The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1850-07-24
From the Americans Agrienlturist.
Yauporf: Tea.

What SORT Of tea did YOU say sir q
Yaupon tea, ma'am. I cannot give you
the exact photography of tho word. It
may De yopon, yawPon, youpon, or yoo-
pom, as ! have never seen it written, and
It sounds from tFse nputh Of difTeren,
individuals, like each OF the above
words.
Wei, mover mind how it's spelled.
but do tell us what it is like, and
where il is usedy and where il comes
from, and aW abont IT.
Yes ma'am, and so might as wen
begin atthe beginning. Tradition says
il was. FIRST discovered upos, the deser,
coast Of Virginia, south Of the CHEESE
peake Bay, or upon the equally desc.
bate slaoTe Of North Carolina, and for q
long time was only known to ore fami.
ly ofIndians, who used TO prepare It,
and sell il 10 the early settlers of that
country, Il now grows abundantly,
both wild and cultivated, in all ,ha, re.
gior2 and among the primitive inhubl-
tants is almost exclusively used instead
Of coffee or 'store tea.' The shrub
somewhat resembles the box, is ever.
green, Of rather pale color, grows ten
or fifteen feet high, and is most natural
TO a poor sandy soiFr or rather land with.
out soil; that is, an sand. The bark,
leaves, and twigs are al made use Of;
butt believe tie young shoots are pre-.
ferred., For winter use, they are gath
cred in tlle falf and laid in trough,
chopped up somewhat fine, anG then
put mto{ an iron pot which IL carefully
heated, 70 wilt the leaves; then the
whole is packed away in earthen Jars,
or dried. and is made by infusion in
che ordinary way of making 'Hyson,
Souchong, Oolong,' or any other ong,
and makes quite as good drink as one
hnlf ofthe China teas in the country.
Great faith is placed in the medioin.
al qualities Of yaupon tea, by the peo.
pie OF the country where it grows. I.
is related Of q North Carolina gentlemen
who once had very bad cold, while
aithe Astor House, in N. York, tha, he
called for come yaupon tea, and, on the
waiter expressing some doubts about
being able 10 find the article, as he had
never heard Of it before, he thought
him very ignorant und wondered where
he came from not to know what yau.
pom tea was, as he had seen it and
smelt i upon the table every day since
he had been there; having mistaken the
black tea for the real native American
article. Certain it is, that it is ten
very much esteemed by great many
people, and it 10 worthy Of inquiry
whether il not deserving a more ex.
tended cultivation, and more general
use. l am told that in Princess. A nne
county, Virginia, little patch Of yau.
pom shrubs may be seen attached to
nearly every house, and that hundreds
of persons there never tasted Of any
other tea, and that hundreds Of others
who have tried the 'boughten stuff pre-.
Ter the domestic article. was assured
BY many informnuts that one gentle.
man los, the vote ofthe county in con.
sequence ofa story raised by his oppo.
nent, that he did not like ynupon ten,
and ridiculed the use Of it, and if elect
ed. would probably go agains, levying
aduty on foreign tea, for the benefit OF
the yaupon manufactures.
35 To save popularity, therefore speak
publicly OF the goodness of yaupon,
and that it is undoubtedly better than
halfthe green ten imported into this
country. And candiJly recommend
its increased cultivation. II would at
feas: afford something new, and tha, Is
more than we can depend upon when
we buy new ten with some heretofore
unheard.nf name.
Ladies, when shall have the pleas
ure ofa cup of 'yaupon' with you,
raised in your own garden, and cured
with your own hands SoLoN.
c<><~s-e-e-a@e.A~----~---Ae--
Btom tie fasiaer and Planter.
Tomatoes.