102 NOTES TO CHAP. V. 



cluction. It is desirable that two, but not more buds, should be 

 left on each shoot ; and the separation should be made about a 

 quarter of an inch from the nearest eye or bud intended to be 

 preserved for the reproduction of young shoots. The stalks of 

 the leaves of black tea must not be detached from the leaves, 

 because, in the process of withering, they improve the flavour 

 of the tea, and do not impede the rolling of the leaves, because 

 they are tender, pliant, and succulent. 



§ 302. The green tea leaves are gathered without their stalks, 

 because the withering of these leaves would be injurious. The 

 stalks are, consequently, not nipped off, but the leaves plucked 

 upwards. 



§§ 305. — 308. The gatherers carry a small basket in front 

 of them, fastened round the body ; thus they are enabled to 

 gather the leaves with both hands, and to throw them quickly 

 into the basket- They must not be kept long in the hand, nor 

 in large parcels, lest they should heat and turn sour. Besides 

 the small basket strapped to the body, there are four large 

 baskets each carrying about three pounds of leaves, required for 

 each section of a garden ; so that two may remain while two are 

 sent off to the roasting- sheds : one is required for " fine-leaf," 

 and one for " middle-leaf." The Pekoe and Gunpowder leaves 

 are kept in " scoop-baskets" their quantity being small. The 

 baskets containing the leaves of black tea may be left open and 

 exposed to the sun to hasten the withering ; but the leaves of 

 green tea must not be exposed to the sun, nor should they be 

 kept long in the garden ; nor must the black tea be allowed to 

 wither rapidly, lest they also heat and turn sour. 



§ 314. After the fourth gathering, the shrubs will once more 

 exhibit an abundant display of foliage ; but these leaves must 

 be left to restore the exhausted energy of the plant. (Abstracted 

 from the Handboek v. d. Kultuur en Fabrikatie van thee d. J. J. 

 L. L. Jacobson. Batavia, 1843.) 



