CHAPTER VI.
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.
