Deradoon—Is a high-fired tea, loosely made and deteriorating rapidly, becoming sour on exposure to the air. Occasionally the flavor is “earthy,” analagous to that of Ankoi Oolong, for which reason they are not much sought after.
Kumaon—Is generally converted into Green teas, including Imperials, Gunpowders, and Hysons, all being prepared from the same leaf. The chief difference lies in their make and color, as they still retain all the characteristics of liquor and flavor of India teas.
Chittagongs—Are strong, thick and heavy in the cup; “nutty” in flavor and considered good, useful teas for blending purposes, from their great strength and positive character, for which qualities they are always in good demand.
Dooars—Approximate to Cachars in color, make and general appearance, strong, but rough in liquor, pungent and pleasing in flavor, a valuable tea for blending, imparting tone and character to any combination in which they may be used.
Neilgherry—Is a very inferior sort, bearing the same relation to India teas that Ankois do to Oolongs and Pingsueys to Green teas. The leaf in general is black, coarse, “tippy,” rough and unsightly in the hand, while the liquor is thin, muddy and rank or “weedy” in flavor.
Travancore—Is a “new district” tea, which, like all new teas, is large and coarse in leaf, heavy and dark in liquor, and strong and wild or “grassy” in flavor.
Juligoorie and Rangworths—Are bold in style, rather rough in make, but regular and well developed. The liquor is thick and rich in color, rough or “rasping” in flavor, but occasionally smooth and “toasty,” while the infused leaves are bright and well formed as a rule.
India Pekoes—Are ordinarily of a greyish-black hue, with a fair sprinkling of grayish-yellow tips, downy in appearance, while the liquor is very strong, brisk and pungent, varying in quality and flavor according to the district of production.
Orange-Pekoe—Is a small, evenly-curled leaf, having a yellowish or golden “tip” at the ends. In liquor and flavor it approximates close to plain Pekoe, being devoid of scent, that many growers make no distinction between them.
Flowery-Pekoe—Is not picked from the plant, but separated from the other grades, only the buds and youngest leaves being selected. The cured leaf is small, uniform and tender, silvery-green in color, although highly-fired, pale but strong in liquor, approaching that of a Moyune Green in flavor, being very deceptive in strength and astringency. The infused leaf is symmetrical in form, small and light-green in color, approaching that of a Foochow Oolong in appearance in the cup.
Souchong—Forms the bulk of the India product and may be classed as the “Standard grade;” the qualifications for being comprehended under this rating are its even, straight, slightly curled leaf, dark color, stylish appearance and greater quantity. Yet while its liquor does notpossess the deep strength and pungency of the Pekoe sorts, it is generally full and round in body and mellow or “malty” in flavor.
Pekoe-Souchong—Is a term applied to Pekoe leaves devoid of tips, as well as to Souchong containing a fair sprinkling of tipped leaves. But, as a general rule, it is an unassorted tea, composed principally of the larger and coarser leaves of both Pekoe and Souchong that will not pass through the sieves, and possessing in the cup the distinctive properties of the combination.
India Congou—Is a tea of the Souchong order too large to be made into that kind or a smaller leaf unevenly prepared. In liquor and flavor it is much the same as Souchong, but is not always as heavy, strong or mellow in flavor.
Broken-leaf—As its name implies, is composed of a mixture of the various kinds broken in manipulation, and is a term of great comprehensiveness, as it may include all the lower grades or approach the choicest kinds in character and value. It varies in color from brown to blackish, its strength being seldom great, though the flavor of the finer grades is, in general, good; that of the commoner ones being poor, thin and coarse.
India Bohea—Consists chiefly of the old and coarser leaves which do not attain a desirable black color in firing, being devoid of sap. The leaf is generally brown, sometimes yellowish in color, the liquor possessing scarcely any strength, usually coarse and rough in flavor, and never of much value at any time.
Fannings—Are composed of the refuse, much broken leaves and dust of all the preceding kinds, and bear the same relation to India teas that Twankays do to Green and Nibs to Japan teas.
Namuna—In Hindostanee literally means “Sample,” being accidentally applied to a class of India tea, possessing great strength and high, peculiar flavor not confined to any particular district or plantation. The dry leaf may have the regular grayish-black hue, or be of a greenish-black color, the green leaves being intermixed and distinct from the black ones. It invariably yields a pale, corn-yellow colored liquor, resembling that of Oolong, heavier and stronger than ordinary Pekoe, and in flavor like a Moyune, yet distinct from the former and not as pungent as the latter. Frequently, however, it is intermingled with a nasty black leaf, the flavor of which is destroyed by over-firing, the green leaves being due to deficient or under-firing.
