144 CULTIVATION AND MANUFACTURE OF TEA. 



When the make of a Tea is spoken of as a " well made," " fairly 

 made," &c., leaf, the effect of the manipulation or rolling is referred 

 to. We may have a " well made even," or a " well made mixed large 

 and small," leaf. We may have a " straight " or " curled," or, as the 

 latter is generally expressed when applied to a large leaf Tea, 

 "twisted" leaf. It may be " flattish made," indicating that though 

 the leaf is not open it wears a flattish aspect, or it may be open, which 

 betrays a want of sufficient or skilful manipulation. A "wiry" leaf is 

 small, perfectly rolled, and very thin (in diameter), generally rather 

 curled, so as in fact to resemble small pieces of bent wire. It will be 

 seen at once that only the finer Teas can have a wiry leaf, principally 

 the Orange Pekoes and Pekoes. Sometimes we meet with a fine 

 Souchong that may be thus described. 



Green Teas. 



As in the North-west Provinces Green Teas form the bulk of the 

 produce, it will be well to give a short description of them, though the 

 tenor of my remarks below will show the general opinion as to the 

 desirability of making them.* 



Gunpowder is the most valuable description, its price ranging 

 from 2S. 8d. to 35. 8d. per Ib. Instead of possessing the long and thin 

 finished leaf, which is the desideratum of Black Teas, it is rolled into 

 little balls more or less round, varying from one-eighth to one-quarter 

 of an inch in diameter. Sometimes it is not altogether composed of 

 round leaf, but has some long leaf mixed. 



When the Tea is of the shape of Gunpowder, but is larger than 

 the size above quoted, it is called Imperial. Prices of Imperial are 

 from iod. to zs. 6d. 



Amongst Green Teas Hyson may be taken as the parallel of 

 Souchong of the black leaf descriptions. Undoubtedly there is often 

 much young Pekoe leaf in it, but all chance of discriminating it in the 

 finished leaf is done away with by the change in colour. Hysons sell 

 from is. zd. to 35. 6d. 



* I think I need hardly pause to correct the popular error that the Green 

 and Black Teas are made from two different species of plant. Most of my 

 readers will know that they are both made from the same leaf, the difference 

 lying only in the manufacture. 



