PLANTS. 237 



the small leaves, of two or three days growth only, are 

 pulled. These, carefully dried, are the genuine imperial 

 tea, which never, or very rarely, is exported abroad. 

 The second gathering is had in April, and forms the dif- 

 ferent and best sorts of tea sent to other countries. The 

 third crop is the common and cheap article of commerce, 

 and known by various names. It is said that an infusion 

 of the fresh leaves of the tea plant affects the brain injur- 

 iously ; therefore, they are at once spread on tin plates, 

 and placed in kilns until they become so hot that they 

 can scarcely be handled. After this operation, they are 

 rolled about on mats made of fine rushes until they are 

 cold, during which process a green colored juice exudes 

 from them. Many believe that green tea receives its 

 color from being dried on plates of copper ; this is, how- 

 ever, not true. The later leaves, which, when dried, 

 form the varieties of black tea, are dipped in boiling 

 water before drying. The same process is had as with 

 the green, and, last of all, the precious article, now 

 ready for use, is carefully put up in boxes lined with tin 

 or pewter. These boxes, however, are kept a twelve- 

 month before being exported or brought into use, as the 

 tea, operating powerfully on the nerves, is considered 

 dangerous until a year old. Tea has been used as a re- 

 freshing beverage in China and Japan since the earliest 

 times, but was not known in England before the middle 

 of the seventeenth century. At the present time it is in 

 such general use that more than 100,000,000 of pounds 

 are exported. Latterly, however, it is much adulterated, 

 being mixed with leaves of the ash and sloe thorn. The 

 sea air is supposed to injure the flavor of tea brought in 

 ships ; therefore, that which is brought by the caravans, 