There are many serious objections to the general use of India teas, one of which is the great excess oftannin(tannic acid) which they contain, ranging from 13 to 18 per cent. in this variety, and to which property tea owes its astringency, constipating effect on the bowels and the ink-black color which it imparts to water containing salts of iron. In England a crusade is being preached against their use by medical authorities on this account, the marked increase in dyspeptic and nervous diseases in that country being attributed to their general consumption there. Some experts argue that by a shorter infusion—sufficiently long to extract the theine with less of the tannin—this serious defect may be eventually remedied. Such, however, is not the case, as experiments made with it at three and five minute infusions have still shown an excess of tannin, in addition to that of making the liquor raw, herby, and entirely unsatisfactory in flavor. The same time-tests resulting in favor of both China and Japan teas, and which, judging by the bitterness and astringency, the amount of tannin yieldedby India teas in a five-minute draw is incredible. While China teas, under the same conditions, possesses little or no trace of tannic acid, or offending the most sensitive palate or constitution, but on the contrary being both pleasing and refreshing to the most sensitive natures. Another distinct and dubious feature of India teas is the formation of a gummy or oily film which settles on top of the infusion when drawn, and claimed to be very injurious to the nervous system and digestive organs. When first infused this substance is scarcely discernible, but just as soon as the liquor begins to cool this opaque coating forms and develops on top. It is of an oily, creamy or gummy nature, forming a thin layer of a dull, whitish-brown color, more dense than the liquor and changing to a darker shade as it cools. Its nature or effect has not yet been definitely determined, but sufficient is known to prove that it is particularly unwholesome, for their selection is also more difficult than that of any other variety owing to their well-known tendency to early decay, becoming sour and rancid on short exposure to the oxydizing influences of the atmosphere, the greatest caution having to be exercised in avoiding those that will not keep for any length of time owing to this most objectionable peculiarity, losing flavor quicker and decaying faster than any other kinds, not even excepting low-grade Japans. This loss of flavor and rapid decay is greater in some sorts than in others, the grades most easily affected in this manner being the highly-fired, light-flavored and open-leaf makes.
The demand for India teas in this country is only limited, owing to the present taste of consumers, and there appears little hope of any increase in the future. What little is sold being used chiefly for blending with the softer and more mellow-flavored teas of China; theIndia grades supplying the absent quality of strength to the latter. Strenuous efforts have and are being made to introduce them, but so far with indifferent success. The character of the liquor after the infusion is so entirely foreign in body, color, flavor and aroma from that of the China and Japan sorts to which the people have been accustomed, and which appears to be an inherited taste, so deeply is it set, that little or no progress can be made in these attempts. The great strength, pungency and pronounced flavor of the choicer grades rendering them valuable only for blending purposes. Still it is difficult to overestimate the importance of India as a source of tea supply. Twenty years ago it furnished only about 10,000,000 pounds to the world’s supply, but so rapidly has its production increased that the crop for 1892 is estimated at 110,000,000 pounds. Its consumption in England is annually increasing, the total deliverance for that year being 103,000,000 pounds as against 99,000,000 pounds for 1890, while for 1889 the increase was upwards of 12,000,000 pounds over that of 1888. These enormous strides in the consumption of India teas in England is only equalled by that of Ceylon teas, the British public demanding strong, dark liquoring teas irrespective of flavor, aroma or effect.
The tea-plant, though claimed to have been first introduced into Ceylon by the English, who, on principle, “claim everything,” was originally carried by the Dutch from China to that island as early as 1800, notwithstanding that Percival maintains that it was first discovered there in a wild state. But while it is admitted that a species known asMatarawas found in some partsof the island, later investigation proved that it had no relation whatever to that of the regular teas of commerce. Tennant, in 1842, was the first Englishman to speak of Ceylon as a possible tea-growing country, but the highly profitable cultivation of coffee at that time attracted so much public attention that the article which has since proved to be the real wealth of the island was heedlessly overlooked, so that it is not too much to say that the present high position of Ceylon as a tea-producing country has been to a great extent entirely due to accident, it being only after the outbreak of the coffee-pest in 1870 that tea was first looked upon as a possible source of profit. When utter ruin seemed the only fate of the planters, it was suggested that they turn their attention to the cultivation of tea. A commission was duly appointed to visit the tea districts of India, and report upon the desirability of introducing the tea-plant into Ceylon. Very tardily, indeed, at first did the planters come to regard the experiment in the light of a paying speculation, for old habits and prejudices were strong, inducing them to cling with persistency to the hope that the coffee-plague would ultimately disappear, and it was only as a last resource that they decided to turn their attention to tea-culture on that island. The first plantation was started with plants received from China; the result, however, proved a financial failure, the first tea produced therefrom costing $25 per pound. Other spasmodic efforts were made later, until it was finally admitted that tea-culture could be made a success on the island, when a rush was made for estates for tea-growing purposes. The progress made was small at the beginning, many of those who planted tea doing so under the conviction that the industry would not pay, abandoning the scheme almost at the outset.
