221 
was anxious to procure specimens of “ miéng” or Lao tea, I have the 
honour. to state that specimens of the plant and its flowers, together 
with a quantity of the fermented article ready for chewing, obtained by 
Mr. Stringer, Acting Vice-Consul at Chiengmai, have been forwarded 
by this mail to the Foreign Office. 
The "aere of the plant have rens sent by the agents of the 
Ocean Steamship Company, Singapore, who will transmit the bill of 
lading to iios and the packet of the nd article and flowers by 
parcel post from Ban 
F herewith a report by Mr. Stringer on the culture and use 
e, &c. 
(Signed) "Henry M. J ONES. 
The Marquis of Salisbury, K.G. 
Report on the CULTURE and Use of “Minne” or Lao TEA. 
On May 3rd, 1892, I paid a visit to “ Pa you ds ” (literally tea forest) 
la 
or place where the Lao te tea plant grows, and the leaves are prepared for 
chewing, in order that I might, in accordance with instructions received 
from H.M. Minister-Resident at Bangkok, obtain specimens of the tea 
phe report on the culture and use of it. The forest visited was near a 
hamlet of about 20 houses, called ale Hé, distant about 25 miles from 
mountain range near venen at an altitude of about 2,000 feet. 
The tea trees were growing in abundance near the village, and close 
together. It is not correct to say, as the Laos sometimes do, that all the 
trees are self sown, and all that is done is to eut down the — 
jungle, leaving the tea tree free to benefit by the air and su was 
informed by the tea ces here that new trees were al by plant- 
ing the seed. When the tree grows to such a height that the leaves of the 
top branches are bent fait the larger branches are cut off at the stem, 
ranches. 
and the tree pru new b es. 
` There fo for picki leaves in a year, the first in 
the eighth Lao month (April-May in ni onth (May 
| d 
the third € fourth. The first two petat produce the largest erop 
e third produces less than these, and the fourth less than 
the third. “The leaves of the first picking are cons sidered the best. 
In gathering the leaves only the young ones are taken, and the upper 
i is ni i fingers, about u quarter of the 
leaf being left attached to the tree. If the whole leaf 1s picked, the 
young branches from which the leaves are picked off die. Each handful 
ofleaves as it is gathered is tied tightly together. "The picking takes 
place in the early morning, and about mid-day the leaves are steamed. 
This process takes place in a shed built for the purpose, and provided 
with one or more furnaces. The furnace consists of à hole in the 
ground, and over this is placed an earthen pot or chatty containing water. 
The “mieng,” tied in small bundles or handfuls, is placed in a wooden 
: A 2 
