The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1878-03-28

We take the following account Of a
visit 10 a Chinese tea plantation from an
article in ~. Nicholas Magazine
Breakfast over, wa jumped ashore again,
and, desiring 10 conduct our sight-seeiuc
systematically. started for the fields.
First we walked 10 the foot of hill a
little distance on, where some men in
short cotton trousers and jackets were
laying ont new plantation. The
ground was accurately marked of, and
in one place the little plants, only an
inch or two in height, were just showing
above the ground. In another, the
seeds-little round balls they looked like
were being planted in the rows,
Passing another field. where some men
were at work with their hoes in true
Chinese style, stopping every few mo.
ments 10 smoke their pines. we came al
last - where the plants had attained
some sire and the actual picking WAS
going on. The plants themselves were
from two 20 six feet high. acconhng to
age, and fram repeated cuttings down
had grown into dense masses of small
twigs, Many of them were covered
with little white tloworS. somewhat sim
liar 10 the jasmine, and seeds inolose,l
IN n casing not unlike that of the hazel
nut but thinner aud full of OIL Charley
thought they looked like little laurel
bushes 90 me, those that had been
we'll picked were not unlike huckleberry
bushes, only the leaves were, of course,
a much darker green. The first pick
ing. usually in April, is when the leaves
are very Young and tender, commanding
much higher price than those subse-
quenty plueked. The second is a
month later. when they have attained
maturity and AS unprnpiuous weather
would be likely % rain them, great eX
petition is Us ed in getting in the crop
the entire population turning ont to
assist A thlr,i, and even a fourth, fol.
lows but the quality rapidly deter.-
CRATES. and but small proportion of
these last piekings is prepared for ex-
port,
The plantations were filled with a
merry crowd, composed principally Of
women and children, all engaged in
stripping the bushes AS rapidly AS pos
able, Vet with great care and dexterity,
so rs not % bruise the leaves. They
looked up from their work and screamed
20 each other in their harsh guttural
tones, casting glances Of astoniShment
At the barbarians. Following some Of
the coolies, who with filed bags were
trudging of so the curing house, we SAW
the most interesting operation Of all.
Here, az least thirty young girls were
engaged in asserting the leaves, picking
out all the dead and yellow ones, and
preparing them for the hands OF the
rollers and tirers. Our entrance excited
quite a commotion among the damsels,
as we Nere probably the first barbarians
they had seen, and we had the reputa-
ton Of living entirely on fat babies. A
word from Akong, who had joined us.
them, and IN a few minutes
Charley WAS airing his little stock OF
Chinese, more. | thought, % their
than their editication. Leav-
ing this room we went into another
where the curing was in progress. On
one side extended long furnace built
of bricks, with large iron pans placed at
equal distances, and heated by charcoal
fires below. Into these pans leaves by
the baSketful were poured, stirred
rapidly for few minutes, and then re-
moved 10 large bamboo frames, where
they were rolled and kneaied until all
the green iuice was freed They were
then scattered loosely in large, fiat bAs-
kets, and placed in the sun TO dry.
subsequently, the leaves were again
carried 10 the furnaces and exposed TO a
gentle heat, until they curlei and twisted
themselves into the shapes so familiar to
you all. Some of the finer kinds often
for expectation are rolled over
by hand before being fired. The great
object appears to be 10 prevent the leaf
from breaking hence, in the commoner
kinds and those intended for home con-
sumption, which do not receive the same
care, the leaves are found to be very
much broken. In fact, the preparation
Of this latter sort is very simple mere
drying in the sun. after which il pre-
sehts dry, broken appearance, ike
autumn leaves.