The first crop, in China, is gathered in April and May; the second in June and July, and the third in the Autumn.

The chief centers for collection for export of the product are Hankow and Shanghai in the north, Foochow in the center and Canton in the south. There are 30 or 40 different varieties of tea on the market.

Blending

There is a great deal of blending of tea among the China varieties. The practice of blending is a scientific art. The expert blender will take a low-priced tea and mix it with medium and fine qualities, in such a way, as to make a mixture which produces a good cup of tea. There are no rules that can be laid down to get this, but only the expert blender, by selecting different quantities and varieties can get the desired taste and flavor.