Meigs County telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy [Ohio]) 1848-1859, 1857-06-23

TEA.-This Chinese shrub is being cul-
tivated in Brazil with marked success, and
the continuance of disturbance in China
is likely to bring the fact more prominent
ly into notice. The first plants were in
troduced in 1910, and, to insure its proper
treatment, several hundred Chinese labor
ers were procured. Antcipations were
not realized, and, so far as the government
was concerned, the attempt proved fail
ure; but several Paulista planters perse-
vered, and at length the culture of tea has
become fourishing and remunerative
branch of Brazilian agriculture.
3 Between Santos and San Panto, near the
San Bernardo, saw large and productive
tea plantations. The manner of its culture
differs but little from that adopted in
China. Tea is raised from the seed, which
being preserved in brown sugar. These
little tea balls are planted in beds, and then
transplanted to the field, where they are
placed five feet apart. The shrubs are
kept verv clean by the hoe and plough,
which, througha recent introduction, has
proved eminently successful, for this
purpose on some of the plantations.
The shrubs are never allowed to attain
a heipht of more than four feet and the
third year after planting, the leaves are
considered ready forpicking. The culture,
the gathering and the preparation of tea are
not difficult and children can be proftably
employed in the various processes OF its
ARA ngement for market. The apparatus
used is very simple, consisting of.
Baskets in which the leaves are deposited;
9. Carved framework, on which they
are rolled one by one; 8. Open ovens or
large metallic pans, in which the tea is
dried by the means of fire beneath.
The tea plant is hardy shrub, and can
no cultivated in almost any portion OF Bra
iii, though it is perhaps better adapted 70
the South, where frosts prevail; %hlcn, !,,
however, it resists. If left to, Itself 1t Will
soon run up to tree. The cotteo tree re- ,e
ou;res rich and new soil and warm Gil
mate. but the tea plant will flourish in any
coil DR. -, who visited various por-
t;ons of China, is of the opinion that tea
can be grown in any part of the United
States. from Pennsylvania to the Mexican
Gulf There are not many varieties OF the
nlant. as is often supposed, black and green
teas being merely the leaves OF the same m
tree, obtained at different seasons Oh the
wear. The flavor varies also, just as ooes
that of wines from the same species OF
grapevine grown on different SOILS SC, l ne
fea nlant is not deciduous as in China, and
in Brazil is gathered from March to july
correspondinq to the interval between Sep
tember and January in the northern hem hem:
phere. ,s,,,
Several millions of pounds are annually
prepared in the provinces OF san faulo
and Minas Geraes, and its culture is decd
ly on the increase. Some years age. the
tea planters were greatly discouraged, foi
the cha (teaj was badly prepared and sole
when too fresh. Hence the demand for Il
proved very small. But, with greater ex
perience in the culture and preparation,
better article Of this favorite beverage ha:
met with corresponding encouragement
Formerly the cultivators thought that !
thew could obtain sixteen cents per poun'
wholesale it would be as lucrative as coffee
In 1855, however, twenty cents Tor tn
poorer article could be obtained, and 10
the greater portion of the crop forty cent
: ner bound wholesale was readily comman
4 ded. The demand for it is constantly IN
creasing, and when properly prepared 1t /
not inferior to that imported from China.
The belief is expressed that few year
NAV suffice to show on the pages of tn
Commerce and Navigation of Great Brit
: ain and the United States that tea enter
. largely into the articles ofimportation fror
Brazil. Fifty years have only elapse
since the first cargo of coffee was shlippe
3 from Rio de Janeiro, and now Brazil SUI
: plies two-thirds of the coffee of the worlc
I----------'-'-~'-"--- II