TEA MAKING 133 
It will be readily understood that the chemical matura- 
tion involved in the processes described will demand a 
certain period of time ; and in abnormally dry weather 
the leaf may be ready, physically, for the roller before 
it is chemically mature ; in wet weather the reverse may 
be the case. It is mainly these difficulties which have 
resulted in the use of the withering machinery referred 
to above. 
The withering and rolling, therefore, are preparatory 
to, and culminate in the fermentation. There remains 
to be considered the object of the post-fermentation 
process, the firing. It is known that if the fermentation 
is allowed to proceed too far the pungency of the tea is 
unduly diminished owing to the reduction of the re- 
siduum of unoxidised tannin, to which pungency is due. 
The object of the firing, therefore, is to arrest the action 
of the enzyme in time. At the right moment the fer- 
menting leaf is transferred to the dryer and its tempera- 
ture raised to a point sufficient to destroy the enzyme 
and arrest the chemical action resulting from its activity. 
Incidentally, the tea is dried. The process must be 
carried out rapidly and stewing of the leaf at relatively 
low temperatures avoided, otherwise the leaf loses 
quantities of ‘“ soluble matter” by the decomposition 
of the tannin, and pungency suffers for the same reason ; 
further, the flavour is reduced owing to the volatilisa- 
tion of the essential oil. 
OTHER TEAS 
The above remarks have reference to the manufacture 
of black tea, the standard tea in the markets of this 
