THE ROMANCE OF TEA.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2272, 18 August 1908, Page 1

THE ROMANCE OF TEA.

Tho romance of tea has yet to be written, and a most interesting work it should be. One of the most instructive chapters would be the displacement of China teas by those of India and Ceylon. New * Zealand, too, would have a place in the romance, for her consumption per head is about GJlb of tea per annum for every person, man, woman, and ohild, in tlio Dominion. Indian and Ceylon teas made their first appearance in New Zealand nearly thirty years ago, when they were introduced by Nelson, Moate and Co., who handle no other teas. So steadily has this firm grown that, while some of the princely houses of London and elsewhere have fallen behind in the

trade, or given it up altogether, Nelson, Moate and Co. have never looked back, and it is claimed they are to-day -doing the biggest tea trade on -a population basis, of any other house in tho world. The growth of the business has been such as to necessitate the erection of large and specially designed premises in Wellington, and these have just been occupied. They are situated in Victoria and -Blair-strects, .and have a most striking appearance. Reinforced concrete has boon used throughput, -and, except, for doors and sashes, tho buildings arc absolutely fire-proof. They have been designed for the handling of four million pounds of tea annually, which- is about _ two-thirds of the total consumption of tea in New Zealand.

In the course of a chat- with- Mr H. Nelson, who has had 35 years’ experience of tea tasting and blending, a representative of the Wellington “Post” learned, the other daytha.t taste in tea was largely governed by the chemical constituents of the water used.

11l the tasting room yesterday, teas were seen in the process of tasting—teas from tho chest, teas of various blends, teas for special purposes and special districts, were being tested for color, strength, time of infusion, and other characteristics.

The electrically driven machinery was seen at work, and perhaps the most interesting process was that of leaf-breaking. When teas leave tho gardens they are of various sizes of leaf, and these must be broken down to size, in order to effect blending. Then tho tea must be cleaned, i.e.. freed from dust. When mixed the tea is stored in great bins, whence it is taken for packing in tins, leadfoil, paper —and even billies for mining communities. The packing, blending, making of tins, and other work incidental to the business keep a large staff busily employed. Eventually the firm intends supplying the trade direct from India and Ceylon through their Wellington iieadqu liters only, instead of having branches at Auckland, Dunedin, and Christchurch, as at present. Nelson. Moato and Co. have not only these branches, but have branches in Colombo arid Hobart, and their interests in Calcutta are watched by one of tho largest of the great Indian tea. houses. Nelson, Moato and Co. is the oldest firm engaged in the tea trade in Australasia.