PICKING. IO5 



The leaves are named as follows from the Teas it is sup- 

 posed they would make : 



a. Flowery Pekoe. 

 b. Orange Pekoe. 

 c. Pekoe. 

 d. Souchong, 1st. 

 e. 2nd. 

 f. Congou. 



a, b> c Pekoe. 

 Mixed together... - 



a, b y c, d, e Pekoe Souchong. 



If there be another leaf below f t 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 b, 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 anywhere. 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 attain- 

 able. 



