Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1878-04-24
A Chinese Tea Plantation.

Breakfast over, we jumped ashore
again, and, desiring to conduct our
sightseeing Systematically, started for
the fields. First we walked to the foot
of hill a little distance off, where
some men in short cotton trousers and
jackets were laying out new planta-
tion. The ground was accurately
marked off, 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 i'm true Chinese style, stop
ping every few moments 10 smoke their
pipes, we came at last to where the
plants had attained some size and the
actual picking was going on. The
plants themselves were from two to six
feet high, according to age, and from
repeated cuttings down had grown into
dense masses of small twigs. Many OF
them were covered with little white
flowers, somewhat similar to the jasmine
and seeds inclosed in casing not unlike
that of the hazelnut, but thinner and
full of oil. Charley thought they look
ed like little laurel bushes; to me, those
that had been well picked were not I'M
like huckleberry bushes, only the leaves
were, of course, a much darker green.
The first picking, usually in April, is
when the leaves are very young and
tender, commanding a much higher
price than those subsequently plucked.
The second 5 month later, when they
have attained maturity; and as unpro-
pitious weather would be likely to ruin
them, great expedition is used in get
ting in the crop the entire population
turning out to assist. \ third, and
even a fourth, follows; but the quality
rapidly deteriorates, and but small
proportion of these last pickings is pre-
pared for export.
The plantations were filled with a
merry crowd, composed principally of
women and children, all engaged in
stripping the bushes "a rapidly as pos
sible, yet with great care and dexterity,
80 as not to bruise the leaves. They
looked up from their work and screamed
to each other in their harsh cultural
tones, casting glances of astonishment
at the barbarians. Following some OF
the coolies, who with filed bags were
trudging off to the curing-house, we
saw the most interesting operation of
all. Here, at 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 firers. Our entrance
excited quite commotion among the
damsels, as we were probably the first
barbarians they had seen, and we had
the reputation of living entirely on fat
babies. A word from Akong, who had
Joined us, treasured them, and in few
minutes Charlie was airing his little
stock of Chinese, more, | thought, to
their amusement then their edification.
Leaving 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 char
coal fires below. Into these pans leaves
by the basketful were poured, stirred
rapidly fora few minutes, and then re-
moved to large bamboo frames, where
they were rolled and kneaded until all
the green juice was freed. They were
then scattered loosely in large, fiat bas-
kets, and placed under the sun to dry.
Subsequently, the leaves were again
carried to the furnaces and exposed to a
gentle heat, until they curled and twist
ed themselves into the shapes so familiar
to you all. Some of the finer kinds
often prepared for expectation are rolled