The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1880-01-16

The districts Of China which supply
the greater portion Of the teas exported
~ Europe and America lie between the
twenty-fifth and thirty-frst degree Of
north latitude, and the best districts are
those between q and 81 degrees lFor-
tunel. The plants are raised from seed.
kent over winter in moist earth and
planted in March three or four feet apart,
and look like a garden Of gooseoerry
bushes. and they bear from the forth 70
the twelfth year. both inclusive The
leaves are plucked by hand, chiefly by
women and the season i from tie ear
lest spring TO the end Of June. The hrst
gathering is the best, afterward the
leaves become tougher The mode Of
driving and roasting the leaves generally
and the specific processes by which the
green and black teas are seyerally pre-
pared. have been minutely described by
Mr.. Fortune, and, from his description,
somewhat condensed, we learn: First,
that in the process Of drying, the leaves
are roasted, in such a way n necessarily
"a bring about many chemical changes
within the substance Of the leaves them
selves. producing the various ~flavors,
.odors and tastes which distinguish the
uIffrfrnI Itlt. FttNiaAlN AlHt Nv ~
Of handling, by which the leaves are con-
verted respectively into green and black
teas, j. the-cause of the different coiors
OF these two main varieties. Thus Tor the
green teas: L. The leaves are roasted
almost immediately after they are gath
cred. ?. They are dried on qnickiy
after the rolling process. The whole
operation i speedy and simple. Black
teas: !. They are spread out for some
time after they are gathered, in b air.
,. They are then further tossed about
until they become soft and fiaccid- 3.
They are now roasted for 4 few minutes
and rolled: after which they are exposed
to the air for a few hours in a soft and
moist site. A. Lastly, they are dried
slowly over charcoal fires. II j. by
lencthencd to the air, there
fore. in The process of drying, accom-
panied by, perhaps, a slight heating
and fermentation, that the dark color
and distinguishing flavor are impaired
ia black teas If m The prod
nee Of different districts varies in quail
ify and flavor with the climate. the soil
and the variety Of the plant cultivated,
rs well a. with the period At which The
leaves are gathered and with the mode
Of driving them. II may he fresh IN.
formation for our readers 10 be told
that though tea is used only as an iliu'
sion, il has been loI z known that ths
spent leaves contain the elements Of ons
~ the most nutrilive Of vegetable sub
stances and sre only not used on &C
count of the almost universal foughnes'
of the leaves Of the China teas supplied
to foreign countries. But this tough
ness does not obtain in the case 81
Japanese teas, whose leaves may y
advantageously eaten either with salt O
sugar.
For imparting a nice, uniform color
or skin, 10 green teas. the Chinese Use
mixture Of Prussian blue and plaster 2
Paris (sulphate Of lime). the quantii,
varying slightly with the amount 9
color required. This they DO 10 pleas
the purchasers, but never use colore'
tea themselves. How far this SINAI
quantity may prejudice health i no
quite clear, but there is less doubt abon
t~hepernicious qualities Of al a~dulteratc'
tcaiargely manufactured by the Chinese
under the name Of lic-tea. This con
sists Of the sweepings and dust Of III
warehouses, cementcd together wit
rice-waier and then rolled into grain
lit is made TO resemble either black {
initiate caper, or grees to resemble CUR
powder, and l. manufactured profess
eddy for the purpose Of adulterating tn
better sorts Of tea. The clcyerne~s es
hihited il the manufacture Of the differ
cnt kinds Of lie-tea j. something real
surprising, and 80 close is the initatio
in many cases that much practice an
skill are required for its detection Gu
Investigations hitherto disclose the fas
that the better brands Of lie-tea consi'
~ the dust Of tea only. made M I'M
little masses, or Of this dust mixed wit
that of foreign leaves, but the ere:
bulk If the lie-tea met with l. con
pounded Of tea-dust, with sometime
the dust 81 leaves other than tea. an
large quantities Of mineral matter.
which silex and magnetic oxide 81 iro
form a considerable proportion II
masses 81 pellets being colored with n
substances already mentioned. and SON
otherS.-San Francisco NcsrS-