Hillsdale Whig standard. (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1846-1851, 1851-08-19
Growth and Manufacture OF Tea in U. 8.
GREENvrbLE, s. c.. July 4. 1851.
To the Editor of the Journal Of Commerce.

To the Editor of the Journal Of Commerce.
DEAR SIR.-Upon this ational holiday
national claim may be appropriately an
swered. although il does not come with the
sound of cannon or the blast of trumpet.
On tho 9th ult.. further advance was
made in the progress of American Tea,
which will answer some Of the calls of the
public. and tranquilize the doubts and fears
Of the timorous. On that day ! plncked
from several of my green tea plants small
quantity of tea leaves. and proceeded TO dry
and convert them into tea. The small num-
Der of my plants and the partial growth of
the leaves forbid my attempting to gather
beyond a su fficiency for experiment: but e.
noogh. apprchend, TO confirm and establish
the important fscts--that the tea plant of
China is congenial to our climate; that the
tea is pure American growth unmixed with
any herd or material; that it is cured by So
lar heat alone. and is in every respect the
genuine tea of China tea plants. Its fra.
GRANGE, flavor, and physical qualities may
undoubtedly be changed by the process Of
manipulation and manufacture. But my OBJ
ject was to obtain the Interchangeable natural
properties Of the leaf, grown in this country.
and under tho infunces of soil, atmosphere
and local circumstances peculiar to its pres
ent condition. Whether the taste of the
tea corresponds with that of Congon, Hyson,
Bohea, or any other kind is of small conse-
quence. Ifthe United States can produce
one good quality of tea from the China plant
the various kinds of soil, the diversity Of
climate, temperature and location, will pro-
duce every thing that grows ia China, and
satisfy the national demand so far as con-
Germs the article.
July 4th, 1871 have now before me a
pot of fresh green tea, from my own planta-
tion-the first have enjoyed. Having no
experimental evidence in this country. Of the
effect ofcuring tea by solar heat only, con-
trary to the Chinese. Indian and Javan mode
of curing by firing or roasting in iron kettles,
] felt some reluctance to expose this my first
experiment in 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 result ofths
my first essay in the manufacture of Ameri
can Tea,
The drying is so simple that any farmer in
the Union can make his own tea, with the
same certainty 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 from a fresh leaf. II has not the slight
est disagreeabe taste. but has full delicious
flavor. indicating in an eminent degree per-
feet purity. and the presence of a sweet re-
freshing beverage. Connoisseurs will, per-
haps, measure the quality of my tea by their
own. to which they are accustomed. But
the comparison will not hold good. My tea
is so peculiar, as always use it in the Chi
tvftlsoe-e ssss sIrffhy udfd
the taste of tea only, and cannot easily be
mistaken in the flavor and true propriety OF
the tea. If the tea be good, anything and
everything added TO it is detriment. Ii
bad use as much sugar and milk as will neu
tralize the bad qualities, and leave nothing
but the taste Of sugar and milk.
do assure you that am so delighted
with my pot of tea, that have drank of it
half dozen times. whilst writing this arti-
Gle and nearly exhausted the tea pot My
black tea plants, since their removal in April,
have grown much slower than tho green tea
plants. Indeed the green tea plant is a
much more hardy plant than the black. |
have written an article upon Assam and Hi
mayah tea, but omit il at present rather
than swell this communication.
Your obedient servant.
JUNOUS SMITH, LII. d.
p. S.-July 5rh-I kept part of my pot
Of tea until this morning, and took tum
bier cold. 1t is most excellent, and shade
higher colored than Hyson Tea. But the
taste is superior to any China Tea | have
drank, always excepting few pounds from
Archangel which camo overland from the
North of China, and which, believe was
cured by solar heat. AT any rate; it was, in
my judgement, the finest tea | ever drank.
We are among those who believe that our
wide spread domain affords such variety Of
soil, climate and exposure, that we should
be able to grow our own Teas, Wines. |
Silks and indeed to supply within our own
borders and by our own Industry; every nat
ural want. Doctor SMurn, by quetely dem
onstrating by patient experiments tho prac
ticabili,y of growing Tea in the United
States renders the public a greater service
than oil tho political slang -whangers in Con-
gress and out. 1t is folly almost as wick
ed as it is silly to buy abroad anything we