St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1881-01-07
Tea Making in the Himalaya Noun
tains, India.
BY 4 VERMONTER.

BY a vERMONTER.
In the CdIedORidR that reached me
to-day, is letter from VermOnter in
| Turkey, referring to Vermonters being
found in every part of the world. This
letter reminded me that perhaps let
ter from NermOntcr resting among the
Himalaya Mountains of India, might he
of interest to those at home. These
wonderful mountains form n strange
country of mountains thrown together
in the most irregular manner possible.
Their sides are SO steep, and the val
leys between are so narrow, that we no.
where see any kind of cart, or any
all the mountain sides, and all the mar
row valleys are cultivated, and COG, ,0O0
people find their homes and raise their
food in this rugged country, bordering
on the plain which lies directly east of
the river Ganges. The people live in
small villages in houses built of stone.
L
carried to their houses and again to mar
ket on their backs, and all their wood
and other necessities have to be collect
ed in the same way, still the peo-
pie are prosperous and happy, more so
even than their neighbors on the Iich,
stoneless plains. Wheat and rice are
everywhere raised, besides numerous
smaller grains unknown in Vermont.
4 Th{ 1rp31}e are short aud thickset, and
4 their eaftIe are very small, but strongly
b. Ssme years ago the English Govern
menf iH order to improve this hill coun-
try, introduced tea growing in several
places where waste land was found. 1t
was found that tea would grow well at
certain elevations, and now there are
many tea plantations, or "Gardens" in
the Interior of this country of mountain
ranges, and the tea is of a very superior
quality. The plantation recently visit
ed by us was four hard days marches
from the outer range. and within full
view of the grand Snowy range. 1t is
about 6000 feet high, with delightful
climate in summer, and in the winter
the snow does not usually remain on the
ground more than Il week ut IA time.
Cold climate fruits, like apples, peach
es, cherries, &C., grow beautifully on
these plantations, having been imported
from England.
In the garden referred to there are
three hundred acres planted out with
tea bushes. The shrub is from two to
three feet in height, and like a well
cared-for currant bush, it has many
branches, and spreads over considerable
ground. All these plants are hoed about
four times a year on well cultivated
plantations. Early in the spring new
fresh leaves begin TO appear on the end
of each branch or sprOut, and as soon ms
the shrub has fairly begun to look green,
the boys and girls come along with their
baskets and pick off all the new, tender
leaves but they are picked very care
fully, so that new leaves soon replace
those picked. Thus some fifteen times
each year the pickers go over the gar
dens picking the new leaves as they
start out, the hoes meantime keeping
the weeds down so that the plants may
keep fresh and fruitful. Four hundred
pounds of tea per acre is good yield
per year, and two hundred pounds 8
poor yield.
The tea leaves that are picked to-day
are spread upon trays in a warm room
until the next morning, when they are
l found quite wilted. Then they are tax
en- from these trays and rolled on board,
by men who make the leaves up into ;
sort of ball, which they roll and pres,
with all their strength. In this way tn,
: Juice of the leaf is pressed out and agail
mixed with the ball, until very littl,
= sign of the leaf is left, but ball q
b. mashed, moist, greenish substance
: These balls are then placed in a warn
! room, under banket, where they re
J. main for few hours and terment unit
: they assume the proper color. The ball
are then rubbed to pieces, and the sub
N stance is spread thinly over hot iron
pans aud shaken about for a few min
; utes over the fire, until thoroughly air
a ed in every part. Then it is again rolle'
=. and bruised on a table by hand, afte
p which it is placed in the sun, spread on
thinly in large fiat baskets to air an,
: dry partially. the juice having kept tn
mass quite moist. In rainy weather
charcoal fire is used to do this work
Q Then the mass is taken into the dryin
room, where are long rows of iron pan
over hot charcoal fire. The tea
| spread 10 these pans abont an inch thie
and is watched aud taken off, turned
and placed over the fire again, until
is thoroughly dried. This makes tb