New-York tribune., 1869-06-22
Tea crLruRE IN cALrFoRN1A.

The news that tea culture is soon to be
practically tested In this state will excite an agreeable
surprise Just now there not only much confidence IN
the capabilities of this soil and climate, but consderape
anxiety the part of farmers to test new Crops ana d
Versy productions the farm. The faes that ths sS
experiment in tea culture Is to be tried In the center OF
the original placer mines completely exhausted Oh
their minerals and In district unavorable to grain, Is
likely to have good effect on the future valuation or
/ mountain homes The lands about Gold HILL FL DO
/ RADIO County, similar TO ten million acres
stretching from Trinity County southwark to tho head OF
Kern River Summer and Winter the climate Of this foot
hill region is about the same from Trinity Mountains TO
Tehechepah Pass that to say, they have an average
Summer temperature ranging middle Of May to middle
of epemoer from 800 to 1902 IN the shade In Winter,
from Oo to % and not very often as low as s or freez
ing point The soil is fair, but hardly rich enough for
grain save IN favored spots The face OF the country
rolling sometimes broken by sharp, high hills, mbered
with white, black, and 1--we 9ak maple Ptpe anu sS'ns
cedar There are springs of living water scattereu ~'
short intervals all this vast region The fyers e
eraly course through deep channels and are reoiaeo
with difficulty for rrigationj but there alo
great numbers Of creeks and brooks which Shoru
running water during eight nine months OF ths ySa
In pools all tho year round. Timber for lumber can 90
readily obtained in Winter by means OF the rivers ana
| the supply Ia nexhaustble Fire wood Is everywhere
abundant The climate hot 1t is in summer, Is always
healthy and free from the common complaints OF ths
yaueys The air Is dry and braclng The nlghts after
the hottest ga e fails from OOo to zoo between
Ave and nine clock p and an eastery evening Wino @
heat OF the day These sudden changes Of temperaTe
occasion Inconvenience or colds or III INA @ Ts
nvgorate the animal spirits which tho heat OF snch iong
dry Summers would 9therwse o been I5ed by means
Of canals dug ont years ago for mining purposes n,oI
taking out their ceat cGG %reTi & Sd tronsh branch
bitches OF smaller capacity distribute thelr treasGo
and viii not cost much for needful annual repairs when
the water comes be used for irrigation instead OF m
] ing.
It s not too much to say that half Of the bill Land be-
the altitude Of 1900 feet above tide water is NJ Tor
horticulture gardening the growth Of the mulberry tree
and IN favored spots for corn oats potatoes anu
The Northern slopes are always richest because least
parehed and exhausted OF moisture by the sun. The
broadeafed oak, the maple alder na1e anu oter 9eel
durOus trees indicative OF good strong SOIL cover these
slopes, and it is not uncommon to tnd heayy car.
peting OF green grass upon them late as the first
OF July The Southern slopes where they are
soil or overgrown with the desert sage and
stinted manzanta, and destitute OF water. Ihe
with forest and aboundng In springs OF clear cold
water OF the saaSe perhaps spd 9OS fSaf tSa a
tion not more than one-tenth ~3d DC evsr VSSs are
among the best in the world always well watered' ana ana
capable OF producing any crop that VIII grow IN lle
state Their reDoteness from the centers of business
and population, the decay Of mining Industry has
rendered them comparatively worthless for peTmaneht
homes. Tea. fruit and SIX culture, al 9 eoula
be made practically successful would restore
the arabic hills, and make our abandoned noun
tain region again pOpuOus and wealthy We trust
therefore that tins report OF japanese experiment IN
slk and tea culture amid the hills Of Weber Creek in III
And indeed we think it strange that the Chinese did
not long ago anticipate the Japanese IN this matter
Their failure TO do so Is probably owing 10 tnat io9teu
prrdce they cherish against the introduction or Their
pecular industries foreign lands. They work among
s i'm sk culture but with stod indifference or jeal
ousy of success. Our experiments In SILK so Tar
show an aptitude OF soil, climate, ana all other
essential conditions here equal II not superior 10
those OF the Celestial Empire; and we can see
no reason why equal success should not await upon
TEA cuure By comparison with the region we have just
been describing it will be found that the best tea districts
of China are pecely those which most resemble these
mountain lands OF California. They have about the same
tenperature soil aud atude and 1t is in just such re-
rlos OF UudostOn along the lower slopes OF the Hm-
alnyas that the efforts OF English 10 Introduce tea
culture into that country have been most successful we
have here the Chinese labor the enterprse
and IN we can make pay" the market for that produc-
ton is unlimited, and C will be worth vastly more 10 us
than all our surplus grain" lSaelalhehto Ohloh'