TEA MANUFACTURE.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 2116, 4 December 1880, Page 3

TEA MANUFACTURE.

I A correspondent at Foo-chow communicates to the “Argus” the following description of the method of manufacturing tea as prao- , tisod in China : The loaves when picked from the hushes are placed in large baskets, and are carried to the curing establishment (generally a wing . built on to the grower’s farm-house), where on arrival the contents of the baskets are emptied into circular-shaped trays, made of split bamboos. About ten to fifteen catties of leaves are spread loosely in these trays, and then they are arranged one above the other on a sort of skeleton frame or bamboo stand. When all the trays collected in the morning have been arranged in this way, and if it happens to be a sunny day, the trays containing leaves are placed on the ground in the sun and exposed thereto for several minutes. Some curers only expose the leaf five or ten minutes, never more than half an hour, and some consider the sun drying process quite unnecessary ; in fact, during dull, cloudy, and often rainy weather, this part of the process is unavoidably dispensed with. However, after the short process of sundrying has been gone through, the “ sai-hoos,” or workmen, taking each a tray containing leaves in their hands, place them on rests, pass their hands under and through the leaves, turning them over and over for ten and sometimes twenty minutes, so as to allow the air to pass between, and finally to absorb the moisture contained in them. After this performance, the trays with their contents are again arranged one above the other on bamboo stands, and at various intervals during the day this “absorbing” process is repeated four or five times. Towards evening the leaves are thought fit to be passed through the frying process, and on close examination thereof, it is apparent that they have changed from a comparatively dark green color to a light greenish yellowish tinge, and instead of the fresh glossy leaves of the morning, you find them faded, limp, pliable, and almost lifeless. At this stage the leaves emit a most delicious perfume, resembling the scent of primroses and jessamine combined. Sun-drying is not considered of so much importance now as it was some years back, the “ sai-hoos ” being of opinion that a lengthy exposure to the sun extracts from the leaves some of their principal virtues, whereas the comparatively mild' absorbing process has, they say, the effect of releasing the superabundant moisture without extracting the essential juices, which undoubtedly give strength to the infusion, and account somewhat for that “grip and pungency” so recognisable in Formosa oolongs. This may be the case, but I fancy that the rich mountain slopes only recently cleared and laid bare for the first time for ages is a far more important agent in determining strength as well as flavor, and this is especially noticeable in teas grown in light and dark-reddish ferruginous soils. The next step in the manufacture of the leaf is a most important one—viz., the “ frying.” Fires are lighted under round concaveshaped iron pans, which are fitted into the top of a furnace made of mud bricks covered with ohunam. These pans being sufficiently heated, a handful or two of leaves are placed therein for two or three minutes, and it is then that the “sai-hoos’” pidgin (business), to manipulate the leaves quickly and scientifically, begins. He first presses them against the bottom and sides of the pan, rolling them over and over until a twist or make is attained. After this short but effectual ordeal, the leaves are thrown on to a smooth tray, and the “ saihoo ” repeats the rolling and twisting with his hands. This is followed by a second | “ frying ”of same leaves in the pans for a few minutes only, and then, when so heated and prepared, they are handed over to another squad of “ sai-hoos,” who are squatting on a long bamboo, fixed horizontally

uu a xuug uuuiuwy uaou uviiauuvwij about 2JEt. from tha ground, their hands holding on to this support, but leaving their bare feet quite free. The fully-dried leaves are now placed in heaps at the feet of these men, and are trodden, rolled, twisted and otherwise treated, until the “make ” is considered perfect. With four pans and about eight “ sai-hoos,” about four piculs (picul 133£lbs) of leaf can be made within the space of say twenty hours. Leaves are usually picked in the morning, dried during the day, fried in the evening, and fired following morning. If any leaves are brought in in the afternoon, they are at once dried by the “ absorbing process,” and fired before daybreak. The final process at these up-country establishments is to place the “ fried ” leavea in cylindrical shaped baskets, divided in two by a sieve partition. The baskets, containing about four or five catties of tea, are then arranged over circularshaped charcoal fires, sprinkled over with ashes of paddy (rice) husks, and built in and above the floor about Ift. A light fire is considered sufficient if the leaf is to be hurried to market, but an extra fire is given in case teas are to be“ held” and stowed in earthenware jars, kept by all the “ourers ” as a protection against damp or a sudden fall in the markets. Teas of a fine to choice description are often hand-picked at these establishments, and grades kept distinct ; but more often the tea is hurried to the Twa-tu-tia market, the head quarters of foreign and native exporters, in an unpicked state. The tea is carried to market in cotton or hemp bags, and it is in this partly fired condition that foreign and native packers buy the article. Previous, however, to packing in lead-lined chests, the tea has, perhaps, to undergo picking again, and invariably a long and steady firing over charcoal fires in cylindrical-shaped baskets as previously described, the object being to extract all moisture. The last firing process, lasting from four to even 10 and 12 hours, having been accomplished, the hot tea is weighed carefully, and packed in lead-lined boxes or half-chests. If a half-chest is to contain 30 catties of tea (about 401 b.), some 10 catties are placed in first, and the “sai-hoo” levels and presses down the leaf with his hands, and then adds 10 to 15 catties mere, steps on top of the tea, places hie hands behind his back, and throws his head forward, and in this position goes through a sort of treadmill step for about a minute, until half is squeezed into the smallest compass. The remaining 15 catties are then added, the top nailed down and damped, and the package is ready for shipment to England. If for America or Australia, an additonal mat covering is sewn round the chest. In order to further strengthen the chest, it is corded with fine rattan. Much might be said about deterioration of teas, both in appearance and strength in cup, but as the object of this paper is merely to describe minutely the mode of manufacturing tea, I need only here remark that in my opinion, the deterioration is attributed to the mixing of inferior leaves with all grades of tea by the Chinese packers of tea at Twa-tu-tia, to an extent which is most damaging to prospects of the trade. In former years, when Formosa teas, fired . and packed by foreign “ hongs” caused a good i inquiry at remunerative rates, the tea shipped i away was in every way desirable, but in thesf ■ day " chaw 11 leaf and “ chaw " dust forn L such a large percentage in Chinese packed tea ■ as to reduce the quality almost to a level witl • Amoy oolongs, which is saying a very grea deal.