The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-05-15
PICKING TEA NEAR DARJEEL1NG.

merce were those of Japan and China.
/, The India teas are now driving the
Chinese teas out of the markets, and
! Japan has to rely almost entirely upon
the United States for the sale of her
surplus. We drink 100000 pounds
of tea every year, and of this 100000
} pounds come from Japan and about
SS,oo0.o0o from China. We get only
100000 from East India. but this
amount is increasing from year to
year. The exports of Indian teas are
mostly to Europe. They go to Great
Britain and thence TO the colonies.
Some are sent to the Continent, and
big shipments are made to Australia
and Canada. The British are the great
est tea drinkers of all mankind.s Their
consumption amounts to six or seven
pounds per head every year, while our
people each drink less than two pounds
and the Russians less than one. The
Germans and French load themselves
with coffee and wine or beer, slipping
tea now and then. The Chinese and
Japanese drink tea throughout the day.
The Chinese will not drink water UNI
less 1t is boiled. and they flavor the
water with tea. The consumption of
these two nations is probably greater
than that of all the rest OF the world
put together, but for the lack of sta
tistics no one knows what 1t is.
How Advertising Pays.
The exports Of Indian tea now
amount to over 350.0oo,00o pounds
per year OF this more than 100000
| 600 pounds are from tIindustan and
about 150,o0o.o00 pounds from the Is
land of Ceylon, over the way The
| trade has grown up within the pas.
thirty years, and it is largely based
UPON good advertising. When I was
here twenty years ago it was In Its in
| fancy and the planters We're discuss
| ing how they could get the American
market. They concluded to advertise
In the newspapers and they raised a
fund to begin that work in Europe and
the United States. AT the same time
they organized a sales bureau and they
saw to it that Ceylon and Indian teas
could be had in all the large stores,
and that they were on tap at every
State and national exposition. AS a re-
suit the demand for these teas steadily
grew. and to-day their exports are al
most twice those Of China and more
than five times those of Japan. Within
the last few years the East Indian
sIplanters have decided to enter the green
! tea markets. and they are now adver-
| Using such varieties in the same way.
| Ceylon alone has already spent in the
! neighborhood OF Sl,00o,0o0 on green tea
| Information. with such a result that
| the Chinese and Japanese are alarmed,
| fearing that they may lose this trade.
! OF which they still have the monopoly.
| The Ceylon planters have been giving
| bounties of from to z cents a pound
upon all green tea exported, and they
have increased their crop within the
past few years. so that II now amounts
| TO millions of pounds. I understand
that the Chinese government is alarm
ed at the situation and that the Chinese
tea planters recently sent q commission
ito India and Ceylon to investigate tea
| conditions and the tea-curing pro-
| cesses
Tea Raising In China and India.
| have travelled extensively through
the tea fields of Japan and China and
know something about them The
! methods OF cultivation and curing are
Tar different there than they are on
these big plantations of Hindustan. In
the former countries the tea is raised
10 small patches, The ordinary tea
garden OF Japan is not much bigger
tAan a city lot, and that of China would
not be larger than the ordinary AIneri-
can garden The tea is raised by
multitude Of small farmers, each or
Whom WORKS after his own rule and in
ms own way. When the leaves are
picked there are traders who 90 about
4 through the tea districts aud buy up
lhe crops, They sell TO other traders
ana one crop may go through a half
Gozsfl .gsluerent-hauds before AZ As