If the weather is wet, it must, directly the balls are broken up, and the coarse leaf is picked out, be sent to the dholes. This is the only plan in wet weather, but the best Tea is made in fine weather.
Firing or Dholing.—In the case of wet weather, unless you have very many dholes, fresh roll will come in long before the first is finished. The only plan in this case is to half do it. Half-fired the roll does not injure with any delay, but even half an hour’s delay, between breaking up the balls and commencing to drive off the moisture, is hurtful.
In any but wet weather necessitating it the roll can be fired at one time, that is, not removed from the drawer until it has become Tea.
The roll in each drawer must be shaken up and re-spread two or three times, in the process of firing. The drawer must be taken off the fire to do this, or some of the roll would fall through into the fire, and the smoke thus engendered would be hurtful. If the lowest drawer is made to slide in and out a framework covered with zinc should be made to run into a groove below it, and this zinc protector should be always run in before the lower drawer is moved. This is part of Mr. McMeekin’s invention, and is very necessary to prevent roll from the lowest drawer falling into the fire when it (the lower drawer) is moved.
The roll remains in the drawers, subject to the heat of the charcoal below, until it is quite dry and crisp. Any piece then taken between the fingers should break with the slightest attempt to bend it.
The manufacture is now completed. The roll has become Tea.
All the above operations should be carefully conducted, but I believe the secret of good Tea consists simply in, first, stopping the fermentation at the right moment; and, secondly, in commencing to drive off the moisture immediately after.
I do not say that the manufacture here detailed may not be improved upon later, but I do say that in the results of economy, strong liquor, and well twisted leaf, its results are very satisfactory, and not surpassed by any other mode at present in vogue. I do not pretend that it will give Teas rich in Pekoe tips. To attain this, light rolling as shown must be resorted to, but just as far as Pekoe tips are procured so far must strength be sacrificed. Until the small Pekoe leaves can be detached and manufactured separately, this must always be the case.
From the Tea made as described by sifting and sorting, all the ordinary black Teas of commerce, as detailed at page [137], can be produced, excepting “Flowery Pekoe.”