June i, 1892.] 
THE TRor*ic«. AcmtsotjromsT. 
893 
NOTES ON PRODUCE AND UNANCE. 
Not HnEDiTAnLE to the Nationae Tasib.— T he 
Utesl BuKgeatioa ancnt the popuUtity o( lailian 
and Oeyluu teas as comparcil with Obiua ia that the 
palates of coDSumera are vitiated, and that their pre- 
aeiit preference reflecta on the national taste. This 
is the opinion of a writer in the Livei}>ool Courier, 
who Bays: — '• Ooaiinerc'ially (there Ib no neoesiity to 
regret the change which has taken place in the course 
and volume of this important item of merohanilise. 
India and Oeylon arc ISritisb possessionB, and British 
capital has been invested to an enormous extent in 
this partionlar trade. And yet the transformation 
which has been achieved is not at all creditable to 
the national taste. Indeed, there is reason to fear 
that wo have ceased t] have any just ground for 
aneeiing at the French lack of appreciation for tea 
on the score of their iuabilily to brew it properly or 
lecoguise it when it is really good. In the days of 
the China monopoly there also existed a high duty. 
An impost of 2s pec pound might bo very unjust, 
but at all events it rendered the importatiou of rub- 
bish a business not worth embarking upon. We do 
not say that if the high duty were to be re-imposed 
the old conditions of the trade would bo restored. 
Far from it. Primitive habits in an isolated way 
may live fur into modern civilisation, but when 
once they have been eradicated it is, whether for 
weal or woe, for ever. But why has China tea 
fallen into tbe third plate? First of all, because 
it continues deir- It is still prepared by the old 
manual processes, while ludiau und Ceylon teas 
are doalt with by machinery, which, for anything 
that we know, may bo capable of making tea out of 
almost anything. Even new laid eggs can now ba 
fairly well eounterfeite J by muobintry. Secondly, 
China tea is mild in flavour, and the doubled con- 
sumption in Great Britain has brought with it a 
great deterioration of taste. A ‘strong syinpy tea’ 
II what the advertiser aimounces, and apparently 
this notion of the plant has become popular. It is 
not realised that strength me.ius tannin, and that 
tannin is another term for indigestion. Thirdly, 
while Ceylon and Indian to is are much cheaper to 
the coiisnmer, as that individual mistakenly suppose<, 
they p.iy the retail dealer much bettir than Ubina 
teas, and therefore the latter misses to opportuni'y 
of extoltiug them while dispaiaging tho virtues of the 
mure delien'o beverage.” 
Socir Goon Ged Days. — Presuming that the writer 
ia nut personally interested in tbe Chins tea trade, but 
ia really lamen.iug tho good old days when be could 
satisfy his desire for Chinese tea without the ” stroug 
twang ” be so muob dislikes, bis picture of tbe 
'* once upon a time” is quite touchiug. “Good strong 
full-bodied tea at cigbteenpence per pound.” he says. 
“ That ia the brand in vogue today ! Once upon a 
time one conkl have gone to the bonse of a friend 
with tbe certainty of receiving an enjoyable cup of 
tea, whether one liked it with milk or sugar, or 
without one or both of these additions. Now the almost 
universal assumption seems to be that tbe visitor 
likes a strong * twang ’ to the oup which ought to 
obeet without inebriating. We can easily imagine 
that those who tell us we should take our tea with- 
out either cream or sugar may bo right, and that 
it would be uo great punishment to tbe sweetest- 
toothed to drink what used to be throe-shilliugs China 
I®* ^0 til® reduction by the Obaucellor of 
the Exchequer under snob conditions, if properly iu- 
*°wd. But what amount of sugar and milk can 
suflioiently modify the character of the coarse, pun- 
gent liquid as a rule now purveyed as tea?” Tho 
transfer of patronage from China to Indian and Ceylon 
teas is commercially all right. Wo are far from say- 
ing that the two latter may not be discriminatiogly 
nsed withont any material injury to the cousumets, 
But the fact remains that the change in taste has 
been artificially bronght abont. Tho consumer likes to 
r seems the cheapest tea, and it pays the 
retailer to encourage the uatural teudenoy. Tnis ia 
•by BO mauy people now regard China tea as at once 
Wstly and insipid. In point of faot, it is to those 
Il’d 
