Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1903-10-23
SOME FACTS ABOUT TEA.
GREEN, BLACK AND ALL KINDS
FROM THE SAME BUSH.

Scientific Method Of MakIne-Ths
Differences Are. In the Time Taken
for curins-Tree Not a Native OF
China.
Many years ago 1t was believed that
there were two kinds of tea shrubs,
one producing green tea and the other
black, and this idea was handed down
In cyclopedias and articles on tea
writer's, none of whom probably ever
saw a tea tree or knew anything Of
the manufacture of tea.
The fact is, there is only one genus
OF plant, Camelia Theifera, from which
the tea OF commerce is produced,
though there are many species pro-
duced by difference in soil. climate,
liberalization and cultivation. All
the different kinds of tea-green,
black, golden tips, Pekoe. Oolong,
S%oochong, Bohea, etc.-are made from
the same bush. Pure green tea is
made by quickly drying the leaves af-
ter they are plucked, and black tea Is
produced from the same kind of
leaves by drying them after they have
been withered and allowed to ferment
or ripen for a short time in a heated
room.
Pure green tea can be made by roll
ing the leaves on a board In the sun
or In a bowl or pan over a fire until
they are thoroughly dried and their
color would be that of fresh mown
dried grass as cut by a lawn mower.
Green tea Is not such because of its
color, but on account of its unripe-
hess, as it has all the astringent, bit
ter qualities that unripe dried fruit
would have.
In making black tea a longer time Is
required. The leaf is first wilted or
withered, and then left for a time in
a warm to ferment. This could
be done by throwing the leaves in a
pile, but this process would be IN
equal, as the inner part would be fer
mented too much and the outer layers
none at all, and there would be no
uniformity.
The modern scientific method is to
wilt the leaves in a machine by means
OF a slow fire, then to place the wiltei
leaves in shallow bamboo trays,
placed in a room where the heat is
from ITO degrees to 1870 degrees. BY
placing the leaves in trays all are
equally affected by the heat. During
this stage the greatest watchfulness
has to be given lest the leaves being
under are overfermented, as on this
depends the value of black tea. in the
same degree as fruit might not be
ripe enough or too ripe to suit the
taste.
AS a good illustration of the differ
ence between pure green and black
teas take clover grass. Any n who
has tasted green clover as it is grow
Ing in the field knows that 1t has a
bitter, astringent taste, not at all
pleasant. Dry this grass quickly, so
that its color remains green, and it
will have the same unpleasant flavor.
Take some of the grass after it has
fermented and turned black and dried
as hay, and it will have a sweet, agree
able flavor. and one Is not surprised
that cattle enjoy it. ANY farmer will
say that to make good clover hay it
must sweat in the cock or winrow be-
fore 1t is gathered in. All he may
know about it is hat his grandfather
or father said so. In the sweating or
fermentation a chemical change takes
place, the starch becomes sugar, and
the hay is nutritious and pallatable.
For a long time it was supposed
that the tea tree waB q native of
China, when so little was known in
the western world about tea and it's
manufacture. There is much igho-
rance still about 1t. as / have been
asked If we sow the plant every year,
1t We NOW 1t with a scythe, or could
we harvest it with a reaper. The
Thea Camellia is a tree sometimes 40
feet high. and a foot in diameter, as
1t Is found in the forests of Assam. in
India. 1t is now conceded that here
has been its native home, whence
the seed or plants were taken to
China across the mountains and thence
to Japan. In the forest 1t grows to
wood, with few laurel-like. large,
tough leaves. For a plantation only
young, tender leaves are desired.
The seeds, in appearance like hazel
nuts, are sown in a nursery. While
they are growing the acreage Is pre-
pared by frequent digging and terrac-
ing, as the best plantations are on the
| hillCidnC Hn1nu arn due f0e,N - 49,
feet apart each way, ready for the lit.
tie trees. When these are about n
foot high they are transplanted from
the nursery. They are carefully pro-
tected and shielded from the sun.
They are. Druned with a knife or
shears, and not allowed to grow more
than two and one-half to three feet
high. They remained dwarfed trees,
the top n a Of small trenches
and the stem at the age of 80 years
not more than three inches in diane
ter. During the first two years no
leaves are plucked.
In the third year perhaps so pounds
of tea may be gathered from an acre.
When the plantation has arrived at
maturity from 500 10 800 pounds of
tea may be gathered from an acre.
The eason commences in March.
and lasts till November. During this
time there are from ten to fifteen
sproutings or "fiushes," as the growth
of the young twigs is called. From
these the young leaves are picked. &C.
cording to the kind of tea desired. II
the finest, the little tips at the top of
the twig. only a few hours old, making
tea costing from $40 to 500 a pound:
then the next leaf below for flowing
Pekoe; still further down Pekoe. 90
long, Soochong and down to the long.
harder leaf, Bohea. The old leaves
are not plucked, as they are withered,
and to pluck them would injure the
tree. The flowers are never used,
though beautiful enough to adorn a