An Asour Tea—By William H. Ukers, ata Tea & Coffee Trade Journal Company, New York. 2 Vols. US$25
This is a book whose title may be taken quite literally: for if there is Janything "about tea" which is not touched upon in these two volumes the present reviewer has yet to hear about it. Not only is the book full lof technical knowledge, but it is Jalso well and interestingly written with many chapters dealing at length Jwith the history of ea, its uses, cultivation and the various ceremonies and. values which have grown up with its increasing use as beverage, which will make an interesting appeal even to the reader any such benighted human re-Jmains) who only thinks of tea as ithe stuff his wife drinks at tea time.
The two volumes are divided into six parts, each part dealing with a different aspect of tea culture: HHistorieat, Technical, Scientisc, [Social and Artistic. " The aspects which will appeal most the "layman" are naturally the historical, social and artistic: but it none the less interesting to read Jot the others for they are very' simply treated and there is a wealthy Jof information contained in each chapter.
The author, in his preface, says that he began his collection of material twenty-five years ago, and to judge by the book's omniscience araraing ten, one may well believe His journeys have taken him to virtually every tea-producing country in the world and he has beet! Jable to command the assistance of the leading tea merchants and experts in every country, as may be seen from the imposing list of fasknowledgements in the preface! JThe purely scientific chapters relat' ing to Chemistry and Pharmacology are shown as written by Professor ER. Harler, former Chemist of the Tocklai Experimental Station; Indian Tea Association. Those two chapters, technical as they are, are easy to understand and extremely. Interesting, particularly that Pharmacology.
The book as a whole is written primarily for teamen, but as said. Jabove, its interest is not confined to teamen alone and it makes good reading for anyone normally intel/ ligent.. For teamen it forms a most valuable work of reference and comjpendium of specialized knowledge: Hit deals with methods of cultivation.
manufacture and marketing in every producing and every major consum-Ing country under the sun and lamply documented, with extensive Jappendices, index and bibliography.
It is also profusely illustrated with Jarawings and photographs showing {the evolution of modern tea pro-leesses; while there are, in addition, innumerable photographs of differ-lent Kinds of te9, tea estates and the principal protagonists of tea culture fin all' countries throughout its history.
Rather a costly book, perhaps, but not dear when its "all-embracing character is considered: and essentially a book which every tea trader would do well to have on his Jcomparatively new school of Modern JGreats should take on a great im-Jpetus with this -new spur. The Museum of the History of Science, founded around the nucleus of the collection of Dr. Lewis Evans, has been promised a permanent home jin the Bodleian quadrangle and the titular dignity of being a Museum regulated by permanent Statute me stead of by a temporary decree. It is also interesting to note that the [Committee of Appointments, whose work is covering a wider field every year, is receiving an increasing pumper of applications with "busi-Mess" as their first choice.
Marois has written a charming jerticle on three French authors who have visited and written about Oxford: Tame in 1861, Paul Bourget fin 1883, and latterly Abel Hermant, whom Maurole considers to. have Jcome nearest to a true appreciation Oxford charm and beauty. "And there are a number of other articles, jone on Rhodes, an extremely interesting one by the Muster of [Balliol on the changes in the Schools since the war, and finally two memorials, one of Arthur Thomson jand one of Lord Buckmaster.
"Oxford" is tar more than a dry account of recent happenings at the University and will bring vividly to mind memories of events not touched on in the magazine, but bound up in the thoughts of many with any mention of Oxford—Nabys
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.