CLASSIFICATION AND DESCRIPTION. 93 



orelana being also extensively used. In some districts 

 the scenting material is added to the tea during the 

 firing process, and afterwards separated by sifting. It is, 

 however, more generally introduced into the tea after it 

 is prepared and ready for packing ; one pound of leaves 

 or blossoms being the usual proportion to each hundred 

 pounds of tea. They are spread over the top of the tea 

 in the chest and allowed to remain for at least a day, or 

 until it becomes strongly impregnated by absorbing their 

 moisture, and then removed, the duration depending on 

 the character of the scenting employed, the scent increas- 

 ing after the tea is packed for export. But though 

 scenting in general is supposed to be confined to the 

 choicer grades of tea it is as often applied to the inferior 

 sorts, with the object of disguising or concealing their 

 defective or damaged condition, and imparting a pleasant 

 odor, a much larger quantity being used in the latter. 

 The scenting greatly modifies and improves the flavor, 

 however, without adding any pernicious or deleterious 

 substance to the tea. 



Consumers not accustomed to using these varieties 

 erroneously imagine, from the dark color of the leaf and 

 liquor, that they are much stronger and more exciting 

 than that of the Oolong or Green tea sorts. While the 

 contrary is the case, it requiring one-third more leaf of 

 corresponding quality to yield an infusion of equal 

 strength than of Oolong or Green tea sorts. The " smoky " 

 and "tarry" flavors possessed by many of them, and for 

 which this variety is so remarkable, is due in a great 

 measure to the use of ill-made charcoal in firing and the 

 use of soft woods containing tar or pitch, such as fir and 

 pine, in its preparation. The worst feature about which 

 is that this " smokiness " and " tarriness " does not 

 develop until long after the teas have left China, and 



