The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1870-02-05
Tea Culture in California.
EXPERIMENTS BY THE COLONY.

A correspondent Of the San Francisco
Morntng CnN, writing from the japanese
colony i'll FL Dorado county, Cal, where
Japanese agricultursts are preparing to
engage extensively in tea culture gives the
following information, CLEANED from con-
versation with Herr Schnell, the manager
and proprietor of the experimental farm:
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 disadvanta-
geous circumstances, in one of the dryest
of a healthy and vigorous condition. Mr.
Schnell informs me that only one variety
or kind Of tea is known, and is the one de-
signed by DR.. Won. Sicbold as the sinsensis
Linn. All of the varieties described by
botanists under the names bohea, viridis
laden, stricta, &c, are only variations of
tho senaensis Linn, produced by different
modes of cultivation and geographical dis
tributoin.
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 ehsetnut,
and the wood hard and having peculiar
odor. On the young branches are the
short, soft, green, small leaves, which are
arranged in intervals, and are of an elipti-
cal shape with teeth ON the borders, resem-
| bling closely the leaves of the wild rose
The color is bright green, of different
shades, deepening as the season advances.
! Between tine leaves sprout the blossoms,
which are first Of 4 rose color, but in the
course of their development assume ligter
! shades, and finally, when full blown are OF
the color of the ordinary tea rose.
They have no odor, and are very tender,
! bnt are put to no use. The story that these
, flowers are preserved for mixing teas that
asa only drank by the Emperor and nobili
| ty. is q fabrication. When these flowers
! fade asSsu they leave small fruit, which is
! divided intptwo or three partitions, general
! ly three, which. .qeytain the seeds. Owing
to the great quantity Of oil contained in
these seeds, they are difficult Of preserva
| ion, and easily decay. The tea shrub is very
| easy of cultivation, and will grow nearly
everywhere, with plenty of air and sun, bul
Cannot live in shady places.
t All of the new plants at Mr.. Schnell:
| pianta ton are raised from seeds, which are
planted in rows in burrows, from four tt
/ six inches deep, i'll manner similar to thai
in which beans are usually planted; but
! out of this number of seeds, probably bu
one or two in each hill will sprout owing
to the decay produced by the excessive
quantity of oil they contain. The proper
time for tea planting is in November o.
December, when it sprouts through the
ground in about thirty days. By the ensu
inc May the plant reaches the height o
about fourteen inches, when the perfec
and tender leaves are stripped off, and arr
nlaceI under immediate manipulation
They Al first put in a large copper pan ant
roasted. then put in baskets and shaker
and swung u the wind until they are driet
of the moisture that has been exuded b.
the heat, then roasted again, then rolled il
the palms of the lland to separate the leave
and prevent their crumbling into powder
then dried again in The baskets by shakin;
and swinging, and then put i'll jars, whe
they are ready for market. The black tea
are roasted three times, the green teas bu
once or twice.
Every year the teas or shrubs are trim
med down to height of about tAree feet
= tier having reached that height, and vine
pror erly taken care of, will produce goo
crons f. upward Of thirty years 1t is al
solutely ne cessary that the plants shoul
bav. the n,o, uing sun, and be on the sont
side of , hill, o the leaves will become We
low and tho tea O. an inferior quality. MI
scbuell has about 90 acres of good agr
cultural land ready fc planting ana aoo'
AGO acres of rough land, which he propose
to clear as soon as he can bring it into n
5 ouisition. His plants will -'equire no TIT
, CATION, but he is digging well on IL
, place for other purposes.
A man out West read that dry coper'
: mt in a bed of ants would cause I osm
leave, put some in his mother-ln-laws pt
/ to see if she wouldn't go. He says 81
O was there at last accounts.