Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1914-07-14
HOW ooLoNG TEA is PRODUCED.
Americans Have Not Been Successful
in Home Raising.

Americans Have Not Been Successful
in Home Raising.
"It is impossible to express IN
opinion of values as to why American
experiments in the manufacture Of
oolong teas have SO far been of doubt
full seuccess," says former Consul An
derson. "In the manufacture of tea
so much depends upon little things
which affect the exact chemical or
physical condition of the leaf that
even where the leaf itself and the
general process itself are the same
there may be important differences
in results because of very slight vari-
ations in conditions.
1T may be said, in the first place,
that Formosan plants used for oolong
teas are more rank in their growth
as a rule than the Hangchow teas
used in the United States for such
teas, but possibly this is due more
to the climate of Formosa being much
more damp and much warmer than
the American fields than to any great
difference in the plants themselves.
The leaf is handled less expeditiously
in Formosa than it seems to be in
the United States.
when delivered by the pickers to
the curing house the leaves are spread
out in open air. in the sunshine if
possible, on bamboo mat or in low
bamboo trays, and are there stirred
every five or seven minutes, until the
leaves are somewhat wilted, the edges
pliable and signs of fermentation are
visible The length of time required
for this depends upon the sun, tenn
perature and similar conditions. The
tea is placed in bamboo trays, about
four pounds in tray. which are
placed in rack. one above the other,
with enough space between to permit
free circulation Of air and to enable
the workmen to manipulate the leaves.
'"The leaves are stirred up in these
trays at intervals of from seven to
twelve minutes, as required, the fer
mentation being regulated and kept
as even as possible in this manner.
Fermentation ordinarily is allowed to
proceed for about two hours. after
which a rack of tea, about forty
pounds of leaf as a rule, is turned into
large circular bamboo tray and is
again stirred and manipulated for
two hours more, at the end of which
time the edges of the leaf are some
what dry, reddish brown in color and
with considerable of the odor of pre-
pared tea.
The leaf is then taken in lots Of
four or five pounds and placed in
metal firing pans over charcoal fires
hot enough to wilt and curl the leaf,
giving it the soft, spongelike quality
of damp tea leaves and enabling it to
be rolled, this firing or willing geing
accompanied by rapid stirring and
tossing the leaf in each pan. The
lot of tea is then turned into a round
bottomed pan fixed in the end of
bench, upon which workman sits.
and Inc leaf is then rolled by hand to
give it something of the form of ordi-
binary country cured Chinese or Jap
anese teas.
1.-The tea is then given a second pan
drying, followed by another rolling,
and sometimes even by third drying
and rolling, although generally two
rollings suffice. This rolling is fol
lowed by a drying sufficient to get the
leaf in such shape that it can be trans
ported to the export firer. This alter
nate process or drying and rolling
varies with the weather. and indeed
the whole process depends upon the
conditions surrounding the leaf. The
process takes the green leaf, oxidizes
or ferments it until the edges turn a
reddish brown and the entire leaf is
wilted; then willis the leaf over
fire until it can be rolled to give it
form, later drying it for temporary
packing.
'"The tea thus prepared for temper
airy keeping is known as green leaf
1t is packed in jute bags holding about
half picul, or about sixty-six pounds,
and is transported to the export firer.
The leaf thus packed is dry, but it
lacks the brittle condition of the tea
as it is received abroad, and generally
lis much lighter in color than oolong
as known to the trade.
"The final firing for export is done
in bamboo baskets, giving the name
of basket fired to the product. The
firing which produces characteristic
oolong is generally done in medium
sized room in some of the great brick
buildings housing the great tea es-
adjustments. In a firing room a
brick platform Of about twenty inches
high is constructed, in which are
round holes about two feet deep and
two feet in diameter, ordinarily about
a foot apart. and numbering from
fifty to three hundred or even four
hundred in an establishment. In each
one of these holes a charcoal fire is
built, and the charcoal is burned until
all flame disappears, the room becom-
ing a great furnace, into which the