Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1890-05-16

bear say nine leaves, of which three are
plucked, and from the remaining six
new branches will grow which will
bear leaves in their return, If we were
to strip branch of all its leaves we
should kill the tea bush, or, in other
words, we should be killing the
goose which lays the golden eggs
If such simile may be used. The
first leaves thus plucked are called
No. l flush They do not make the
finest tea, but rank about as low as
leaf can be valued for commerce. These
leaves are taken on trays into the with
ering-house' by the women who pluck
them, and who are supervised by 'dutfa-
dars, or native men, whose business it
is to see that the women do not spoil the
bushes. The tea is allowed to rest on
these trays until it is withered to the
pliancy of kid glove, process which
takes from twelve to eighteen hours, ac-
cording to the temperature. Then it is
carried away by men and put on the
rolling-table, where it is manipulated
to the condition of the leaf The crush
ing process brings about the fermenta-
tion necessary to develop the quality of
the leaf. 1t is then taken to the fer
menting room, where it ferments until
it is in condition to go to the drying
machine, Its time here being from one
to six hours. In the dryer it remains
until it is cooked, a process which re.
| quires to be carefully looked after and
in which none but experienced hands
are employed. BY being cooked is
meant being dried. The tea then goes
to the sitting house, where the various
grades are made by sifters of the requi.
site mesh, that is twelve, ten and eight
inches to the inch. The twelve
men Sits the best tea, because
that leaf is smaller and heavier. The
smaller the leaf the better the tea These
three teas are straight, and are known
as Pekoe, Pekoe Souchong and Souchong,
representing respectively the first, Sec
ond and third grades. Pekoe Souchong
is the fine tip mixed with lower grade,
or a mixture of the first and second
grades. Souchong is the third straight
grade. While the tea after these proc
essess is ready for use, it is treated uE
again to extract any dampness which
may have accrued, as the leaf is very
difficult and susceptible. This done it is
packed in chests for shipping. What is
the best tea? Well, fifteen days aftel
the first plucking the second flush is
ready, and eight days later the third
flush is plucked and this constitutes the
finest leaf and consequently the bes
tea. One grade excels the other il
flavor, but they all go through the same
process which | have described. These
Indian teas are pure and straight ant
have delicious flavor, whereas mos
of those from China and Japan are
faced or second brews which
means that the leaf has beer
once drawn and then fixed ul
again, being mixed with alot
leaves and combinat ton of iron filings
and indigo. AS to prices, the Indiai
Pekoe sells for sixty-nine cents pound
the Pekoe Souchong for fifty cents ant
the Souchong for forty-five cents. Th'
best Chinese teas, if you can get then
straight, can not be sold for less thai
one dollar pound; second grade seven
ty-fve cents and third sixty to sixty-iv
cents. The demand for Indian teas ha
greatly increased of late years. Il
1870, when | first went to India, tha
country sent to England only about fiji
teen per cent of the tea consume,
there, while 1887, when | left she sen
fifty-one per cent. Her principal mar
kets are England, Australia, America
Canada and the Cape of Good Hope, an
; she is steadily increasing her foreigl
, commerce, The consumption of tea il
this country amounts to about one hun
dred and ten million pounds per annum
and of this suppose not more than fiv
hundred thousand pounds come from In
dia, 1t is only recently, however, tina
Indian teas have been introduced here.