The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-01-17

year and establish standards for every
kind Of tea used. These standards are
then bought by the government to the
extent of about twenty-five packages OF
each description, and distributed to all
the importers of the United States,
who send them to their correspondents
in China, Japan, India and England,
with instructions that no tea poorer
than these standrds shall be shipped
to this country The standards are
eighteen in number and are as fol-
lows:
Formosa Oolong. IFoochow Oolong.
Annoy Oolong South China Congou.
North China Congou India Tea.
English Breakfast) Pingsueys Green Tea.
Ceylon Tea. Country Green Tea
Country Green Tea Hyson).
young Hyson}. Japan Tea, sun-dried.
japan Tea, pan-fred Japan Dust or Fan
Japan, basket-fred. nings
Scented Orange Pekoe. Capers.
Canton Tea. Scented Canton Tea.
Very few understand the enormous
varieties of tea. For instance, if the
consumer is sufficiently informed to
ask for an Oolong, or an English
Breakfast, he is probably unaware that
of Oolong there are three essentially
different descriptions, namely, Foo
chow, Formosa and Annoy, named
from the district from which they
come, and Of each of these there are
difference in time of picking, such as
spring crop, summer crop and autumn
crop. In each crop there are at least
twenty grades, ranging from Is cents
per pound as cost Of importation to
60 cents. Therefore in Oolong alone,
taken altogether, at least one-hundred
different fiavors of all grades can be-
shown in samples.
The same applies to Congous, famii-
iarly called English Breakfast; and to
green, Japan, India and Ceylon teas,
so that a complete assortment upon
the shelves Of an importer readily
shows over a thousand samples.
1t can be seen therefore that to be
an expert in all kinds of tea requires
the experience of a lifetime. AS al
most very state in the Union takes
different grades and kinds of tea, the
wholesale grocers in each state become
familiar with only those descriptions
which suit their own people, and very
few, therefore, are competent judges of
all descriptions of tea.
The same applies to the buyers in
China. Those at Shanghai buy only
green or Congou tea. Those 1t Formo-
sa, Annoy or Foochow buy only Oolong
or Congou tea, and, therefore, know
nothing about Japan or India tea,
whilst those in Japan know nothing of
China teas. 1t is only in leading CEN
tiers, such as New York and Chicago
where experts exist who become ia
miliar with all descriptions, and it is
from these that the board of tea ex-
perts, appointed to establish Standards
annually is chosen by the government
The new appointments of the year
1893 have just been made. They are:
Mansfield Lowell, Of San Francisco;
Herbert G Woodworth of Boston, An
drew P. Irwin, of Philadelphia; E. A
Schoyer, of Chicago; A. P. Upham, Of
Chicago; William P. Roome, and the
writer, Of New York. All, with the ex-
ception of Mr.. Lowell of San Francis
co, were the original appointments I'M
der this law, and they have served
appointing them the secretary of the
treasury, Mr.. Lyman ]. Gage, address,
ed them In the following manner:
Il take this occasion to express my
high appreciation of the services you
have rendered the government and the
public in the discharge of the duties de-
volved upon you under this appoint
ment. In order to secure the co-opera-
ton of persons of suitable competency
and character. the position was made
an honorary one, the compensation al
lowed under the law being merely NOM
1nal. 1t is sufficient to say that entire
satisfaction with your work has been
expressed in all parts of the country.
and that the grade and quality of teas
offered for sale in this country has been
steadily improving under the rules es-
tablished on the recommendation Of
your board"
In closing let me say something in
praise of the beverage that the govern
ment has guaranteed shall be served
pure or not at ALL Tea is superior to
coffee, in that it neither affects liver
or heart, and goes twelve times farther