Memoir on Tea. 
153 
to the middle of July, is called Curl or Geech-chtune ; the 
third, from the commencement of August to the end of Sep- 
tember, is denominated San-chtune. 
Tea is never gathered during the winter. The plants last 
for several years ; when they become old, they decline and 
die, but the root furnishes suckers. The ground is never ma- 
nured, but is worked with great care. Tea is not gathered 
leaf by leaf, the whole twig being cut off. The gathering is 
made at all times of the day, as it is immaterial whether the 
leaves are wet or dry. 
Manner of preparing Bohea. When the leaves are ga- 
thered, they are placed in large, shallow baskets to dry. 
These baskets are disposed on frames in the open air, and 
exposed to the action of the sun, if it be not too violent. This 
exposure lasts from morning till noon. The leaves now be- 
gin to acquire their aromatic smell. They are then heated 
on a stove,* on Which a half catty (f lb.) is placed at a 
time; the leaves are twice stirred rapidly with the hand, for 
the stove is kept very hot, when they are removed with a 
short brush. On the removal of the leaves from the stove, 
they are again placed in large flat baskets, and rubbed be- 
tween the hands, to roll them up, after which they are sub- 
jected to the action of milder heat than at first. They are 
then put in large baskets, suspended over a charcoal fire, 
well dried, and afterwards spread on a table where they are 
sorted, and broken leaves &c. removed. 
The Congo, according to Chou-qua is twice subjected to 
the action of the stove, as well as the Souchong: but Youny- 
shau, another emissary of Mr. Pegou's, says, that Souchong 
and Congo are not manufactured in this way, but are only 
two or three times heated over a charcoal fire. He also 
says that the Souchong, Congo and Hyson, as well as the 
beautiful Singlo, are beaten with flat sticks, or bamboos, 
* Tacht, a cast iron stove. As the action of heat renders the tea milder, by 
extracting the oil, the stove gradually becomes coated with an oily crust, which 
it is indispensable should be removed by washing. Whenever the leaves be- 
come moist, they are again placed on the stove. This process augments the 
weight of the tea, at each repetition. 
Vol. I—No. 2 20 
