Weighing.—This illustration is from a photograph, showing the manner of weighing tea, and payment of wages. The leaf is subsequently prepared by firing.
As regards the quality of Tea, this must depend not only on its variety and growth, but also on the time during which the leaves are gathered. Directly the refreshing spring showers have passed off, and a gracious sunshine succeeds, which, aided by drying winds, chases away each leaflet’s tears, the Tea harvesting season commences with vigour. Hundreds, and occasionally thousands, of little merry leaf-gatherers may be seen sallying forth at early morning to their pleasant labour, singing, laughing, prattling, and dancing as they go. Then when the mid-day gong sounds, work ceases for the nonce, when these pretty, black-eyed, dark-haired damsels squat in groups among the bushes, while they partake of their frugal meal of rice, moistened by copious draughts of hot weak Tea. Immense care is necessary in order to protect the delicate young leaf from injury. As a rule, the girls employed undergo a species of training to prepare them for their work. Not only so, but while engaged in plucking the flowery Pekoe they wear gloves of perfumed leather. Every leaf has to be plucked separately. Still so expert are the pluckers that an average gathering would amount to twelve pounds weight daily for each person. There are three seasons. The first commences at the end of February, or the beginning of March; the second about the end of March, or the first week of April; third at the end of May, or in June. The earliest leaves constitute the most exquisite and expensive teas; while the second crop forms the largest proportion of the entire produce.
The best description is the produce of the early spring when the leaves are young and small. But many growers, for the sake of increased quantity, prefer gathering the leaves later in the season, when they are not simply larger, heavier, and more numerous, but when they have lost much of their pristine flavour. Of course, only experts, who devote their lives to the work, can distinguish the difference between the various growths of early spring or late autumn. Consequently, the ordinary consumer of Tea is compelled to trust to the integrity of the particular retailer from whom he procures this commodity. But as the majority of retail grocers do not profess to know the true value of Tea, it follows that they in their turn, have to place implicit trust in the better judgment of the wholesale dealer, commercial traveller, or middle man with whom they do business.
Tracing the history of Tea to a very early period, we find that complaints of adulteration were very prevalent. In England the chief deception practised, consisted in the admixture of sloe and other leaves with the genuine article. The re-drying of leaves that had been already used was a malpractice equally as disgraceful. The Tea so tampered with was little better than a mass of woody fibre, destitute of those chemical properties upon the presence of which the value and virtue of this tropical beverage depend. More mischievous still was the practice adopted some time since by which an ingenious mixture of sumach leaves and catechu was made to resemble Tea, so that ordinary persons could not detect the counterfeit. Yet, notwithstanding the last-mentioned substance, from its powerfully astringent action on the system, was calculated to induce serious mischief to health, this objectionable compound was literally sold under the protection of a patent, and was known in the trade as “La Veno Beno, the Chinese Tea Improver.” The public, however, heard nothing of this impudent fraud, until after the scheme succeeded and all the mischief had been done.
Bad as are the adulterations of the leaf practised in this country, those adopted by the Chinese are even worse. Not very long since, much commotion was created respecting “Lie Tea,” which was thrust in the market. This “base presentment” consisted either wholly, or in great part, of leaves which had no affiliation whatever to the Tea plant, but consisted of leaves and weeds gathered anyhow, then rolled and dried, and artificially flavoured so as to resemble the genuine article. With reference to what is called green Tea, the system frequently pursued in its preparation is highly reprehensible. The Green Teas sold in England are usually artificially coloured in order to enamour the eye of the unsuspecting purchaser. The principal medium employed in effecting this result is none other than Prussian blue, a deadly poison, and inimical to health even in the minutest quantity. According to Mr. Fortune, no less a proportion than half-a-pound is used to every hundred weight of leaf.
Although botanists have divided Tea into two species, still the black and green descriptions are but varieties of the same plant. Practically it is found more convenient to cultivate each sort separately, certain districts favouring the specific growths. But any description of black Tea can, in the process of drying, be converted into green. Of course the Chinese never touch these artificially-coloured products. They have too much good sense for that. While they consider the English fools for their pains, inasmuch as the pretty colour tickles their fancy, and they are induced to pay a higher price for the sophisticated commodity.
