94 DIFFERENCE OF QUALITY OF 



tea imported into England : — " The first gathering 

 may be divided into superior, middling, and low ; 

 the superior kind resembles the Souchong tea in 

 flavour and colour. The second gathering also 

 produces Pekoe and Souchong; the flavour has 

 a Jlre smell, and the leaf is coarse and dull. The 

 third gathering also produces Pekoe and Souchong, 

 though not much ; neither is it good : the flavour 

 is poor, and the infusion of a light green colour. 

 The autumnal or fourth gathering, Aug. and Sept. 

 (Csieu Loo) — The flavour is poor, and the infusion 

 of a pale yellow colour ; the colour of the leaves 

 is also plain and ordinary. In the eighth and ninth 

 moons (Sept. and Oct.), the shrubs are cut, whole 

 branches at a time ; the leaves are coarse and stiff, 

 and the flavour exceedingly common and bad." 

 This tea was formerly packed in baskets and sent 

 to Canton to be made into Bohea. It is now 

 packed in the country and sent down in chests. 



Thus it appears, that in all the successive gather- 

 ings it is the young and succulent leaves only that 

 are chosen. If the leaves be permitted to attain 

 their full growth, they become harsh, fibrous, and 

 brittle, and cannot be made to assume the twisted 

 form in their manipulation, but remain flat, coarse, 

 or open and yellow, and are unfit for tea. The 

 coarseness of the leaves of this description found 

 in tea is chiefly owing to this circumstance. The 

 large succulent leaves of a reddish purple colour 

 are the best. The red or purple colour, however, 