Ceylon eventually began its career as a tea-growing country under the most favorable circumstances; all the mythical hallucinations about tea cultivation having been removed, the disastrous experience of India saving Ceylon from falling into any serious error at the outset. Several India planters settled on the island, bringing with them a knowledge of its proper cultivation and preparation, so that when these facts are taken into consideration, the success which has attended its cultivation in Ceylon is not so much to be wondered at. The island also possessed other advantages over India in that it suffers less from drought, the rains are more regular and equable, there being scarcely a month in the year without at least some rain, and apart from the adaptability of its soil and climate, it has cheaper labor and superior facilities for forwarding the tea to the shipping ports, all important factors in its cultivation for profit. The tea-producing districts of the island are very compact, having Kandy as its chief centre and extending well into the southwestern provinces touching the coast toward the west. The southwestern section of the island is considered a perfect tea-growing district, soil is good, the climate hot and moist, and the plant can be cultivated at almost any elevation, several plantations there being situated as high as 6,000 feet above sea-level. But although the crops are fairly healthy at this altitude, it is admitted that the plantations lower down are best adapted for the production of the finer grades. The first successful garden was established in 1870 in the now celebrated Loocandura estate, with plants brought from Calcutta, and coolies skilled in its cultivation and manipulation. Tea of particularly good quality was produced from the beginning, samples of which were sent to London and highly spoken of by dealers there. Since that time teacultivation in Ceylon has made steady progress if not rapid strides.
The plant chiefly grown in Ceylon is a hybrid—theManipuror indigenous tea of Manipari (India)—is also extensively planted there, being equally hardy and suitable to the soil of the island, which is of a light, sandy nature, thickly intermixed with iron-sandstone, this mineral being peculiarly attractive to the tea-plant. The methods of cultivation and preparation are similar in every respect to those in vogue in India. The land is carefully drained and weeded, the trees are not allowed to grow too high, being reduced to a bushy form and picked when they are from two to three years old, according to site and elevation, and the tea prepared from the tender shoots only, caution being exercised not to injure the plants or future flushes checked.
Picking the leaf is carried on all the year round in Ceylon, except during pruning time, when the plants do not “flush” for two months, with which exception they flush every week, from each shoot of which the two top-leaves with the young shoot and half the third or coarser leaf are only plucked at a time. At 4 o’clock each evening the day’s “picking” is carried to the factory and the leaves laid out on the “withering” mats, which are stretched one above the other from poles or racks until the next morning, when the leaf is sufficiently evaporated, being rendered soft, pliable, and easy to roll by that time. The next process, that of “Rolling,” is one to which special attention is paid, as it is mainly to this system that the quality of the tea depends. The previously withered leaves are put into the roller, which is operated by hand or steam power, 100 pounds at a time placed in an upper box of the machine and pressed down with weights on the table or lower portion of the machine.The box containing the pressed tea travels with a circular motion round the table, by which the leaves are pressed, twisted and rolled as they come in contact with the small battens fitted into the centre of the table. After an hour the pressure is increased until at the finish it is from four to five hundred pounds on the leaves, the juice thus expressed being carefully collected and poured back into the roller every now and again until it is all absorbed by the crushed and twisted mass of leaves. When the rolling process is finished, the leaves are then placed on trays holding from 20 to 25 pounds, covered with a wet cloth and allowed to ferment from two to four hours according to the weather, or until they become a bright-copper color, when they are again rolled from a half to an hour according to fancy, after which they are ready for firing.
The “Sirocco machine” for firing tea-leaves by hot air has also superseded the pan or “Charcoal process” in Ceylon. The leaves having been laid out on wire-gauze trays, they are passed through this “hot-air” machine, in which they become thoroughly fired Tea in from twenty to twenty-five minutes, after which it is placed in sieves, which are worked either in a lateral or revolving direction by the aid of steam or manual power, and the different grades are sifted out, the larger and coarser leaves which do not pass through the sieves falling into a “cutter,” where they are cut to a uniform size. On estates where they bulk the Tea, in Ceylon, the resultof the day’s work is placed in enormous air-tight lead-lined chests, where it remains until a sufficient quantity to form a “Break” or “Chop” is accumulated, which is generally once per week. The chest is then opened from the bottom and the tea bulked, after which it is lightly fired again and packed into the teak-wood chestsfor shipment. Light iron chests, coated inside and out with lead, and a lid to screw on, are now being extensively used by many estates for the better shipment of teas in both India and Ceylon.
