MANUFACTURE. I 1 1 



it is made, then allow it to ' cool and crisp ' all night, and 

 finish the firing next day. I tried this plan, and also the 

 plan I have now adopted, of doing the whole firing at one 

 time the same evening. I tried the experiment again and 

 again, and always found the Tea, the liquor, and the out- 

 turn were the same in both cases. In short, that the three 

 operations did no more and no less than the one. As the 

 three entail extra labour and extra expense in charcoal I 

 abandoned them. 



I thus reduced the twelve operations detailed to five, and 

 naturally by so doing much decreased the cost of manufac- 

 turing Tea. I in no way lay claim to having devised this 

 simplicity myself. Part had been done by others before I 

 even turned my attention to it, and I have done no more than 

 help with many to make the manufacture of ' Tea a simple 

 process. 



I was now convinced that (though I had still much to 

 learn regarding the said five processes) success was comprised 

 therein, and that to multiply them could not avail. 



The next consideration is What are the qualities desired 

 in Tea to enable it to command a good price at the public 

 auctions either in Calcutta or London ? The brokers in these 

 cases judge of the Tea first, value it, and give their report 

 and valuation to intending purchasers and sellers. From 

 what appearances and qualities do they judge ? 



They judge from three things, first, the Tea ; secondly, 

 the liquor ; thirdly, the out-turn. 



The Tea. The colour should be black, but not a dead 

 black, rather a greyish black with a gloss on it. No red leaf 

 should be mixed with it, it should be all one colour. The 

 Tea should be regular : that is, each leaf should be about the 

 same length, and should have a uniform close twist, in all 

 but ' broken Teas.' (These latter are called ' broken,' because 

 the leaf is more or less open and broken). The Tea should 



