THEA, in botany, tea-tree, a genus of the Polyandria Monogyilia class and or der. Natural order of Columniferx. Aurantia, Jussieu. Essential character : corolla six or nine petalled ; calyx five or six leaved : capsule tricoccous.
The tea plant is a native of Japan, Chi na, and Tonquin, and has not been found growing spontaneously in any other part of the world.
Linnxus says ihat there are two species of the tea plant ; the bohea, the corolla of which has six petals; and the viridis, or green tea, which has nine petals. Timn berg makes only one species, the bohea, consisting of two varieties ; the one with broad, and the other with, narrow leaves. This botanist's authority is decisive re specting the Japanese tea plants ; but as China has not yet been explored, we can not determine what number of species there are in that country. The tea-tree, however, is now common in the botanical gardens in this country ; and it is evident that there are two species, or, at least, permanent varieties of it ; one with a much longer leaf than the other, which our gardeners call the green tea ; and the other with shorter leaves, which they call the bohea. The green is by much the hardiest plant, and with very little protec tion will bear the rigour of our winters.
This plant delights in Valleys, and is frequent on the sloping sides of moun tains and the banks of rivers, where it en ioys a southern exposure. It flourishes in the northern latitudes of Pekin as well as round Canton ; but attains the greatest perfection in -the mild temperate re glens of .Nankin. It is said only to be found between the 30th and 45th degree of north latitude. In Japan it is planted round the borders of fields, without re gard to the soil ; but as it is an important article of commerce with the Chinese, whose fields are covered with it, it is by them cultivated with care. The Abbe Rochon sacs it grows equally well in a poor as in a rich soil, but that there are certain places where it is of a better qua lity. The tea which grows in rocky ground is superior to that which grows in a light soil ; and the worst kind is that which is produced in a clay soil. It is propagated by seeds ; from six to twelve are put into a hole about five inches deep, at certain distances from each other. The reason why so many seeds are sown in the same hole is said to be, that only a fifth part vegetate. Being thus sown, they grow without any other care. Some, however, manure the land, and remove the weeds ; for the Chinese are as fond of good tea, and take as much pains to pro cure it of an excellent quality, as the Europeans do to procure excellent wine., The leaves are not fit for being pluck ed till the shrub is of three years' growth. In seven years it rises to a man's height ; but as it then bears but few leaves, it is cut down to the stem, and this produces a hew crop of fresh shoots the following summer, every one of which bears nearly as many leaves as a whole shrub. Some times the plants are not cut down till they are ten years old. We are informed, by
Kaempfer, that there are three seasons in which the leaves are collected in the isles of Japan, from which the tea derives dif ferent degrees of perfection.
The first gathering commences at the end of February or beginning of March. The leaves are then small, tender, and unfolded, and not above three or four days old : it is called imperial tea, being reserved for the court and peo ple of rank ; and sometimes also it is named bloom tea. It is sold in China for 20d. or 2s. per pound. The labourers employed in collecting it do not pull the leaves by handfuls, but pick them up one by one, and take every precaution that they may not break them. However long and tedious this labour may appear, they gather from four to ten or fifteen pounds a day.
The second crop is gathered about the end of itlarch or beginning of April. At this season part of their leaves have at tained their full growth, and the rest are not above half their size, This differ ence does not, however, prevent them from being all gathered indiscriminately. They are afterwards picked and assorted into different parcels, according to their age and size. The youngest, which are carefully separated from the rest, are often sold for leaves of the first crops, or for imperial tea. Tea gathered at this season is called Chinese tea, because the people of Japan infuse it, and drink it after the Chinese manner.
The third crop is gathered in the end of May, or in the month of June. The leaves are then very numerous and thick, and have acquired their full growth. This kind of tea is the coarsest of all, and is re served for the common people. Some of the Japanese collect their tea only at two seasons of the year, which correspond to the second and third already mentioned : others confine themselves to one general gathering of their crop, towards the month of June : however, they always form afterwards different assortments of their leaves.
In this country, teas are generally di vided into three kinds of green, and five of bohea : the former are, 1. Imperial, or bloom tea, with ,a large loose leaf, light green colour, and a faint delicate smell.
2. Dyson, so called from the name of the merchant who first imported it ; the leaves of which are closely curled and small, of a green colour, verging to a blue.
3. Singlo tea, from the name of the place where it is cultivated. The boheas are, 1. Souchong, which imparts a yellow green colour by infusion. 2. Camho, so called from the place where it is made ; a fragrant tea, with a violet smell ; its in fusion pale. 3. Congo, which has a larger leaf than the preceding, and its infusion somewhat deeper, resembling common hohea in the colour of the leaf 4. Pekoe tea ; this is known by the appearance of small white flowers mixed with it. 5. Common hohea, whose leaves are of one colour. There are other varieties, par ticularly a kind of green tea, .done up in roundish balls, called gunpowder tea.