March 2, 1885.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 



72S 



the steam rises up, the wooden cover is taken off, and 

 the contents are thoroughly mixed so as to steam uniformly 

 all the leaves. This done, the tub is covered again with 

 the lid This process is repeated, and finally the contents 

 are taken out and cooled. There is a tendeucy in Leaves 

 to adhere to the bamboo rod during mixing. 



The leaves are now sufficiently softened to be rolled up 

 between the hands by a gentle rubbing, after which the 

 leaves are subjected to drying. This operation is a most 

 difficult one, inasmuch as the quality of the product 

 depends in gnat measure on the treatment which the 

 leaves undergo durmg the operation, since it is during 

 drying that that fine colour becomes fixed, with simultaneous 

 production of that delicate flavour and agreeable taste 

 which are wanting in the original leaves; so that it requires 

 excellent workmen, whose requisite skill is only attained 

 after a long practice. 



The drying is conducted in a shallow rectangular box, 

 the bottom of which is made of a thick paper stiffened 

 with starch. The box is placed over a copper-wire gauze 

 supported by iron bars, which are provided across the 

 furnace. The furnace is simply a rectangular box coated 

 with clay, and has the depth of 2*5 shaku. 



To begin the operation, first of all a charcoal fire is 

 made in the furnace. The rectangular box is now placed 

 over it, the leaves are next introduced into the box, and 

 the workman continually rubs them between the hands, 

 alternately tossing them up and letting them fall until 

 they are nearly dried. Thus dried the leaves are further 

 dried by keeping for a night in the same furnace after 

 the charcoal fire is withdrawn. In large factories numbers 

 of these furnaces are arranged in rows, and during the 

 drying each furnace is attended by one workman. 



The tea thus dried is, before it is sent to the market, 

 subjected to sorting and sieving. The sorting simply con- 

 sists in spreading out a certain quantity of tea upon a 

 flat table, and in removing dust, stems, and other foreign 

 matters by picking them up, which operation is usually 

 done by women and girls. The sorted tea is then sieved. 

 The sieves of different meshes are distinguished from 

 one another by the numbers 1, 2, 3, &c, and the number 

 of sievings as well as the sieves used vary with tbe quality 

 of the tea. Thus, in the case of coarse kinds, it is passed 

 twice or thrice through each of land 2, and in tbe best 

 kiuds only once through 2, 3, 4, and twice through 3, which 

 has the meshes of nearly 3 millimetres. The tea thus 

 prepared is preserved in earthenware or metallic pots in 

 order to preserve it from the moisture. 



BLACK TEA. 



Before intercourse with Western nations was opened 

 this was scarcely known to us, but now at present it is 

 manufactured, though to a very limited extent, for the 

 purpose of exporting it to foreign countries. 



The writer states the following description of the process 

 to be due to the Report published by order of the Board 

 for promotion of industry, agriculture, and commerce. 



In preparing the black tea, the leaves from wild tea-plants, 

 or those which are cultivated without much care, are used, 

 otherwise there will not be much profit. 



The leaves after gathering are scattered on a straw mat, 

 and dried by exposure to air. They are then collected and 

 softened by tossing and clapping between the hands till 

 they become adhesive. The leaves are then made into a 

 number of balls, which are introduced into a large box, 

 which is closed tightly and exposed to the sun for half 

 an-hour, when it is brought into the house, and allowed 

 to lie in this state for one night. The balls are then 

 taken out, and subjected to the rolling and drying in the 

 same way as in the preparation of green tea. During the 

 operation the workman turns the mass, so as to prevent 

 it from being burnt. This process is continued until the 

 leaves break very easily by simply pressing between the 

 fingers, when they are considered to be perfectly dry. 

 The tea thus produced is freed from impurities and stalks, 

 and separated into different kinds by passing through 

 sieves having meshes of different size. 



The specimens he chemically examined are all those 

 prepared in the celebrated tea-produciug district I'ji, and are 

 supposed to be unadulterated. 



The accompanying table gives the result of the analyses. 

 On examining the table there seems to be no connection 



between commercial quality and chemical composition, but 

 it is very interesting to observe how nearly the same si 

 the amount of the constituents in all specimens; so that, 

 in any instance, if we find some of the constituents as 

 ash, for instance, in quautity differing from those found 

 in the table, we may consider such specimen as being 

 previously adulterated. 



Nitrogen iu the table was determined by Dumas's method. 



Theine. — He estimates this most important constituent 

 of tea by the following method: — 15 grms. of powdered 

 tea are mixed with an equal amount of magnesia, and th« 

 mixture is boiled with water, filtered, and residue washed 

 with hot water. The filtrate being evaporated to dryness 

 is exhausted with hot benzole, and the extract is then 

 evaporated and the residue is weighted. By this method 

 he found 0189 per cent in XayaHotomo, and 0'207 per cent 

 in ffonw, all brought from Uji. 



ANALYSIS OF TEA ASH. 



99-78 99-86 10003 99'93 



Tannin. — This is determined by a standard solution of 

 plumbic acetate. In six specimens from Uji he found the 

 following amounts: — Toyonokum o, 16 per cent; Toyokague, 

 10-25 per cent; Shimonohaua, 15 62 percent; Nagauotonio, 

 1470 per cent; Toyomaye, 16'70 per cent; Hochayen, 

 16-12 per cent. 



Gum. — Estimated by evaporating the aqueous extract of 

 tea almost to dryness, treating the residue with methyl spirit, 

 the extract evaporated to dryness, and the residue weighed, 

 which, after ignition is again weighed; the loss represents 

 the gum. By this method he found the followiug amounts 

 in the same specimens as above : — Toyokumo, 13'72 per cent; 

 Toyokage, 975 per cent; Shimonohaua, 1232 per cent; 

 Nagauotomo, 10-10 'per cent, Toyoumaye, 9'90 per cent; 

 Hochayen, 1061 per cent. 



JAPANESE TOBACCO. 



There were various varieties of tobacco plant, differing 

 more or less in the form and size of the leaf, but those 

 growing in this country are known as yicotiantt Ghinensis, 

 and Nicotiana Tabacum, bearing rose-coloured flower, and 

 growing to the height of 3 to 5 feet. The tobacco plant 

 is cultivated almost in every province, but the best leaves 

 are produced in the provinces ofcHizcu, Hitachi, Satsuma, 

 and Nagato. 



The mode of collecting the leaves varies iu different 

 places, but generally two or three small leaves, which are 

 situated at the upper part of the stem, are first taken off 

 by hand, and the remaining leaves, after being exposed 

 to the sun for 3 to 5 days, are successively taken, three 

 or four at a time. In Awa it is just reversed ; the lower 

 leaves, which are of inferior quality, are taken off at first 

 in June, when the leaves are slightly yellowish, and the 

 middle leaves, which form the best sorts, are collected after 

 13 or 14 days. In some places a second crop is obtained 

 from new shoots, which, if properly cultivated, yield Leavefl 

 which are not inferior to those- of the first gathering. 



The leaves thus collected are placed on a floor covered 

 with a straw mat, allowed to remain for oue or two days, 

 when the mat is taken off ; those which have assumed 

 the melon-yellow colour are sorted out aud dried by exposure 

 to air, while those still retaining the original colour are 

 kept in the same condition till the required colour is developed. 



The dried leaves are now packed and sent to market. 

 According to Japanese fashion, tobacco for smoking purposes 

 is cut into fine threads. 



