Page:An account of the manufacture of the bla.pdf/17

 very much; some plants only produce two rupees weight, while others produce a pound and a half; but about a quarter of a pound, all round, I should think the first crop; the second crop at little less, and some people never take the third crop for fear of killing the trees." Do you always manufacture the Tea in China, in the same way as you have the Assam Tea? "The same." Do you know how to make Green Tea? "No." Do you ever put anything to the Tea to give it a ﬂavour? "Never." Do you ever sow or plant in the shade, or have you any trees to shade the plants? "No, there are a few large trees here and there, but not for shade." If your plantations are on the side of mountains, they cannot have the sun all day? "True, in some plantations the plants are in the shade for nearly half the day; some China merchants that come to purchase Tea, pretend to know which is shady and which sunny by the smell, the sunny being preferred." Do the Tea plants cast all their leaves in the winter? "Great numbers fall, but the plants always retain some.” Which do you think have the most juice when they are rolled, the leaves from the sunny tract, or those from the shady? "Those from the shady tract." Which require to be most dried in the sun? "The shady tract leaves." Which of the two Teas do you think best? "That from the sunny tract." Which produce most leaves, those in the shade, or those plants that have been cut down, and afterwards permitted to grow up? "The latter twice as many." Which do you think produce most seeds? "Those in the sun." Do you ever in China plant from slips? "No." After you have made the Tea in China, how long is it before it is fit to drink? "About one year; if drank before that, it will taste unpleasantly and of the fire, and will affect the head." How long