Every tea season may be said to have its special distinguishing feature irrespective of the admitted fact that no two crops are ever identical. For there will ever be good, bad, and indifferent seasons, a matter too often lost sight of by those who send orders for tea to watch a previous season's production, and rather lightly considered by the executants of such orders, And depending in large measure upon this variableness of quality is the taste which fora time becomes the vogue, In Hankow's earliest days taste ran upon the finest Oopacks, the produce of the Sungyang and Yanglowtung districts, A few years later regard was had for nothing but the choicest Ningchows, which so well merited the popular favour, Again the time came when the finest Oonahms, the Oanfas and Cheongsowkais became the idols of the trade. 'Then came a temporary demand for pure teas, teas devoid of any taint of tarriness, thin and flavour less for the most part. And finally came the days of the Keemuns, which year after year were acknowledged' to be the finest and most satisfactory teas of the period. 'T'o-day they are not so much in favour, by reason of the serious losses incurred on teas which happened to be held after the initial or arrival demand had subsided, At the moment there is no inconsiderable amount of Ifine Keemun leaf held both in London and America which on renlisation will probably be found to have done much more than swamped the glowing profits on the happily Guitted first shipments.
And now we come face to face with the requirements of the present season, season presenting more than ordinary difficulties. With the exception of but a very limited quantity of finest teas, from whatever district they may hail, demand will run almost entirely on teas for price, and that price should be on such a basises will allow of China Common Congou entering into successful competition with the low grade Ceylon and Indian teas. It would appear that the indispensable m "rain of difference in selling price between the two description. should not be less than che modest penny a pound. British grown tea cannot be laid down under
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.