Ceylon teas derive their trade names from the estates or plantations on which they are grown, being classed commercially as “Loocanduris,” “Matagalas,” “Ruan-wallas,” “Kanda-loyas,” “Semba-watties,” “Windsor Forests,” “Narangallas,” “Rakuwana,” “Madulsuma” and “Kandapole,” the finest being produced in the districts of Dunbula and Dolosbagie. Like India teas, they are principally converted into Pekoes, Souchongs, Pekoe-Souchongs, Congous, Broken-leaf, and Fannings. Their strength and flavor, like those of their India prototypes, varying greatly in quality in accordance with the elevation at which they are grown, their uniformity also varying from year to year as in the India districts. Some of the better grades resemble Cachars and Darjeelings, being full and strong in liquor, but frequently “toasty” or burnt in flavor, while the lower grades are decidedly inferior to the corresponding China grades in flavor and fragrance. A feature about the later shipments most to be regretted is that the planters appear to be making the same mistake that the Chinese and Japanese have made, that of sacrificing quality to quantity in their eagerness to get rich too fast.
Ceylon-Pekoes—Are of three kinds, “Plain,” “Silver,” and “Golden-tip” Pekoes. The former is a small, plain black-leaf tea, lightly “tipped” and finely made. The liquor is bright and fairly heavy in body and fragrant so far as this term applies to this variety, but is not adapted to the American taste.
Silver-tip Pekoe—Is a long, whitish-downy leaf almost “satiny” in texture, with silvery tips at the ends.The liquor is dark-yellow or golden, bright and sparkling in the cup, delicate and fragrant in flavor, but very much overrated in commercial value and intrinsic merit.
Golden-tip Pekoe—Is smaller in make, darker in color, “silky” in texture, and literally ablaze with rich yellow or orange tips. The infusion is much darker and heavier in body, of a deep wine color, fresh and piquant in taste, and much appreciated by those who prefer this variety.
Ceylon Souchong—Is rather large and bold in style for this “make” of tea, but is nevertheless heavy and round in body, rich and mellow in flavor, and, taken altogether, a pleasing and palatable tea for all practical purposes.
Pekoe-Souchong—Is chiefly composed of the larger and coarser leaves that will not pass through the sieves, but which, falling into the “cutter” in sifting, are cut up into an even and uniform size. It is medium in size, “choppy” in appearance, ripe and rich in liquor, fairly brisk and “malty” in flavor.
Ceylon Congous—Are open, rough and coarse in style, dark in liquor, heavy in body, but fairly brisk and pungent in flavor, making, on the whole, a serviceable tea for blending with Chinese Congous or Oolongs of the lower grades.
“Bhud” Tea—Is a term applied to a small golden-yellow leaf Ceylon Tea, claimed to be composed of the buds of the plant just expanding, but is in reality prepared from the smallest and yellowest leaves of the ordinary “Golden-tip Pekoe,” and though sometimes commanding a fabulously high and inflated price, out of all reason with its intrinsic value as a tea, and which is only done for advertising purposes—being in reality no better in either drawing or drinking qualities.
Broken Leaf—Like those of the India variety, are composed of the large, old and mutilated leaves separated in sifting from all or either of the foregoing kinds, drawing and drinking in ratio to the variety obtained from.
Fannings—Also, like their Indian prototype, are prepared from the screenings and refuse of leaves of the respective kinds, but are poor teas to handle as a rule.
As late as 1873 there were only 255 acres under tea cultivation in Ceylon, the total area at present time reaching as high as 150,000 acres, with an average yield of 1,000 pounds per acre, figures which go to show the marvelous strides the island has made in the industry in a comparatively few years, large tracts being still taken up for the purpose. The total product in 1888 was 23,000,000 pounds, as against 13,000,000 pounds for the previous year, an increase of 10,000,000 pounds in a single year, a record never even approached in the history of the tea trade. And, when it is taken into consideration that it is only a few years since tea cultivation was practically commenced on that island, it is obvious that the future of its product must be very bright indeed. It is already predicted by planters and others interested that the tea export of Ceylon will eventually rival, if not exceed, that of India itself. The average cost of Tea to the Ceylon producers is about 6½ pence (13 cents) per pound, some of the lowland estates putting their teas f. o. b. in Colombo at even less than this figure.
