New-York tribune., 1909-09-05

! one NOT asked. as with hard-prepared tea TO
depend FOR his safety from disease upon the sound
ness OF any scientific sentlemans contention that
''-l2' r is death 70 germs"
In Ceylon. when the green leaf Is brought 20 the
factory II is spread thiuy shelves Of jute cloth
so loosely permit the passage Of air
10 wirher- in good light temperature
nd dry atmosphere. THIS is critical stage and il
takes expert 10 determine the exact moment
when the sap ana moisture have evaporsted in
the degree which leaves the leaf soft and faccid.
andaa the right condition 10 undergo the twisting
process Of the roller, 10 which il passes down.
through a chute. This roller sqUeezes out the
tannin and any surplus moisture besides tight
ly twisting the Leaf. Il may be thus described;
1t IS q table with central trapdOOr in its
face the latter having cylindrical ribs attached
hon crrE m Tha 1rithered Isaf is fed tbro1ISh
rolled and twisted between the Two plates. and
comes our in l-raps. which are carried to a
and me leaf sitting, JhlouSh a W:re mesh, oHto
an apron below THIS -oil-bre2Aer Is q series OF
rapidly revolving shafts. having tlneS. or Iorks.
the tunnels IN which they reyo.Ve: II 5 this roll
ing machinery tAIt removes the dirt from teYIon
tea and keeps 1t pare and unconta,nlnated
Ts leaf then goes 70 Woooea frames and uhcer
damp cloths, Is e-toWel % teL-.-e-4t Gll,l u +S
sraC ne "a n rs INES eSl1e The roIlins
process induces fermentation b. breaking The Leaf
on the degree Of fermentation il can readily be
grasptd that the machine method must make for
To procure green tea. fermentation is checked
before color change To set the black the
process is continued until smell and appearance
Indicate the expert that II has progressed suf-
nciently- DIFFERENTIATION would ruin the prod
The tea Is now conveyed to the "desiccator'' 10
be fired Here. thinly spread upon wire trays.
which are slid after another, into an Ovenlike
chine, the lear is subjected TO the contact OF
current of hot air 20 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit
perfectly dry and brittle black in color and
lighter in weight by - per cent than when IL first
came 10 the factory. The entire operation has
consumed a day II is placed in bins to cool for a
like period
II is now ready for grading" This is auto
matcally performed by the si1ter-a machine with
a series Of siev5s above the other. and formed
as yIupinE trays with wire meSheS- The top tray
has mesh that permits the passage OF all but
the very coarsesJ Leaf The remaining trays have
each a smaller mesh than the one above IL and,
of course. arrests a smaller Leaf Thus the tea
Sits itself into its particular grades The sleeves
are oscated, at very high speed by steam
power.
The tea has now acquired the grade names by
which il is commercially kCOwn-IrOken orange
have borrowed the names for our wines, so the
English seem have cribbed from the Chinese,
ana perhaps for the same reaSon-nO- TO be en-
abIed to sail under false colOrs. but because as
sumption Of types familiar 10 all saves world
Of explanation In the long run the wine. or the
tea. must favor. and each has. despite the
handicap of the type designation, a ,world-widc
favor because pure. uaadulterated and OF sur
passing excellence.