THE 
and 4jth degree of north latitude. In Japan 
it is planted round the borders of fields, 
without regard to the soil ; but as it is an i 
important article of commerce with the 
Chinese, whose fields are covered with it, 
it is by them cultivated with care.. The 
Abb6 Rochon says, it grows equally well in 
a poor as in a rich soil; but that there are 
certain places where it is of a better quality. 
The tea which grows in rocky ground is 
supeiior to that which grows in a iight soil; 
and the worst kind is that which is produced 
in a clay soil. It is propagated by seeds ; 
from six to twelve are put into a hole about 
five inches deep, at certain eUstances from 
each other. The reason why so many seeds 
are sown in the same hole is said to be, 
that only a fifth part vegetate. Being thus 
sown, they grow without any other care. 
Some, however, manure the land, and re- 
move the weeds; for the Chinese are as 
fond of good tea, and take as much pains to 
procure it of an excellent quality, as the 
Europeans do to procure excellent wine. 
The leaves are not fit for being plucked 
till the shrub is of three years’ growth. In 
seven years it rises to a man’s height; but , 
as it then bears but few leaves, it is cut 
down to the stem, and this produces a new 
crop of fresh shoots the following summer, 
every one of which bears nearly as many 
leaves as a whole shrub. Sometimes the 
plants are not cut down till they are ten 
years old. We are informed, by Kmmpfer, 
that there are three seasons in which the 
leaves are collected in the isles of Japan, 
from which the tea derives different degrees 
of perfection. 
The first gathering commences at the end 
of February or beginning of March. The 
leaves are then small, tender, and unfolded, 
and not above three or four days old : it is 
called imperial tea, being generally reserved 
for the court and people of rank ; and some- 
times also it is named bloom tea. It is sold 
in China for 20d. or 2s. per pound. The 
labourers employed in collecting it do not 
pull the leaves by handfuls, but pick them 
up one by one, and take every precaution 
that they may not break them. However 
long and tedious this labour may appear, 
they gather from four to ten or fifteen pounds 
a day. ^ 
The second crop is gathered about the 
end of March or beginning of April. At 
this season part of their leaves have attain- 
ed their full growth, and the rest are not 
above half their size. This difference does 
not, however, prevent them from being all 
THE 
gathered indiscriminately. They are after- 
wards picked and assorted into different 
parcels, according to their age and size. 
The youngest, which are carefully separated 
from the rest, are often sold for leaves of 
the first crops, or for imperial tea. Tea 
gathered at this season is called Chinese 
tea, because the people of Japan infuse it, 
and drink it after the Chinese manner. 
The third crop is gathered in the end of 
May, or in the month of June. The leaves 
are then very numerous and thick, and 
have acquired their full growth. This kind 
of tea is the coarsest of all, and is reserved 
for the common people. Some of the Ja- 
panese collect their tea only at tvvo seasons 
of the year, which correspond to the second 
and third already mentioned: others con- 
fine themselves to one general gathering of 
their crop, towards the month of June: 
however, they always form, afterwards dif- 
ferent assortments of their leaves. 
In this country teas are generally divided 
into three kinds of green, and five of bohea: 
the former are, 1. Imperial, or bloom tea, 
with a large loose leaf, light green colour, 
and a faint delicate smell. % Hyson, so 
called from the name of the merchant who 
first imported it ; the leaves of which are 
closely curled and small, of a green colour, 
verging to a blue. 3. Single tea, from the 
name of the place where it is cultivated. 
The boheas are, 1. Souchong, which im- 
parts a yellow-green colour by infusion. 2. 
Camho, so called from the place where it is 
made ; a fragrant tea, with a violet smell ; 
its infusion pale. 3. Congo, which has a 
larger leaf than the preceding, and its infu- 
sion somewhat deeper, resembling common 
bohea in the colour of the leaf. 4. Pekoe 
tea; this is known by the appearance of 
small white flowers .mixed with it. 5. Com- 
mon bohea, whose leaves are of one colour. 
Tliere are other varieties, particularly a kind 
of green tea, done up in roundish halls, call- 
ed gunpowder tea. 
THELYGONUM, in botany, a genus of 
the Monoecia Polyandria class and order. 
Natural order of Scabridae. Urticae, Jus- 
sieit. Egsential character : male, calyx bi- 
fid ; corolla none ; stamina commonly 
twelve : female, calyx bifid ; corolla none ; 
pistil one ; capsule coriaceous, one-celled, 
one-seeded. There is only one species, mz. 
T. cynocrambe, purslain-leaved thelygo- 
num, or dog’s cabbage: this is an annual 
plant, decaying as soon as the seeds ripen ; 
the stalks trail on the ground hke those of 
chick-weed; they grow about a foot in 
