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Show , WHERE THETEA GROWS A Story of the Land Whioh Bids lair to Rival China in the Production of Oolong and Hyson. HOW THE PLANT VEGETATES. Borne Interesting Information Regarding the Plant That Forms Our Supper Beverage. T Contrary to the popular impression, we did not reoeive our first supplies of what as then known as "chaw," and drunk cut of "silver porringers," from China, jbut from Java, which, until the Dutch pbtained possession of the island, was an English settlement. The commerce in the (herb could not, however, have been great, Cor at first the price ranged from 0 to 10 per pound. Even during the reign of Charles II and hie brother it was disposed of at from fifteen shillings to fifty ehill-Jngs, ehill-Jngs, according to quality, the duty payable pay-able on every gallon of the beverage sold to the coffee houses being eightpence. - The tea trade was, however, in that era p comparatively small branfh of commerce, com-merce, being- mainlv a mononolv in thn or weir conoe plantations compel ie'tne owners of estates to try other products. Now, thanks to the experience of India with which the planters began, and to the advantages of climate and soil, the export of Ceylon tea is increasing year by year, while the quality, taking one season with another, is of a decidedly high standard. These countries are, however, only two, if the two most vigorous, of China's rivals. Japan has long dealt largely in green tea, and seems determined to grow a great deal more, now that the western markets are open to her traders. CHEAP LABOR AND CHEAP TEA. Tonquin and Cochin-China are never likely to prove serious competitors for our custom, their tea being of an inferior brand. But Java is not falling behind in the race, and all the hill countries oi India Assam, Duhra-Dun, Kumaun, Darjiling, Cachar, Kangrn, ITazaribagh, ChKtagong, the Tarai and tt e Nilghiris are extending their operations in black tea. Natal has been demonstrated to be a tea growing region, and there are grounds for believing that the West Indies, In-dies, the southern United States, Brazil, Fiji, Australia, and even tho south of Europe can produce tair marketable leaf. But there are other elements besides quality which enter into the tea growing industry, and the first of them is cheap labor. We must remember that in India and China a laborer capable of picking and firing leaf may be had for from two pence to sixpence per day, and that it is difficult for any other countries to enter into competition with regions where a primary margin of profit is so fully insured in-sured as in those portions of the east. It would be idle to attempt the appraisement appraise-ment of the different qualities of these teas. Apart from the fact that those best qualified to form an opinion rarely como to the task with a judicial mind, a great deal must be allowed for individual tastes. But most tea drinkers prefer the cheaper Indian and Cingalese teas to the ordinary "chops" from China, while it cannot be honestly contended that in nicety of preparation the latter are coin-parablo coin-parablo with tho former. It is equally undeniable that the finer kinds of China tea possess distinctive qualities which have not yet been imitated imi-tated by any other growths, and so long as Russia keeps her taste for the dearest "chops" of Congou so long will the Flower Land find a good market for her produce. -London Standard. Greeu Rose iu California. "Green roses aro not a rarity in California," Cali-fornia," said a San Francisco florist. "1 remember the first one that I saw in San Francisco. That was thirty-five years ago. But before that date I had seen a green rose in Europe. I think it was in 1819 that one was exhibited in Germany at a grand exposition. "A green rose is nothing but a hybrid, and like all hybrid roses, it grows hardy, healthy and tall. Some specimens arc larger than others, but they are about the same. None of them has any perfume. per-fume. Its petals resemble green leaves." San Francisco Call. liands of the East India company. It was 'when the consumption increased enormously, enor-mously, while the business of supplying he demand wag not too much subdivided, that it became and continued so remarkably remark-ably lucrative. The prices were not high enough to be prohibitory, and yet were sufficiently good to permit of a handsome profit to growers, buyers, brofc and eellers. This is no longer the case. The people who expect to live by the traffio have multiplied out of all proportions to their customers, with the inevitablo result re-sult that prices have been whittled down , to a figure which admitsof little margin. In China so it is affirmed by those in a position to know a suicidal attempt has been made by the native growers to recoup re-coup themselves for falling pricve by more slovenly manufacture and even by . flagrant adulteration. This, at least, is the verdict of a body so well qualified to pronounce on the evidence before them as the Shanghai chamber of commerce. UECEEASK IN CHINA'S EXPORT. A fact even more conclusive is ths'N while the exports of China tea have fallen off enormously, those of the newer tea producing districts have increased in an inverse ratio. It is known that between be-tween 1881 and 1886 the export decreased by 24,000,000 pounds, while that of Indian In-dian and Ceylon teas increased by nearly 35,000,000, and since then the disparity has been even greater. Thus it is obviously ob-viously useless for China any longer to regard herself as able to control the tea trade of the world, or to conduct herself as if she were the prime producer. She may be fortunate, indeed, if India, Ceylon Cey-lon and Java leave her the second place In the struggle for supremacy. The planters of Assam were the first t work their gardens on the principles of scientific high farming, and now they are reaping their reward. But of all the competitors who have disputed the Chins monopoly Ceylon is likely to prove the most formidable, though she entered the field so recently that tea was only regard-ad regard-ad as a likelv croD when the destruction |