Products. 



Si 



[Feb. 1907. 



About 14 lb. of steamed tea-leaves are placed inside and, when the handle is re- 

 volved, these are caught up and turned over by metal prongs fixed on to the axle 

 passing through the cylinder. After about twenty minutes the leaves are taken out 

 and spread on tables, and the last year's leaves, rubbish, &c, are picked out by hand. 

 At this stage the leaves are moist and damp, and are much in the same state as 

 leaves that have undergone about one hour's hand-firing. The sorting concluded, 

 the leaves are placed in the firing trays and are rolled for about one and a half to two 

 hours, as described above. 



Winnowing Machine. — The winnowing machine is really an oblong box 

 about 8 feet long and 3 feet square, raised on legs from the ground. One end is open, 

 and at the other is a large fan turned by a handle. After being taken out of the 

 firing machine, or, if none is used, after about an hour's rolling, the leaves are 

 inserted through a hole at the top of the machine and, as they fall, are caught by 

 the current of air from the fan and carried towards the orifice at the other end of 

 the box. There is an appliance at the top causing the leaves to fall regularly, and 

 not in heavy masses which would not be affected to any large extent by the fan. The 

 dust and the withered leaves are carried right out through the orifice and fall on to 

 the floor, while the good leaves being heavier, drop into a receptacle situated near 

 the fan. 



Seats of Industry.— Re-making the tea (saisei), i.e., preparing it for export, 

 is carried on chiefly at the open ports of Kobe and Yokohama, and to a small extent 

 at Nagasaki ; but tea is now also fired for export on the spot where it is grown — thus 

 there are now large tea-firing establishments at Shizouka in Suruga, and at 

 Horinouchi in Totomi. That fired at the first-named place comes principally from 

 the province of Yamshiro, but also from the country round Kobe generally. The 

 latter places are supplied almost if not entirely from the Shizouka prefecture. 



Leaves Used. — The leaves used are principally those of the first and second 

 crops, the former being better and having a finer flavour. Third crop pickings are 

 also used, but the flavour is not so good. They have, however, a hard leaf and are 

 in demand sometimes for Canada. 



Use of Machinery. — As has been mentioned above, in this branch of tea 

 industry machinery has almost entirely supplanted the old methods ; and indeed 

 if this were not so the exporter could not keep abreast of modern demands, so 

 greatly has the industry grown. 



Tasting. — The tea comes in from the grower packed in heavy bast paper 

 bags. An expert can tell at once by the look of a tea about what grade it is, but 

 not more closely than that without tasting and smelling. Thus, a second crop 

 leaf will look better than a first crop, but will not be of such a sweet cup ; teas 

 must therefore all be tasted. With this object a small quantity is weighed out 

 from each consignment and placed in cups of uniform size. Hot water is added 

 and the tea is left to steep for five minutes by an hour-glass. The taster then lifts 

 out the sodden leaves, carefully tests their odour, and then tastes the tea. This 

 tea is never swallowed, partly because the amount of tea which would be consumed 

 in a day if this were done would be injurious to the taster's health, and also because 

 it would blunt his keen delicacy of taste, so necessary for the tea-merchant's 

 business. If the consignment of tea is accepted it is at once ready for re-firing. 



Pan-firing.— The pans for firing are of metal, about 3 feet wide by 

 2| feet deep, and nearly semi-circular in shape. They are immured in 

 brickwork in two rows, one at a higher level, than, but at the back of, the other, 

 the lips of those in the lower row being about 3 feet from the ground, and those 

 in the upper being about 1\ feet higher. Under the upper row, and therefore at 

 the back of the lower, are constructed charcoal ovens which heat the pans, the 



