Morning journal and courier., 1880-03-05

thsr as long ago as 17oo or thereabouts better mode of sorting tee, and his business increased 50 much as his fine hyson became known that he gave it her name. Members of this same family are still engaged in mak- ing this same tea, and the chop known as the Lii Yih- hing, or Lis Extra Perfume, is now in market and has maintained it's reputation for nearly 200 years. Oolong is obtained in Flu hisn; black tea with Q green tea flavor named black dragon from story that Su was struck with the fragrance of the leaf from a plant where black snake was found coiled. The great mart for green tea is Twankay in Chshhiany province.
 A chop is well known term in the tea trade it is derived from the Chinese word chop or stamp, such as an official uses and in the tea-trade denotes certain number of packages from the same place and all of the same quality. In the course of years the uni form excellence of 8 certain chop, like that of certain vineyard, gives it marketable val American houses at Canton in regard to the right to certain chop of tea, among two brokers, who each claimed to sell the genuine lot. Such chops range from 50 to 1900 chests; average 800. English admixture of scented teas in common sorts of Congou adds much to the flavor and sale This is not often done for native-drank tea, and is chiefly praeticed at Canton. The flowers used are roses, olsa fragrans, tube The stems, calyx and other parts are carefully sorted out, 50 that only the petals remain. When the tea is ready for packing, dry and warm the fresh flowers are mixed with it. 40 pounds to 100 pounds for the orange, and is mixed in mass for 24 hours it is then sifted and winnowed in a flaming mill, till the petals are separated If the odor ls insufh- cient, the operation may be repeated with the jasmine or orange. The proportion of jas- mine is 8 little more than orange of the az laea nearly half and half. The length of time required by these flowers differs, an6 among them all tea scented with the zalea is said to keep it's perfume the longest.
 The mode of scenting tea differs somewhat according to the flower itself. for the small blossom of the olea can not be separated by sitting as rose or jasmine leaves can. Tea thus perfumed is sent to England as Orange Peko and Scent ed Caper. It is mixed with fine teas and there is much to commend in thus increasing the aroma and taste of this healthy beverage. The Scented Oapsr comes in the form of round pellets which are made of black tea softensd by sprinkling water on it until it is pliable; it is then tied in canvas bags and rolled with the feet by treading on 1t for good while till most of the quantity takes this form; as soon as perfumed 1t is packed for shipment. When rolled and dried, such tea needs only facing to make it into imperial and gunpowdsr among the green teas.
 The Chinese have been charged with adul- terating their tea by mixing in other leaves with the true tea-leaf, and adding other in- gredients far worse than rose, jujube and fern leaves, and the cases which have been proved of lie tea being sent if have been ap- piled to the entire export. The stimulus for some of this adulteration has come from the foreigner, who desires to get good pure tea at half it's cost of manufacture. The foregoing details will plainly show that an article which has to go through so many hands before its infusion Is poured out of the teapot the other side of the world, and where the only mRchin- cry used is 8 flaming mill and 8 roasting pan, cannot be furnished at much under 25 cents pound for the common sorts. The villain ous mixture known at Shangai as ma-lu cha or race-course tea, was the answer on the part of the native manufacturer to the de- mand for cheap tea, until the consumers in Great Britain protested at the deception put on them, and it's importation was prohibited. Which of the parties was most blame-worthy, may be left for them to settle, but in our own ears and papers most of the blame rested on the tempted party. It Is not to be inferred, however, that all cheap tea is adulterated The process of man. ufacture leaves large percentage of broken material, which can be worked into passable tea; the produce of many regions has not the flavor of the finest sorts. and, as it is with wines, will not bear so much cost of curing. The tea brokers know this and things equal ize themselves The dust, the leaf ribs and the siftings are all consumed by the poor na- tives, who mix other leaves, too, with the real leaf. Tea can perhaps bear comparison with any other great staple of food in this respect and when we can fairly estimate the con- sumption of tea sent out of China and Japan at more than three hundred millions of pounds, 1t must be conceded that it is a very pure article-not as much, probably, as even five per cent of false leaf.
 One mode of using tea known among Thibe- tans and Mongols remains to be noticed. The rich province of Sechuen, in the western part of China, furnishes abundance of good tea. Much of it is exported to Russia by way of Si-ngan flu and Kansuh, tc supply the in habitants of Siberia, as this route is even now cheaper than to send cargoes for that region via Suez canal and Odessa; and if the Rus sians wish the Chinese to take their woolen goods, they must buy their tea. This brick tea is cured by pressing the damp leaves into the form of a brick or tile, varying in size and weight, eight to twelve inches long and one thick. This form is far easier mode of car mixed with butter and add salt when stewed. In Thibet it appears more as soup than an in- fusion. In that elevated region the system needs much fat. The brick tea is composed of coarse leaves, or of stalks moistened by steaming over water boiling, and then pressed d en of and simmered with milk and butter and water, with touch of vinegar or pepper. The dish is not inviting at first, but Abbe Hue endorses it's refreshing qualities in restoring the failing energies, when cold, hungry, tired and desponding. It is taken as hot as it can be slipped. Our mode of mixing milk and sugar with tea seems to the Chinese as queer and needless as all their simmering and stewing brick tea does to us. None of 1t is thus prepared in the eastern provinces. The pressing and drying is assisted by sprink- ling the mass with their rice water as 1t is forced into the moulds. The Chinese mix other leaves with real tea to eke it out, in dis tricts where it is not commonly grown, but they do not regard this as adulteration. Will low leaves are common in such mixtures. Large caravans cross the plateau laden with brick tea.
 Packing tea is mostly done in the interior, where it is cured. The large dry leaves fre- quently found inside are usually furnished by a peculiar species of bamboo; the lead is made into thin sheets by pouring the melted metal onto alarge square brick covered with several thicknesses of paper and letting anoth- CT brick drop down instantly on it. In order to test the honesty of the packing, the for eign merchant often walks over the 300 to 600 chests which make chop, and selects any four or five he may choose for examina- ton. If they stand the inspection, the whole is taken on their guaranty, and are then W6lSuGu php6E0u, ldD61oO duu mOttOSU T6aQy for shipping. In all these matters the Chi nese are very expert. It is impossible to cal culate the number of persons to whom the tea trade furnishes employment; nor do see where machinery could very well come in- to use to displace human labor. Yet have been informed that machinery has been intro duced in this country to give tea better, brighter green color than it had on arrival.
 The introduction of tea among Western ma tions was slow at first. Marco Polo has notice of it's use. The Dutch brought it to Europe in 1591 according to some accounts but sample or two did not make trade, and there would have been reference to it if it had been used. In 1860 Samuel Pepys writes, September 28th: sI did send for 8 cup of tea, ( China drink) of which I had never drank before" Nearly seven years after he says 'Home, and there find my wife making of tea, a drink which MT. Pellin, the pothica- ", tells her Is good for her cold and defux- ions.' In 1870 the importation into Eng land was 79 pounds in 1885 it was 12,O7O of