Mr. Fortune thus describes the scenting process. In a corner of the building there Lay a large heap of orange flowers, which filled the air with the most delicious perfume. A man was engaged in sifting them to get out the stamens and other smaller portions of the flower. This process was necessary, in order that the flowers might be readily sifted out of the tea after the scenting had been accomplished. The orange flowers being fully expanded, the large petals were easily separ ated from the stamens and smaller ones. In 100 parts 70 per .cent. were used, and 30 thrown away. When the omnge is used, its flowers must be fully expanded, in order to bring out the scent ; but flowers of jasmine may bo used in the bud, they will expand and emit their fragrance during the time they aro mixed with the tea. When the flowers had been sifted over in the manner described, they were ready for use In the meantime the tea to be scented had been carefully manipulated, and appeared perfectly dried and finished. At this stage of the process it is worthy of observing that, while the tea was perfectly dry, the orange flowers were just as they had been gathered from the trees.
Large quantities of the tea were now mixed up with the flowers, in the proportion of 40 lbs. of flowers to 100 lbs. of tea. This dry tea and the undried flowers were allowed to lie mixed together for the space of twenty-four hours. At the end of this time the flowers were sifted out of the tea, and by the repeated sifting and winnowing pro cesses which tho tea had afterwards to undergo, they were nearly all got rid of. Sometimes a few stray ones are left in the tea, and may be detected even after it arrives in England. A small portion of tea adheres to the moist flowers when they are sifted out, and this is genemlly given away to the poor, who pick it out with the hand. The flowers, at this part of the process, had impregnated the tea leaves with a large portion of their peculiar odour, but they had also left behind them a certain portion of moisture which it was necessary to expel. This was done by placing the tea once more over slow charcoal tires in basket sieves prepared for the purpose of drying. The scent communicated by the flowers is very light for some time, but, like the fragrance peculiar to the tea leaf itself, comes out aft,er being peeked for a week or two. Sometimes this scenting process is re'peated when the odour is not considered sufficiently strong ; and the headman in the factory said that he sometimes scented twice with orange flowers and once with the 3fo-le (Jasminum sambac).
In British India, tea growing and its manufac ture into the commercial product have become great industries. The name in ordina.ry use, alike for the plant and its products, is Chit. In Cachar the tea tree is called Dullicham, meaning white wood, from the light colour of its bark. It is called Phlap also Khlap by the Assamese, but also Misa Phlap in Muttack, and Heelkat in other parts of Assam. Chinese tradition points to India as the original home of the t,ea plant. A Brah man ascetic named Dharma went as a missionary to China. Wearied with a toilsome journey, he fell fast asleep on reaching his destination, and on awaking, angry at such weakness, he tore out his eyebrows. The hairs, taking root, became tea plants, the leaves of which he tasted, and he was soothed into mystic meditation.' Colonel Kyd in 1780 formed a tea-garden in Calcutta with plants from Canton, the nucleus of the Cal cutta Botanic Garden.
It was not known to Europeans to be indigen ous in British India till the early part of the 10th century. At the request of the E. I. Company, on the suggestion of Warren Hastings, Sir Joseph Banks in 1788 had drawn up a memor andum recommending the introduction of plants from China, and suggesting Behar, Rungpur, and Koch-Bahar as suitable regions.
But it was only in 1815 that a Bengal Lieut. Colonel brought to notice the presence of the plant in the N.E. of British India. From that dato the notices became frequent. Dr. Buchanan Hamilton early mentioned it as a plant of Assam and the Burmese territories there. In 1816 the Honourable Mr. Gardner found it in the Neptdese dominions ; Moorcroft in Bussahir in 1821 ; Bishop Ileber in Karnaon in 1824 ; brothers Bruce in 1826 ; and Dr. Corbyn in 1827. But the really practical discovery was made in 1819 by Mr. David Scott, Commissioner of Assam, who sent from Munnipur to Mr. G. Swinton, then Chief Secretary to the.
India Government, a specimen of the leaves of a shrub which he insisted was a real tea. The very specimen is still preserved in the Linntean Society of London. It has been said that they were brought to his notice by the two brothers Major R. and Mr. C. A. Bruce. The latter, the younger, had been trading in Assam previous to its annex ation, and subsequently, in 1826, being in corn mani of a division of gunboats in Upper Assam, he brought down with him some shrubs and seed, which were at once identified as belonging to the tea. plant of conunerce, and he subsequently, in 1833, brought it to the notice of Capt. Jenkins.