374 APPENDIX. 



Sifting and Winnowing of Hyson and Twankay Teas, 



The following is Mr. Reeves's account of the sifting and 

 winnowing of Hyson and Twankay teas, to form Hyson ; 

 Gunpowder ; Hyson Skin ; and Young Hyson : also 

 Twankay ; and Twankay Hyson ; Gunpowder ; Skin ; 

 and young Hyson. 



The tea as taken from the chest was put, by a catty or 

 two at a time, into a sieve, which the Chinese called 

 the fifth sieve ; so fine that only dust and very small 

 leaves could pass through ; and, as this will be the subject 

 of further operations, let us call it sample A. 



The returns of the fifth sieve, or that which would not 

 pass through, was sifted in the fourth sieve, and passed 

 the sample B. 



The returns of this sieve put into No. 3. passed the sample 



C, and 



The returns of this sieve sifted through No. 2. the sample 



D, and 



The remainder, which would not pass the sieve, formed 

 the sample E. 



The samples B, C, and D, being tossed in large flat 

 baskets (as is done by the seedsmen in England), threw 

 off light leaves or skin of inferior quality ; and by giving 

 the baskets a circular motion, other leaves were brought 

 up to the middle of the sieve, whence they were skimmed 

 off; and the samples were then hand-picked to separate 

 the irregularly formed leaves too heavy to be separated by 

 the former processes, which form Skin of the better quality, 

 and the Hyson only. 



The skin of E is also hand-picked, as it is in general too 

 heavy to be separated by other means. 



B, C, D, and E, are now Hyson tea, differing only in 

 size, according to the sieve which each has passed through ; 

 but requiring, on account of this difference, a longer or a 



