Scald your teapot with boiling water, and allow a teaspoonful of tea for each person and one over. Pour enough boiling water on the tea leaves to rather more than wet them. Let it stand fifteen minutes; pour on as much boiling water as will serve one cup to each one of the company. As soon as the first cups are poured out, add half a teaspoonful for each person, and pour on some boiling water. The most convenient article for hot water is an urn with a spirit lamp under it, which keeps it boiling on the table. But the water may be kept sufficiently hot in an ordinary teapot.

Some who are particular about their tea, stop the spout of the teapot with a cork while the tea is drawing, to retain the aroma.

Tea came into general use sooner in England than in Scotland. In ] 685 the widow of the Duke of Monmouth sent a pound of it to one of her relations in Scotland. This Chinese production was then unknown. They examined it with great attention, and ordered the cook to come, who, after a long examination, decided that it was some dried herb. They abandoned to him this precious eatable to use as he thought proper. Consequently he bad the leaves boiled, threw the water away, and served them up like spinach. The guests did not find the garden stuff to their taste, and its reputation in Scotland thus suffered for a long time.

The Best Method Of Making Tea

When tea is made out of the room, its volatile and essential properties are frequently dissipated before it comes to the table. It is not the bitterness, but the fragrance of the tea that is refreshing. The tea should be wetted or steeped, before the larger quantity of water is added. But if the tea and the pot are both warmed dry, before any portion of the water is added, a stronger infusion will be obtained. Put the tea, dry, into the empty pot; then place the pot before the fire, or on the hot plate of an oven till the tea is well heated, but not burned; then pour upon it the boiling water, and a fragrant infusion will be immediately produced. Whether tea should be boiled or not, depends in some measure upon the constitution and inclination of the consumer. If it is generally found to be too exciting, and if also a full and slightly bitter infusion is preferred, the tea should be boiled a few minutes, because boiling dissipates the volatile extract which disturbs the nervous system, and develops by solution the bitter principle.