The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-06-06
Tea Planting, Once More.

tioh of the East Indies, his ideas we're
pronounced Utopian, his efforts were rid
iculed; and he was considered a crazy
humbug. He ~as not checked, however,
in his determination to make an effort to-
wards success, and looking only to the
possibility of saving that twenty millions
of dollars that our people pay annually
to the Mongolian for his teas, and to
utilize some Of the waste lands and labor
of the South, Gen. lie Due persevered in
terrible earnest to accomplish his pro-
posed end.
True, he sent an inspector, sort of
agricultural pleasure-seeker, down South
to take notes, and learn something to
publish on the question of tea culture,
and true, also, this perambulator pub
lished report that was we'll calculated
to drive every one away from the effort
of growing tea; but, nevertheless, the
Commissioner continued to propagate his
plants, until he has up to date sent near
fy 10000 plants to two or three Southern
States, and at the same time has grown
the plants in Washington at the Depart
ment; and discarding every thought that
we must adhere to the old silly, tradi-
tional method of manufacturing tea adop-
ted by the Chinese, he latterly has tested
the result of his experiments, and sue.
ceeded beyond his anticipations.
The "great New York dailies," and
other papers, who so ridiculed the Com
missioner's efforts, will now, we hope,
manfully acknowledge his success, as has
done the Washington Post, from whose
columns we clip the following report.
Let our South Carolina tea growers
read, ponder and persevere. There will
be money in growing tea in South Caro-
lima ten years from to-day:
1.-THE success that attended the expert
ment in curing tea made at the Depart
ment of Agriculture few days ago, goes
far to prove that the profitable cultiva-
ton of the tea plant in this country may
become an accomplished fact at no very
distant day. At the invitation of Gen.
| LeDuc, Messrs. o. A. & NJ. G. Gill, of
the firm of Martin, Gillet & Co., of Balti-
more, came to this city to experiment
with the leaves of the young tea plants
raised in the gardens of the Department
from seeds of old plants grown in South
Carolina, from seeds sent there by the
Department some twelve or fourteen
wears ago. The Messrs. Gill, who are
grandsons of Mr.. Martin Gillet, the
| founder of the firm they represent, and
who went into business az an importer of
tea in 1911, have had a wide experience
with the article in which they deal. One
of them passed number Of years in
China and Japan, and while there made
himself thoroughly acquainted with the
| methods practiced by the people of those
countries in preparing tea for the market.
Their Investigations and experience
proved to them that there was but one
species of tea plant, from which all va
rieties of teas are made. This is the
plant known in botany as the Thea viri-
dis, of which the ordinary cultivated
shrub is from three to six feet high,
though the wild plant attains far great
er size, sometimes fifteen or twenty feet.
Becoming convinced that the coloring
matter employed by the Chinese and
Japanese in the preparation of their teas
was not only hurtful to the health, but
was destructive to the flavor and quality
of the tea, they determined, in 1875, to
4 introduce unc0lored teas, such as the
Cinnamon drink themselves, into the
United States. They were laughed at by
the trade throughout the country at first,
and in defence of their course were led
to scientifically investigate the prepara-
tion of tea, and to make experiments
with the green leaves raised in this coun-
try. They found, after devoting much
time and labor to the subject, that, by a
very simple process, they could prepare
as good On article of uncolored tea as any
4 brought from China and Japan. They
| also became convinced that the Orientals
had for many years purposely gone
through with the elaborate processes EN-.
ployed by them solely with the view. ol
misleading other nations, and making
them believe that so much labor ano
manipulation were necessary.
"In the experiment referred to, at the
Agricultural Department, the leaves
were gathered by number of the lady
clerks from the young plants in the hot.
house-mere seedlings planted in Feb
ruary last, and not mere than FIVE or siz
inches high. This was disadvantage te
begin with, as the Chinese never make
tea from plants under three years old
The leaves gathered were the young tips
two or three only being taken from the
top of each plant. They were then car
ried to the laboratory and turned over tt
the Messrs. Gill to be cured. They begar
operations by placing portion of then
in a sieve and holding it over pan o.
boiling water until the leaves were thor
oughly wilted. They were then put il
thick cloth and subjected to heavy
pressure to express the juice or sap
which contains large portion of tannit
acid. When taken from the cloth they
formed a solid mass, very glutinous, anc
somewhat difficult to separate. In thi:
stage the leaves can be made to assume
any shape desired, and it is when they
are in this condition that the Chinese
make them up into the different brands
like gunpowder, imperials, &c. Aftel
having been thoroughly separated tht
leaves were next "fred." This was done
by placing them in tin pan over gas
fire, taking care not to permit the bottom
to get hot enough to burn, and gently
stirring them with the hand until per
fectly cured. When the process wa
complete, the tea was of deep greer
color, and resembled very much a Chi
nese Oolong or a Japan tea, such as i
used by the natives of those countries
In appearance it compared very favora
bly, with sample, shown by the Messrs
Gill, which cost 50 per pound in Japan
The whole process did not take an hou
from the time the leaves were frs
plucked, and SO soon as boiling waite
could be procured tea was made and pre-
sented to the ladies and gentlemen wit
had witnessed the experiment. 1t wa
pronounced excellent, the experts presen
saying that the flavor was between tha
ofa high grade of japan and the fines
Moyune China green teas.
"The loss of weight during the process
, was rs follows: Steaming, ll.93; matte
| fntol