Nearly all the India and Ceylon teas go into consumption in England and her possessions, the bulk of her China purchases being re-exported. The English merchants invariably favoring the products of their own colonies to the prejudice of those of other countries, discriminatingagainst them, irrespective of merit or value, in this particular instance compelling their customers, in a measure, to use these dubious varieties of the genus tea. But for presumption and audacity in their claims of superiority the India and Ceylon tea growers and dealers are far and away ahead of all competition. The so-called great favor with which India and Ceylon teas are said to be regarded by British consumers being due in a great measure to the energy and persistency with which the trade has been pushed, the teas being literallyforcedon the public by the Government as well as by the English growers and dealers, in addition to the strong ties of relationship connecting the planters with the mother country. There is not the slightest doubt but that the check which the consumption of China teas appears to have sustained in England is entirely due to these causes. But already there is a growing and positive revulsion of taste in many sections of that country in favor of the purer China teas, owing to their truer character, greater delicacy and richness of flavor.
The chief and only advantages that India and Ceylon teas possess over those of China and Japan are their great strength and thickness in the cup, which are due mainly to the modern methods of fermentation and firing by steam and machinery. China and Japan teas excel them in flavor and aroma, occupying in regard to them a position analogous to that of French wines, in comparison with those of other countries. The product of the latter may be stronger and heavier in body, but for richness of flavor and delicacy of aroma—essential qualities in both wine and tea—the French grape and China tea-leaf stand alone and unrivalled for their intrinsic merits, as well as for their being the only true teas, in all that constitutes tea. Broadly stated, the predominantfeatures of India and Ceylon teas arebodyandstrength, those of China and Japanflavorandaroma.
There is also this difference between them, that while a given quantity of India and Ceylon teas will yield a larger amount of a darker-colored liquor and stronger in flavor than that of a similar quantity of China and Japan, they still lack the richness and delicacy of the latter, if not indeed the properties of a true tea altogether. Again, as to how much liquor an equal quantity of the former will yield in comparison with a similar weight of the latter, is another mooted question. As far as quantity, color and body are concerned, it must be admitted that India and Ceylon teas are once and a half greater. But in flavor and aroma, the essential qualities that constitute and are most appreciated in tea, China and Japan teas far excel them. Thus if one pound of China or Japan teas yields five gallons of extract of a certain weight, strength and color, one pound of India or Ceylon will produce seven and a half gallons of a similar beverage, but will be devoid of that fragrant flavor and rich aroma so characteristic of the China and Japan product. The value of tea, intrinsically and commercially, depending principally upon the character and flavor of the infusion, as well as the aroma imparted to it by the volatile oil.
Ceylon, like India teas, will not keep as long or as well as either China or Japan, becoming sour and rancid by exposure in a few months, defects attributed to the method of curing, but in reality inherent in them. Again the latter contain a larger percentage of the active principle (theine) and less of the astringent property (tannin), and are consequently less injurious and more refreshing. The great excess of the latter property in both India and Ceylon teas accounting for their dark color, and harsh,pungent taste in the infusion, as well as being the unsuspected cause of the indigestion and nervousness among those who use them to any extent. So that in view of the strenuous efforts now made to introduce India and Ceylon teas into the American market, it may be well to here caution consumers against their injurious and deleterious effects on the human system, such injury being caused, not alone by the excess of tannin, but also by the sap or juice of the natural leaf not being sufficiently expressed before the leaves are fired by proper fermentation. It being claimed by physicians and others that to the fixed and general use of these teas in England is attributable the great increase of heart-burn, flatulency, nervousness and dyspepsia among the people of that country.
Against the dubious and questionable advantages of body and strength so loudly vaunted in India and Ceylon teas, China and Japan possess others—greater and more important ones—among which are that the tea-grower in the latter countries working his own land in smaller quantities brings greater care and more industry to the task. Again in the methods of curing and firing the leaf, the latter have also the advantage of superiority, as it is now generally admitted by experts and others interested in the business that though the “Sirocco” or hot-air process may be more rapid in its work and certain not to taint the leaves in any way, it is yet open to doubt whether the older, slower, and more natural method of firing in pans over charcoal fires is not the better, more thorough and effective in its results than the new and artificial one. The Chinese and Japanese have been curing and firing teas by that method for centuries, and they surely ought to be the best judges by this time. To sum up, India and Ceylon may producestrongerand morepowerfulteas if that can be called a recommendation, but forsmoothness of liquor, richness and delicacy of flavor, such as are essential to every-day, universal consumption, the China tea-leaf and French grape stand and will continue to stand unrivalled. India and Ceylon may claim to be the teas of to-day, but it remains to be seen whether that day be long or short, as in my humble opinion, without laying any claim to the prophetic, the teas of the future as in the past will be China and Japan teas.
