100 NOTES TO CHAP. V. 



different localities. In situations where the shrubs produce 

 long succulent green shoots with many leaves, the leaves are 

 pinched off in pairs with part of the shoot, and classed at the 

 time of gathering ; or the whole shoot may be gathered at once, 

 and the leaves plucked off, and classed afterwards by females 

 when received at the roasting sheds. Many Chinese drawings 

 and statements sanction this latter mode. The Hyson leaves 

 are said to be so gathered, and the stalks and shoots are sepa- 

 rated carefully, because the stalks would injure the tea in the 

 progress of manipulation ; but with black teas, the stalks and 

 shoots seem to be separated with less care, because attended 

 with no apparent detriment to quality. 



In localities where the shrubs are of less luxuriant growth, 

 and, consequently, produce shorter and less succulent shoots, 

 and fewer leaves, the leaves may be plucked off separately ; 

 because it can be clone with much less chance of tearing away 

 any part of the shoot, or of injuring the bud left for the for- 

 mation of new shoots, which will be found at the foot of the 

 leaf-stalk, or petiole. The quantity of rough, ragged stalks, 

 however, sifted from Twankay tea, which is a green tea, shows 

 that the leaves of this tea can hardly be gathered separately ; 

 and, moreover, from their hard, ligneous character, that the 

 leaves of this tea are the product of inferior shrubs, and that 

 even a knife may partly have been used in the gathering. In- 

 deed, it is said that the leaves of many of these teas are col- 

 lected whole branches at a time, and that the leaves are rudely 

 stripped off with the hands. The same is also said of some Congou 

 teas. But lam indisposed to give credence to these statements, 

 except in the case of very inferior teas, such as small farmers 

 and peasants use for their own consumption, or sell to others 

 of the same class, or are used for adulteration. The teas which 

 Mr. Fortune saw made in the provinces of Fokien and Chekiang 

 appear to have been so gathered. " They strip the leaves off 

 rapidly and promiscuously, and throw them into round baskets, 

 &c." ( Wanderings in China, p. 203.) 



Mr. Jacobson observes, that when young shoots appear very 

 green and succulent, and deficient in brown wood, the gather- 

 ing had better be deferred for a few days. 



§ 290. When the leaves are fit for gathering, the third and 



