Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1882-04-06
Tea-TagtTug.

where the attendant is engaged in pre-
pairing set Of samples for the tea-
faster, a clear insight may be gained a.
to the manner in which the operation
of tea-tasting is conducted. The at
tendant takes small quantity Of tea
from the canister and places az much
of it in the diminutive scales in the
center of the table as will balance a
silver haltdiLne. He then drops the
tea into ono Of the cups, which are
made of fine porcelain and hold about
half a gill; The samples to be tasted
having been disposed OF in the various
cups, he fills the latter with boiling
water from the urn. The tea-taster
then holds each of the cups in turn be-
meath his nostrilB to catch the aroma
exhaled, which is Of great assistance in
enabling him TO determine the quality.
When the tea has sufficiently cooled 70
be not much more than lukewarm, he
proceeds TO test it by tasting it. This
operation is conducted with much
solemnity and deliberation, the tea
faster closing his eyes az If to shut
himself out from the world, and insist
ing on the strictest silence being main
tained by those around him az long as
the test is in progression. he only
takes few sips from each cup, bat
sometimes he applies himself q second,
third, AMI even fourth time to the
same sample. The tests having been
made, the tea-taster renders decision
as to the quality Of the diff
ferent teas he has sampled, and
the values at which they should
be rated in the market. By many il
may be thought that the matter Of de-
ciding as TO the quality OF different
kinds Of tea must depend largely upon
individual ideas and taste. As far As
the professional tea faster is concerned,
this is popular delusioD. Tes-tasting,
in professional sense. is very decided
~ a trade in itself, and like most other
trades has 70 be learned by dint OF ap-
plicatou and experience. That it is not
merely question Of individual taste is
! demonstrated by the fact that when, as
J is often tho case certain set oil sam-
3 pies is submitted to several tea-tasters,
acting Independently Of each other, the
E various opinions rendered as TO quality
b and value arc almost invariably iienti--
. cal. So delicate are the perceptions Of
the tea.taster that he quickly aud &c.
! caratcly grades the different samples
F. submitted 70 him, recognizing the mos.
minute Fradations, and in many in
stances pronouaciug the part OF the
country in which certain tea was
grown. In the same way the Judgment
of the tea-taslers purchasing tea in
I China for the importers, as q general
s rule, comedies with that of the tea
tasters here.
The tea trade is divided into four dis
tinct branches-the importer, the bro
ker, tho jobber and the retailer. The
wholesale price Of tea ranges from ten
to seventy cents per pound. The i'm
. porter's profit is a moderate but re-
, munerativssnc, the largest percentage
! of profit, from forty to sixty per cent.
, falling to the retailer. When q con-
signment Of tea ia received by the i'm
porter samples Of the consignmen ent.
which often consists Of different kinds
OF tea, are sent to the broker, who dis
poses OF it to the large retailers or 10
the iobbers. who in tarn sell in lesser
quantities to tho smaller retailers. The
broker receives one per cent. commits
sion on all sales effected by him, The
tea. faster acts in the interests of the
J broker, to whose advantage it is to
have a correct estimate OF the quality
and value of the tea he is handling, in
order TO satisfy and retain his custom
ers. There are but few professional
tea-tasters in New York. Altogether
they do not number more than thirty or
! thirty.fve at most. They are generally
! men Of long experience in the tea
trade, aud many OF them have acted as
buyers in China for large importers in
New York. The occupation of tea-taster
can scarcely be termed healthful one.
The constant absorption of tea super
} induces a nervous, excitahle condition
and occasionally leads to nervous dis
, eases and attacks of insomnia. The in
jury sustained by constant tea-sampling
differs in individuals, but is more or
less marked in sll. The calling is pc.
: cuniarily = very profitable one.
Polygauy in Utah.
, upon the question Of suppressing