THE COLOURING OF THE LEAF.
Previous to 1834, the Honourable East India Company, possessing the
monopoly of the Tea trade, were responsible, under very stringent
regulations, for the quality of the leaf imported, while heavy
penalties were inflicted on those who coloured or adulterated Tea
in England. Now that the trade has been thrown open, and the duties
so largely reduced, little inducement exists for having recourse to
malpractices in this country, even had there been no Adulteration Act
in force. Yet is there no protection against what is done in China.
Some years since, the City Commissioners made a commendable but
abortive effort to seize “Lie Tea” and Teas artificially coloured
and otherwise adulterated; but inasmuch as duty had duly been paid on
the rubbish, it was found that nothing could be done to arrest the
distribution of such vile stuff.
That the English public prefer unsophisticated Tea, when they can
conveniently obtain it, is conclusively established by Messrs. Horniman
& Co.’s long experience. The Firm has Agents in every town throughout
the kingdom, each of whom is constantly receiving supplies of the
genuine article. Ten years ago, the Firm paid duty on _seven hundred
and seventy four thousand pounds_ of Tea, while last year they sold
upwards of _five million packets_ varying in sizes from two ounces
to three pounds weight. This result is sufficiently conclusive in
negativing the flimsy assertion made and reiterated by interested
persons, namely, that English folk favour artificially coloured Teas,
rejecting those which are not so manipulated.
It must be admitted that inexperienced judges of the pure leaf, upon
their first purchase are surprised at the colour of the leaf. They
pronounce the black Tea to be dark brown, and the green Tea, a dark
olive. The exquisite flavour of the “supreme beverage” at once opens
their eyes to the truth. No doubt it is reassuring to be aware that
a Firm which, by common consent of their customers, consistently and
persistently act up to their business formula, “Always good alike,”
find meet reward in a yearly augmentation of their business; a fact
attested by the published tables of the quantities of Tea on which they
pay duty periodically. But in addition to obtaining _quality_, the
public have the extra advantage of _cheapness_, as the Pure Tea offered
by Messrs. Horniman & Co.’s Agents is sold at the same fixed prices in
every Town and Village throughout the Kingdom. If, as the proverb has
it, “Good wine needs no bush,” so, on the other hand, good Tea, like
beauty, needs no adornment. Its best adornment is perfect purity.
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