Chap. XXII. 



TEA-CULTURE IN INDIA. 



389 



In comparing the climate of these provinces with 

 that of China, although we find some important dif- 

 ferences, yet upon the whole there is a great simi- 

 larity. My comparisons apply, of course, to the best 

 tea-districts only, for, although the tea-shrub is found 

 cultivated from Canton in the south, to Tan-chow-foo 

 in Shan-tung, yet the provinces of Fokien, Kiang-see, 

 and the southern parts of Kiang-nan yield nearly all 

 the finest teas of commerce. 



The town of Tsong-gan, one of the great black-tea 

 towns near the far-famed Woo-e-shan, is situated in 

 latitude 27° 47' north. Here the thermometer in 

 the hottest months, namely in July and August, 

 rarely rises above 100°, and ranges from 92° to 

 100° as maximum ; while in the coldest months, 

 December and January, it sinks to the freezing point 

 and sometimes a few degrees lower. We have thus 

 a close resemblance in temperature between Woo-e- 

 shan and Almorah. The great green-tea district 

 being situated two degrees further north, the extremes 

 of temperature are somewhat greater. It will be 

 observed, however, that while in the Himalayas the 

 hottest month is June, in China the highest tem- 

 perature occurs in July and August ; this is owing to 

 the rainy season taking place earlier in China than 

 it does in India. 



In China rain falls in heavy and copious showers 

 towards the end of April, and these rains continue at 

 intervals in May and June. The first gathering of 

 tea-leaves, those from which the Pekoe is made, 

 is scarcely over before the air becomes charged with 



