The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-02-13
A TEA PLANTATION.

On the following morning visitet
the plantation in company with my host
who, speedily engaged in attending Z
his business, left me for while to wall
about, thus giving me an opportunity
while I sauntered about, to enjoy thu
cool morning air, and watch the coolies
picking the leaves for manufacture.
The plantation was very extensive
many acres of ground being planted
with healthy. looking trees in uniform
rows, about three or four feet apart
somewhat resembling neatly-trimmed
box-trees, every tree being carefully
clipped, and perfectly fiat on the top,
which impaired unique regularity &c
the plantation.
There are three kinds of tea-plani
grown in Assam the Indigenous, the
Chinese, and the hybrid species. The
first grows well, and is q small, bushy
/ plant, cultivated to about eighteen
inches in height, with a very thick
foliage of small leaves. The second is
a taller and stronger-looking plant,
about three feet in height, with larger
leaf, which, when manufactured, yields
dark, trong-favored brew. The
third, or hybrid plant, is cultivated to a
height of two feet, or there abouts is
very hardy plant, much in favor
among the planters.
The cultivation of tea requires great
attention; constant hoeing is necessary
to keep the plants free from weeds dur
ing the gathering season, for, at that
time of the year, from May to Septem-
Der. the constant rains saturate the
earth, which, acted upon by the great
heat of the sun, produces vegetation in
q marvellous manner. Constant and
iudicious clipping is also of great i'm
portance, so as to produce an abundance
of young, tender shoots, the leaves
from which are those used in the manu-
facture of the best tea.
During the making season the work
people must be constantly on the alert,
for a nights rain, with an hour or two
of sunshine in the morning, is sufficient
to cause the young shoots to open out
their leaves, which must be gathered at
once, twenty-four hours often being
sufficient to impart a crispness to the
leaf, which renders it useless for manu-
facture. Under these circumstances, 1t
is easy to conceive how much the plan
ters have to depend upon the honesty
and willingness of their laborers, who
can, at any time, by refusing to turn
out, infiict a severe loss upon their en-
ployer; and yet one hears, from time to
time. of strong laws being passed to
protect the cody from the planter, as
though the latter were not entirely IN
the hands of the coolies.
An illustration of this, which, oc-
Cured during my visit, my show that
this assertion is not too strong.
neighboring planter came in, one morn
ING, on his way b the court at Debrug-
hur. whittier he was bound, to procure
warrants for the apprehension OF some
absentees without leave. He inciden-
tally remarked that all his laborers had
had a fight among themselves, and ac-
cordingly refused to work that morning.
It was n serious loss. as the young
leaves ready to be picked that day
would, by the next morning, have dete-
riorated in quality. / suggested that
they deserved punishment. The plan
Ter replied that, to punish them, would
be the same as filming himself several
thousand rupees, and one days loss
was better than many. 1t was plain
that. while the coolies were attending
at court, or suffering imprisonment,
they could pick no tea.
While Assam is looked upon as n land
of banishment to which few govern
ment servants like TO be sent, and as
long as the visits of high officials are
confined to the cool and broad water
highway of the Bramapootra, there is
little hope that the progress of the
country will be either rapid or salts
factory.
The establishment of chief commits
sionersbin for Assam would be an ex-
pertinent, the success of which might
earn distinction for some energetic
viceroy, if the Bengal government could
only be persuaded to detach this prov
ince from its jurisdiction.
After spending some time in walking
about the plantation, l was shown
through the Godowns, where number
of people were busy manufacturlEgt
leaf into tea.
A short description of the mode OF
manufacturing it may, perhaps, interest
some of my readers.
Outside the tea-house were large
mats, on which fresh-gathered leaves
were spread, and these leaves, as they
became slightly withered and tough,
were carried into a room in the tea
house, where they were carefully exam
ined, and all large and coarse leaves
taken ont. After this they were handed
to men called rollers. who proceeded to
roll them gently, in largo handtuls, on
n board. until they were bruised with
ont being broken. Under this process,
which REQUIRES great skill and delicacy
of manipulation, both hands being used
very swiftly, with a peculiar turn OF
the wrist, the leaves exude a juice, and
assume that peculiar twisted or rolled !
appearance to be noticed in the article |
when ready for consumption. AS each |
handful of tea showed by the twist IN |
the leaf that it had been sufficiently |
rolled, it was slightly pressed into a
ball. and laid aside to ferment for |
longer or shorter intervals, according |
to the strength of the tea required. |
This rolling and fermenting process oc-
cupies, perhaps, a couple of days, more |
or less. after which the balls are care
fully broken up and spread on mats or
iron pans, which are then placed IN the
sun. or over slow ovens, to dry of, this
drying process also requiring the great
est care lest the leaves should be over
baked.
After this drying process. the tea IS
again carefully picked and siited all
large, discolored leaves, and foreign
substances, are removed, generally by
won n or girls, whose deft fingers work
with great rapidity. In the sitting pro-
cess, all dust and grit is got rid OF, and
the tea rendered fit for packing in the
large. lead-lined boxes in which it is
exported to Calcutta. Here it is again
manipulated, probably not to it's adj
vantage, or that of the English con-
surner, for whom it is repacked in the
familiar tea-chests.-" The Mfshmee
Hills, ,"by T. Z. Cooper.
Double Glazed Windows.