1 30 TROPICAL AGRICULTURE CHAP, 



How the tea large square box is raised on posts some feet above the 

 is bulked, -, and at the bottom of the box a square hole is made, 



and so closed with a sliding trap door that the outlet can be 

 enlarged or reduced according to necessity. The door being 

 closed, the tea is put into the box in thin layers one quality 

 on the top of the others. The trap is then opened, and the 

 tea runs out from the top taking a portion from each layer in 

 its downward course. So as to ensure that all the tea runs 

 out evenly, it will be well to make the bottom of the box 

 slope slightly towards, the central aperture. The principle 

 of this plan is the same as that of the sand-glass. It is very 

 simple and at the same time efficacious. 



SORTING. On large tea plantations the tea is sorted into 



various classes. Before tea cultivation was taken up in 



India, the greater part of that consumed in the world came 



from China, and it was believed that each kind was the 



produce of a different variety of the tea plant. Afterwards 



it was discovered that all kinds of tea came from the same 



bushes, the different qualities being produced mainly by 



Different sorting operations. Thus pekoe is produced from the 



tea. delicate opening bud of the leaf, and it gives the strongest 



tea in the cup. Pekoe Souchong is the next finest kind, 



Souchong is a tea somewhat coarser in appearance, 



Sorting on a and in Congou the leaves are larger still. On a small 



small scale. sca ^ tea mav ^ e sor t e d on trays by boys and girls, 



whose quick fingers can accomplish a good deal of this light 



work in a short time. Whilst the various qualities of teas 



are separated, all red leaves, and useless and foreign matters, 



must be picked out, as otherwise the tea would be deteriorated. 



Sorting with The various classes of tea may also be separated by sieves 



with different sized meshes ; and, when the process has to 



be gone through on a large scale, machinery is employed. 



Machinery The tea industry of India and Ceylon has become so large 



and important that anything money and skill could accom- 



plish has been utilised in producing machinery as perfect as 