Tea culture was introduced to the Island of Java in 1826, the seeds and plants being obtained from Japan for the purpose. The plants having thrived beyond expectation, a plantation of 800 trees was formed the following year in the residency ofBuitenzorg, although samples of tea grown elsewhere on the island were shown at an exhibition held in Amsterdam in 1828. Another plantation was subsequently established in the district of Carvet in Preanger, from which its cultivation later extended to Krawang and other residencies in the island. So successful was the progress made that in 1833 the number of trees in the latter residency was returned at more than 500,000. Up to 1842 tea was cultivated in Java exclusively for Government account and under the immediate supervision of its own officials, nearly 14,000,000 trees being in bearing there that year. But the number of laborers required for its cultivation and manipulation becoming so large, the supervision so difficult, and the results so unsatisfactory, the Government was eventually compelled to relinquish many of its plantations to private parties, contracting at the same time to purchase their product at a fixed price. This change proved beneficial, resulting in a still further extension and improvement inits culture; the contracts with the Government being entirely annulled after seven years’ trial, and the industry being left to private energy and capital, without control or interference, it soon developed to large proportions.
In Java the best teas are grown at an elevation ranging from 3,000 to 4,000 feet above sea-level, the finest being produced on the mountain slopes, in the residencies of Preanger, Bagelen and Banjœmas. Nothing could be more attractive than the plantations situated on these ranges, each containing from 70,000 to 100,000 plants in perennial bloom and giving employment to from twenty-five to thirty families of native laborers. The methods of cultivation and preparation are much the same as in Japan, though latterly the India system is being largely adopted, both Black and Green teas being prepared at will from the leaf of the same plants. The seeds are first sown in nurseries, from which the young plants, when old enough, are set out in line, at a uniform distance of four feet from each other. The trees are never allowed to exceed two and a half feet in height, and are much more prolific than either the China or India species, the leaves being picked from them all the year round. They are known to commerce under the appellations of “Preangers,” “Krawangs,” “Cheribons,” “Bagelens” and “Banjœmas” teas, and usually converted into Pekoe, Souchong, Pekoe-Souchong, Congous, Oolongs and Imperials, Broken-leaf and Siftings after the India and Ceylon manner. The leaves for the different “makes” are sorted during picking and graded according to size, the smallest and tenderest being converted into Pekoe, the medium size into Souchongs, and the largest and oldest into Congous, Oolongs, Imperials and Broken-leaf teas.
Java Pekoe—Is a small, jet-black leaf, lightly tipped with yellowish ends. The liquor is extremely dark,almost black in color, heavy and thick in body, bitter and astringent in flavor, and entirely unsuited to the average taste.
Java Souchongs—Are composed of the older and coarser leaves of the tea-plant. They are bold in style, black in color, dark in draw, thick in body, and exceedingly strong in flavor, too much so to use alone.
Pekoe-Souchongs—Comprise the older and coarser leaves of the respective pickings, considered too large for conversion into Pekoe and too small for Souchong, possessing the same characteristics in draw and drink of both the latter varieties.
Java Congous—Are large, rough, loosely made teas, dark in liquor, heavy in body, and strong to rankness in flavor, on the whole a most undesirable sort for any purpose, becoming rancid and sour when kept too long.
Java Oolongs—Are Java tea pure and simple, made in imitation of China Oolongs, but possessing nothing of the properties or characteristics of the latter, only the name.
Java Green Teas—Include Imperial Hysons and Young Hysons, but are only so in name, as they still possess all the peculiarities of Java tea in draw and drinking qualities.
Java teas in general are particularly small in leaf, dull-black in color, but exceedingly well made and handsome in appearance, almost perfect in style, approximating more to Indias in make, color and character, but do not keep well, becoming rank and sour on brief exposure to the atmosphere. The liquor of all of them is also deficient in strength and flavor, being devoid of any pronounced fragrance or distinctive aroma, defects attributable in a great measure to faulty and imperfect manufacture, as well as to the fact that they are picked from the plantsthe year round and allowed no resting or recuperating period. The annual product averages about 15,000,000 pounds, packed in large wooden cases weighing from 100 to 120 pounds, and shipped principally to Holland, Germany and England, only small lots occasionally being received in this country.
At the present time the cultivation of tea is mainly confined to the province of Preanger, in the western part of the island, the industry being in the hands of experienced planters, who spare no pains to increase the product and quality of the article. Notwithstanding their care, however, they cannot congratulate themselves on the profits resulting therefrom, the price continuing to fall, the planters being forced to expend their utmost energies to save their plantations from ruin, this being not only the case with recent enterprises, but also with the older plantations that have been flourishing for many years. In addition to decline in price, the Java tea plantations have been ravaged by an insect known as theTheluis(tea louse), which each year destroys in value hundreds of thousands of florins, but at the same time there is noticeable a distinct improvement in the quality of the tea produced there. Until very recently they were only used in Europe when mixed with China teas on account of the excessive quantity of tannin which they contain, and known tendency to rapid decay, the improvement in quality now rendering that process needless, the introduction of Assam plants enabling the planters to compete with India and Ceylon.
