Democratic Sentinel, Volume 16, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 June 1892 — Grading Tea In Japan. [ARTICLE]

Grading Tea In Japan.

Tea sorting is one of the comipon occupations of young girls in the teafarming districts of Japan. They carefully pick out all the seeds, weeds, bits of bark and other rubbish that unavoidably fall into the baskets during the picking. The sorting is done after the tea leaves have been fired; that is, dried by being placed in a tray, with a stout paper bottom, and shaken. over a charcoal fire for a time, and then placed on the top of an oven built for the purpose, when the drying operatives twist the leaves by hand. The pickers, besides taking out the rubbish, in many cases sort the leaves into different grades, the better qualities being taken out and sold at very remunerative prices. The Japanese teas are divided into eight grades, but unfortunately the best of them are not sent to the United States. After the tea has been dried and is ready for picking, it is .carefully sifted, aid then, packed in lead-lined chests and in caddies. The dilst from the siftings is §aved, and large quantities are sent, to America every year. It is sold much .cheaper than the perfect tea. The dust only costs from five to ten cents a wholesale, and by careful admixture with goqd tea can be made to retail at a dollar.