Middletown transcript., 1875-01-30

and August-the hottest IN the year
the maximum heat is "a degrees fahren.
heit and the minimum 80 degrees. In
winter the thermometer sometimes sinks
as low as the freezing point,
"At Shanghae, some elk hundred milei
north Of Hong Kong. the extremes o.
heat and cold are much greater. From
careful observation. kept at Shanghae,
the thermometer sometimes indicates .
temperature Of 100 degrees for several
days successfully In ordinary years
the ponds and canals are frequently
frozen over several inches in thickness
It may be safely assumed that the ther.
mometer sometimes stands at IL or 2C
degrees below the freezing point"
He visited both the green tea soun-
try Of Hwny-ehow and the black tea
districts about Woe-e-shan and dur
ing these long visits he verified the
opinions previously formed. that both
black and green teas could be produced
from the same plant, and that the dis
similarity Of appearance. so far as color
is concerned, depended only upon man
ipulation. z
have only prepared black tea. the
process being very easy and simple.
The leaves are gathered the day before
they are to be dried, and spread thinly
over tables to wilt. The small leaves
are cured by themselves as they make
the most superior quality Of tea. The
ds1 TIER beinssplucked, they sFstaken
il tise hands and rubbed until they be-
come soft and Aacid. they are then
placed in heaps and allowed to remain
80 for abeut an hour. They are then
put into dutch oven which is heated
BY fsw Goals under it. While in the
oven they are constantly stirred with
the hand to prevent scerching. They
are roasted five minutes, taken out and
rolled again upon the table. After be-
ing rolled they are exposed in the open
air in the sun, and frequently stirred.
While these are out in the air, another
set is in. the oven. When all have been
roasted, those first put out in the air
are brought in, and roasted again for
Eve minutes, then taken out and rolled
again. They are now placed in seive
about an inch thick, and held over a
few hot GOALS stirring all the time.
They are then taken out and rolled
agsin. This sproceas of rolling and
roasting is continued untilthe tea as
sumes q DARK color After all the
leaves have been treated thus, they are
put in basket and hung over few
Goals and frequently stirred until the
tea appears black and dry.
Mr.. Fortune thus describes the pro-
cess Of making green tea: when the
leaves intended to be made into green
tea are brought in from the plantations
they are thinly spread out on fiat bam-
boo trays, in order that the superfuous
moisture may be evaporated. There
they remain for one or two hours. In
the meantime the roasting pans have
been heated with brisk wood fire. A
portion Of the leaves are then thrown
into each pan, and rapidly moved about,
and shaken up with both hands. They
are Immediately affected by the heat,
becoming quite facoid and moist, and
giving out considerable vapor. In this
state they remain four or five minutes.
when they are quickly drawn out and
placed on the rolling table.
Il Next commences the rolling pro-
cess. Several men stationed at the ta-
ble divide thelsaves ameng them. Each
takes as much as be can press with bis
hands and makes them up in the form
Of q ball, which is rolled upon the rat
tan worked table. and in this manner
becomes greatly compressed, the object
being to get rid Of portion Of the sap
or moisture. These balls are frequent
ly taken out. and passed from hand to
hand until they reach the head work
man, who carefully examines them to
see if they have acquired the requisite
twist. When he is satisfied Of this. the
leaves are removed from the relling ta-)
BE, and shaken out upon. fat trays.
until the remaining balls have under
gone the same process. In no case are
they allowed to remain long in this
condition, and sometimes are removed
at once to the roasting pan. Having
been thrown again into the pan. a slow
and steady charcoal FIRE is kept up,
and the leaves are put in rapid motion
By the hands Of the operators. Some
times they are thrown upon the rattan
table, and rolled again. In from an
hour to an hour and half the leaves
become we'll dried. and their color
ts6xed." that is there Is no danger Of
their becoming black. They are now
Of dullish green, but afterwards be-
come brighter. This process, it is to