Picking the leaf is carried on all the year round in Ceylon, except during pruning time, when the plants do not “flush” for two months, with which exception they flush every week, from each shoot of which the two top-leaves with the young shoot and half the third or coarser leaf are only plucked at a time. At 4 o’clock each evening the day’s “picking” is carried to the factory and the leaves laid out on the “withering” mats, which are stretched one above the other from poles or racks until the next morning, when the leaf is sufficiently evaporated, being rendered soft, pliable, and easy to roll by that time. The next process, that of “Rolling,” is one to which special attention is paid, as it is mainly to this system that the quality of the tea depends. The previously withered leaves are put into the roller, which is operated by hand or steam power, 100 pounds at a time placed in an upper box of the machine and pressed down with weights on the table or lower portion of the machine. The box containing the pressed tea travels with a circular motion round the table, by which the leaves are pressed, twisted and rolled as they come in contact with the small battens fitted into the centre of the table. After an hour the pressure is increased until at the finish it is from four to five hundred pounds on the leaves, the juice thus expressed being carefully collected and poured back into the roller every now and again until it is all absorbed by the crushed and twisted mass of leaves. When the rolling process is finished, the leaves are then placed on trays holding from 20 to 25 pounds, covered with a wet cloth and allowed to ferment from two to four hours according to the weather, or until they become a bright-copper color, when they are again rolled from a half to an hour according to fancy, after which they are ready for firing.