TEA 93 



the height of the season these ' flushes ', as they are called, 

 occur every week or ten days. Women and children then, day 

 by day, pluck the bud and two of the tender undeveloped 

 leaves ; sometimes the first three leaves are gathered, some- 

 times even the fourth, but the tiny leaves at the top of the 

 shoot produce the most delicately flavoured tea. In the height 

 of the season, when there is a ' rush ' of leaf, that is when the 

 fresh shoots are very numerous and very frequent, men are em- 

 ployed to help gather the leaves, so that they may not be left 

 too long on the bush, and the quality of the tea be thus spoiled. 



In October the pretty white flowers with yellow centres 

 appear on the bushes, and in December 

 the ' flushes ' cease and the tea season 

 is over. 



Preparation of the Leaf. Before the 

 tea is ready for export it is subjected to 

 various processes, the chief of which are 

 withering, rolling, fermenting, and firing. 



As soon as the coolies bring in their 

 baskets full of leaves to the tea factory, TEA FLOWER 

 the leaves are spread out thinly on wire 

 trays and kept in a temperature of about 80 for about 

 twenty hours. At the end of this time they are soft and 

 pliable, and are said to have been withered. These soft, 

 aflbby leaves are then spread between two flat uneven boards, 

 which are moved by machinery in different directions. By 

 this means the leaves are rolled, and the moisture in them is 

 brought to the surface. 



Next they are taken to the fermenting room. Here they are 

 kept in a moist atmosphere at a temperature of between 

 78 and 82 for three or four hours, and during this time the 

 oxygen of the air acts upon the moisture of the leaves, so 

 that their colour changes from green to a copper colour. 



After this they are passed through a drying machine, whence 

 they emerge dry and crisp and brittle. They are now what 

 we call tea. It only remains to separate the tiny leaves from 



