256 GREEN-HOUSE REPOTTING. [31arch. 



weeds, till the plants are three years old. The more careful 

 stir the soil, and some manure it, but the latter practice is 

 seldom adopted. The third year the leaves are gathered, at 

 three successive gatherings, in February, April, and June, 

 and so on until the bushes become stunted or slow in their 

 growth, which generally happens in from six to ten years. 

 They are then cut in to encourage the production of fresh 

 roots. 



" The gathering of the leaves is performed with care and 

 selection. The leaves are plucked off one by one; at the first 

 gathering only the unexpanded and tender are taken ; at the 

 second those that are of full growth ; and at the third the 

 coarsest. The first forms, what is called in Europe, imperial 

 tea ; but, as to the other names by which tea is known, the 

 Chinese know nothing; and the compounds and names are 

 supposed to be made and given by the merchants at Canton, 

 who, from the great number of varieties brought to them, have 

 an ample opportunity of doing so. Formerly it was thought 

 that green tea was gathered exclusively from T. viridis ; but 

 that now is doubtful, though it is certain that there is what 

 is called the green tea district and black tea district ; and the 

 varieties grown in the one district differ from those of the 

 other. I was told by competent persons that either of the 

 two plants will afford the black or green tea of the shops, but 

 that the broad thin-leaved plant (T 7 . viridis) is preferred for 

 making the green tea. 



" The tea leaves being gathered, are cured in houses which 

 contain from five to twenty small furnaces, about three feet 

 high each, having at top a large flat iron pan. There is also 

 a long low table covered with mats, on which the leaves are 

 laid, and rolled by workmen, who sit around it : the iron pan 

 being heated to a certain degree, by a little fire made in the 

 furnace underneath, a few pounds of the fresh-gathered leaves 

 are put upon the pan; the fresh and juicy leaves crack when 

 they touch the pan, and it is the business of the operator to 

 shift them as quickly as possible,, with his bare hands, tili 

 they cannot be easily endured. At this instant he takes oft 

 the leaves with a kind of shovel resembling a fan, and pours 

 them on the mats before the rollers, who, taking small quan- 

 tities at a time, roll them in the palms of their hands in one 

 direction, while others are fanning them, that they may cool 

 the more speedily, and retain their curl the longer. This pro 



