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Show 218 TEA TREE. TEA TREE. T he seeds are spherical, internally angular, of a rather large size, covered with a thin shining pellicle, a little hard, and ofa maroon colour. The kernel is oily, and of a bitter and dis. agreeable taste, which produces salivation, and even occasions first sold tea to an European, his tea being asked for ever after. The leaves are closely curled and small, of a green colour verging towards blue. Another hyson tea, with narrowshort leaves, is called hyson-utchin. There is also a green tea named gobé, nausea. with long narrowleaves, strongly rolled. 3. Song-lo or Singlo, which name it receives, like several others, from the place whereit is cultivated *. It is cultivated every where, from Canton to Pekin; where the winter, according to the observations of the missionaries, is more severe than at Paris. It would, no doubt, be possible, says the 219 learned Des Fontaines, to propagate this valuable plant in France, Bones Tras. if one could procure a sufiicient number of individuals to make experiments, by cuitivating it in different soils and underdifferent climates. This object deserves the attention of governinent, as the consumption oftea is immense, and as the quantity imported every year amounts to a considerable sum, for which Europeis rendered tributary to China. The tea seeds brought to us from that country become rancid, andspoil at sea; so that scarcely one of a thousand produces plants. It would therefore be necessary that persons who go to China should procure them exceedingly fresh, and take care to sow them, before theysail, in boxesfilled with light earth: they would then spring up on the passage. Nothing would be necessary but to water them from 1. Soo-chuen, sut-chong, sou-chong, or su-chong, called by the Chinese saa-tyang, and saet-chaon or sy-tyann, is a superior kind of cong-fou tea. It imparts a yellowish green colour by infu. time to time, and to preserve them from the sea water: the young plants might then arrive in safety. These are the chief distinctions of teas in Europe: Green TrAs. 1. Bing, (so called from the man whofirst made that tea,) imperial, or bloom tea, with a large loose leaf, of a light green colour, and a faint delicate smell. The leaves are not rolled*. 2. Hy-tiann, hikiong, hayssuen, or hee-chun—known to us by the name of hyson tea+, named from an Indian merchant, who * The bing grows four days’ journeyfrom the hyson country. The leaves are long andthin, those of singlo short and thick.—Asiatic Researches. + Of hyson there are twogatherings, and eachgathering is distinguished sion, and has its name froma place or province in China+. Gobe, gomi, and oofseen, are also leaves picked, from the byson leaves. Those called gomi are small, and very much twisted, so that they appear like bits of wire. The ootseen are more like little balls.—Asiatic Res searches, * Tunkey singlo tea is the best, which is owing to the soil: it grows near the hyson country. Ordinary singlo tea is neither so often tatched (tatch- ing is drying in aflat iron pan heated), or picked, as the above. Singlo and hyson teas are cured in the following manner: Whenthe leaves are gathered, they are directly tatched, and then very much rubbed by men’s hands to roll them, after which they are spread to divide them, for the leaves in rolling are apt to stick together; they are then tatched very dry, and afterwards spread on tables to be picked; this is done by girls or women, who, according to their skill, can pick from one to four catties each day. Then theyare tatched again, and afterwards again, and after that tossedin flat baskets to clear them fromdust ; they are then again spread on tables and picked, and then tatched for a fourth time, and laid in parcels, which parcels are again tatched by ten catties at a time, and when done put hot into baskets for the purpose, where they are kept till it suits the owner to pack them in chests or tubs, before which the tea is again tatched, and then put hot into the chests or tubs, and pressed in them by hand. When the tea is hot it does not break, which it is apt to do when itiseold. Singlo tea being more dusty than hysontea, it is twice tossed in baskets, hyson onlyonce. It appearsthat it is necessary to tatch these teas whenever they contract into two or moresorts; but as great care is takenin gathering it, 60 catties any moisture; so that if the seller is obliged to keep his tea anytime, espe- (a catty is 21 ounces and a third, or three catties are four pounds) from one pecul, when only 45 catties can be chosen from the singlo. Hyson-skin, asit is called, has its name from being compared tothe skin or peel to the hyson tea, asort of cover to it, and consequently not so good. it consists of the largest leaves, flat, unhandsome, bad coloured. This is ealled in London bloom tea. cially in damp weather, he must tatch it to give it a crispness before he cansell it. It is to be observed, that the quantity of leaves tatched increases with the times of tatching ; at first only half or three quarters of a cattyof leaves are put into the tatches.—Asiatic Researches. + Souchong is made from the leayes of trees three years old, and where |