Daily Republican., 1878-11-15
FOURTH EDITION.
Ths Csl ifsrnia res YisIa o.

Sacramento Valley Of California the fu
ture tea field Of the world. ltsays: ~
great deal has been said and writer
lately on the subject Of the cultivation
of the tea plant. We have had glowinl
accounts of the wonderful success o
the Scotch planters In the beautiful
island OF Ceylon, the extent Of thei,
gardens, and the large yield they will
be capable Of throwing into the Euro
pean market in the course OF fe"
years. But very few persons are
aware that there is at this moment a
far larger tea field than the whole island
Of Ceyldh doubled twice over, where
Chinese and japanese are arriving
by thousands to cultivate the tea plant,
and where the climate il so salu brious,
and the soil SO rich, that in the space
of twenty years from now 1t is conf
IDENTIFY anticipated that they will be
aide to supply the whole of the New
Continent, and that the Americans will
not only not have to send to China for
one ounce of tea, but that they will be
able in the course of time TO send large
ccnsignments to Europe. And this too
only fifteen days run from Liverpool
We are now speaking Of the Great Sac.
ramento Valley. California.
Thirty years ago the people OF Cali
fornia did not know the meaning of
wheat-no wheat was grown there
thsn-while to-day that valley alone
is supplying Great Britain and Ireland
with more THAI half of the bread which
they consume. The valley is 45O
miles long by so broad; where no rain
falls, IT is waterei by heavy fogs, which
roll in from the Pacific Ocean. Along
the entire stretch ofthis valley run the |
Sierra Nevada, or, as they are more
termed, the California range
of mountains. Here you can get any
climate rising from perpetual summer
in the valley, higher and higher, cold
er and colder, till you reach perpetual
snow on the top. 1t is along the base
ot this range of mountains that the
Chinese and Japanese are now busy !
the tea plant with mar ked
success. On a visit there, some nine
ago, the writer had the pleas
are of tasting the produce and found it
If excellent quality.
Ten years ago the tea plant was un-
shown in America, and was introduced
by mere accident duriag the time Of
ne civil war. The government at
" Washington finding at they could not
send troops to California-they could
rot march an army across the Rocky
for the Indians were hostile
% tiIrIu-they could not send them by
ra for fear of such vessels as the Ala
'anla-they therefore, under the ad-
ice and direction Of the late President
lincoln, determined to construct a rail
way; ami for this purpose, in order to
lurry on the wOrk-i0r the war was
not ye; over, and not likely to be-
hey encouraged two great railway com
)anles to construct the line. One was
o start from Omaha, on the banks of
he Missouri, working West: the other
to start from San Francisco, on the
Pacific, working East; ANA both some
lay We're to meet and in or Ter to ex-
)"dite the work the government grant
,d the railway companies the land
through which the line went for ten
square miles on each side of the track.
The company started from tbs Mis-
,ouri engaged 10000 lrishmen; that
which started from San Francisco, not
to be outdOne, imported 900 Chinese
TO compete against them. In 1850,
hen the railway was completed, it
was found that some of the Chinese had
brought their favorite plant with them,
and that for the last five years they
Iad been quietly cultivating it along
he base Of the Sierras. Having now
nothing else to do, and not wishing to
'eturn to China, the whole of the &c.
300 turned their attention to this
ranch Of industry, and at present in
hr state Of California alone the Chinese
number over l2O, ,000
The Great Pacific Railway, which
hey helped to make, runs through
heir tea gardens, six days journey
o New York, over distance of $500
niles, and thence per quick steamer to
liverpool or they can send it to Chi
ago, on the banks of Lake Michigan,
hence per sailing vessels through the
,reat lakes. down the canal from Erie
% Ontario and out through the great
liver St Lawrence 10 all parts Of the
world.
The plant can be gathered, packed,
sent to England, sold in Mincing lane,
and CONSUMED by the general public,
all within one month ; and the opinion
Is Expressed that within a lifetime the
novelty will not be American meat,
but all our grocers' windows with 'Cal-
iornia tea, sixpence per pound" D."
1t has been asserted that the cost Of
abOr in this country must ever be a
bar to the successful cultivation of tea
rrue, in China all enormous amount Of
hand labor is required in picking and
'uring the leaves ; but it would LOT
Axe many years of American invention
o change all that. The man who
makes the first successful machine for
'uring tea will confer great benefit
IpOn his cOuntrymen, and make a good
hing for himself as we'll.