460 THE AMERICAN FARMER. 



aside at the moment when they are almost dry. When the day s work is over, take the fire 

 out from the furnace, and prepare as was done before; then scatter the leaves which were 

 heated during the day, drying them in this way during the night. At this time about 

 twenty-four pounds may be spread over, but it requires great experience to heat them in this 

 way. The softer heat is preferred to the greater heat. The quantity of the best tea which 

 may be prepared by one laborer per day is about thirty pounds on an average; and the 

 quantity of the inferior quality, from twenty-eight to thirty-seven pounds. About one pound 

 and three-fourths of tea is generally made out of eight pounds and five ounces of the green 

 leaves. 



For the finishing process a sieve should be used, in which the dried tea is to be softly 

 rubbed by the palms of the hands, separating the tea from the stems. The next process is to 

 separate the tea from dust, sticks, stems, etc., by winnowing; and if this is difficult to do, 

 put them on a stand and sort them into two or three classes, and then use a finer sieve. 

 After this has been done five or six times, separate the larger leaves from the others, and so 

 on with the finer leaves.&quot; 



Adulteration of Tea. Pure Japan tea, in its natural state, has a long twisted leaf, 

 and is of a brownish green color. Much of the imported teas are adulterated in order to 

 increase their weight, and improve their color, gloss, etc., inferior grades of tea often being 

 made to have the appearance of those of the best quality. These adulterations consist of 

 leaves of other plants being mixed with the tea; the mixing of exhausted tea-leaves; silica, 

 metallic iron, prussian blue, indigo, turmeric, kaolin, etc., many of the adulterations used 

 being very poisonous. It is a significant fact, that the &quot; Celestials &quot; themselves will never use 

 these colored teas, but prepare them for the palates and stomachs of their American and 

 European neighbors; those for their own use being always of the purest and finest quality. 



PEANUTS. 



THE peanut, known also in different sections as the ground-nut, ground-pea, goober, 

 pinda, etc., is a leguminous plant, and a native of Africa, in this country its cul 

 ture is, therefore, best adapted to the Southern States, although it may be successfully 

 cultivated much farther north than was formerly supposed. It has been grown as far north 

 as Massachusetts, in a small way, but we doubt whether for market purposes it would prove a 

 profitable crop in a much higher latitude than that of Virginia. 



In the United States, the peanut is most extensively cultivated in Virginia, Tennessee, 

 and North Carolina, although it is grown to a certain extent in many other sections. This 

 product, in the State of Virginia alone, in one year recently amounted to about one million 

 and three hundred thousand bushels. 



The blossoms and vine of this plant resemble somewhat the common pea the latter 

 growing quite rapidly and thickly overspreading the surface of the soil in which they arc 

 planted. After flowering, the pods form and penetrate into the ground to a sufficient depth 

 to be well covered, where they remain and ripen. 



In Africa and South America, the peanut has long been cultivated as an article of food. 

 In this country it has become a product of considerable market value, and is also largely 

 employed in the manufacture of oil. of which the kernel yields over twenty per cent. They 

 were formerly cultivated largely at the South for the purpose of fattening swine, but at 

 present are used in this manner only to a limited extent. The oil expressed from the 

 kernel is valuable for many purposes, but mainly for mixing with olive oil. When not 

 earthed up, it is said that the vines will yield a fodder scarcely inferior to the best clover. 



