124 CLASSIFICATION AND DESCRIPTION. 



its culture; the contracts with the Government being 

 entirely annulled after seven years' trial, and the industry 

 being left to private energy and capital, without control 

 or interference, it soon developed to large proportions. 



In Java the best teas are grown at an elevation rang- 

 ing from 3,000 to 4,000 feet above sea-level, the finest 

 being produced on the mountain slopes, in the residencies 

 of Preanger, Bagelen and Banjoemas. Nothing could be 

 more attractive than the plantations situated on these 

 ranges, each containing from 70,000 to 100,000 plants in 

 perennial bloom and giving employment to from twenty- 

 five to thirty families of native laborers. The methods 

 of cultivation and preparation are much the same as in 

 Japan, though latterly the India system is being largely 

 adopted, both Black and Green teas being prepared at 

 will from the leaf of the same plants. The seeds are 

 first sown in nurseries, from which the young plants, 

 when old enough, are set out in line, at a uniform dis- 

 tance of four feet from each other. The trees are never 

 allowed to exceed two and a half feet in height, and are 

 much more prolific than either the China or India species, 

 the leaves being picked from them all the year round. 

 They are known to commerce under the appellations of 

 " Preangers," " Krawangs," " Cheribons," "Bagelens" 

 and " Banjcemas " teas, and usually converted into Pekoe, 

 Souchong, Pekoe-Souchong, Congous, Oolongs and Im- 

 perials, Broken-leaf and Siftings after the India and Cey- 

 lon manner. The leaves for the different " makes " are 

 sorted during picking and graded according to size, the 

 smallest and tenderest being converted into Pekoe, the 

 medium size into Souchongs, and the largest and oldest 

 into Congous, Oolongs, Imperials and Broken-leaf teas. 



Java Pekoe Is a small, jet-black leaf, lightly tipped 

 with yellowish ends. The liquor is extremely dark, 