who know how to prepare it absolutely economical, 
and it providos a delicious delicacy otherwise unobtain- 
able. It is tbe custom of tbe age to sneer at epienres, 
evtn though all rlassts in their various apbeies pro- 
fess in soma degree to belong to the order. But per- 
haps the most regrettable ciraiimstancu connected with 
the revolution in the tea trade is tbs fact that it is 
so diflicult even for piuple who are willing to pay 
for China tea to get it pure. They have, as a 
rule, to bo content and feel thankful wheu they oan 
obtaiua moderately decent blend. It is sad to think 
of tbe writer, with epiourosn taste and stoical philo- 
sophy, yearning for pure China tea, willing to pay for 
it, yet only able to obtain a moderately decent blend, 
and witbal generously admitting that, in spite of this, 
it is ” ccmmercially all right." But he should kiudly 
remember that it ia all a matter of taste, and that his 
views as to the delicacy of the Chinese teas he so 
fondly admires may be due to some natural defloieooy 
in his power to appreciate the mure robust, but never- 
theless admirable, teas grown in India and Ceylon, 
The Chop Outlook — Diaoussiiig the position of 
Indian tea, the Orocen' Chronicle says: — It is now 
pretty well known in the market that there is only 
about as much of tho crop unsold as there was at 
same date last year ; and, as tbe 12,000,000 lb, 
surplus is all disposed of already, and prices have 
had all the fall they are likely to have, a more 
contident feeling prevails, and importers are taking 
heart of grace to refute bids whieh a month age 
they wonld have been willing to accept. The only 
disturbing element in tbe forecast of events is : 
What will Ceylon do daring May and June? It 
will be remembered that at tbe moment when Indian 
tea was up to lOd. last April, heavy supplies 
of Ceylon, owing to a heavy rainfall, were 
unexpectedly sent forward, and smashed tbe 
market here down to 8d inside a week or two. This 
year, however, prices are 40 per cent lower. Oeylonl 
themselves have never been previously ss low, and it 
is no secret tbst the agents of several leading gardens 
have cabled out instriiotiona to pluck fine, so that 
it is improbable that supplies will bo much in exoesa 
of last year oven ollowing for the natural expansion 
of the industry and tho bringing into full bearing 
of young gardens which last year sent nothing to 
market. The season is now closed at Calcutta, and it is 
expected that the crop will weigh out HI millions or 
thereabouts in London. 
Last Week’s Tea Mabket.— Of last week’s market 
tho Grocer says; — There having been a consider- 
able lightening of supplies in iroportors’ hands, 
and the parcels row offering not being pressed for. 
ward so eagerly as they were a short time back, the 
market for Indian tea has acquired much more stability 
than of late, and the auctions of abont 23,000 paokages 
this week have been characterised by greater buoyanoy 
than before at again stiffer rates, 'rhia remark, how- 
ever, applies more direolly to fine and finest grades 
strong in cup, and with other points of exoellenoe— 
such as being last of the season and of antumn flavour 
—which teas, being briskly competed (or wheu they 
are comparatively few left, have fetched another 
advance of quite Id to 2d per lb.; and this helps to 
prove that the trade in tbe article ia in a sounder and 
healthier condition than has buon generally supposed. 
Medium and useful qualities have likewise gone 
off more favourably for holders, tbougb not, of 
conrss, to the same extent, whilst tbe broken kinds, 
with fannings and very low sorts, have been taken 
slowly at only a trifling, if any, improvement in value. 
More animation was noticed at the sslee of Ceylon, and 
tbe market has a better tone. Useful medium aod flne 
(eas sold very well, and values for some of these marked 
an upward tendenoy. Tho absence of flnest grades 
has its effect on prices, sud no rise can be looked 
tor until tbore ore fewer common kinds offering. Low 
rates are still recorded for the latter. 
What is a Brokeb ?— Tho Produce Markets’ SetHeig 
taking its one from the correspondenoe on the subjeot 
in the Public Ledger, hss been discussing the question 
What is a Broker ?” It says e— “A very remarkable 
and serious obaoge has taken place amoDg Citj 
