Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1870-01-28
Tea Culture in California.

A correspondent of the Morning GILL,
writing from the Japanese colony, in FL
Dorado County, where Japanese agricui-
turists are preparing to engage extensively
in the tea culture, and raising other pro-
ductions hitherto 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 pro-
priotor of the experimental farm. The
only question involved seems TO be
whether labor can be obtained by con-
tract or otherwise in California, upch
such plantations, at sufficiently low rates
to make the business profitable. The
exchange, and diminished cost of pack.
ing, all would operate in favor of tea
raising in this State, and help TO compen-
safe 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 tea shrub in Japan is an evergreen,
| from four to six feet high, with straight
stem and numerous irregular branches.
Growing wild, the shrub will reach
height of fifteen or twenty feet. The
stem is of a bright gray color, the branch
| es chestnut, and the wood hard, and hay
ing a peculiar odor. On the young
branches are the short, soft, green, small
leaves, which are arranged in intervals,
and are Of an elliptieal shape, with teeth
on the borders, resembling closely the
| leaves of the wild rose. The color is q
| bright green, of different shades, deepen
! ing as the season advances. Between the
| leaves sprOut the blossoms, which are at
| first of rose color, but in the course of
| their development assume lighter shapes,
and finally, when full-blown, are of the
color of the ordinary tea rose. They AavS
no odor, and arc very tender, but are put
to no use. The story that these flowers
are preserved for mixing teas that are
only drank by the Emperor and the nobili-
| ty, is fabrication When these flowers
fade away, they leave a small fruit, which
is divided into two or three partitions
generally three, which contain the seeds;
they are difficult of preservation, and
easily decay. The tea shrub is very easy
of cultivation, and will grow nearly every
| where, with plenty of air and snow, but
| cannot live in shady places. All of the
new plants at Mr.. SchnelPs plantation are
raised from seeds, which are planted in
rows in burrows, from four to six inches
deep, in 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 quantity oil OIL
they contain. The proper time for tea
planting is in November or December,
when il sprouts through the ground in
about thirty days BY the eusuing May IL
reaches q height of about fourteen inches,
when the perfect and tender leaves are
stripped off, and are placed under imme-
diate manipulation. They are first pvt
in q large copper pan and roasted,
then put in baskets and shaken
and swung in the wind until they are
dried of tho moisture which has been eX-
,, uded by the heat, then roasted again, then
rolled in the palms of the hand to separate
the leaves, and to prevent their crumbing
into powder, then dried again in the bas-
lxets by shaking and swinging, ana then
: nut In lars, when they are ready for mar
ket The black teas are roasted three
times, the green teas but once OF twice.
; Every year the trees or shrubs are
trimmed down to height OF about three
; feet, after having reached that height
and when properly taken care oi, VIII
produce good crops for upward OF thlrty
years. Ii is absolutely necessary that The
I plants should have the morning sun, and
: be on the south side ofa hill, or the leaves
: will become yellow, and the tea be OF an
inferior quality. Mr. Schnell has about
100 acres Of good agricultural land ready
for planting, and about 400 acres OF rough
land, which he proposes to clear as soor
% as he can bring it into requisitlon, III
nlants will REQUIRE no irrigation, but he i
Q digging we'll on his place for other pur
e noses. .T-San FrdReiseO BUlLetin.