New-York tribune., 1881-09-11
THE CULTIVATION OF TEA.


IT'S CONSUMPTION AT HOME AND ABROAD.
PREFERENCES GIVEN IN THE UNITED STATES TO
JAPAN TEAs-THE PRODUCT OF INDIAN SOIL
NOT LKED-How THE LEAVES ARE HANDLED
BEFORE BEING SHIPPED.
A recent London dispatch stated that the
tea syndicate established Calcutta 1880 open
the Australian and American markets to Indian tea had
been successful and that Its agent in this country
reported very promising prospects, far Amer
lea concerned TRIBUNE reporter who
visited of the heaviest tea importers in
this city found confirmation of the report
but in many quarters heard it pronounced absurd
They continue import tea from China and Japan
they have done for many years. and undsurbed by
fears OF rival in the Indian tea. NewYork dealers
however, complain that there has been small profit Ia
the sale of tea for several years.
member Of the firm OF A. A. Low Co. said there had
been some talk OF opening up the Indian trade in this
country, but that little had been done far in that
direction The consumption of Indian teas in proportion
TO other teas very small indeed Probably more
than 1000 chests of Indian tea used annually in this
country and those chiefly the purpose mixing with
other teas Indian tea and usedvery
little in America outside OF New-York He said that
had seen no active effort part of Indian deal
ers to push that commodity in the American market It
was different in England, where the consumption was
almost entirely confined fermented te The Indian
tea being fermented was used for giving body TO
CHINA tea The consumption of English breakfast or
fermented teas in this country was only 10000
pounds out Of 65,000o0O OOOO 900 pounds No di-
rect trade was done in this country with India but
through London merchants.
member OF the firm OF John Caswell & Co said In
dian tea is used only a limited extent in
America. 1t is not popular because don't
care for heavy drawing tea. The popular the
country are Oolong and Japan The Japan teas are
especially used in the Western from
island of Formosa growing in favor think their
consumption ssncreasng Out of 600 900 pounds OF
teas imported last only 100000 pounds In
dian teas. Most OF the Indian tea goes to England
where the Congou tea is popular. few Americans
use the Indian tea in its natural state but the majority
of the consumers mix it with other teas"
How does tea get its coorl"
"All teaeayes in their natural have the same
color. All teas from Fornosa and Foochow
are basket-fred' the Japan colored teas are
fired in pans Manipulation gives their different
characters. In the process firing less color
ing matter Is put into the leaf When leaf fired in
the basket is fired in its natural state and is considered
more healthy to drink. About one-haf of the tea
sumed in this country from Japan most Of the
other half from China. The firing process lasts fifty
TO sixty minutes After the leaf picked from the
bush 1t has to undergo in with black tea
process of fermentation. The leaves piled little
heaps and after fermentlng separated"
" How is tea brought this country ."
Mainly through the Suez Canal from Shanghai
Annoy and Japan The Pacific Mail carries only a small
portion on account Of the high freghtit charges
the first crop"
is the consumption OF tea increasing in American"
Yes, with the population. The consumption in this
country however, is much smaller than in England be-
cause the English tea-irinkug people and we are
more inclined To cohee-drnKing. Tea experts accis-
toned 10 sample tea arrival in America and who
fix vaiues on II, prefer the Congou."
prominent tea merchant in Frout-st pronounced the
report that Indian tea dsplacing japanese and Chi
ncsc teas as all nonsense" There never has been
used In fry - Ia old ",
use perhaps 100000 pounds OF an importation Of
SOOO0OOO The tea trade is increasing I'm this country
put II Is due to the increase of population to the
quality of the tea imported Tea recent years has
been poor from excessive picking of the bushes
aud from bad weather In China The
crop h year ten per cent poorer than last years crop
and the Japan crop also poor in style of leaf and cum
quality You know handsome cofeebean sells better
than poorlooing bean. and people are paying more
for style of leaf than cup-quality."
In what portions of the world tea most popular -
" IN cod countries. Coffee goes ahead of tea in tue
United states. Germans are great corecdrnkers Rus
slams drink largely of tea, and En- gland and Canada
the majority OF inhabitants drink tea. No coffee is
drunk IN China and Japan There has been no money IN
tea Tor the last ave years for American merchants This
Il due to an o'erstocked market and the railroad and
telegraph II our market is strong il is at once known
IN China and Japan and the merchants there advance
prices, and there importers have got new
dollar for an old during the year they have been
lucky Tea Is also pcrishabe commodity. The Ion ger
II S held the poorer II In three years n
Loses strength and flavor and tea competing in the
market with new is at a decided disadvantage Tho
tea IMPORTED annually represents in value about
WHAT is the japanese method preparing tea for the
market 4 ~ V1 '''
They dry the leaf ms soon il is picked on sleeves
over clareoalre Ii is dried very quickly, native
rolling the leaves between his hands during the opera
tlon lhen the leaves taken the ports in stone
Jars, where tley cured again In big
nj Yokohama and ilngo pans, two across and
eighteen Inc cSdecp, which put charcoal fir
after being hed with leaves The firing is done nv
IN IN min
process removes all the moisture RON
the lear, and the natives with rotary mo-
tons ~ the hands sweep the leaves around
tue pans the leaves in the process up into rolls
The tea IL then packed iuto leadlined boxes contain
Ing about sixty pounds net In Yokohama ESTABLISH
ment thousand meu are employed. The bulk of th,
crop is shipped IN May and in the summer months tho
Chinese crop benz month later. The first picking of
the bnsh IN considered better than the both in
ana cup puaiy. Tea bushes abused sometimes bv
picking them too clean. When prices high every
Ii often taken OF The Chinese are prepared for he
market with more taste than the japanese teas but
are growing poorer IN quality from exhaustion of
rue sol by excessive picking The flavor apan teas
does not change Tea plantations last good While i'm
Japan There ls one in Ianashro nearly five hundred
old"