PICKING. IO7 



The leaves are named as follows from the Teas it is 

 supposed they would make : 



a. Flowery Pekoe. 

 b. Orange Pekoe, 

 c. Pekoe. 

 d. Souchong, ist. 

 e. ,, 2nd. 



/. Congou. 



a, b, c Pekoe. 

 Mixed together ... 



a. 6, c, d, e Pekoe Souchong. 



If there be another leaf below/, and it be taken, it is 

 named, and would make Bohea. 



Each of these leaves was at first a flowery Pekoe leaf (a), 

 it then became 6, then c, and so on. 



That is to say, as the shoot developed, and a new flowery 

 Pekoe leaf was born, each of the leaves below assumed the 

 next lowest grade. 



Could the leaves fit to make each kind of Tea it is pro- 

 posed to make be picked and kept separate, and each be 

 manufactured in the way most suitable to its age, and the 

 Tea to be produced, the very best of every kind could easily 

 be manufactured. But this cannot be ; the price of Tea 

 will not allow it, and the labour to do it would moreover 

 fail. It has been attempted again and again to do it, partly 

 to the extent of taking the Pekoe leaves a, b, c separate 

 from the others (for the manufacture best suited to these 

 upper leaves is not suited to the lower), but it has been as 

 often abandoned, and I doubt if it is now practised any- 

 where. I am sure it will never pay to do it. 



Picking leaf is a coarse operation. It is performed by 

 80 or 100 women and children together, and it is impossible 

 to follow each, and see it is done the best way. They must 

 be taught, checked, and punished if they do wrong, and 

 then it will be done more or less right ; but perfection is not 

 attainable. 



