The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1870-04-16
Tea Culture in California.

A correspondent of the Morning Cal,
writing from the japanese colony, III I'll Do
RADIO county, where japanese agrlculturlsts
are preparing 20 engage extensively IN the
tea culture, and raising other products nth
erto peculiar TO their own country, gives the
following Information concerning the tea
plant and its culture in this State, CLEANED
from conversation with Herr Schnell, the
manager and proprietor of the experimental
farm. The only question involved seems to
be whether labor can be obtained by contract
or otherwise in California upon such planta-
tons, at sufficiently low rates to make the
business profitable. The freight, interest on
capital during transit, exchange and dimin-
ished cost of packing, all would operate IN
favor of tea raising in this State, and help
to compensate for the difference IN the rates
of wages prevailing IN the two countries.
From the experiments thus far made, Mr..
Schnell is convinced that the problem of tea
culture in California is solved, and there is
no longer doubt but we can raise as good
teas here as are produced in China and
Japan. The few plants which 1 saw were
only an experimental crop, planted in July,
when the ground was dry, hard and parched,
raised under the most Instantaneous cir
cumstances, in one of the dryest seasons
ever known, but show all the signs of a
healthy and vigorous condition. MIR. Schneii
informs me that only one variety or kind OF
tea is known, and is the one designated by
DIR. Won Siebold as the SimenSis Linn. All
of the varieties described by botanists under
the names bohea, viridis, laden, stricta. etc.,
are only variations of the SsmenSlS Lann.,
produced by different modes OF cultivation
and geographical distribution. DIR. Won Sle-
bold places the "SImenSIs " under the 81 mon
adelphia polyandria Linn" and to the natu-
raj family of the "cameleiarum decam."
The tea shrub IN Japan is an evergreen,
from four to six feet high, with a straight
stem, and numerous irregular branches.
Growing wild, the shrub will reach a height
of fifteen or twenty feet. The stem is of a
bright gray color, the branches chestnut, and
the wood hard, and having a peculiar odor.
On the young branches are the short, soft,
green, small leaves, which are arranged in
intervals, and are of an elliptical shape, with
teeth on the borders, resembling closely the
leaves of the wild rose. The color is a
bright green, of different shades, deepening
as the season advances. Between the leaves
sprout the blossoms, which are at first of a
rose color, but in the course of their develop
ment assume lighter shades, and finally,
when full blown are of the color of the ordi-
nary tea rose. They have no odor, and are
very tender. but are put to no use. The
story that these overs are preserved for
mixing teas that are only drank by the EN-
peror and the nobility, is a fabrication.
When these flowers fade away, they leave a
small fruit, which is divided into two or
three partitions, generally three, which con-
tain the seeds. Owing to the great quantity
of oil contained in these seeds, they are
difficult of preservation, and easily decay.
The tea shrub is very easy of cultivation,
and will grow nearly everywhere, with
plenty of air and sun, but cannot live in
shady places. All of the new plants at Mr..
Schnell's plantation are raised from seeds,
which, are planted in rows in burrows, from
four to six inches deep, ina manner similar
to that in which beans are usually planted
but out of this number of seeds, probably
but one or two in each hill will sprout, owing
to the decay produced by the excessive guam
of oil they contain. The proper time
for tea planting is in November or December,
when it sprouts through the ground in about
thirty days. By the ensuing May, the plant
reaches a height of about fourteen inches,
the perfect and tender leaves are
stripped off, and are placed under immediate
manipulation. They are first put in q large
copper pan and roasted, then put in baskets
and shaken and swung in the wind until
they are dried of the moisture that has been &
exuded by the heat, then roasted again, then
rolled in the palms of the hand to separate
the leaves, and prevent their crumbling into
then dried again in the baskets by
and swinging, and then put in jars,
when they are ready for market. The black
teas are roasted three times, the green teas
but once or twice. Every year the trees or
shrubs are trimmed down to a height of
about three feet, after having reached that
height, and when properly taken care of,
will produce good crops for upward of thirty ,
1t is absolutely necessary that the :
plants should have the morning sun, and be
IN the south side of a hill, or the leaves will
become yellow, and the tea be of an inferior
Mr.. SchnelI has about 100 acres
IF good agricultural land ready for planting, .
md about 400 acres of rough land, which !
lie proposes TO clear as soon as he can bring
t into requisition. His plants will require r
10 irrigation, but he is digging a we'll on his !
'lace for other purposes. :
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