152 
TEA TREE. 
business it is to attend to this employment. They 
are careful not to pluck the leaves by handfuls, but 
detach them from the branches one by one; and tedi- 
ous as this method may appear, one man will gather 
ten or twelve pounds a day. This quantity, how- 
ever, vyill depend on the abundance of the crop 
and the quality of the tea ; neither do they gather 
them all at once, but generally make three harvests 
at three different times. 
The first gathering takes place at the end of Fe- 
bruary or the beginning of March, when the plant 
has put forth but few of its leaves, which are only 
two or three days old. At this time they are viscid, 
small, and tender: the tea which is made from 
them is reckoned by far the best, and from its scar- 
city is reserved for princes and rich people ; for this 
reason it is called Imperial tea. 
Thg second gathering is made about the end of 
March, or in the first days of April. The leaves at 
this season are much larger, without having lost any 
of their flavour : they, however, differ with respect 
to their maturity, some being arrived at perfection, 
while others have not attained their full growth. 
Nevertheless they are gathered promiscuously, but 
sorted afterwards into different classes, according to 
their age, size, and quality ; the youngest particu- 
larly are carefully separated, and are often sold for 
the first gathering, or Imperial tea. 
The third gathering, which is the last and most 
abundant, commences a month after the second, 
which happens about June, when the leaves have 
