THE SUB-TROPICAL ZONE. 123 



A considerable number of varieties of the tea 

 plant are known, two or three of which have 

 been distinguished by several botanists as dis- 

 tinct species, T. boJiea, T. viridis, and T. stricta. 

 China, Ava, the Burman empire, Thibet, 

 Cochin China, Tonquin, and Assam, all cul- 

 tivate the tea. plant, but especially the first of 

 these, where it is found as high as the 40th 

 parallel of north latitude. Chinese writings 

 trace the use of tea back as far as A.D. 265 ; 

 and ever since the year 763, when a duty of 

 ten per cent, was laid upon it, the government 

 has always derived from it a large revenue. 



Plantations of tea are formed by sowing 

 the seeds, which are set more or less regu- 

 larly. In the first year, the middle shoot is 

 stopped, that it may become more bushy and 

 leafy. The gathering of the tea crop does not 

 commence till the plants are four or five years 

 old. They are generally about three feet 

 high, and about three feet apart, and are kept 

 carefully manured. The fresh leaves have 

 nothing of the flavour and odour of the dried 

 tea, which seems to be produced by drying, as 

 that of coffee is by roasting. The leaves are 

 laid upon large iron plates, which are greatly 

 heated, and in large flat iron pans, with 

 somewhat sloping sides. The leaves are first 

 made to shrivel up in these pans, by the 

 application of a gentle heat, with constant 

 stirring, arid are then gradually dried by 

 keeping up the heat. After this, the hot 

 leaves are turned out upon mats, and rubbed 



