CHINESE TEAS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1871, 19 June 1888, Page 3

CHINESE TEAS

; The| decline In the consumption of Chinese teas of late years, wlih the consequent lobs of trade therein, 1b attre ot'ng attention m Shanghai, The result will probably be an investigation of the subject. In England, aa is well knowD, I ldlan teaa rro rapidly supplanting the Chinese article. While the reasons for this hava not rb yet been determined, the " Australasiau aad South An erican " states tha 1 ; it la auggesfcod that the main cause, atslde fro;n the cheapnees of the Indian teas, la the deo'tning quality of the Chinese goods. Tha reasons for the decline aro fou-.d m the method of preparing the leaf. Indian tea is planted, grown, picked, and fired by tha latent and moat Improved processes, American drying, withering, Bnd curling apparatus being ia Increasing deensnd for this purpose. Chinese less, on the contrary, ' are prepared In precisely the sumo w»y »s centuries ago, and the produota of the highly organised Indian plantation system, with Its tffcotive and rapid treatment by maohiaery are naturally beating those cf the small Chinese farmer, although the advantages enjoyed by Indian growera are also at his command,