Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1869-12-09
Tsa.
BY PRor. .IoHN DARBY.

race than coffee. or the thou ,in mil
lions of tn. hlmlI family prob .bly six
hundred millions employ the tea as "a
daily beverage. Althou sh like the cof-
fee it is a product of ,hc war.n.r re.
gions Of the earth. vet it. use spreal,
mDre extensively ampny the nllioas Or
The hl 1hcr latitu les. Rissia. EIs.ani
aad other northern resio IS OF EuroDe
are large consumers OF tea.
Tea il the leaf Of small evergreen
shrub, rhca SInensis. It is indi senous
Or grows naturally in Caina japan aud
Cochin China. 1t is limited IN its nat
oral habitat 10 about 81 degrees north
althpu. .h under favorable circu n Il, IN.
ces it may b. cultivated further north.
IL has been intro lice into British In.
lila on the slopes of the Hun la.
Mountains. Java, koIs Mountains AMI
ilto the Southern ChIted States. rae
tea plant belon5s to the 81 II. "a nilv a,
the Ca!nellia. and mach resembles IL, as
nay have been ob served by one VIII
has seen them growing together IN our
commercial hot-hpuseS. IL belongs u
the natural order Clnelliaceac, which
inclu les not only the beautiful exotic
Camcllia, bat two of our most beauli-
tni l,wcrlng forest trees Stcxartia and
Cor lonia. The leaves are rather thick
shining, ovatc or elliptic pointel, den
tate (toothel), of an intense green, US
ually two or three times as long As
hrna1 fEh., 70, i.,.,F l. nv. a,
gllshel from all other leaves. Aitho'
they NAV vary Within certain limits
yet the characteristics are SO we'll
marked that no mistake Lecl br nee
cs1ary- Oar peach leaves vary very
much IN form size and appearance, yet
40 one wouli fail 10 determine that
gwen leaf WAS peach leaf. - with
the tea leaf when once ii >ed IN the
mind, no substitute can be male fDr IT,
Hence aIuiteration by slp stitutln oth-
cc,Sid.. Tea Is a iultcrlte with elan
amt willow leaves, winch IN N easily be
distinguished.
In commerce we fad two great clas
T VI t'stH 'asteA st1iNl = tt4l- ~ WI :
supposed that these dif.r.lt classes
depended on the different >p .ci.. pf
pa from which they wcrc derive l..
hut III re a .caritc an receAt ob ,.rva-
tons have shJy that there Is b lC q Ic
,iccics uf the tea plant. The twp great
AS n. lr,,uc 1 b, Ill eat
nodes Of prcplf alton and frp.n uiI.r-
cnt districts OF production, not that
either or both kat, nj .it not b.. N le
| from tn SAM locality ." con, TO n
tAt SAM ptt!t. a. yoil, l.r:, arr
male luto the srcen AMI the old leaves
/ into the black.
I The Ilrst ~tcp In the treatment OF
leaves after Ilry are picked from the
plant gives character 10 the TIA. II
assigns il, class. 1t stamp, it, char
actcr. II Is IL most striking ani inter
- ln1 fact that must have mtt the
7 paDtpip-I-t III i thousand form, j hI-
investigations. VIZ, the rapal ch,nI {.
I That take, place IN the content, ots lhr
chloraphyIIc cells of the leaves on
their removal from the living pllnt.
las ; employed, anoHul1iy Or not
q give character to the twp great elias
,cs OF teas. This fact is used u cou-
vert. what by rapid dry inL w.ulI br
green tea into black tea.
10 pro luce hlac> tea the leaves are
picked ami lail oll in masses, where
they remain for several hodrs AMI iu-
rlnI thl, rest the great change takes
place that determines is ccuractrr.
IAl> change occurs III The condition Of
the tannin that exists in barge qlanti-
tirs in the tea lent. H. becomes alter Il
ia its character and gives different re-
actions hv the chemical notifications
i; IN, under gone. For green tea the
leaves are drie,l more promptly, being
roastct soon after gathering. 50 that
but little change shall occur. We may
easily iiultate these changes hy treat
inI in 4 similar manner co n.nDn OAK
leaves when about t~o thirds grown.
The after treatment of the Two classes
are different, the green being more rap
idly dried and prepared for market.
The black goes thrul5h more extended
mInipulatiouS. ten linz IN Dre or les, t.
change ITS character all the same Iii
rtcu'h. lac leaves oelh9 IN moist
coi''''''oh y ioa''c'' o't' lu'cN ny
then tossed about and alternately for
~''eFa' t''nes. ihes art lh'h exposed
To tue ar ior sNeral ho"rS' All tiiese
conditions are .HoSt ia'o'aole '"r cne'h-
ie"I ac''oh- lacy are hh..'F afIed o'-
IF SO" charcoal hfe. vs. may say
that 'he green tea i lhe itat df'ed
nearly uhcAah 80 thi o'ic.l ls N r.
suit oi series ol oht'n'cai changes
commenced spontaneously an contin-
ued aid modihed " greater nr ies' ex-
tent by artihciai process. Lac aroma