CHINESE TEAS.

Waikato Times, Volume XXX, Issue 2471, 12 May 1888, Page 2 (Supplement)

CHINESE TEAS.

The stupid and vicious system under which Chinese tea i 3 now prepirert for the market, has led to an appreciable deterioration in quality, and to a sensible decline in the exports. A committee of experts at Shanghai, who reported 011 the subject, actually recommended the Chinese Goverment to despatch a number of intelligent and practical Chinamen to to our Indian Empire and Ceylon in order to study the methods of cultivation and preparation of tea in use in those regions. Many causes have led to the depreciation in the market of Chinese teas. Carelessness in manufacture, inattention to cleanliness, fraudulent composition, and other matters, all have conduced to this end. On the other hand, the tea-growers of the Himalayas and Ceylon take every precaution that the leaves of the fragrant plant shall be carefully grown, skilfully cured, deftly rolled, cleanly sifted, and well packed, They can also supply such tea in practically unlimited quantities. The United Kingdom and the Colonies of Australia consume more tea per head of population than any other country. They want it full, rich, and honest, and not the dirty, inferior stuff which China has supplied for some time past. During the last five years the exports of Indian and Ceylon teas have increased by nearly thirty-five million pounds. Unless there is some improvement in the teas sent from the Celestial Empire our fellow subjects in Hindostan and Ceylon and the tea growers of Japan will, before long drive Chinese teas completely out of the market.