232 SEPARATION AND CLASSIFICATION 



Those used for tea, some people say, have 

 three side mouths, besides the large one in front. 

 The heaviest leaves fall through the side mouth 

 nearest the fan, and so in succession, according to 

 their gravity ; the chaff and dust being projected 

 from the mouth in front. The mouth of the hopper 

 is regulated in an ingenious manner by a lateral 

 piece of wood, the handle of which rests on a lon- 

 gitudinal slide, which widens and closes the mouth 

 at pleasure. As this machine has great power, the 

 handle of the fan is turned very slowly. 



The first process is to separate the young Hyson 

 from the small skin and dust with which the tea is 

 mixed. For this purpose, the mouth of the hopper 

 is nearly closed, and the tea thus winnowed four 

 or five times. In the first winnowing, the tea 

 which falls through the second mouth is a chaffy 

 dust mixed with fine dust ; and nothing but fine 

 dust through the front one. In the other winnow- 

 ings, the tea which falls from the second mouth is 

 now mixed with a heavier skin, and that projected 

 from the front mouth mixed with chaffy dust. After 

 winnowing, the young Hyson is sifted again through 

 the same sieve as before, and a large twisted leaf 

 mixed with skin is skimmed off the top ; the 

 residue forming the young Hyson. The mouth of 

 the hopper is now widened, and the young Hyson 

 slowly winnowed again ; when the che-ma, or small 

 imperial gunpowder, falls through the first mouth, 

 and the young Hyson through the second. During 



