514 Report on the manufacture of Tea, and on the [June., 



Souchong is the next largest leaf; this is well grown, but embraces 

 all the leaves above it. When the upper leaves have grown out of 

 season for Thowung-Paho and Twazee-Paho, they are all plucked 

 for the Souchong from the third and fourth of the upper leaves. 

 From Souchong leaves, the Minchong and Sychee Teas are made 

 in the first crop, and no other. Pouchong is the next largest leaf; 

 it is a little older and larger than the Souchong. From this leaf 

 the Sychee and Minchong Teas can be made in the first crop only. 

 The Pouchong is never made in the second crop, on account of its not 

 having a good flavour : many of the Souchong leaves are mixed 

 up in this Tea. The Toychong leaves are those that are rejected 

 from the Souchong and Pouchong, as being too large and not taking 

 the roll. When the Teas are picked, these leaves are put on one side. 

 The Chinese often put them into a bag, and give them a twist, 

 something in the Green-Tea way, and then mix them up with 

 the Souchong to add to the weight. This leaf {Toychong) becomes 

 worse in the second and third crops ; — it is a cheap Tea and sold to 

 the poor. All the Black-Teas that are damaged have the flower of 

 what the Chinese call Qui fa, and another called Son fa, mixed up 

 with them. One pound of the flowers is put to each box of damaged 

 Tea. After the Teas have been well tatched and mixed up with 

 other sorts, these leaves give them a pleasant fragrance. The Son fa 

 plant is about two feet high, and kept in flower pots ; it is propagated 

 from the roots. The Qui fa plant is from three to four feet high ; one 

 pound of the flowers is put to a box of Tea. This plant was seen 

 in the Botanical Gardens at Calcutta by our Chinese interpreter. 

 The flowers of this plant are considered finer than those of the Son fa. 

 I annex a rough drawing of each of them, as given to me by the inter- 

 preter ; the dots in the drawings are intended for small flowers.* 



The Black-Tea makers appear to me to be very arbitrary in 

 their mode of manufacture; sometimes they will take the leaves 

 of the Thowung-Paho, or perhaps Twazee-Paho; but if it has 

 been raining, or there is any want of coolies to pluck the leaves 

 quickly, or from any other cause, they will let the leaves grow 



* These two sketches are not deemed sufficiently instructive to be added here. One 

 of them is entitled Qui fa, which is the name of the Olea fragrans, or Sweet-scented 

 Olive, the flowers of which are said to be used for perfuming Teas. But it is more like the 

 Aglaia adorata, a very different plant, which is also supposed to be applied in China for 

 a similar purpose. This last, however, is called Tsjiulang by the Chinese, according to 

 liumpf, and Sam yeip Ian according to Roxburgh. The other sketch, entitled Lanfa, 

 seems to be intended for a liliaceous, or at any rate an endogenous plant. I am 

 unable to offer any conjecture about it. — N. W. 