African Teas—It is expected that both India and Ceylon will doubtless have in the near future a formidable rival to their tea industry in South Africa, wherepromising tea gardens have been extensively laid out by planters from India, with seeds and plants obtained from Ceylon. The soil and climate of the region around Natal particularly are very similar to those of Southern India, and especially favorable to the successful and profitable production of the tea plant. Recent reports pronounce the venture a complete success, the product in 1892 amounting to over 20,000 pounds of tea, although introduced only three years prior and grading in quality with the average teas of Ceylon and India. It is predicted that in a few years South Africa will not only rival but excel the latter countries not only in the quantity but also in the quality of their product.
Singapore Tea—Tea plantations have been recently formed in the districts of Johore and Seragoon, from seeds and plants imported from India, but as yet are only in an experimental stage. Samples already received are large in leaf, coarse in make, coal black in color, an effort being made to imitate Oolongs in style. The infusion is dark red, heavy, strong and somewhat astringent in flavor.
Perak Tea—Recently an invoice consisting of some eighty half chests of tea grown in the Straits settlements was shipped to London. The general quality was so favorably commented on by the brokers and dealers there that it found a ready sale at full prices for its kind.
Fiji Tea—Is another new addition to the constantly increasing teas of commerce. It is produced from plants imported from India and assorted into Pekoes, Congous and Souchongs, grading with and approximating to Java teas in style, color and character.
Caravan Tea—Is simply a fine Lapsing or Padrae Souchong, put up in Hankow for the Russian market, andtransported overland by caravan through Bokhara and Central Asia to Moscow and Petersburg.
Russian Tea—Grown in the district of Transcaucasia, consists largely of the leaves of a shrub possessing the botanical name ofVacinium staphylos, which when infused yields a decoction having some resemblance to the ordinary teas of commerce, but is acrid and nauseating in flavor. They are generally prepared for the express purpose of mixing with inferior China tea, and also with exhausted leaves, that is, tea once used, dried and rolled again.
American Tea—Samples of tea grown in South Carolina have lately been received in the New York market and tested there by experts, who pronounce them only fair in quality, and ranking them with the India, Ceylon and teas of that character.
Hop Tea—Is a species of tea now being prepared from common hops in the Kent district in England, prepared and cured by the “Sirocco” process, after the manner of India tea, and used chiefly to blend with the ordinary teas of commerce, the combination resembling a mixture of Virginia smoking tobacco and a rough-leaved Assam tea. It is claimed to be healthy and wholesome, from the fact that thelapulinof the hops counteracts or neutralizes the excess oftannincontained in the India teas, but nearly doubles it in price.
YerbaMaté, or “Paraguayan tea,” which although not entering into general use or commerce, is yet deserving of notice in this work from its extensive consumption among the inhabitants of South America. It is prepared from the leaves and stems of theIlex, a species of holly found growing in a wild state in that country.In size and appearance it closely resembles an orange tree, having a whitish bark and leafy, tufted boughs, with leaves four inches long when full grown, dark-green in color, thick, glossy and crenate at the edges, pale on the lower surface and containing the same active principle,Theine, so characteristic of China tea. The flowers or blossoms are small and white, hanging in clusters at the angles of the leaves, the fruit or berries being red, smooth and similar to those of the common holly. So closely does it approach the tea of China in effect, that many authorities claim it to be a species of that plant, yielding a liquor similar in many respects. But while not containing as much volatile oil as the latter, owing to the primitive manner in which it is prepared, it nevertheless yields a most agreeable and refreshing beverage, enjoyed by many and forming the staple drink of millions of the inhabitants of Paraguay and other South American countries.
