Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1850-06-29

94,5OO,OOO

The Tea plant hourishes but on the poor
est ferruginous soils. like the water-furrowed
barrens we see going from Reading TO Potts.
town. lis cultivation in China exceeds be-
lief; for every Chinaman uses it at each
meal and at all times through the day, as an
eEhlirant. But the great Tea.growing coun.
try covers about four hundred square miles,
between the 25th and 3lst Parallels of North
latitude.
The Tea-plant is Camelia, that bears
seed like hazle-nut. # grows from five to
seven feet high, and is very leafy. 1t is very
hardy, and could easily be accimated to this
latitude for we know that it hourishes ma.
tive on the slopes of the Himaayeas, where
snow lies as long as it does here. We have
no doubt, therefore, that it will thrive in
Schuylkill county. In three years, the shrub
yields leaves for Tea. In seven years it is in
full yield; and it lasts for Tea purposes fif-
teen or twenty years.
Green and Black Teas owe their difference
entirely TO the mode of preparation. The
Chinese never drink Green Tea; but all the
Black lea that is left in their tea-po,s is COL
lected, and converted into Hyson, Gunpow-
der, &c, for the English and American mar
kets; the color we admire being given arti.
fcally.
We know nothing in this country of fine
tea; or even what would pass for any sort Of
drinhabe Tea among the lower orders in
China.
Good Tea would not bear transportation by
sea; it would undergo destructive sweat
ing. To fit Tea for voyage, it must be
overturned, which spoils ii fora China mans
palate. Consequently every sort of trash
under the head of Canton Tea, is mixed with
1t by the exporters, who consider that no
part of it is Tea any how; and the rubbish
is equal to what we call the genuine.
A China doctor would honestly cali it
slow poison, as many of our medicine.men
have done.
In England, better qualities of Tea are used
than with US, because the duty on all is alike,
say A cents a pound; which makes the
poorer too dear for the quality.
The proportion of Green and Black Teas
used are as follows:
Green. Black
Europe 100000 lbs. 1,soO, 900 lbs.
Australia, &c. 100000 1000, 900 "
U. States li,5OO 900 5.5Oo,oOO 4"
Russia uses Black Tea almost entirely
Extensive Tea dealers soon get rich. 1t is
an article that yields heavy profit to every
one whose hands it passes through; and a
deal of mixing and aduleraing is done in
this country, from the Importer to the small
grocer.
Great efforts are being made in England
to release Tea from the exorbilant duty i'm
posed. The tax amounts 10 s27,5O0,O00
yearly! Ii is alleged by merchants that un-
less England increases the imports of Tea,
by removing the duty, the export of British
goods 10 China must be lessened very ma
terialy, for Tea is all the Chinese have TO
pay with, yearly balance of $4,000, 900,
thai is accumulating. against that country.
There is an increasing inquiry in this
country into the practicabiity of raising our
our Tea, that satisfies US of an early move
ment being made to cultivate the plant
And we can foresee that the Tea-tree specu
! lation will run over the land like fire in a
stubble 6eld-but unlike the mulberry fever,
it will end in firmly establishing among our
branches of industry, the growth and manu-
facture Of our own tea and not till that time
shall we know what is cup of real tea, a.nl
what healthy invigorator i, is of mind anc
body. Mining Register.