The total production of tea in China is unknown, and can at best be only roughly estimated, and while we have no certain means of ascertaining the quantity consumed in that country itself, fair conclusion may be drawn from the data at hand. Taking the population at 400 millions and considering that the use of tea is universal among its inhabitants, an average of five pounds _per capita_ would not be an overestimate, making a total of two billion pounds alone for home consumption. Again averaging the product at 100 pounds of cured tea per acre and the total area under tea cultivation at 20 million acres, if, therefore, we admit the home consumption of tea in China to be two billion pounds, we cannot but be surprised at the relatively small quantity which is exported from that country. According to the latest statistics, we find that the total exports to all countries from China does not exceed 200 million pounds, which is less than one-tenth of the total production of that country. JAPAN TEAS. Tea is grown for commercial purposes all over the Japanese islands, from Kiusiu in the south to Niphon in the north, but both in quantity and quality of their product the central provinces of Hondo are the finest, particularly that produced in the districts on the coast provinces of the interior sea. The tea soil of Japan is described as slate atmospherically dissolved with gypsum and phosphoric acid, produced by manuring. The system of cultivation and methods of preparation do not differ materially from those of the Chinese, the first picking, which is the best, occurring about the beginning of May, the second a month later, the third is often, however, omitted altogether, in order not to injure the plants. In Japan the raw leaves are generally sold to the exporters, by whom they are prepared and converted into the several descriptions known to commerce. When a sufficient quantity has been accumulated they are carried to the hong or “drying house” and first placed in large bamboo baskets, in which they are subjected to a steam bath for about a minute, after which process they are spread out in the open air to cool and dry thoroughly, previous to being fired and curled. Only about five pounds of the leaves are put in the pans at a time for manipulation, the process being identical with that of China, with the exception that they are finally dried in bamboo baskets suspended over the furnaces by cords from the ceiling for about fifteen minutes. During this time they are gently agitated by the hands of the operators in order to diffuse the heat and more thoroughly dry them. They are then removed by a dextrous motion with fan-like scoops and tossed in the air to free them from dust and stems, and afterwards picked over by women and children before packing in the lead-lined chests for export.