The Sun.
London, England, 1839-12-28 00:00:00

; f 'l.-1"16 Gat) i 1 Tit N 3:A_N

C

Y

[)ably

~..1,,;., ot our -; v ~
r,c surprised to
I..ara tn..t awn!. is Sc: much, ot tnaoulactw.e in the pro-
(te,:tion of tea as We find tb..!re is by the following pas-
; se:2.s iii a io.:ent po:alit!...ttion ty Dr Sigrnood :
j - _\' tii•• .prof ::r per'iod for the gorinumzenient of

pi.it,- ti;,,, Lyle groutra p. coo, iLti. "AVOW,
prfl,4iblk :.I,"cordiv.r to the cu,:tnro of; erich -particular
...titi.Loot, a= v..,c iiDd to 411 titlier
oi .41:t..1:1)1it to the

111,11

,
LL".4,;a Sixte,...!,

meee mime e iii their capsules,,are put into a hole, four or
' ti • ..,...Imes in the giound, at certain distances from each
.. e ...r. I hey are then allowed to vegetate by some
eee,.. a any other care ; by others the greatest
ae .ritein
,is paid to ' the removal of weeds,
iee manuring of the lend, and occasional
, xetemies. . When the shrub has grown about three
the leaves are. ready for picking. This is done with
, the greatest caret; they are not plucked by handsfull,
.but eeelm leaf eeparetely. They are thus, although the
poeesehe sonmeevlirtt. tedious, enabled to collect, in the
•ourse of the clay, hiteen pounds. . . . . In the corn-
) moo tea-plant, the commencement of the leaf-gathering
i takes place in the early spring, and three different crops
ere obtained in the summer. Scarcely, in the first in-
s. wee, has.the; leaf attained it.' growth, and whilst it is
• yet :mudding into life, than the picking commences, and
the tea will be finer in proportion to the tender age of
the leaf. The most agreeable aroma and the most deli-
. eieus flavour are then ohtaimmed from it. A soft white
dewn covers the first leaflets, which is called, in the
• i thinese language. Pa-ho, and hence our name pekoe.
eme most exquisitely flavoured of these trees with
:, eLich we are acquainted. Trees, until: they reach
t tee, sixth year, furnish this tea. A few days' ledger
eemmwth supplies us with the black-leaf Pekoe. In the
' elenth of May ;,the leaves that have, grown since the
first gathering., having arrived at maturity,•are stripped
'irom the trees : these form the Souchong—the Seaou-
ehoung—e the small or scarce sort:, . About six weeks
after this there is a third gathering .ni'the new crop
thrown out ; and from the Chinese word, Koong-fou,
I signifying labour or assiduity, springs our term Congou.
iFrom this a particular pars is selected e called. Kienpoey
f —a selection which is knowneo its under the name of
e Campoy. The tea familiar to pet underehe •appellation
,e" Bolmea should be thg'produce of the district from which
ti et derives its name. It is-a rough preparation of the later-
•
It/ groom: leaves, wiriCli yield a beverage oflietle strength and
lof inferior fitvotpr,i• Green teas undergo the-same kind of
- imerveste Freneftlie tender leaflets is produced Hyson ;
and 'a veer -expensive kind, Loontsing, is more para-
. ettlitrly prized ; it was called Yutsein, ' before the
rains e- me mist Hymn is a corruption from ' flowery
spring;' Tne Gunpowder' is a Ilyson gathered with
great attentoe, and rolled with much nicety and care ;
indeedit would appeal-Ace he a selection of the more de-
' lieate (eaves The coarser and yellower leaves remain-
-1 ink After te.ie selection are called Hyson Skin. The
t: 11. `Val. kly' is the last Whored crop, and ecisists of an
del: r-leal, in which less' attention is paid to the mani-
eu:atieus. ' . . When the leaves have been .picked
. t,,. est are left in large' bamboo baskets; exposed to the
. • ;.,„ „ if the sun, being. enlyemecaeionally -stirred. Alter
: tem., or three hours' the' peasants take the baskets into
time hotise, and in the•'ectemree bf lialfean hour a series
ti!' ruarepelet 'one commence, during which the manu-
t fil:twe-, mit infee'ves'ef,an hour, rolls the leaves three
ee. our tidies -V„eereen hie fingers until they have
' t.: c Aiie. :is. Stil 113. fea:l.'"vel• . When the operation is con-
the epplication. of heat, for
c tided, t.miey.,are ml'eadifie"
tee peeeeee -et 'eryie4.. eed ee'eldering therm eeisp. The
t.orme .
Is mmee ..uet .
teteelerated accord,'.' to 'the delicaer of
I - q 'tut the • „ , .
i tee part cuter tea, andapPralli4s is- regulated
' . with- the' utmost nicely. Time ordintay process is to
p' e abode Iwct 'potinde.of tea in - a hot cast-iLor pan,
• ex'; imm ~, ..in-:-.11 circular Mud Arercace, heated by e fire
, OF ,teme or of hgremthi. •Tlfe letiveg are briAly agitated
, with' the naked band, to prevent their being buret. and
that tee'll -in my shave its dee expciure to the preleer
0 neon,: of tree neat. , Whenthey have become seifficieney
, imot ti.oi :tre))lAce2tr iie a closely worked bamboo basket,
' ; trl rown .fozil' it upon mitalile,'WhereYhey are
diode
u.ett into t o hr th`ree ieercele: Another set of manipu- •
~imt.li*.'e jeme them itinto,liiiits iiiilf great gentleness and eau-
`e 0 tao,..ya
thy-alaee'ullet: de of `hmimiling them express
anyi.:;(e tau)/ may contain. `The leaves alter this are
a;a;ri taken VaCk to the liotepe-ns", agaih-turned with the
rieteed.
,ban I:duel:When tedted, "again' a-en-loved. They
r ..re t hen seread on a sieye,i•ollee again, and then exposed
l! it'M Cue act on of beat; the whole. being placed over a
F.. elem.-coal fire : during this stage great care is necessary
t' ,
, Left any smoke should affect the tea. In ad the varied
e'?.-at)ges from basket to basket, arid they .sometimes un-
dtergo many.'ettelntion' is, paid lest any receiver should
aver ne placed. upon time ground. The number of expo-
i ewes teethe action of the fire is sometimes very great,
'al' an examination takei pike from time to time to
-4,,, ^.ertain 'the'state' to, which the leaves have arrived.
We,oe they become crisp. and mire easily broken, they
ere!, moved- from the fire, allowed to cool, and the
!, eeess :again commenced, until the experienced menu-
) te..'ueerle fully satisfied with the condition and time pro-
1, „e„,„pv,eara.nce of the, tea."
This fie by no means the whole, for a great deal of
!0,01/r and ekid arc still to be applied in sorting and
e.„„eing the e„fieies descriptions of tea, but our extract
0 2:r.ca(ly long eno:leb for the present.
r