626 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[March i, 1892. 
regard to the iseuea of preference ehares, and 
that too in apite of the very low range of tea 
prioea. Their ealatea wore all doing well, and the 
young tea waa ooming on in a way that gave 
good promiae for the future. 
Your preaent ataplo hna been the aubject 
of aeveral important articles in the nowa- 
papera this week. The leading one among 
these appeared in the Daily Telegraph of Wed- 
nesday laat, and of this I enoloso you a 
copy. I can only spare a brief apace in this letter 
to touch upon some of its more important paints. 
The article referred to, which occupies a eolumn 
and a half, ia headed "Indian and China teas: 
what Mincing Lane thinks — by a City man.” It 
reviews the relative course of trade with regard 
to Chinese and Indian and Ceylon teas daring 
the last few years, and brings into prominence 
the supplanting of the first by the two second 
varieties during the past two years. It says with 
reference to your own growth that “ about .'10 per 
cent more Ceylon tea was used in Great Britain 
in 1891 than in the year previous," and further 
states that, while the consumption of Ceylon in- 
oreased in this large proportion, that of Indian 
tea waa 3 million pounds leas in 1891 than in 1890. 
The article also mentions that " the abnormally 
wet weather which prevailed in Ceylon during the 
first ^xuarter of the year occasioned so rapid a 
growth of the loaf that production fairly outran 
the most sanguine estimate, and in consequence 
London became somewhat fiooded with unexpected 
supplies, and a gradual shrinkage in values waa 
the result." 
Sir Andrew Clack’s late statements then receive 
notice, and it ia pointed out that that distinguished 
physician made no mention of Ceylon tea. It is 
further remarked that " speaking generally, Ceylon 
tea contains far more strength than Indian." As 
the result of an interview with a representative of 
the China trade, the rapid displaoement of 
that growth is admitted. Ileferenoe is made under 
this head to Dr. Hale Wnite's report on an 
analysis of Assam, finest China and common 
congou teas, but it appears that an infus'on of 
fifteen minutes was allowed before that analysis 
was commenced. This report of Dr. White’s was, 
I hear, made some years buck, and the China tea 
which yielded so small a proportion as 7 'J7 per 
cent, of tannin was, it has further been mentioned 
to me, a sample which sold for five shillings the 
pound This, of course, was quite an exceptional 
tea, and far beyond tho means of the ordinary run 
of consumers. No fair data could therefore be 
drawn from its analysis. There is no doubt that 
the general effect of this article will bo good for 
your Ceylon iuduetry. 
A second article was published in tho Gardening 
World of January 2nd, and waa headed" Somoihiog 
about Tea." It reviewed a recent lecture delivered 
by Mr. Basil Holmes. This lecture dealt prinoipally 
with tho course of cultivation in Asssm, and did 
not embrace any allusion to the statistical position 
of the several varieties. The Chemical Trade Journal 
of the same date of issue as the above gave a 
record by Mr. Joseph F. Qeisler of the analysis of 
a pekoe Ceylon tea. It gives the following result 
to the analysis of the leaf itself ' — 
Moisture (loss by drying 
at lOOo 0.) 
.. 0 20 
Soluble Ash . . 
.. 3 77 
Insoluble A^b 
.. ITiS 
Total Ash 
.. .'•■30 
Theiiie 
.. .5 '24 
Total Tanuiu . . 
..22-79 
Total extruotive matter 
..43--iO 
Xntiuluble leaf. . 
, , 
..50-40 
The specimen appears to have been of a high- 
class. A trial was then made of an infusion of it, 
ten minutes being allowed for this infusion. As 
the rule, however, few people allow more than five 
minutes for infusion of Ceylon tea, and we con- 
sider that with such a limitation very little of the 
high proportion of tannin shown by the analysis 
would be extracted. The sooond analysis yielded 
the following results: — 
Theiuo . . . . . . 2’4>i per cunt. 
Tttijuio .. .. ..17 19 „ 
Total extractive matter . .33'2f> „ 
Ash (total) .. .. .. 3-44 „ 
Phosphoric Acid (P, 0,) in ash fiT8 ,, 
Tho infusion is stated to have been of a golden 
yellow colour and as having “ a very agreeable 
aroma and pleasant taste." It ia stated that this 
ten minutes of infusion took up Oti ti per cent of 
the total theine, 7o'3 per cent of the total tannin, 
and 91 per cent of the soluble ash. The article 
was extracted from the Journal of the American 
Chemical Society. 
With reference to tho three articles above referred 
to, it may be useful to tell you what passed in 
a conversation lately had by myself with a man 
largely engaged in the China trade, in effect he 
remarked Admitting all you say as to the degreu 
in which Ceylon ami Indian teas are supplanting 
those of China, 1 can only say that wo do not 
fear the oontiouation of the present competition by 
Ceylon teas. Your soil is not suited to perma- 
nent production of this, any more than it proved 
to be for coffee. Some years back certain Ceylon 
estates were noted for some specially high olass teas. 
One never hears of such tens oow on the market ; 
nor of the high prices which were formerly ob- 
tained for such. This proves a gradual decadence 
in quality which in lime will show itself univer- 
sally.’’ On my mentioning these remarks to a 
geatleman of planting experience in Ceylon, ho 
observed: — "In one sense only was your friends 
right. Wn do not hear of any teas of exceptional 
quality from certain Ceylon estates as wu used to 
do. But why ia this the case ? Firstly, because 
the quality of the whole export from Ooylon has, 
as tht: rule, been levelling up; and secondly, because 
tho production of small breaks of exceptional 
quality did not prove to bo a paying investment. 
If your friend had been aoquainicd with the?e two 
facts, he would not have inferred a deterioration 
due to unstable conditions of soil.’’ 
Wo hear that your Mr. John Ferguson has been 
actively endeavouring to stir up Sir William Gregory 
and Sir Arthur Birch to take sieps to publicly refute 
the statements recently made by SirAndrew Clark with 
reference to the superiority of China over other 
varieties of tea. We have not heard if he has 
been able to induce either of those ex-officialB to 
take up the cudgels, but the general view is, we 
think, that as Sir Andrew did not specifically name 
Ceykiu tea, it would scarcely be a sufficieiii object 
for either of the gentlemen mentioned to under- 
take the work tiecossary for the purpose of publicly 
refuting his uncalled-for assertions. 
CuYboN Tea tN EoypT.— The Egyptian Gazette of 
15th Jan. says : — 
^ Messrs. Edcar Kirby & Oo. have requested us to 
insert in onr ooluinns, for the information of their 
numerous clients, that they have just received from 
Lsylun a Iresh supply of Pekoe Sonchong as well as a 
trial shipment of “Orange Pekoe." B.itli these teas 
mixed together in equal proportions, will give a strong 
tiobauddelioiouH ttavuur. 