Expeditions to collect and prepare it start annually from the capital to theYerbalesor groves in the interior, taking extra mules and bullocks to bring the dried leaves back. On reaching the forestsTatacuasor camps are formed by clearing the ground and beating it down with heavy mallets until it is sufficiently hard and level for the purpose. The leaf in the natural state is from four to five inches long, thick, leathery, glossy and serrated at the edges, and is prepared for use in a network made from raw-hide straps stretched on posts, underneath which wood fires are kindled. The leaves and stems, as they are collected, are placed on these nets and scorched, care being taken only that they do not ignite or burn too much—in which state they closely resemble senna. When sufficiently scorched they are ground, in some instances, into a coarse powder in a rude wooden mill,weighed and packed for export in large bullock hides, holding from 200 to 250 pounds each and left to dry and tighten in the sun for a few days, becoming meanwhile as hard and impervious as stone. This method of curing is very defective, as the stems and other extraneous matter imparts a “woody” flavor to the infusion which is otherwise very agreeable and refreshing. It is prepared for use in a kind of filter or perforated bowl calledMaté, from which it derives its trade name. The infusion is yellowish in color, almost syrupy in body, possessing an “herby” or weedy flavor, bitterish in taste, much disliked at first by those unaccustomed to its use, but nevertheless pleasant, wholesome and refreshing, pleasanter still when cold, and while approaching in its chemical composition to the regular teas of commerce it does not cause the wakefulness or nervousness attributed to the latter.
In the smaller towns and rural districts of South America it is regarded as a regular form of diet, and not, like ordinary tea, a mere accompaniment to the meal, being looked upon as a necessary, as well as a luxury, by the inhabitants, and is the first thing offered a visitor when entering a house, the table being rarely without it. Thegauchoof the plains will travel for weeks asking no better fare than a little dried beef, washed down with copious drafts ofMaté, the Indian carriers subsisting for days together on it alone, in short, being to them what the tea of China is to its inhabitants, essential and indispensable. The Government has a monopoly of its sale, a heavy duty being imposed on its exportation, forming the principal source of its revenue. The popular method of preparing it in Paraguay is to mix large proportions of raw sugar with a decoction made from the powder or leaves until a thick syrup is produced, when it isready for drinking, the nourishing properties attributed to the infusion by the natives, it is contended, being due, in a great measure, to the excess of saccharine matter. It ranges in price from four to eight cents per pound in the prepared state, one pound yielding as much as twenty quarts of the infusion of moderate strength. It is difficult to get at any reliable returns for the entire traffic in this commodity, the production being carried on in such a crude and desultory manner, extending, as it does, over a vast area of wild country, the official returns furnishing only an approximate estimate of its trade and consumption. The total production may, however, be computed at 1,500,000 arobas, equivalent to about 40,000,000 pounds per annum, the total consumption averaging thirteen poundsper capitato the population, as against two pounds of coffee and one-fourth pound of China tea. Its use is confined chiefly to Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentine, Peru, Chili and Brazil. Its consumption in Paraguay and Argentine alone is over 35,000,000 pounds per annum, as against 5,000,000 pounds of coffee. Surprising as this large quantity may appear at first sight, it is explained by the fact thatMatéconstitutes the only vegetable nourishment of many classes in these communities, forming, as it does, the chief dietic beverage of over 20,000,000 of people in South America alone. Yet it is singular, to say the least, that its consumption should be so great in such large coffee-producing countries, and which export annually over half the world’s supply of that commodity. Strong efforts are being made at the present time to open up a trade in it in Europe, particularly in France, where the cafés now advertise it among their regular beverages, and shops devoted to its exclusive sale also recommend it. But whether these efforts will succeed remains to be proven, considering the enormous increase in theproduction of so many other teas and their established consumption.
A Standard Invoice of Green tea contains a number of “Lines,” made up as follows: Gunpowder, No. 1 and 2 and 3; Imperial, No. 1, 2 and 3; Young Hyson, No. 1, 2 and 3. There being rarely more than two lines of Hyson, and never more than one ofTwankay.
A “Chop” of Oolongs comprises four, sometimes five, “Lines” termed “Firsts,” “Seconds,” “Thirds,” “Fourths” and “Fifths,” when any, which are again subdivided into “Brackets” or “Numbers,” ranging from one to ten but similar in grade.
An Invoice of “English Breakfast teas” includes a quantity of Capers, Pekoes, Congou and Souchong teas, graded and classed according to the district of production, by which terms they are best known to trade.
A Standard Invoice of Japans embrace some Pan-fired, Sun-dried and Basket-fired teas with occasionally other makes, also ranking according to the different districts.
A “Break” or “chop” of India or Ceylon include Pekoes, Congous, Pekoe-Souchongs, Broken-leaf and Fannings, and are best known to trade by their plantation names and district appellations.
The term “Muster” means Sample-package or chest, the name on top of label the vessel, route or “chop,” the initials in centre those of the importer. The names at bottom such as “Tong-mow,” “Tong-lee,” grower or packer, and the Chinese character on inside of package. “Chop mark,” denoting the “chop” or picking, which cannot always be relied on, as shippers are apt to put on that which has the best reputation, or which happens to be most in demand the season of shipping.