September 2, 1889.! THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
m 
The tea tree delights particularly in valleys, or on the 
declivities of hills, and upon the banks of rivers, where 
it enjoys a southern exposuie to the sun, though it 
endures considerable variations of heat and cold as it 
flourishes in the northern clime of Pekin, as well as 
about Canton, * the former of which is in the same 
latitude as Kome ; and from meteorological observations 
it appears that the degree of cold about Pekin is as 
severe in winter as in some of the northern parts of 
B urope. 
Section VI. — Gathering the Leaves 
At the proper seasons for gathering the tea leaves, 
labourers are hired who are very quick in plucking them, 
being accustomed to follow this employment as a means 
of their livelihood. They do not pluck them by handfuls, 
but carefully one by one; and tedious as this may appear, 
each person is able to collect from four to ten or 
fifteen pounds in one day. The different periods in 
which the leaves are usually gathered are particularly 
described by Ksempfer. 
I. The first comni "nces at the middle of the last moon 
immediately preceding the vernal equinox, which is the 
first month of the Japanese year, and falls about the 
latter end of our February or beginning of Maroh. 
The leaves collected at this time are called Ficki Tsjaa, 
or powdered tea, because they are pulverised and 
sipped in hot water. These teoder young leaves are 
but a few days old when they are plucked; and because 
of their scarcity and price are disposed of to princes 
and rich people only ; and hence this kind is called 
Imperial Tea. A similar sort is also called TJdsi Tsjaa 
and Packe Sacki Tsjua from the particular places where 
it grows. The peculiar care and nicety observed in 
gathering the tea leaves in these places deserve 
to be nolicod here, and we shall therefore give 
some account of one of them. Udsi is a small Japanese 
town bordering on the sea and not far distant 
from the city of Miaco. In the district of this little 
town is a pleasant mountain of the same name, 
which is thought to possess the most favorable soil and 
climate for the culture of tea, on which account it is 
enclosed with hedges, and likewise surrounded with 
abroad ditch for farther security. The trees are planted 
upon this mountain in such a manner as to form 
regular rows with intervening walks. Persons are ap- 
pointed to superintend the place and perserve the 
leaves from injury or dirt. The labourers who are to 
gather them for some weeks before they begin to 
abstain from every kind of grass food or whatever might 
endanger communcating any ill-flavour to the leaves ; 
they pluck them also with the same delicacy having on 
a thin pair of gloves. [The same cautions are not 
observed previous to collecting other sorts of tea.] 
This sort of Imperial or bloom tea is afterwards pre- 
pared, and then escorted by the chief surveyor of the 
works of this mountain, tvith a strong guard and a 
numerous retinue to the Emperor's court for the use 
of the Imperial family. 
II. The second gathering is made in the second 
Japanese month about the latter end of March or 
beginning of April. Some of the leaves at this period 
are come to perfection, others not arrived at their 
full growth; both, however, are promiscuously gathered, 
and are afterwards sorted iuto different classes, accord- 
ing to their age, size, and quality ; the youngest parti- 
cularly are carefully separated, and are often sold 
for the first gathering or Imperial tea. The tea col- 
lected at this time is called Tootijaa, or Chinese Tea, 
* The best tea grows in a mild temperate climate ; 
the country about Nankin producing better tea than 
either Pekin or Canton, between which places it is 
situated. It has been asserted that no tea plants have 
yet died in England through excess of cold, but the 
contrary I know has happened. The plant in the 
Princess Dowager's garden at Kew flourished under 
glass windows with the natural heat of the sun, as now 
do those at Mile End in the possession of the intelligent 
botanist, J. Gordon. The tea plant belonging to Dr. 
Fothergill thrives in bis garden at Upton exposed to the 
open air, and the plant introduced into the Botanic 
ttarden at Chelsea had one leaf which measured five 
inohcs and a quarter m length. 
because it is infused and drank after the Chinese 
manner. It is divided by the tea dealers and merchants 
into four kinds, distinguished by as many names. 
III. The third and last gathering is m»de in the 
third Japanese month which falls about our June, 
when the leaves are very plentiful and full-grown. 
This kind of Tea, called Ban Tsjaa, is the coarsest, 
and is chiefly drunk by the lower class of people. Some 
confine themselves to two gatherings in the year, their 
first and second answering the preceding seoond and 
third. Others have only one general gathering,* 
which they make also at the same time with the pre- 
ceding third or last gathering ; however, the leaves 
collected at each time are respectively separated into 
different sortments. The Chinese colleot the tea at cer- 
tain seasons, but whether the same as in Japan, we 
are not so well informed; most probably, however, the 
tea harvest is nearly at the same periods, as the natives 
have frequent intercourse, and their commercial con- 
cerns with each other are very extensive. 
Section VII.— Method of Cubing oe Pheparing 
Tea in Japan. 
Public buildings, or drying-houses, are erected for 
cnring tea, and so regulated that every person, who 
either has not suitable conveniences, or wants the 
requisite skill may bring his leaves at anytime to be 
dried. These buildings contain from five to ten or 
twenty small, furnaces about three feet high, each hav- 
ing at the top a large flat iron pan, either high, square, 
or round, bent up a little on that side which is over 
the mouth of the furance, whioh at once secures the 
operator from the heat of the furnace, and prevents 
the leaves from falling off. [Some writers mention 
copper pans, and suppose that the green efflorescence 
which appears on copper may increase the verdure of 
green tea ; but from experiments that I made there does 
not appear any foundation for this supposition.] There 
is also a long low table covered with mats, on which the 
leaves are laid, and rolled by workmen, who sit round it. 
The iron pan being heated to a certain degree by a 
little fire made in the furnace underneath, a few 
pouuds of the fresh-gathered leaves are put upon the 
pan ; the fresh and juicy leaves crack when they 
touch the pan, and it is the business of the operator 
to shift them as quick as possible with his bare hands 
till they grow too hot to be easily endured. At this 
instant he takes off the leaves with a kind of shovel 
resembling a fan and pours them on the mats to the 
rollers, who, taking small quantities at a time, roll 
them in the palms of their hands in one direction, 
while others are fanning them that they may cool 
the more speedily, and retain their curl the longer. 
[Sir G Staunton, Embassy to China, observes that 
the tea leaves are each rolled separately between the 
fingers of a female. Vol. ii, p. 465.]. This process 
is repeated two or three times, or oftener before the 
tea is put in the stores in order that all the moisture 
of the leaves may be thoroughly dissipated, and their 
curl more completely preserved. On every repetition 
the pan is less heated, and the operation performed 
more slowly and cautiously. [This should be care- 
fully attended to in curing the fine green teas, to pre- 
serve their verdure and perishable flavour.] The tea is 
then separated into the different kinds, and deposited 
in the store for domestic use or exportation. 
As the leaves of the Ficki Tea are usually reduced 
into a powder before they are drunk, they should 
be roasted to a greater degree of dryness. As some 
of these are gathered when very young, tender, and 
small, they are first immersed in hot water, taken 
out immediately, and dried without being rolled at 
all. Country people cure their leaves in earthen 
kettles, which answer every necessary pnrpose at less 
trouble and expense, whereby they are enabled to 
sell them cheaper. To complete the preparation, after 
the tea has been kept some months, it must be 
taken out of the vessels, in which it had been con- 
tained, and dried again over a very gentle fire that 
it may be deprived of any humidity which remained, 
or might since have been contracted. The common 
* Iu this case the tender leaves, which are harsh 
1 and less succulent, are probnbly left upon the trees. 
