TEA AND THE TEA TRADE. Though now so extensively employed, the introduction of tea into Europe is of comparatively recent origin. Macpherson, in his ' Ilistory of European Commerce with India,' states that "tea (aah) is mentioned as the usual beverage of the Chinese by Soliman, an Arabian merchant, who wrote an account of his travels in the East about the year A.D. 850;" but that he had been unable to find any other mention of it prior to the times of the Jesuit missionaries, who entered China and Japan a little before the middle of the 16th century. Anderson, in his ' History of Commerce,' quotes Botero as giving the earliest account in 1590, when he says that the Chinese. "LAW! also an herb, out of which they press a deli cate juice. which serves them as drink instead of wine." Tezeira, a native of Portugal, about the year 1600, saw the dried leaves of tea at Malacca ; and Olearius found them used in 1633 by the Persians, who obtained them from China by means of the Usbeek Tartars. Tea, coffee, and chocolate are all mentioned in an act of parliament of 1660, whereby a duty of Sd. is charged on every gallon of chocolate, sherbet, and tea made for sale. But the use of it in England at that time must have been new ; for Pepys in his Diary, writes, Sep tember 25, 1661, " I sent for a cup of tea fa Chinese drink), of which I had never drank before." The Dutch East India Company probably first introduced it into Europe, and from Amsterdam it was brought to London. But tea must have continued to be brought in small quantities only; for in the year 1664 the East India Company pur chatted, for the purpose of presenting to the king. 2 lba. and 2 ozs. of tea ; and in the year 1673 they imported 4713 lbs. of tea, which was then for the first time thought worth their attention as a branch of their trade. (' Macpherson,' p. 131.) The botanical characters of the chief species of the tea-plant are described in the NAT. HIST. Div., under the name,of the genus THE-A, to which they belong.
Tea Cala ration.—Tes is cultivated in China over a great extent of territory. Dr. Wallich mentions it as being cultivated in Cochin China in 17' N. Lat. We know that it is cultivated in the southern provinces of Yunnan and of Canton. Farther north the principal cultivation of teas for the foreign trade is between 27* and 31° N. lat. : but tea is said to be produced in several places to the north of 31'; even in 36% and also in the Japanese Islands, which extend from 30° to 41' N. lat, it is generally said to be cultivated in hilly situations. Grozier states that the songlo-teha (our green tea) takes its name from the mountain Song-lo, situated in the province of Kiangnan, in N. lat.; while the bou-y tcha (bohea) takes its name from a mountaiu called Bou-y, situated in the province of Fo-kien. Mr. Cunnin.tham (at the time when Chusan had a British factory) collected specimens on the tops of mountains, where the tea-plant flourished along with piues. The deputation scut into Asam to
examine the sites of the tea, saw it growing in the valley of Asam, and were thus led to think that it must grow in similar situations in China; but even in Amu it is also found on hills ; and there is no doubt that it Is found in both situations In China, and in many which must be moist, though it i4 probable that the finest varieties of to are cultivated In the drier soils and in situations exposed to light and air. Some soils in which the tea-plaut is cultivated in China yielded, on analysis in 200 parts—of ailex, 135; alumina, 36; carbo nate of magnesia, 6 ; carbonate of lime, 4; oxide of iron, 13 ; roots and fibres of plants, 2: water of absorption, 4. Dr. Abel thought that the d6bris of granitic rocks would yield a fitting soil, and that the Capo of Good Hope would afford a suitable climate.
The culture of the tea-plant in China seems simple enough. The plants are raised from seeds, sown in the place* where they are to remain. Several are dropped into holes 4 or 5 inches deep and 3 or 4 feet apart, shortly after they ripen ; or in November and December, as they do not preserve well, from their oiliness. The plants rise up in a cluster when the rain comes on, and require little further care, except that of removing weeds, till they are three years old, when they yield their first crop of leaves. They are seldom transplanted; but 'sometimes four to six plants are put close together, so as to form a fine bosh. After growing seven or ten years they are cut down, In order that the numerous young shoots which then spring out may afford a more abundant supply of leaves. In some districts the bushes grow unrestrained, in others they are regularly pruned, to keep them low. The gathering of the leaves is performed with great care : they are usually gathered singly, first in 3larch or April (according to the district), when the young leaves are scarcely expanded; the second about two months later, or May and June; and the third in August, or about six weeks after the second ; but the times neceasarily differ in different districts, as well -as the number of crops which are obtained, some growers avoiding the third. for fear of injuring the bushes. When the leaves are gathered they are dried In houses that contain small furnaces, on each of which there is a flat iron pan ; upon this, when heated, the leaves, partially dried by exposure to the sun, are thrown ; the leaves require frequent shifting and turning. When all are properly dried, they are quickly removed either by the hand or with a shovel, and either thrown upon a mat or Into baskets kept ready to receive them. They are then removed to a table where they are rolled and cooled, and the process is repeated ; after which they are sifted and sorted into several varieties.