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will Tea keep without being damaged? "If well secured from the air in boxes, it will keep good for three or four years." In which months do you commence plucking the leaves in China? "If the weather is warm and fine, and the season has not been a very cold one, the first crop commences in May, the second crop about forty-seven days after the first, and the third crop about the same time after the second, or forty-two days." When you roll the China leaves, do you think they contain more juice, or less, than the Assam ones? "The China leaves, I think, have more juice, and the leaves are much smaller." Is the soil of the China Tea the same as the Assam? "The same." How often do you weed your plantations? "Once in the rains and once in the cold weather."
The place these Chinamen speak of is called "Kong-see," on the mountains, about 40 days journey by water to Canton, and two days journey from the great Tea country "Mow-ee—san."
A few Observations on the Tea Plant of Assam.
The Tea plants in Assam have in general been found to grow, and to thrive best, near small rivers and pools of water, and in those places where, after heavy falls of rain, large quanties of water have accumulated, and in their struggle to get free, have cut out for themselves numerous small channels. The sort of land to which I allude will be perhaps letter explained by means of a diagram.
The dotted line shews the limit of the highest flood-
