TEA TREE. 
153 
acquired their full size and thickness. In some 
places they neglect the two preceding crops, and 
attend alone to this. This kind of tea, called Ban - 
tsjaa , is the coarsest, and chiefiy consumed by the 
lower class of people. 
Preparation of the Tea-leaves. 
In China and Japan they have different ways of 
preparing the leaves ; the method described by 
Kaempfer is as follows : Public buildings or drying- 
houses having been erected in the isles of Japan for 
the purpose of curing the fresh gathered tea, every 
private person who has no suitable conveniences, or 
who is unacquainted with the operation, may carry 
his leaves thither to be dried. These buildings 
contain a great number of small stoves, raised about 
three feet high, each having at the top a large iron 
plate, either high, square, or round, bent up a little 
on that side which is over the mouth of the fur- 
nace, that the operator may be secured from the 
heat, and the leaves at the same time be prevented 
from falling off. The workmen are seated round a 
large table covered with mats, where they busily 
employ themselves in rolling the leaves. The iron 
pan being heated to a proper degree by a little fire 
placed in a furnace beneath, a few pounds of fresh- 
gathered leaves are put in, which, being green and full 
of sap, crackle as soon as they touch the pan. They 
are then stirred by the workman, with his naked 
hands, as quickly as possible, till they become so 
warm that he cannot easily endure the heat. When 
