Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1874-02-11
Agricultural.

TEA CULTURE IN GEoRGIA.-A cores
pondent of the Rural Netc Yorker says:
When the United States Government
introduced the Chinese tea plant Thea
Bohed) into this country, and distri-
buted them by the aid Of its Senators
into various sections Of the land, my
father had fifty plants sent to him.
They arrived in good order, growing IN
genuine Chinese soil, and were from
three to four inches high. Weput them
at once in larger pots, with fresh, rlch
soil around them, but were very careful
not to disturb the ball of earth which
surrounded their roots. During the
first summer, they were kept in partial
shade and watered freely whenever
necessary. They grew off beautifully.
and by the next winter were from eigh.
teen to- twenty-four inches high, and
looked very healthy. In the month OF
of January We planted them out in our
vegetable garden, five feet apart each
way. They grew remarkably well, not
one diving, and stood both the cold OF
winter, and the heat of summer as well
rs onr native plants. When three years
old. made our first gathering of leaves.
We had'th directions for the prepara-
tion of tea, and were particular IN fol-
lowing them closely. We had none OF
the conyeniences which are used IN
China, but tried to initiate them as
nearly as possible. We plucked the
leaves in the afternoon, and spread
them out on table, until next morning,
then ribbed them in our hands, and
dried them in a common Dutch oven,
stirring all the time with the hands TO
prevent seorching the leaves. Each
turn was dried five minutes. then taken
out and rolled again. This process of
rolling and drying was continued until
they appeared perfectly dry. 1t was
then put in glass jars aud kept well Sc
cured from the air. In about three
months time we began using it, and
we're delighted with our success. OF
course all our friends must have draw
ing and each one pronounced it most
excellent. Since that time we have made
our own tea every spring, and consider
II so far superior TO the imported tea,
that we find no pleasure in drinking the
latter.
We made quite mistake in placing
our tea plants five feet apart, for they
have grown so large that 1T is impossible
to walk between them, and they are
about ten feet high. These bushes
produce seed every season in great
abundance. From these seeds we now
have between fifteen and twenty thous-
and plants of yarious sizes, and We con-
tinue to plant the seeds out every fall,
as soon as they ripen. Many of them
fall to the ground, and come up thickly
under the parent tree. We have quite
a grove set out, ten feet apart, and from
these We are now collecting the most Of
our leaves
The climate in this latitude suits them
perfectly, and there is no more trouble
In cultivating them than there is with
the apple or peach. When plantation
is once established it lasts life time,
and after the bushes are three years old,
they require only the weeds TO be kept
cut of them for they shade around their
roots so perfectly as to kill ont the
grass. If our Government would again
become interested in making tea one of
our staple productions, we would in a
few years be quiteindependent of China
nrOductioD