The southern press., 1851-07-23

TO ths Editor Of the Journal Of Commerce
DEAR SIR Upon this national holiday, a
national claim may be appropriately answered,
although it does not come with the sound of
cannon, or the blast of "A trumpet.
On the 2Sth ult., further advance was made
In the progress of American. tea, which will
answer some of the calls Of the public, and tran
qnilize the doubts and fears Of the timorous--
on that day pucked from several of my green
tea plants, small quantity of tea leaves, and
proceeded to dry and convert them into tea.
The small number of my plants and the partial
growth Of the leaves, forbid my attempting to
gather beyond a suficiency for experiment; but
enough, apprehend, to confirm and establish
the important facts, that the tea plant Of China
is congenal to our climate; that the tea is pure
American growth, unmixed with any other herb
or material that is cured by solar heat alone,
and is in every respect the genuine tea of China
tea plants. It's fragrance, flavor, and physical
qualities, may undoubtedly be changed by the
process of manipulation and manufacture. But
my obje(t was to obtain the Interchangeable,
natural properties Of the leaf grown in this
country, and under the influences Of soil, atmOs-
phere, and local circumstances peculiar to it's
present condition. Whether the taste of the tea
corresponds with that of Congou, Gunpowder,
4
consequence. III the United States can pro-
duce one good quality of ten from the China
plani,-ihe various kinds Of SOIL the diversity of
climate, temperature and Locations will produce
every kind that grows in China, and satisfy
the national demand, so far as concerns that
article.
Jug All 1851. have now before me pot
OF fresh Green tea, from my own plantation, the
first have enjoyed. Having no experimental
evidence ia this country Of the effect of curing
tea by solar heat only, contrary to the Chinese
Indian, and Javian mode Of curing by firing, or
roasting in iron kettles, | felt some reluctance
TO expose this my first experiment to the public
gaze, and therefore conducted the whole, from
The picking Of the leaves to drinking the tea in
private way am much gratified with the re-
suit Of this my iiat essay in manufacturing
American tea. The drying Is SO simple that any
farmer in the Union car make his own tea, with
the same certainly and the same ease as he can
make his own bread. The fragrance is not so
high as imported Hyson tea, but the taste is far
more pure and clean In the mouth, although it
leaves the stamp Of fresh made tea, or rather a
tea from fresh leaf II has not the slightest
disagreeabe taste, but has full delicious flavor,
indicating, in an eminent degree, perfect putty,
and the presence OF q sweet refreshing beverage
of my tea by their own, to which they are accus.
toned. But the comparison will not hold good.
My tea is 30 peculiar, as always use il Ia the
Chinese way, without sugar or milk, and have
The taste of the tea only, and cannot easily be
mistaken in the flavor aud true properties Of the
tea. II the tea be good, any thing and every.
tn ng added TO H. il detriment. Ii bad, use us
much sugar and milk as will neulraze the bad
qualities, and leave nothing but the taste ofsngar
and milk. do assure You that am SO delighted
with nv pot Of tea that ! have drank OF il half
dozen times whilst wiring this article, and near
ly exhausted the lea pot My black tea plants,
since their removal in April, have grown much
slower than the green tea plants Indeed, the
green tea plant is much more hardy plant than
the black. i have written an article upon Assam
and Himilaynh tea, but omit il at present rather
than swell this communication.
Your obedient servant,
JUNlUS SMITH, LID.
p. S.-July 5th.--l kept part Of a pot Of my
tea until this morning, and took tumbler cold.
il is most excellent, and shade higher coored
than Hyson tea. But the taste Is superior 20
any China tea have drank, always excepting a
few pounds from Archangel. which came over
land from the North Of China, and which be-
lieye was cnrea by collar heat ~ any rate, Il
was, tHmy judgment, the finest tea ever drunk
~