A History of Assam c24.17

c24.17

When the cultivation of tea was first commenced in Assam nothing was known of the habits of the tea bush, and it was only after many years of study and experimenting that the planters learnt what was the most suitable soil and climate, and what was the best way of planting out and spacing the bushes, of cultivating, pruning and plucking them, and of withering, rolling and firing the leaf. The procedure in these matters is far from uniform; it varies with the kind of plant grown, and with the local peculiarities of soil and rainfall. It would be tedious to descend to details, but it may be mentioned that one of the greatest improvements has been the introduction of machinery whereby the handling of the tea is reduced to a minimum. Formerly the freshly picked leaves were rolled by hand into lumps, each about the size of a loaf, and were then left to ferment, after which they were roasted on sieves over small charcoal fires. The leaf is now rolled, fired and sifted entirely by machinery, and is practically not handled at all. There are two main varieties of tea, black and green, the latter being produced in comparatively small quantities, chiefly for the American market.