Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1870-11-23
Tea Culture in Asia.

/ valley of the Yang tSe Kang. Through
| the length Of both these regions the great
( Himalaya mountain system projects an off.
shoot range, giving to both decidedly noun
famous character. In fact, the province
kueichu has been called the Switzerland of
/ China, from the fact that its surface is al
most exclusively mountainous. Here is,
then, an important fact in regard to tea cul-
ture, 10 Wit: That its original home and its
present most fonrishing locality is in
broken, mountsinoUs country This fact
should be taken into consideration in the
introduction of this new branch of agricul-
tural enterprise into this country.
Assam presents a considerable variety of
agricultural aud mineral production, bat the
special interest in regard to it arises from its
being one Of the original homes of the tea
plant. Il produces both varieties the tea
plant, the H,sg risidis and the thea Johea.
and promises in the future very formidable
rivalry TO China in ;ne production of that
great staple of Asiat;c export The soil
which il Assam, is found specially adapted
to tea culture would elsewhere be designated
as poor yellow loan, and would probably be
ignored by cuItivators Of cotton, tobacco, or
sugar cane. Vegetable matter is found ben
efcial only when it acts mechanically rather
than chemically, looseuing its structure rath-
er than affecting It's organic constituency. Il
is sufficiently porous to transmit the surplus
rain fall, yet its capillary attraction holds
under contribution the stores of subterrane
an moisture as 4 resource against drought
The climate Of Assam is assiniIated to
that of China in those respects which render
lit specially propitious to the tea culture
though from il inland position the influence
Of the monsooas Is less decided The tea
plant here seems to court moisture. and hence
the enormous rain faIl by which the lower
portions are inundated during the rainy sea
son is of great advantage, its surplus being
disposed of By the porous soil and subsoll
The plantations are generally located upon
the plains just beyond the reach Of inunGa-
ton. Among the drawbacks to lea culture
in Assam Is the great d;tirulsy Of clearing
junales and forests. The closeness Of these
walls of dense vegetation around the tea
plantations gives a dense hot,house atmos
phere, greatly Stimulating the upward growth
Of the plants, which attain twice the SIZE OF
the Chinese plants. Labor is here OF an In
different character and effectiveness. The
height of the trees requires the leaves to be
gathered in 4 standing position, and the ex-
ertion of reaching after them strains the
muscles and produces sweilings of the legs
The free access of sunlight and fresh air by
the more thorough clearing of the country,
it is thonght, viii tend to check this high
growth and to concentrate large measure
Of fecpndative power upon jhe leaves. thus
giving a grcater merchantable value to the
plants.
China. however, is the favorite homo Of
the tea plant Tea was probably known as
4 medicine here about the fourth century of
the Christian era. As a beverage it may
hive been used about the sixth century. but
it did not become general until the eighth or
ninth century. The hill of Sung lou-shau,
in the province Of x angnan. Is famous as
the locality where tea was first discovered,
but the regular tea culture has been shifted
to other localities The lower lands around
this hill, where green tea still honri>hcs, are
still very high above the sea, their elevation
being some 1000 feet. In this region and
the neighboring region Of Moo quen. few
miles further South, are produced the great
er part Of the fine green teas of commerce
The geology of this region is silurian The
flora is Of decidedly northern character
Genera of plants, common in England and
Northern India, are here represented bv nu.
merous species, while semi tropical plants
are represented by a single exceptional spc-
cies of very hardy palm.
The headquarters of black tea production
are located in -t're Bohea Hills, a range Of
highlands skirtiug the coast at a distance of
200 miles, in the province Of Fakien Near
Tseng gau khan IS found the locality of the
finest production, including the Ming-yeu,
and different varieties of Souehong The
latter is sometimes called inner mountain
tea, from the iact that the Bohea, or Buy
mountains. shcIcon it grows, are eucircled
by an outer range which produces an inferior
variety Of tea. The Bohca, or Bu-ye tea,
is divided into two varieties, of which the
Yeu is production the mountain sides and
terraces, and the Chru upon the elevated
plains around them. The Ycu Is decidedly
preferable
The soil suited to tea culture presents a
question which has received great variety
of solutions from Chinese and foreign au-
thoriries cooversan with the facts. i spec.
linen of Chinese tea soil, now on exhibition
in the cabinet of the General Land Office.
resembles a mixture of Scotch Snuff and
yellow ochre Authorities may be quoted
for and against almost every kind of soil in
China in It's adaptation to tea culture This
fact seems to indicate that this element is
the Ieastimportant feature in the tea culture.
The climate seems to have a far greater in.
fuence. The general climatic conditions of
Chiua are such as to produce alternate inter
walls of long and profound hiberuating re-
pose and of rapid and luxuriant growth.
I'l,o I'LL, roo vonp nuthr,o;,,r- .. ,,,,;on of