HOW TEA LEAVES HOME 79 



3. The appearance of the tea. Importers arc aa 

 particular about the appearance as about the quality 

 of tea, for they know that customers are largely 

 influenced by the look of food supplies. DifTerent 

 people have diiTerent ideas as to what are " good 

 looks " in tea, and the various fancies of customers 

 in thi.'' respect have to be studied in the production of 

 blends. 



4. The water of the district in which the tea is going 

 to be used. As the hardness or softness of the water 

 that is used for making tea in the pot affec ts the quality 

 of the beverage, one very important aim of blending 

 is to produce a mixture that will give the best ( up of 

 tea when exposed to the action of the particular kind 

 of water commonly used in the locality for which it 

 is destined. 



Various mechanical contrivances have been invented 

 for performing the blending operation, but none of 

 these is considered to be so satisfactory as the hand 

 method. 



In walking round the Mills we are very favourably 

 impressed by the cleanliness of our surroundings ; 

 rooms, people, implements, all are doing their share in 

 proclaiming that British tea is pure tea. The labourers, 

 men, women, and children, are nearly all Tamils ; 

 here and there, amidst some picturesque group, wo 

 espy a Sinhalese. The members of one very attractive 

 group are sitting, Kastern fasliion, on the floor, around 

 a slightly elevated platfonu. They are weighing tea, 

 and, as the scales balance, shooting it into little tinfoil 

 packing-cases. A neighbouring gang closes down the 

 mouth of the packets, and hands them to the soldering 

 gang. The jrackets having been hermetically sealed. 



