Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1879-10-31
Tea Culture il America.
REASONS WHY THE TEA PLANT MAY BE srC-
CESSFULLY GROWN BY AMERICANS.

REASONS WHY THE TEA PLANT MAY BE srC-
CEssFULLY GROWN BY AMERICANS.
From The Tribune.l
At the regular monthly meeting Of the
New York Horticultural Society, Mr..
William Saunders. of Washington, for
many years connected with the Agricul-
tural Department. read an elaborate pa
per on the cultivation of the tea plant.
The substance Of that portion of the adj
dress which bears upon the question of
the possible introduction of this industry
into the United States is given below.
Although the tea plant Thea viridis)
has been cultivated in China from remote
antiquity. it has never been found i'll that
country in q wild state In 1882 it was
discovered that the plant was Indigenous
in Upper Assam, and English capitalists
at once conceived the idea of cultivating
it in that region. In 1910 joint stock
company began operations on an eXten-
sive scale, and after immense outlays,
reckless management and temporary dis
aster. the enterprise Mt last became an
established success.
The success of these English planters
in India is Of special interest because it
has overthrown many superstitions III re-
gard to the curing and preparation for
market Of the tea leaves. These opera
tons are by no means so mysterious and
complicated as the world has been led to
believe.
1t is IN established fact that the tea
plant will grow in the United States
Specimens were flourishing in a Charles
ton nursery as early as 1915, and in 1913
Jumus Smith, Of Greenville, 5. c., made
an attempt at cultivating the plant, which
was, however, abandoned before any con-
elusive evidence was furnished for or
against this industry's becoming prof
tableventure In ISIS, our Government,
through the Commissioner of Patents,
imported 900 plants from China, which
soon increased TO 30, 900, and these were
distributed through the Southern States.
In 1865, the Department of Agriculture
continued TO propagate plants and furnish
ed them to all who applied for them, but
under the prevalent belief that so much
manipulation was needed in the manufac-
ture Of the artical that We could not COM
plete with the cheap labor of the Asiatics,
no special effort WAS made to disseminate
the plants. Reports of the success in
India now began to arrest attention, and
the Department was stimulated to secure
more seed and begin the propagation Of
the plants in earnest In 1867 it Nas
found that an abundance of seed could be
obtained from the plants already growing
in the South Since 1868 from 10. 600 to
1900 plants were distributed every wear
until 1876, when encouraging assurances
from planters led to still more extensive
operations, SO that 100, 900 plants have
been sent ont during the past two years,
and the Department has some 100000
now on hand. All this has been done
with the intention Of rendering the cult
vation Of tea popular as a domestic pro-
duet, and With the hope that public inter
est wduld be ultimately directed to its
cultivation rs aD article of commercial
value.
One more fact has been established on
undoubted testimony. A good qualityof
tea can be produced here Even with
the imperfect knowledge of planters AS to
the proper time for picking and the prop
er means of curing, an article has been
produced which experienced dealers pro-
nounce very good. Ii has been tested in
Washington andnther cities with the same
result. One lady in Columbia, 5. c. re
ports that she has obtained five poundsof
good tea from single plant. Another
lady makes an article which sells readily
for Sl.20 per pound, and which experts
pronounce stronger and of superior flavor
TO the imported article.
The remaining question to besolved is
Can tea be grown in this country as a
profitable market crop? The cultivation
of the plant is IA simple as that of the
gOoseberry. The plants only need to be
set IN rows, thoroughly TILED and proper
ly pruncdtu induce low, compact growth
and an abundance Of shoots. No leaves
should be picked until the fourth year
from planting, to insure arobust, healthy
and well-established growth 50 that they
Will endure the strain Of successive strip
ping, for under the best conditions the
leaves are picked several times each wear
What are these cdHditiOns? In the first
place, rich, loamy soil is Indispensable.
and the strength of the land should be
sustained by fertilizers The climate
must be warm, for although the plant will
endure n zero chill, it thrives best where
the summers are long and where the tenn
perture is never lower than G. or s. he
lOwfreezing. The last necessary condition
Is abundant moisture Ia India the ram
fall is from 80 to 100 inches per annum.
and it is doubtful whether the leaves
would form with sufficient rapidity to
make this crop successful IN any part of
the country where the annual rainfall is
less than 60 inches, and even this should
be diffused pretty equally over the spring
and summer months Of course where
irrigation is possible the rainfall is of
less importance.
There is only one way of learning wheth-
er these and other essential conditions, if
such there he, exist together IN this cOIm-
try to degree which would insure sue
cess. Perhaps the Government might ac-
compIsh something if it would cease to
rely upon indirect methods Of encour-
aging experiment, which can only be des- .
ultory and unsatisfactory, and begin /.
some persistent trials of its own on n scale
OF sufficient magnitude to settle the ducs-
ton conclusivcly.
An appropriation of 81. 900 would be |
slllhelent to purchase and stock farm of .
ample size in what seems Il favorable loca- |
hon, and 1t would cover all needfnI cxpen- /
seS Tor series Of experiments through a .
ueIhl "i years. 1t would then be foupd .
"hal quantity Of leaves an acre youlJ
yleld and what would bethe cost mick
ing and curing. Until some satisfortorv
tflta on these points are established nri-
vate enterprise will hardly prapnla W;tb
suchan unc riuin undertaking. woit Gov.
eral years for results Many acute obser-
vers have faith shat the United States will
yet produce its own tea. and better tea
than Is now consumed here.