"Alas! Heaven nurtures all things, and each has its utmost subtlety. Yet what men labor at is only the shallow and easy. They dwell in houses, and houses are refined to the utmost;
"It has five names: cha, jia, she, ming, and chuan."
"On rainy days do not pick; on clear days with clouds do not pick; only on perfectly clear days pick."
"As a beverage, tea began with Shennong, the Divine Farmer, and became known through the Duke of Zhou of Lu."
"But in towns and noble households, if one of the twenty-four vessels is missing, the tea ceremony is spoiled."
"Tea is frugal by nature; it should not be used too lavishly, for overuse dims its flavor."
"In Lingnan, teas of Fuzhou, Jianzhou, Shaozhou, and Xiangzhou are occasionally obtained, and their flavor is excellent."
"Tea is a fine and noble tree of the South. It may stand one or two feet tall, or reach many dozens of feet. In the mountain gorges of Bashan, there are trees so thick that two men
"Tea is gathered in the second, third, and fourth months."
"The chuan string is made in Jiangdong and Huainan from split bamboo, and in Bashan and the gorges from twisted mulberry-bark. In Jiangdong one jin is a large string, half a jin a