378 VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES. 



the first commences about the middle of April 5 the 

 second at Midsummer; and the last is accomplished 

 during August and September. The leaves that are 

 earliest gathered are of the most delicate colour and 

 most aromatic flavour, with the least portion of either 

 fibre or bitterness. Leaves of the second gathering 

 are of a dull green colour, and have less valuable 

 qualities than the former; while those which are latt 

 collected are of a dark green, and possess an inferior 

 value. The quality is farther influenced by the age 

 of the wood on which the leaves are borne, and by 

 the degree of exposure to which they have been 

 accustomed; leaves from young wood, and those most 

 exposed, being always the best. 



The leaves, as soon as gathered, are put into wide 

 shallow baskets, and placed in the air or wind, or 

 sunshine, during some hours. They are then placed 

 on a flat cast-iron pan, over a stove heated with 

 charcoal, from a half to three quarters of a pound of 

 leaves being operated on at one time. These leaves 

 are stirred quickly about with a kind of brush, and 

 are then quickly swept off the pan into baskets. The 

 next process is that of rolling, which is effected by 

 carefully rubbing them between men's hands; after 

 which they are again put, in larger quantities, on the 

 pan, and subjected anew to heat, but at this time to 

 a lower degree than at first, and just sufficient to dry 

 them effectually without risk of scorching. This 

 effected, the tea is placed on a table and carefully 

 picked over, every unsightly or imperfectly-dried 

 leaf that is detected being removed from the rest, in 

 order that the sample may present a more even and 

 a better appearance when offered for sale. With 

 some finer sorts of tea a different manipulation is em- 

 ployed; the heated plates are dispensed with, and the 

 leaves are carefully rolled into balls, leaf by leaf, with 

 the hands. 



