Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1829-08-03
From The Nelo York Farmer.

'""' 'tc A'cW iOIh TWMfT4
On The Culture and Manufacture Of Tea. com.
municdtsd by IN American gentleman for
The AtW York Farmer aud Horticultural Re
p0SiOry
You ask IT me some nolices Of the state of
horticulture m Brazil. II would be- as easy TO
furnish you with sketch OF the notions upon
political economy entertained by the Paiaeo-
| mans or an elaborate essay upon the state of
the fine arts among the Hotteniois A peonle
vino knuw nothing of butter except MS il comes
| 10 them sailed from ireland and who derive ali
their potatoes from the same county, cannot
he supposed to have made any brilliant Jiscoy.
cries IN farming or horticulture. II is accord.
lngly of the simplcs, kind. They get as much
| from the earth can be obtained with the least
! possible trouble, and smile inereduonsiy if YOU
tell them OF the importance ofpayiug more AZ.
| teuiion to the InirDduction and culture of for
| pign vegetables. or late wears the numerous
French, English aud American re sidents have
| shown them The possibility of raising these We
9eiabes, and one may now see in the market
| occasionally, cabbages, turnips and even sal
lad There rs, however, "A ROYAL Botanic
Garden, formerly under the direction of a skill
iul German, but now going rapidly 10 decay
| under the slotbfn management of Portuguese
Carmete Friar As this garden has obtained
some celebrity IN books Of travels, Wi furnish
YOU vi h a few remarks which maze when I
visited il in 1867. Aud as the most interest
ing feature of this garden was the extensive tea
plantations, herewith furnish YOU with such
! notes as relate more Immediately to that sub
ject.
Tea plants occupy space from 8 to 10 acres
in the garden. They are planted at the distance
of four feet from each other. They are hand
some shruhs, about Q feet in height When I
saw them they looked rather bare, as they had
been recently stripped in par oil their leaves
This is repeated seyt raj tunes during the year d,
and hence arises the different sorts we have
in the market. No particular care seems 10 b,
taken of the plants, and they bloom in the
months Of July, August and September. You
are aware that the old king of Portugal. Don
John, when driven to Brazil. took great pains 10
introduce the cultivation Of the tea plant He
not only obtained the plants, but also two or
three hundred Chinese who we're perfectly ac
uuainted " it'll their management. They ATE
now scattered about the country. | have spve-
raj times been aceosred by these people with
request TO purchase some tea, samples of which
they carried with them. II made one almost
fancy bin elf in the celestial empire.
The most curious circumstance in relation to
tea is the ease with which il is prepared for
market witnessed the whole operation
and can therefore speak confidently on the sub
jeci.
The gathered leaves are exposed 10 the air
fnr few hours until they begin to lCH, os il is
popnIary called. fhey are then thrown Into
CIRCULAR pans set in brick work. under hich i,
a moderate fire These pans are oil iron, four
feet in diameter, aud about a foot deep, thr
leaves are stirred bTskly about IN these pans
for ten minutes or longer, according TO he
judgment Of the operator, when they are thrown
ont 10 anOther person who Is ready to receive
them. This person holds before hun Nat
wicker, or willow frame, about two feet wide
and four feet IN length, slightly inclined to-
ward the fJor. He srrews the leaves upon mi.
frame and laws over il HDother frame of the
same dimensions aud materials THIS is moved
RAPIDLY To and FRO Tor several minutes, aud by
this simple operation the leaves are curled up
and fall at the lower end oil the frame IN 10 bas-
kels conveniently placed Tor their reception.
This part If the process surprised me exceed
inely, for all travellers assert that every leaf is
rolled up separately by hand, and have even
heard il maintained that II Is only the small ~
delicate hand OF Chinese that can be advan-
tageously employed for this purpose. Those
leaves from which the moisture has not been
sufficiently expelled, remain huhe'nB ~ 'ne
frame, are of course not affected by the pro-
cess, and are returned again to the heated pans.
When a sufficient quantity OF the curled leaves
has been obi aimed, they are placed for short
period over a strong FIVE TO drive off any re-
maiaiDg moisture, aud are then put up into
ma pers or chests for immediate use.
/ inquired how much tea could be obtained
annually from a single shrub, but 90 one APP
peared 10 have ever thought upon the subject
they were unable at least TO make even toler-
able guess about il. Judging from the size OF
the pIant and the number of times it is stripped
| should conjecture that each plant would pro-
hucr about three pounds annually aud this
think is still within bounds.
1t is propagaled by sips, and was OF the spe
cies r. riridis, or green tea.
do no, know i any attempts have bsen rpadl