Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-08-20

the tsuai Method Pursued in Making
the Commercial Decentralization
of Tea in the Producing Countries.
Tea Testing Not Injurious.
I'm examining tea, said Mr.. A. Judson
Pierson, the examiner of Tea for the port OF
New York, 1--WE seldom resort to the chemi-
cal analysis The usual method is what is
known as the commercial test, which con
slStS of pouring a given quantity of boiling
water upon given quantity of the caves of
the tea; the character and quality of the tea
Is then determined by the odor and flavor of
the infusion, appearance OF the leaves, etc
Questions of the presence of spurious sub
stance, exhausted leaves etc are determined
10y chemical analysis, Il valuable aid TO the
examiner"
is tea tasting or testing iniuriousi'
Not necessarily ST. the expert if pos
scSSed of a critical taste and healthy olfac-
tories, viii determine qualities without pro
innget tasting or smelling; an excessive in
diligence IN this respect doubtless woihd and
sometimes does affect the nervous system. it
may be seriously"
Does not constant tasting Of tea cause a
general dislike for the heveragaF
1T naturally creates a disgust for Door
stuff called tea, but not entitled to the name,
OF which we get, under the present tea law
entirely too much, and at the same time it
cultVateS taste for the better qualities, of
which the average tea consumer knows too
little
Does it not result Ia a fondness for strong
teaF"
Very likely, as both quality and strength
are essential clements composing a good cup
Of tea. Many good housewife fails in se-
curing good cup of tea by not putting
enough in the pot
ADULTERATION OF TEA
How do they adulterate tea in the pro
ducing countriesf1
We have no accurate knowIedge upon
which 10 base an intelligent reply. The al
legged methods are various but sufficiently
well authenticated to repeat
DO they not pack q mixture Of good and
bad teas in the same cheSt2"
Wide variations in the quality Of leaves
fo-Ind in the same chest or chop are often
observed This may he the result either of
accident or design. II may and doubtless
does occur by plucking the earlier leaves
with those that are matured, neglacting to
assort properly the different quaIties-per-
haps intending To increase the bulk at the
expense of the quality"
How much tea Is cunfiscatedr
During my service only one instance Of
conilscatloa has occurred, which consisted Of
few packages damaged by salt water and
unfit for use
hy do you not draw samples YOURSELF"
In exceptional cases | do. This duty,
however, Is assigned To the sampler spacif-
caly selected for the purpose"
How much tea is rejected each YEAR"
During my term Of service-about three
years-the total rejrctions ar, about y 90
packages, or say about l,25O. onO pounds
About half Of these were subsequently ad
mitted upon reeNamination by arbitration
committees, as provided by the act"
DO YOU swallow the tea in the process of
examination
Very rarely, and then in very small guam
Titles
How do You know that importers do not
adult"rat" after their consignment has been
released hy N"u or the customs onl,iaI>Fr
'otm,lally We have no knowledge. Pre-
sumahly, however, the importer sells his i'm
Portations in the original packages: and
authorizations or admixtures which do or NAV
occur would Ice trareable If AT all, to the re-
taller OF one who breaks up the original
package"
Nv hat do Won do with the samples"
After the examination of the samples is
completed they are held subject to the order
OF the imp1Ttprs md If utt "a IIa} for ,,,tIi,,
reasonable period are turned over 10 the
custody "t the collector and are sold at pub
he auction for the benefit of the government
The average weight of each sample does not
exceed three ounces, portion OF which is
consumed In the examination. New York
Mail and Express,