Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1851-11-25
OBJ ga tb's 5aif Ilb.
Tea.
lGutinued.l

ring the leaves. The first is about
he beginning Of March, when the
caves are very small, and not week
id. This is called imperial tea, and
S reserved for the emperor and gran
lees, who only can afford TO pay for
It; the produce being small, the price
must be tile greater. The persons
who gather these leaves ca mot pick
them by handfuls, but only one by
one; and they must be very careful
not TO break or damage them in the
least. The second crop becomes fit
for use about month after the first,
at The beginning Of April. At this
time some leaves are fully grown,
and 9th ers are still youngI they are,
however, all plucked, and afterwards
sorted. The smaller sort are often
sold, as belonging to the first crop,
at a high price. The country is all
alive in this business, when the third
and principal gathering takes place.
which is in the month of June; Their
!
the leaves are very nun ferrous, and
have attained their full Size. This
tea is consequently Ola coarser flavor
and lower price, Those who do no
make these three gatherings, but on
/ " Two, or even only one, Yet sort GU
the leaves into several par els, accor
ding to their siz IL and delieacy. Thest
gatherings take place on those lands
where the plant is regularly eultiva
ted But it also grows wild in grea
abundance, and often to superior ex
cellence, upon the steep sides 0
mountains and rocks, where it is al
most or quite impossible to reacl
1 them. A singular method of OBJ
tanning the leaves growing in these
difficult places, is resorted to. Attic
these rough spots are ina eessible t
men, they are for that v cry reason
inhabited by large troops of mon
keys. Now monkeys arb not onl,
initiative creatures, but also yer,
fira$cible; the silly creatur es are easi
ly provoked into a violet BIT passion
and in that state they seek all tn
revenge in their power. The PEG
pie, therefore, get as near as the,
can to their haunts1 an provoke
them, by pelting them " 18th stones
In revenge, the monkeys break OIL
large branches of the tries, anon,
which they Chamber and chatter, ant
with these they pelt the If enemies
!. These are carefully picked up, an,
the leaves stripped off Il hem for use
Butsthese leaves are not yet fit 70
use. They must be dried, curled
and rolled up, to make them as "
Isee. Those who cuItivd tie the tie
plant on large scale hak e an appa
ratus for these purpose 5. But a
many have not, there are public dry
ing houses, to which an one ma,
take his leaves, be they few or many
and have them properly cured.
These buildings are provided Wit
small stoves covered with iron plate
which are thereby heated to the pro
per degree. On these heated plates
a few pounds ofleaves arehplaced, anC
constantly stirred with the fingers
The leaves, being very moist, crlckle
curl, and dry. When they bccom
too hot for the hand to bear, the.
are sAovelled off the iron plates upol
mats, spread On the table, arount
which the workmen sit, whose busi
! ness it is to roll them in the palm
Of their hands, always moving then
one Way to curl them up, REGULAR,
and closely. BY repeating this pro
cess several times, the leaves areren
dered perfectly dry, and are fit to b,
lplaeed in the warehouse for sale
Yet it is reekoned safest t 0 keel
the tea there a full year, before it i;
actually used. The tea comes to u
hacked close III wooden chests, which
are lined with a very thin sheet o
lead, in order to keep it entirely from
the air, which would soon exhale all
its fine flavor. The tea is brought tt
Canton, in thesouthern fast>Of China.
the only port at which we are allowed
to trade. There the merchants dea1
with the agents who purchase it; and
from thence tits brought in ships, di-
rect FOR the U, States. The Chinese
drink tea, not as one specific meal,
as we do, but all day long; at every
Iheal. and whenever they are thirsty.