Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-07-06

first thrown on the hot paper tray and scat
tered over it by the workman, who keeps
them constantly in motion, moving them
backward and forward over the hot surface
without moments rest. Presently he will
gather up handful of the leaves and roll
them briskly between his palms, then again
scatter them over the tray and keep them
moving. This process is repeated again and
again.
FOUR POUNDS REDUCED TO ONE.
Finally the leaves are gathered up in one
ball, which the operator rolls backward and
forward over the tray. using considerable
pressure. This manipulation, or ''fring, "
as 1T is called, takes several hours, and
when it is completed each leaf will be found
to be separately rolled. or twisted, and al
most dry. Six pounds Of the green leaf are
generally placed upon the firing tray, and
when the process is complete it is reduced to
one and one-half pounds Some moisture,
however, still remains in the tea. and it is
therefore trans erred to second firing tray
of lower temperature, and there allowed to
remain several hours. Sometimes even q
third firing is resorted to.
The leaves then pass into the hands of the
sifters, who, by means of sieves of various
degrees of coarseness, get rid of the dust and
leaves The tea then goes to the pickers
The picking is done by girls, who throw the
tea on low tables. only q few inches from
the ground and pick out all stems, twigs,
stones and other foreign matter which has
found its way into the tea. From the pick
ers it goes to the packers, who weigh the tea
and pack it in large wooden boxes tied with
straw rope.
Does the story end here? By no means.
The tea now comes into the hands OF the
American or English tea-dealers and is pre-
pared for export Tea from various loeali-
ties are tested and tasted, and blends made,
to which fancy names are given. But the
leaves are still somewhat moist or green,
and would mould if shipped as they come
from the japanese tea-farmer. They are
thereupon subjected to
A FINAL AND THOROUGH FIRING
in copper vessels over charcoal fires. This
takes place in the "godowns" or ware
houses of the foreign merchants Women
and girls are generally employed for the
work, and the furnaces are arranged in long
rows, several hundred being under one roof.
Before each furnace stands a girl with
basket OF tea. At given signal from the
foreman the tea is emptied into the copper
pans and kept moving by the hands. Again,
signal, the work is ceased and the tea
quickly removed from the pans.
1t is this final firing that so discolors the
tea, blackens it, and spoils its appearance,
that it would be considered unfit for sale by
American tea-drinkers. To get over this
difficulty it is colored. The coloring matter
used is powdered soapstone aud Prussian-
blue and, in the minute quantities en-
ployed, it is entirely harmless. The color
ing is done during the final firing, a small
quantity of the powder being thrown into
each pan BY the foreman. The tea is there
fore not colored in order to disguise an in
ferior article, but merely to meet with the
demands of the American and English con-
sumers, who, as rule, fancy they detect
superiority in the different grades of green
tea, and enormously imagine they are OBJ
tanning a fresher article than black tea,
whereas, in truth, black tea is the purest.
HOW IT IS DONE IN CHINA.
The Chinese method used in the manu-
facture Of tea differs but little from the
Japanese in its essentials, save that the
latter is by far the more aesthetic and clean
method. The Chinese roll the leaves on
dirty mating with their feet. The operator
is nearly, or entirely nude, and shuff1es
among the moist leaves until the process is
complete. The mans perspiration trickles
down off Of his greasy face, body and limbs
on the tea and gets mixed well up with it.
It has been said that this addition imFarts
the agreeable flavor peculiar to Chinese tea.
But in charity to the drinkers OF Chinese
tea, let us draw the curtain before such a
thought
The best quality of tea is made from the
youngest and most delicate leaves from
choice plants. One can pay as high as SO a
pound for such tea in Japan. A good tea
may be purchased from 80 to 40 cents a
pound. The best teas are powdered. The
powder is briskly stirred up in almost boil
ing water, and foamv decoction, looking
almost like pea soup, but of most delicate
aroma and exquisite favor is the result.
The art of tea making and drinking in
Japan involves the most elaborate cere-
monies; and the ceremonial drinking, called
"cha-no-yer," is replete with the most fas-
cinating etiquette of this interesting people.
For daily use tea should be prepared as
follows: The water should be boiled
thoroughly and then poured into a bowl
and allowed to cool just below the boiling
point. The requisite quantity of tea should
be placed in dry teapot and the hot water
added. The decoction should then stand
for minute or two. In this way the full
aroma and flavor OF the tea is retained, and
the bitter taste avoided. Boiling water
poured directly on tea scorches it and in
lures the flavor. In good tea milk and
sugar are unnecessary additions. With US
these are used to disguise the imperfections
of inferior teas.
w. DE LANo EAsTLAKE, NJ. D.