CULTIVATION AND PREPARATION. 55 



the packers, who have been previously trained are pro- 

 hibited from eating fish or other food considered unclean, 

 lest by their breath they should contaminate the leaves, 

 being also compelled to bathe two or three times daily 

 in the picking season, as well as wear gloves during 

 the operation. 



The second picking, called Er-chuen or " Second 

 spring," takes place between the end of May and begin- 

 ning of June, when the branches are literally covered 

 with leaves, and yielding what is known in China as Tzu- 

 cha or " filial tea," from the fact of its producing the 

 largest quantity, constituting the most important crop of 

 the season and forming the principal one exported, but 

 being greatly inferior to the first in point of quality. 



The San-chuen, or " third crop," is gathered in July 

 when the shrubs are searched for leaves, and the product 

 converted into what is termed Wu-kua-cha or "tea without 

 aroma," and though still more inferior to the preceding 

 ones in quality and quantity, is nevertheless an important 

 one commercially, forming the bulk of that exported as 

 well as for blending with and reducing the cost of the 

 preceding crop. A few leaves of the first picking will 

 support five successive immersions, yielding five cups of 

 moderately strong tea ; the second supplying only two 

 and the third but one of the same strength to a like 

 quantity. 



A fourth picking or rather " gleaning," termed the 

 Chiu-lu or " Autumn dew," is made in the more prolific 

 districts in September and October, the product of which 

 is known as Ta-cha or " old tea," but of little value 

 commercially. The leaves being large, coarse and 

 almost sapless, are generally retained for home con- 

 sumption by the poorer Chinese or for dyeing purposes, 

 and still another grade is sometimes made by chopping 



