The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1879-02-14
CULTURE OF TEA IN SOUTH CAROLINA.

tea plant mas Dccn grown III the South
The plants flourish luxuriously in most
parts of the Carolinas, and in Georgia and
Louisiana Occasionally the leaves were
picked aud dried for use, but the process
was tedious and the tea strong and rank-
Last year, however, quantity of leaves of
the tea plant grown i'll Georgetown, S. c.,
were sent to importers of tea in Baltimore,
aud by Il member of the firm were made
into excellent mcrchantablc tea. Mr.. Gillct
Gill, of the firm of Martin Gillct e. Co.,
superintendcd the drying, and was so en-.
| couragcd by the result of the experiment
that he is now travclliu slhrough the South
relative to the cultivation Of tea, and to
asccrtaiuing what are the capabilities Of the
most favored localities. Mr.. Gill had charge
of a tea factory in Japan, and is familiar
with the whole process ofgrowing the plant
picking the leaves and preparing them for
market lie has already visited Charlotte,
Columbia, Augusta and lower Georgia. and
arrived in Charleston yesterday on his way
to Georgetown.
There is no doubt that tho tea plant will
grow well throughout South Carolina, and
better in this State than in Georgia. The
plant is not injured by ordinary cold weather,
bearing without danger temperature as low
as : deg. Fahrenheit. Such cold is an
advantage to the plant as it checks the
rapidity Of development. 1t needs no spc-
ciaI care, bat Mr. Gill finds that the plant
usually is not trimmed closely enough
The leaves used for making tea are only
one or two and sometimes three leaves on
the extreme end Ct each limb or branch. and
the object ofthc cutivator, therefore, should
be to keep the plant down so as to multiply
the number Of branches. This, also, rem
dcrs the leaves easier to pick. The plant
can be raised form cuttings or form seed,
and requires no particular nursing. Plants
in hot-houscs, free from the influences of
frost, do not bear as well as plants in the
open air.
The common belief is that the manufac-
ture Of tea is attended with peculiar diff
cultics. This is mistake. The different
grades OF tea made in China come from the
same plant. They are, in fact, the same
SnTss eshsS e AnS IL Is fSsss hSs e tA ka
tea grown in this country should have the
same appearance as Chinese tea. The
American tea is as fragrant and invigorating,
and, as avowcdly American tca will bring
as high price us the Indian, Chinese. or
Japanese variety. Mr.. Gill is confident
that the C lring and preparation can be done
with machinery Of simple construction as
thoroughly and more chcaply than by hand.
The purpose is to form company, iT time,
for the manufacture of tea, similar to the
companies established in India, which pay
their stockholders dividends Of IS and 20
per cent. Our understanding is That Gllctt
II Co. will purchase, at the rate Of one dol
lar pound, such Carolina leaves as NAV
be properly picked and forwarded to them
for manufacture.
We shall await with much interest the
formal report to be made by Mr. Gill upon
his return, and it is to be hoped that, in
the meantime, they who are now growing
tea plants will continue their cultivation
There is far less difficulty in making tea
than in growing and preparing jute, and VIC
see no reason why Carolina tea should not
soon be as well and tavorably known as our
famous long cotton.--Nevs omd Co"ricr.
SET Up Your BAR AT lIoME.-The
following excellent suggestion il from a
temperance lecture delivered in Maysvillc,
Ky, but it will answer equally well for
Charleston:
''Barkccpcrs in this city pay, on an av-
eragc, 81 per gallon for whiskcy, one gallon
contains an average Of sixty>five drinks,
and at ten cents drink the poor nan pays
So 80 per gallon for his whiskey. In 9TH
or words he pays $2 for the whiskey and
81 80 to a man for handing it over the bar.
Make your wife your barkccpcr. Lend
her two dollars to buy gallon Of whiskcy
for beginning and every time you want a
drink so to her and pay ten cents for it
by the time you have drank gallon she
will have Sc So or enough money to refund
the So borrowed Of you, to pay for another
gallon Of liquor and have balance Of 50
80. She will be able to conduct future
operations on her own capital, and when
you become an incbriatc, unable to support
yourself, Stunned and dcspiscd by all re-
spectacle persons, your wife will have
enough money to keep you until you get
ready to fill drunkard's grave"
a lady taking tea at a small company,
being very fond of hot rolls was asked to
have another. "Rcally, | cannot" she
modcstly replied Il don't know how many
have eaten already" 81 do" unex-
,oot ,dly oriol q iuvon;lo ,,nc,,rt ,,b,so