We now come to the broken descriptions of these middle and lower classes of Tea.
Broken Mixed Tea is, as its name imports, a mixture of the various kinds of Tea broken. It may have a very wide range, include some of the lower classes or approach Broken Pekoe in character and value, but the kind usually thus named is a Tea worth from 1_s._ 8_d._ to 2_s._ 6_d._, generally of a blackish aspect, and containing a few Pekoe ends.
The term Broken Souchong is commonly and appropriately applied to a Tea which, though broken, has some approach to a full leaf, and that of the even Souchong character. Its value may vary, say from 1_s._ 6_d._ to 2_s._ 2_d._
Broken leaf is a term of great comprehensiveness, but generally is used to signify a Tea worth from 8_d._ to 1_s._ 1_d._ per lb. It may be of a brownish, brownish blackish, or blackish colour. Its strength is seldom great, but its flavour may be fair or good, but in the lower qualities it is generally poor, thin, or coarse. It would be better to employ this term only as a general name of Broken Tea, and not to use it to signify any particular class, as it is very indefinite.
Fannings is similar in colour and class of leaf to broken leaf as described above; in value also much the same, perhaps on the average a little lower. I suppose, in most cases, the mode of its separation from the other classes of Tea is, as its name implies, by fanning.
Dust is a very small broken Tea, so small, in fact, as to approach the minuteness of actual dust. It is often very coarse, or “earthy” in flavour, owing perhaps to sweepings and dust having become mixed with it. Its value is from 6_d._ to 1_s._ 6_d._ In any Tea of this class worth more than these quotations, a few Pekoe ends or tips will generally be found, which bring it under the name of Pekoe Dust.
We will now look at Black Teas in a body, and point out what is desirable and what is objectionable in them.
We have seen that all Teas which contain Pekoe fetch higher prices than others, consequently we infer that Pekoe is a desideratum. If we glance at the descriptions of the various classes of Tea which have been given above, we shall find that it is an element of strength and good flavour. I do not mean to say that any Pekoe is stronger or of better flavour than any Tea which does not contain Pekoe, as the soil, the climate, the cultivation, the manufacture, and various other causes, may influence the strength and flavour of different Teas; but, as a rule, in Teas that are produced under the same circumstances, the classes containing Pekoe are stronger and of better flavour than those without it.