Daily national Democrat., 1859-03-31
lallp 9latlOnal DGmotrat.
Culture of Tea and Rice.

The climate and soil of California have
been proven to be so well adapted to the cul.
ture OF almost every vegetable product grown
IN y. other countries, that it is to be regretted
;'r :n"' la'r experiments have not yet been tried
~ regard to the important articles named
Soo'e' St IN certain portions of the United
0ia'cS IN England. and in Brazil, the tea
pant mas oeeh introduced and i'm n small
way, cultivated, and the experiment has
SHOWN that nothing but cheap labor was.
W"n'eu 10 render The enterprise one of prae.
teal utility. Authors inform us that tbeP Nest
qualities are produced and in the greatest
abundance, in China, between the 18th and
33d degrees Of north latitude but that from
the equator to latitude 45, it is found as
hardy, evergreen shrub, growing readily in
the open air From what is known Of the
climate of China, within the limits best adap-
ted to the growth of the tea plant and of
the nature of the soil of those regions. it is
fair to presume that large portion of our
own State would be found to afford equal ia.
cilities to its culture.
AS to the production Of rice, there can be
no reasonable question that California nos.
sesses unrivalled advantages In climate she
Is not behind those sections of the Southern
States, where the article has long been an i'm
portant agricultural staple; while our tule
lands otherwise worthless, afford a wide
field for profitable industry if directed, un-
der cheap labor, in such an enterprise
The great drawbacks to the culture in Cal.
ifornia of the two important articles named
would be, want of experience, and of cheap
labor These are obstacles which. however
we feel persuaded could be overcome. The
Asiatic population of this State is probably
at present forty thousand. The majority of
these are obtaining precarious substance
IN the mining regions, where they are per-
mitted to occupy the abandoned localities.
ana where they are subject too often to NAL
treatment OF every kind, not only from white
persons, but from Indians 1t is well under.
stood that nearly or quite all the Cinnamon
In this country are members of particular So
cieiies, and that their employment is mainly
directed by the heads of those societies.
Now, it seems go us, that among this numer-
Gus horde of Asiatics, there must be many
well skilled in the culture of both tea and
rice, and that if proper means were resorted
to- the controlling officers of the various as.
sociations could be induced to divert the la
Dor OF their countrymen, to q great extent,
from mining to agriculture Were the State
to offer some inducement, by the sale at u
cheap rate, of suitable lands, to those who
might be willing to embark in the species of
! agriculture named, it is highly probable we
think, that influential and wealthy China
men in this State could be found to venture
on the enterprise, and carry it to a successful
/ issue
The Importance of this branch of industry
may be inferred from the fact that according
to the report of the Secretary of the Treas
ury. there were imported into the United
States, during 1857, no less than 20S25,54l
pounds of tea, at an invoice value of S5,757,
$50. We find also from our own statistics,
that the imports of East India Rice at this
port alone, during 1858, amounted to %, ,654,-
454 pounds, which at the low average of
! > cents per pound, would give total
value of 81 III, 906
1t becomes therefore a question of practical
Importance, shall we, if it be in our power,
/ produce from our own soil what we are now
importing in exchange for our gold, or con-
tinue as at present, purchasing that which
we might ourselves PRODUCES. f. Prices
/ Current.