66 TEA 



doubled without any injurious effect on the quaUty 

 of the product. 



Since Formosa became a Japanese possession, the 

 Japanese Government has done very much to foster 

 the tea industry of the island, as witness the experi- 

 mental station at Anpeichin. 



The harvest season starts in April and lasts until 

 November, The leaves undergo a double process of 

 manufacture. By a first method of treatment they 

 are converted into crude tea in the producing districts ; 

 the crude product is then taken to Daitotei, a borough 

 of the city of Taihoku, where it is bought by dealers 

 called " Chakwan," who refine it. Here is an official 

 account of Oolong tea-making, as given by the Bureau 

 of Productive Industries, Government of Formosa. 



" In manufacturing the crude tea, the following 

 process is adopted : — 



" The leaves picked are scattered on the sallow 

 bamboo baskets, each holding about two pounds, and 

 they are exposed to the sun for a short time. When 

 the leaves are withered, they are transferred to a 

 separate chamber, where they are spread over shelves 

 and left there for about thirty minutes to wither and 

 ferment. Then the leaves are transferred to a larger 

 bamboo basket, around which several workmen stand, 

 and turn over these leaves rapidly for a little while. 

 Again these leaves are distributed in small baskets, 

 and then are placed upon the shelves in the chamber 

 as before. When this process is repeated several 

 times, the leaves become soft, and as the result of 

 fermentation, they become reddish-brown colour round 

 the edge and develop sweet odours. It requires con- 

 siderable skill to cause iermentation of the leaves to 



