C 450 ] 



appearance and quality of the tea. In sound leaf, the conv 

 mencement of chemical change can be observed at the end of 

 the broken stem, where the constituents of the sap become 

 oxidized, and gradually pass through stages of colour from 

 coppery and dark-brown to black. The amount of moisture 

 which should be allowed to evaporate varies considerably, 

 according to ihe jat of leaf, the time of year, and the weather, 

 but about 33% yields the best results. The object is to make 

 the leaves fit for rolling, as wilted leaves they take and keep a 

 good twist without breaking. The colour during the oxidation 

 process becomes uneven if. the withering is allowed to go too 

 far. If artificial heat is employed it should never exceed 

 iooF. and the heat should be gradually reduced to 85?. or 

 less when the leaf is nearly ready. The leaves gathered on 

 a wet day should be allowed to get a little over-withered that 

 the weaker sap may be concentrated to the standard propor- 

 tion and they should be also subjected to a hard and pro- 

 longed rolling to break all the cells (charged with more than 

 the usual proportion of moisture) and distribute the juices 

 over all the leaves. Leaves gathered in fine weather require 

 less withering and rolling, the sap being more concentrated. 

 When properly withered the leaves give out a fresh and 

 pleasant aroma, different from the vegetable smell of badly 

 withered leaf. When the atmosphere is saturated with mois- 

 ture, natural withering even in very hot weather does not 

 take place readily, and artificial arrangements for withering 

 are always desirable as then the conditions as regards hygros- 

 copicity and temperature and time can be regulated to exact- 

 ness. Temperature higher than rooF. can be employed for 

 a short time if the leaves are wet, but when the external 

 moisture has disappeared, the temperature should be reduced 

 to goF. and retained at 90?. until the operation is concluded. 

 The leaves in the baskets should never be pressed down but 

 remain loose and they must he brought to the withering roorp 

 in as fresh a condition as possible. 



