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PICKING OF THE CROoP.—When the shrubs are about three years old there will be a 
sufficient quantity of leaves obtainable to warrant a muster of the women and chil- 
dren of the farm, each of whom should be instructed to nip off the young and tender 
growth with the finger and thumb, at the point indicated by Figure 4 of the sketch. 
The three leaves and terminal bud, together with the tender stalk, make the very finest 
class of Souchong teas, often ranking, if well made, as Pekoe Souchong, and worth 
at least $1.50 per pound. If a coarser tea is desired, the young growth may be nipped 
out at the point indicated by Figure 5 of the sketch. Some may question the propriety 
of picking the stalk, but it is as tender as the leaves, and is invariably used except in 
Caper and Gunpowder teas. The leaves may be gathered in the apron or anything 
else; there is no more mystery about the matter than there is about gathering pease, 
or any other crop, it being only necessary to select the young growth, for the coarse 
leaves are not worth gathering; they will not make good tea, but the reverse. 
Having briefly treated of the picking process, I will give a variety of methods by 
which both green and black teas are made. It takes on an average four pounds of raw 
leaf to make one of tea. 
Buack TEAs.—Process No. 1.—1. Picking the leaf; 2. Spreading two inches thick on 
mats, &c.; 3. Tossing in the hands, (as hay ;) 4. Tossing on flat trays; 5. Examine for 
bruised red spots; 6. Place thin on mats, &c.; 7. Cover with cloth until fragrant; 8. 
Roasting on pan; 9. Rolling under the hands; 10. Drying over charcoal. 
Process No. 2.—1. Picking the leaf; 2. Spreading out thinly ; 3. Tossing in the hands; 
4. Roasting; 5. Rolling; 6. Roasting; 7. Rolling; 8. Roasting; 9. Rolling; 10. Par- 
tial drying over fire; 11. Exposure to the air; 12. Picking out coarse leaf; 13. Final 
drying; 14. Packing. 
Process No. 3.—First day and night: 1. Picking the leaf; 2. Spreading out thinly. 
Second day and night: 3. Exposure to air and tossing; 4. Roasting at 180° to 200° 
Fahr.; 5. Rolling out juices; 6. Roasting on pan at 160°; °7. Rolling out more 
moisture; &. Spreading out thinly. Third day and night: 9. Partial drying in sun 
.or otherwise; 10. Picking out stalks, &c.; 11. Final drying. Fourth day, if conven- 
ient: 12. Sifting out dust, &c., 13. Packing. 
Process No. 4.—First day and night: 1. Picking the leaf; 2. Spreading out thinly. 
Second day and night: 3. Exposure to sun, turning over, tossing, and picking out of 
coarse leaves; 4. Panning, at 180° to 200°; 5. Rolling out juices; 6. Fermentation in 
heaps; 7. Spreading thinly. Thirdday andnight: 8 Partial drying; 9. Picking out 
stalks; 10. Final drying. Fourth day, if convenient: 11. Sifting; 12. Packing. 
Process No. 5.—1. Picking the leaves; 2. Wither in sun two hours; 3. Cool in shade 
one-half hour; 4. Toss and clap in hands ten minutes; 5. Cool one-half hour; 6. Tos¥ 
ten minutes; 7. Cool one-half hour; 8. Toss ten minutes; 9. Roasting or panning ; 
10. Rolling; 11. Roasting; 12. Rolling; 13. Final drying; 14. Packing. 
Process No. 6.—1. Picking the leaf; 2. Roasting; 3. Rolling; 4. Exposure to the air; 
5. Final drying on the pan; 6. Picking out coarse leaf; 7. Sifting; 8. Packing. 
GREEN TEAS.—Process No. 1.—First day and night: 1. Plucking the leaf; 2. Roasting 
on pan, at 200°; 3. Rolling thoroughly; 4. Expressing the juice; (give it a squeeze in 
a cider-press!) Second day and night: 5. Slight evaporation of the juices in the sun 
or on the pan; 6. Drying on the pan, constantly stirring as the operation proceeds ; the 
pan should be heated to 180° and allowed to get gradually cooler as the operation 
proceeds; 7. Picking over; 8. Winnowing or sifting; 9. Packing. 
Process No. 2.—1. Plucking the leaf; 2. Roasting; 3. Rolling; 4. Expressing the 
juice; 5. Spreading the leaves thinly; 6. Partial drying on pan; 7. Sifting; 8. Spread- 
ing out thinly; 9. Final drying on pan. 
Process No. 3.—1. Plucking the leaf; 2. Cooling, by spreading thin; 3. Roasting, at 
150°; 4. Rolling; 5. Exposure to the sun; 6. Expressing the juice; 7. Final drying on 
pan; 8. Picking out yellow leaf; 9. Sifting and classifying; 10. A hotter pan than the 
above is usually desirable. 
Process No, 4.—First day and night: 1. Plucking the leaf; 2. Roasting; 3. Rolling. 
Second day: 4. Exposure to the sun; 5. Rolling on trays meanwhile ; 6. Drying over 
charcoal fires if still wet ; 7. Drying on pans heated to 150°, gradually cooling as the 
process proceeds to 140° and 130°; &. Sifting. Third day: 9. Finally dry on the pan 
until the desired color is obtained ; 10. Pack while hot. 
Process No. 5.—First day and night: 1. Plucking the leaf; 2. Spreading out thinly. 
Second day and night: 3. Panning for four or five minutes; 4. Rolling; 5. Partial dry- 
ing in the sun or over charcoal fires; 6. Pressing out the juice; 7. Partial drying 
on pan for some two hours; 8. Press or squeeze the leaves in a bag so as to thoroughly 
get rid of the juices; 9. Further heating on pan to evaporate moisture. Third day: 10. 
Final drying on pan for six, eight, or more hours, until the required color is produced ; 
11. Sifting ; 12. Packing. 
The foregoing methods have all been practiced by the writer, and they will all pro- 
duce first-class tea in certain conditions of the weather. No two days’ work can be 
precisely alike as to the time the various operations require,no more than the opera- 
tions of the hay-field occupy vrecise'y the same time from year to year, but this is not 
