TEA. 103 



they grow without any other care. Some, however, manure the 

 land, and remove the woods ; for the Chinese are as fond of good 

 tea, and take as much pains to procure it of an xcellent equality, 

 as the Europeans do to procure excellent wine. 



The leaves are not fit for being plucked till the shrub is of three 

 year's growth. In seven years it rises to a man's height ; but as it then 

 bears but few leaves, it is cut down to the stem, and this produces 

 a new crop of fresh shoots the following summer, every one of 

 which bears nearly as many leaves as a whole shrub. Sometimes 

 the plants are not cut down till they are ten years old. We are in- 

 formed by Kaempfer, that there are three seasons in which the 

 leaves are collected in the isles of Japan, from which the tea derives 

 different degrees of perfection. 



The first gathering commences at the end of February or begin- 

 ning of March. The leaves are then small, tender, and unfolded, 

 and not above three or four days old : these are called ficki-tsiaa, or 

 " tea in powder," because it is pulverised ; it is also called impe- 

 rial tea, being generally reserved for the court and people of rank ; 

 and sometimes also it is named bloom tea. It k sold in China for 

 20d. or 2s. per pound. The labourers employed in collecting it 

 do not pull the leaves by handfuls, but pick them up one by one, 

 and take every precaution that they may not break them. How- 

 ever long and tedious this labour may appear, they gather from 

 four to ten or fifteen pounds a day. 



The second crop is gathered about the end of March or begin- 

 ning of April. At this season part of the leaves have attained 

 their full growth, and tiie rest are not above half their size. This 

 difference does not, however, prevent them from being all gathered 

 indiscriminately. They are afterwards picked and assorted into 

 different parcels, according to their age and size. The youngest, 

 which are carefully separated from the rest, are often sold for leaves 

 of the first crops, or for imperial tea. Tea gathered at tins season 

 is called too tsiaa, or u Chinese tea," because the people of Japan 

 infuse it, and drink it after the Chinese manner* 



The third crop is gathered in the end of May, or in the month of 

 June. The leaves are then very numerous and thick, and have ac- 

 quired their full growth. This kind of tea, which is called ben- 

 tsiaa, is the coarsest of all, and is reserved for the common people. 

 Some of the Japanese collect their tea only at two seasons of the 



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