GRADING AND PACKING.
The final grading of Green teas also differs from that of Black, there being two distinct styles or “makes” of the tea—rolled and twisted. They are first separated and then sifted, in which operation four sieves are used, two to separate the small from the large round or rolled leaves, and two for the curled or twisted. After being sorted or separated they are again fired into deeper pans at a much higher temperature, and winnowed while hot in large circular bamboo trays, to free them from any remaining chaff or dust, the choicer grades being hand-picked previous to being sent to the Twa-tu-tia (Tea market), which is held in the nearest town or village to the district of production. The inferior grades are generally disposed of in an unassorted condition to the native factors or foreign merchants, who afterwards sort, grade and pack them for export.
The grading or classing of Black teas for their first market is performed differently in the different districts. The most common custom, however, is to sort the dried leaves at the hongs, according to their size, style and quality, by collecting them in heaps or large layers, and rake them down so as to mix them well together and make them uniform in grade and average cost; the leaves being more often the product of different plantations, and even districts. The product of each plantation is brought by coolies in cotton bags or bamboo baskets to the tea market, and when disposed of are removed to the “Go-downs,” or warehouses, situated in the adjacent villages, where the teas of a district are stored until they are disposed of to the native factors or foreign agents, who travel through the country in the interest of commission houses or merchants at the treaty ports, and by whom they are again fired, graded and winnowed to free them from any remaining impurities. When the orders are filled the teas are transported across the country on the shoulders of coolies, or sent down by river or canal in “junks” to the shipping ports, the time occupied in transit varying according to means, being usually from six to eight weeks.
Previous to being packed for export in the lead-lined chests in which they are received in this country, the teas are again subjected to a still further firing, with the object of totally evaporating any moisture they may have absorbed in transit from the interior or by laying exposed in the storehouses, as well as to better fit them for the long sea voyage, after which the tea is weighed in “catties,” and placed in the chests, the packer pressing it down with his hands. When another cattie is put in he steps on top, places his hands behind his back and throwing his head forward goes through a sort of a tread-mill dance, until the leaves are tightly compressed into the smallest possible compass. More tea is then put in and pressed down in the same manner until the chest is filled, when the leaden lid is put on and soldered, the chest being nailed, clamped, matted and rattaned later, numerous hands, men and women, being employed in its final packing.
Before matting a Chinese character termed a “Chop-mark” is placed on the side of each chest, ostensibly to denote the packer or picking, but although the same “crop” or brand is received year after year from the same shipper it does not necessarily follow that the grade or quality will be the same or even equal to that of the preceding ones.
The term “chop” in Chinese means contract, and does not, as is claimed, refer to the crop or picking of any particular garden or season. In trade it is applied to a quantity of tea frequently composed of the product of different gardens, or piens (localities) and even districts averaged or made uniform in the piens of the Twa-tu-tia by the factors before forwarding to the shipping ports. When a sufficient quantity of a certain specified grade has been secured from several growers to make up a chop, it is carried to a warehouse in the adjacent village, where it is all mixed together, averaged, refired and packed for the foreign market. The quantity for a chop being selected according to the quality of the leaf and the district producing it, and considering how chops are made up—a few piculs from several gardens, often widely apart, they are wonderfully uniform in grade. Still, although year after year the same “chops” are received from the same shippers, it does not follow that the chops of one year or season will be as fine as those of the preceding or of equal quality. It being by no means an unusual practice for the packers in the interior to leave the chests unmarked until they reach the shipper, who, knowing the chops must be in demand at that particular season in the consuming countries, supplies them to order, or, at least, not to use one of bad repute.
The average cost of medium to fine grades of tea is 40 taels (about $20) per picul (133⅓ pounds) laid down at the port of shipment is as follows at the present time: The refiring, packing, leading, chests, matting and rattaning varying from $3 to $4 per picul more.
CHAPTER V.
CLASSIFICATION
AND
DESCRIPTION.
Tea as it occurs in commerce is the dried leaves of the tea-plant, and is generically classified as Green and Black, under which names it is best known to the public. Commercially, they are classed as China, Japan, India, Ceylon, and Java teas, but are again divided into numerous varieties and grades, having terms derived from the districts and localities of production, or indicative of age, form, or quality, from the delicate product of the young leaf-bud up to that of the large, old, and fully expanded leaf. These numerous appellations which distinguish the commercial qualities of tea being almost entirely of Chinese origin.