November 2, 1891.1 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
335 
tea generally at some length) to the Editor of tho 
Vienna “-Nene Freie Presse." The letter has just 
gone, and I will send you a copy by next mail. 
I did my best to interest Mr. Stanek of 
Prague in Ceylon tea, pointing out to him how 
it was bound to become the great tea of tho future 
for consumption, even on the Continent of Europe. 
Hie buainesB'ie a very extensive one, and among his 
staff I found a negro ussiatsnt who seemed to 
have the faculty ol picking up readily every language 
of the Continent, be having already the command of 
some half-dozen. 
So far as the retail and use of tea in Vienna and 
Prague are conosmed, however, one might well 
despair of making any impression on the taste of 
tho Austrian people in respeot ol tea-drinking. Tea, 
unlike coffee, is regarded either as a luxury rarely 
to be indulged in, or as medicine to be taken only 
oceasionally ; and we might suppose it impossible 
to effect a change were it not for what Mr. 
Osswald’s friend has told us of tho distribution of 
his “ pound packet ” and still more from what I 
have seen of 
Tra-Diiinkino in Kaulsbau. 
Just as tho "afternoon teas" which have of late 
years become fashionable in Paris, may gradually 
lead a large proportion of the French people to 
appreoiato and use tea freely ns a refreshing beverage, 
BO may wo have very great confidence that the 
universal custom of drinking tea at this, the most 
popular of continental Spas, may gradually spread 
a taste for the infusion not only among Austrians 
(inolnding those of German, Magyar, Czech, Slavonic 
race) but Gormans, who of course make up between 
them the larger proportion of visitors. The difflonlty 
elsewhere on tlie Continent is to get anyone to 
look at, much less diink, tea. Here at Karlsbad 
from April till September at scores if not hundreds 
of cfifes, restaurants and hotels, the cry every 
morning between 8 and 1) o’clock from visitors who 
number altogether 85,000, is for " /•,?«’’ or " Zwei'' 
Thee, by the individual, or couple ! And coneidenng 
that only a very ordinary "China ’’ or "Melange " 
(Blend) is used, it is wonderful how drinkable a 
cup of tea one gets. The proper infusion of tea 
has, in (act. been thoroughly learned at Karlsba 1 
no doubt, in tho first instonoe, under medical diroo 
tion ; for ss I have said, the diet and regimen 
of those seeking a ■' cure ’’ are infinitely 
better regulated here than in Viohy where indeed 
“tea” or one thing was never heard of. We 
have given our “Ceylon tea’’ to the waiter at an 
hotel to get infused, in entertaining friends to 
a cup of "high-grown, delicate tea,’’ and the 
result was a perfect infusion and every justice 
done to the superior aroma. Here then in Karls- 
bad would be tho place to inlroduco Ceylon tea, 
for tho benefit of tho restaurant-keepers (in 
giving them a better and no doubt cheaper article) 
as well as of the visitors. But it is not easy to 
see how a start in the business is to be made. 
The result of our enquiries goes to shew that at 
tho beginning of each season, a Hamburg firm 
sends a large consignment of tea (valued according 
to our authority at 150,000 marks say £7,500) 
for sale to the oafds and hotels. I have not 
been able to learn exactly at what rate this is sold 
to these establishments, but I do not suppose any 
of it at less than tho equivalent of 7a to Bs and 
for a tea which could be better supplied from 
Ceylon at Ss 01 duty, freight and charges all paid I 
I have only discovered one oontidurable toa-deulcr- 
importer in Karlsbad — and on entering his ollioe 
and asking for " Ceylon ten ’’ wo were told “ there 
was no such description I" The information that 
we came from Ceylon which would this year 
perhaps send 70 'million lb. of the article into 
consumption, changed the answer into “ We do not 
know Ceylon tea hero ’’ ; and most interested then 
did the comparatively young Austrian principal of 
the firm become in all wo told him of the new 
tea. He had a considerable stock of China which 
ho sold in various classes— Congou, Souchong, 
Melange, &a. He had exceedingly neat boxes 
(made in Vienna) lined with lead, daintily papered 
with Chinese pictures outside, sliding lids, lot 
forwarding 1 lb., 2 lb., or 5 lb. to customers— just as 
we had seen in Vienna itself exceedingly neat paper 
and load packets for | lb. and i lb. with English and 
German inscriptions: — “Real China Tea— Extra 
choicest — Now Season’s First Crop China Tea- The 
China Tea Company. Limited” This is no doubt 
from a London distributing house, Un another 
side of tho package we read ; — " This packet contains 
the choiorst Chinese Tea selected with greatest 
o.are and experience. The tin (oil and parchment 
packing is entirely (roe from lead, or other deleterious 
substance.” And then on tho fourth side, come 
very full and minute instructions in German as to 
the proper making of the tea, with, of course, a 
great deal of praise of the description enclosed. 
I have had a translation made and here it is, showing 
how will the Austrians are instructed to make tea: — 
Tbs Fbepauation ov Tea demands the ^rratest 
attention in oidor to make it agreeable to the con- 
sumer to utilize its essential properties, its aroma 
and theine, and to make it valusblu in point of economy, 
hygiene and taste. 
The Foliowinci Method h Recommended.— Baft 
water of pore taste, every time fresh is most suited for 
the extraction of tho aroma and theiiio of the tea 
leaves. Hard water contains minerals in solntiou, 
such as iron, copper, saltpetre, salts of ail kinds and 
other substances, and is therefore unsuitrd for tea- 
making which process is simple but must bo carried 
cut rationally aud precisely. A tea. spoonful (about 
2-2() gram is sufficient for a largo cup or glass, the 
wacer must be boiling bet, until all fcothiuess has 
ronsed and then poured ou ; by this mraus the drink 
ia oleai-er. The. tea-pot wbirh is used for tea only must 
first be riused out with 1 iV water, the le» most be left 5 
minutes after the wa'or is poured on to it, bnt avoid 
any further boiling of the water alter it is poured 
over tho tea. It one requires weaker lea, then 8 
minutes will sulbco for extracting the aroma and 
theine and the strength can bo regulated by adding 
boiling water. I’roperly prepared tea must to golden 
yellow and quite oleiir. The brewing of tea before- 
hand, that is tho pouting away of tho tirat infusion 
of boiling water, which i.s so often done, is certsiuly 
not to bo recommended as thereby mneh aroma is 
drawn from the tes. 
To return to the Karlsbad dealer : he seemed 
very free from prejudice and ready to apply for 
samples ar.d a small.consignment of Ceylon tea to 
begin with, to tho Colombo house 'wlwsc address 
wo ventured to give him— Messrs. Volkart Brothers 
as representing bis country, Consulate and national 
Steamer Company there. 
The more I think ol it, the more I am com- 
pletely puzzled as to the enormous difference in 
the prices at which Coffee, Cocoa and Tea are 
respectively retailed, or even sold wholesale 
throughout Austria. Tbs difference iu duty does 
not account fur more than a fraotion of the 
proportion. Nothing but habit, and the cus- 
tom of treating tea as a " medioine ’’ can 
account for it, along with the fact that the 
import business is confined to a few who are 
quite content with their pjaititon. (The parallel 
case is to be found in the treatment of "quinine’* 
in England, still retailed ut Id a grain equal to 
£2 an ounce 1] For instance, we went into a leading 
grocer’s here this morning, and asked him for 
tho retail price of the three products. Hero is tho 
