributed and sold together. The fact is that, save 
in Russia, tea is regarded more or less as a 
medicine — so wo found it in Central France pro- 
curable only at the Apothecaries’, — and although 
it is not so in Paris or Vienna, yet the addition 
of some rum is evidently considered needful to 
render the tea palatable or to counteract its effects 
on the nerves 1 At any rate, we have everywhere 
to face in business here— wholesale and retail — 
the combination which will be so shocking to tee- 
totallers, of " Thee und Rum.” Our first visit 
was a most pleasant one and gave us a pre-taste 
of the courtesy and attention which awaited us 
everywhere in Vienna. Very soon, several mem- 
bers of the firm and stall were listening and 
questioning on the subject, interested especially 
in the news of the vast expansion of the 
Ceylon tea production, and, alas I in the fall- 
ing ofi in coffee. By-and-bye, a partner turned 
op who spoke English well and he took ns 
the round of their stock of coffee which included a 
considerable number of barrels of Ceylon finest — 
Dimbula, Udapussellawa and Haputale marks. I 
noted eepeoially " Meeriabedde " and they were 
interested that I should know the very plantations 
from which their coffee came. Austria takes s very 
large quantity of the very beat coffee in the world, 
and let us trust that the day is not far distant 
when she may re(inire an appreciable stock of the 
very best tea. Our friends directed us for our second 
visit to the firm who, they said, did more in 
importing and distributing tea than any other in 
Vienna. This bouse (I give no names ail through) 
yf6 found did a large if not all its business through 
Mincing Lane ; and we were introduced to the 
Austrian gentleman who acted as their agent or 
buyer in London, and who was known familiarly to 
them in Vienna as " Robertson,” because as I 
inferred he bought through the well-known Colombo 
bouse of the name. That must refer chiefly to 
coffee, for though Ceylon tea was not unknown, 
there was not much in stock, nor did it seem in 
such favour as Indian tea, their stock of which 
included some Darjiling. These teas were, however, 
for blending, and we could not here get much 
encouragement to the bops that Ceylon tea would 
soon take its place, on its own merits and be drunk 
pure in considerable quantities. “ A good article 
will make its way by degrees, but there is no use 
trying to force it by new plana and new ways ” was 
the sum of the opinions expressed by the chief tea 
importer here, who is clearly a thorough conserva- 
tive, as most merchants with a sound, well-established 
and prosperous business are inclined to be. We, 
however, instanced what bad happened in the 
United Kingdom, in Australia, and what Ceylon 
lanters were trying to do in America and Russia, 
y now and revolutionary means; and we parted 
with the asauranoo that they would probably get an 
increasing quantity of Ceylon tea, but tor blending 
purposes rather than lor distributing by itself, we 
inferred. 
The third firm on whom we called, though in a 
smaller way, evidently did an extensive distributing 
business in tea and rum, and the managing partner 
was the most interested yet, in all my interpreter 
had to tell about Ceylon tea. He had heard and 
read somewhat about it, but as yet bad bought none. 
He was much more of our opinion that so good and 
comparatively cheap an article might well be 
brought before the Austrian public by every possible 
means, by advertising even, distributing information 
in pamphlet form, opening a Ceylon Restaurant or 
Retail Store, Ac. As regards the first, he instanced 
very appositely, tbo case of " Van Hodien's Cocoa," 
which, as we had noticed, is largely placarded all 
over Vienna, and is perhaps the only tropical 
product so advertised and no doubt with profitable 
results. There can be no doubt that if Oeti/ON 
Tea were similarly advertised, the attention of 
the people could not fail to be drawn to it, 
and lif the needful information and supply were 
simultaneously made readily available, enquiry 
and demand would follow. [I found the readier 
access to the opinions of the different merchants 
being able to annonnoe that I was not a tea 
dealer or planter, but a journalist interested in 
the welfare of Ceylon's chief industry.] 
Our fourth visit was to a dealer of a lower 
olass— a respectable family grocer in a big way, 
but who kept bis teas for sale in very large 
glass-stoppered bottles and who retailed China and 
blended teas at from 5s to ts the lb., the demand 
being for small quantities. He did not think 
much of a sample of Ceylon high-grown we had 
with us ; said it was too much of a hay flavour, 
and that the decoction would be far too bitter 
and strong to suit tbs Austrian taste. 
Far more encouraging was the opinion of a dealer 
in a more fashionable street, who might be called an 
Austro-American, he having been several years in 
Chicago before opening in Vienna. He knew a little 
about Ceylon tea, was much interested in our sample, 
bad indeed sold some tea got from London, aa 
'* Ceylon,” very freely among his customers and he 
would certainly go in for more, and try if possible 
to make a business with Colombo direct, though 
his requirements would be small to begin with. 
He had introduced Oalifornian ” preserved fruits” 
into Vienna, and it was bis intention to have a 
stand at the approaching Exhibition with Food- 
