TEA SHfttf^S^ 



gardetl as the principal Ciiinesc vegetable ciiriosi- 

 Sir as gardening, or laying out a gar- 

 dm hmtie^&A^ i^hmfi^Ojile posses anyl^g 

 but the idea of beauty or true taste, ndtfoei^ 

 being in the least degree attended to in tij^ 

 arrangement of their gardens ; every thing bear» 

 1^ ^eml)1^3ie$ 0f irdng stif, awkward, and per* 

 f$i^f imi^i^fcl^. To naitufe a Chinese 



seems to consider the attainniL'ut of perfection. 



At these gardens the diil'ert'nt species and 

 varieties of the tea shrub, both in seeds and 

 young plants, can be procured. According to 

 Obi^ieaa ^otlifiiy esist tnmij viiiiatles lit 

 W41 ^ «p^e9 <tf ih« tea shrub. Tli^ q|il«lrty 

 of the tea does not only depend njwn the 

 mode in which it is prepared, but also upon 

 the soil where it is cultivated. They make 



ayery mm^te ^iatiiietioii islkmt the IklDs wirefe 



the tea is grown, in tlic siuiie manner as we do 

 in regard to theviui'. Thv Kwuiig Keun, fang 

 pao, a work oiiC-hinese bdtauy, iu fort\' volumes, 

 treats hirgely upon the subject, and nieiitiuns 

 every BiH where g^oil tea gi-ows; F|>kien pro- 

 vince the riche>r tea territory; hn% itKro* 

 more or less in all tlie provinces, exci'jjt the 

 northern ones. There arc numy species men- 

 tioued, which had never come under the notice 

 of Europeaiis, mid their flavour is highly ex- 



