CUfion College Scientific Society. 39 



Thus for— 



Green Teas. Black Teas. 



i-rv,!; V'^ 'f*T ^It '■''^^*^'^ ^^"^"^^ 1- They are allowed to be spread 



immediatelyafer they are gathered. out in the air for some time after 

 .u • ,r^ ^""^ '^"^'^ °^ quickly after they are gathered. 

 the rollmg process. The whole 2. They are then further tossed 



operation is speedy and simple. about till they become soft and 



pliant. 



3. They are now roasted for a few 

 minutes, and rolled; after which 

 they are exposed to the air for a 

 few hours in a soft and moist state. 

 Lastly, they are dried slowly over 

 charcoal fires. 



The juices and tissues of the tea-leaves contain substances 

 which are liable to be acted ou by oxygen, thereby becoming 

 darker. When, therefore, the leaves are slowly dried, this chancre 

 has time to occur in their substances. Hence slowly dried leaves 

 yield black, quickly dried green teas. 



AH varieties of tea may be grouped under one of two heads, 

 either black or green. 



The various descriptions of the black tea diminish in quality 

 and value as they are gatliered later in the season, until thev 

 reach^the lowest^ kind, called by us hohea, and by the Chinese ta- 

 ctia, large tea, on account of the maturity and size of 'the 



The early leaf buds in spring, being covered with a white 

 silky down, are gathered to malie pekoe, which is a corruption of 

 the Canton name ^a^--/io, 'white down.' There is a species of pekoe 

 made in China from the young buds ; but it is so little fired that 

 the least damp spoils it, and for this reason, as well on account of 

 Its scarcity and high price, the Hyson-pekoe, as it has been called 

 has never been brought to England. In China this latter tea goes 

 under the name soong-tsing. 



^ Congou is named from a corruption of the Chinese koona-fo 

 labour or assiduity.' A particular variety of congou, called 

 campoi, IS so ca led from a corruption of the original name Uen- 

 poey, ' selection,' or ' choice.' 



Souchong, from seaoa-choomj, 'small or scarce sort,' is the 

 hnest of the stronger black teas, with a leaf that is generally entire 

 and curly, but younger than in the coarser sort. What is called 

 padre souchong is packed in separate paper bundles, of about 

 halt-a-pound each, and is so fine as to be used almost exclusively 

 for presents. The probability is that its use in that way by the 

 (catholic missionaries first gave rise to the name 



