Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1899-03-17
Tea and Coffee Drinking.
As the Popularity OF One Goes Up the
ImportatiOns of the other 60 Down.

ImpOrtRtiOns of the Other go DO Vvn.
Nearly 100000 900 pounds of coffee wer,
imported into the United States during
the fiscal year ending July /, 1898, an in
crease over the year preceding of more
than 100,000,0O0 pounds. During tn,
same period tea TO the amount of 10000.
600 pounds was imported into the United
States, against 1lj, 000,000 pounds of tea
in the year preceding. These facts, to
gether with the steadily increasing popu
larity of coffee as a drink in the United
States and the steadily declining popular
ity of tea have led to some revival of the
controversy as to the relative merits of the
two and the superior popularity Of the for.
mer here.
The Partially for tea or coffee shown by
the people of various countries cannot be
traced TO any particular cause. The Eng
lish, the Russians and the Canadians come
generally under the heading of tea drink
ers. The Dutch, the Scandinavians, the
Germans and the Belgians are coffee drink
ers, but why this distinction should exist
has never heretofore been made clear, and
the position of the United States has been
an indefinite one in the matter, coffee be-
ing preferred by some and tea by others
the average consumption per capita Of tea
has remained stationary for % years the
popularity of coffee as a drink has been
steadily increasing.
The coffee imported into the United
States comes chiefly from Brazil, which
furnished last year 665. 900, 900 Of the $40,
600 OOOpounds received. From other South
American states 90, 900, 900 pounds were i'm
ported into this country, from Mexico and
Central America 10000, 900 and from the
West Indies, chiefly Cuba and Porto Rico,
100000. Porto Rico is a great coffee.
producing island and its commerce with
the United States must be largely increased
under the newly established conditions.
Nearly 5000 900 pounds of coffee was i'm
ported into the United States from Asia
and Oceanica last year, chiefly from
Hawaii, and the trade with Hawaii in
coffee seems certain to be increased in the
future, too Thus all economic conditions
appear to be favorable to the growing pop
ularity of coffee as drink, and no like
conditions favor the extended popularity
of tea. Not only was the consumption of
coffee in the United States larger last year
than ever previously in the history of the
country, but it was larger per capita than
CNtl DClOlt, anu WAS tACttueu Dy Two
countries only, Holland and Denmark, the
per capita consumption in Holland being
% pounds and in nenmark 10, against IL
in the United States.
The tea imported into the United States
comes chiefly from China and Japan and
in larger amounts from China than from
japan. Very little Ceylon or Indian tea,
relatively, is imported into the United
States, though there has been large in
crease in the English market for both of
recent years, and the policy of the English
portations rather than those from China
and Japan. Twenty years ago only II
per cent of the tea imported into England
was from India or Ceylon; now more than
70 per cent of the tea imported comes from
those countries. The collections of the
English government last year from GUS
toms duties on tea amounted to $4,000
900; the customs revenue from coffee
were only 100000 One of the curiosi-
ties of tea drinking is found in its popu-
larity in Canada, and one of the curiosities
of coffee drinking is found in France,
where, Notwithstanding the almost uni
versal use of coffee with meals, the aver
age consumption per capita is only about
three and half pounds or about one-third
of what it is in the United States. In
Great Britain the consumption of coffee is
less than one pound year per capita, and
of tea it is more than five pounds. Scien-
lists are not agreed as to the relative
merits or dement's of tea and coffee drink
ing.