St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1898-08-03
PREPARING TEA FOR r,ARKEr.

Machinery Versus -Unscientific Methods
Still Employed In China and Japan Which Are
rlenace to Health.
OF recent years much has been written
OF the various methods in vogue in tea
growing countries of preparing tea for
market, and from health standpoint it
has come to be matter of much interest
to the consumer OF tea. The matter has
been discussed by medical journals all
over the country, and upon investiga-
ton they have shown by reference. to the
reports OF consular agents, published by
authority OF the United States Depart.
ment of Agriculture. that the mode Of
preparing tea in China and Japan is not
only unhealthy, but uncleanly as well.
The trouble in these countries is that
the tea industry is household industry /;
it is not conducted on large scale.
That is to say, the tea gardens are small.
consisting of only few acres, while in
Ceylon and India the reverse is the case,
the gardens covering hundreds of acres.
In the former the work is of necessity
done by hand. as it does not pay to use
expensive machinery where in individual
cases only small quantities of tea are to
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with it all the uncleanly and unpleasant
features incident to the old manner of
manipulating tea by hand.
There is little doubt that the discussion
OF this matter had much to do with the
recent legislation that has perlorce
| stopped the importation of much impure
and unwholesome tea, but legislation
here cannot stop the method OF prepar-
ing tea in foreign countries. All we can
do here is supervise, and while the tea
which has certain percentage of dust
(shown by sieve test) or which con-
tains certain percentage Of extraneous
matter (shown by chemical test can
not come into this country, the law does
not keep out the sweat.tainted and dirt
ladened teas, the condition of which is
entirely due to the manner of prepara-
ton.
Mrs. Boardman, a correspondent of
the Brooklyn STANDARD Union" travel
ing through Ceylon and India, has writ
ten a series OF interesting letters about
the cultivation and preparation Of tea as
scientifically done in Ceylon and India.
She has described the whole process, and
shows that, except when the leaf is
plucked green by comely young women,
it is never touched by human hand, and
it is not too much to expect, she says,
that "the ingenuity OF the planters in
Ceylon and India will before long evolve
practical picking machine. Unclean
hands and feet have no part in the pre-
paration of Ceylon and India tea, which
finds its way TO the worlds breakfast,
lunch and dinner table,"
A gentleman travelling in the interest
Of the company which bears the name oil
the man pre-eminent in matters pertain.
ing to electricity gives some details regard
ing the other side, and what contrast it
makes! How it must strike the lady
who is so mice" that she will not send
her clothing to the Mongolian laundry
He says, in part, as he had read much o.
the discussion about tea, that while in
Yokohama he visited one OF the drying
rooms and saw the actual work. 1.-THE
tea is placed in copper pans over char
coal fires in a room which, considering
the number of people employed. is much
too small from a sanitary standpoint
and the work is done by women in g
more or less unclothed condition, with
babes on their backs, with here and there
a youngster lying on tea already dried
bawling Justify for his dinner. The TEN
peiature of the room was very high, ane
as stood by and saw the perspiratior
drop from the bodies of the women a!
they worked the tea with sweaty anC
dirt-stained hands | wondered what un
fortunate would have to partake Of that
feast. They told ME that if went bach
few miles in the interior could see the
other processes, but had seen sufficient
When questioned merchants in Yoke
hama as to why machinery was not
used was told that it was hard work
to introduce new methods, and that
they were afraid that neither China MOI
Japan would wake up to the fact that
they were behind the times until it was
too late"
That pure tea, used as beverage, is @
healthful drink, seems to be shown by
its effect on British troops operating ir
the Soudan. The commanding genera
there issued an order that the army alb
stain from the use Of alcoholic beverages
and this naturally resulted in large
consumption of Ceylon and India tea
and the reports of the surgeons to the
Home Office at London showed that
there was decided improvement in the
health OF the troops. AS result of that
report Gen. Miles ordered that the can
teen" be abolished IN our army, and it is
interesting to our people to know tina,
the Ceylon and India Tea Association
perfected plans to present to the United
States Army, through the proper chan
mel, several thousand chests of Ceylor
and India tea. twas deemed advisable
however. to consult British Government
officials regarding the matter, and they
took the view that such an action might
be construed as breach of government,
neutrality. While our army has been de
prived OF the tea it is certainly pleasant
to know that there is such friendly
feeling existing between our people anc
the owners OF one of the greatest indus
tries i'll the world.
Deer Raised for Market.
The deer park, which L. c. Houghtor
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