The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-07-29

We know of hill garden in India
whose tea from this cause has this year
suddenly fallen Sd to 10d per pound in
value. The nominal market value of
these samples is as follows:
Pekoe.. .............. ........2s Sd to Is Sd per fb
Pokoe Souchong. Ills Cd to Is Cd. per fb
Souchong...............ls i'd to Is I'd per ID
Congou. u..................1s Cd to Is I'd per fb
Thanking you for the opportunity of
seeing and reporting upon these teas, we
remain, dear sir,
Yours faithfully,
w. J. & Fl. THOMPSON.
The other testimony is of similar i'm
port. Martin Gillette & Co., one of the
oldest tea houses on the continent, are
enthusiastic in their praise of the Amer.
lean tea, as also Burchell, of Washing
ton, D. c., a large retailer.
Pioneer Press-Then you regard the
success of the culture and manufacture
of is assured?
LeDuc-I regard it as certain as the
solution of problem in geometry under
which we used to write as school-boys,
"Quod erat denonstrandunl." The fact
that we can produce and manufacture a
superior quality of tea, so cheaply as to
enable us to compete successfully with
any other country in the world, is no
longer a problem. 1t has been practi-
cally demonstrated beyond all question,
and needs only that the capitalists of the
country shall do as the English capital
lists have heretofore done in India-form
corporations for the culture and manu-
facture of tea, and like them reap the
rich rewards Of their enterprise.
Pioneer Press-It is the common opin-
ion everywhere in this country that it is
impossible, with the high price of labor
in this country, to raise ten in competi.
ton with the cheap labor of the East
How do you solve this problem?
LeDuc-The price of labor per day is
only one of the factors in the cost, and
should be considered with reference to
the kind Of labor employed. For ex-
ample, Mr.. Jackson informs me in refer
ence to the negro labor he has employed
in Georgia, that one negro, for whose
labor he pays forty cents day, is quite
equal to that of two coolies in India, for
which he pays much smaller sum, to
be sure, but pays it for every day of the
term of service-whether sick or we'll, or
whether he is at work or idle. But a
much greater difference in cost is found
in the use in this country Of labor-saving
machinery, such as plows, cultiyators,
horse.shoes and like Implements, which
are entirely unknown in India-the tea
gardens of which are hoed over with
heavy iron hoe eight times during the
year. Then again, the tea boxes, lead
and other material are obtained much
cheaper in this country than they posi-
bly, can be in India. In India and China
the tea is transported on the backs of
men very many miles before it reaches q
more convenient and cheaper mode of
transportation. Then the tea has to be
transported many thousand miles to
reach market, and has to pass through
the hands of long series of shippers
and brokers and commission men before
it reaches the consumer. A very large
portion of this expense, which forms a
large part of the current price of tea,
will be saved by its production in this
country.
Pioneer Press-What will be the ac-
tual cost of producing tea in this coun-
try of the superior quality of the sample
passed upon by the experts whose testi-
mony you have referred to?
LeDuc-Mr. Jackson estimates the
cost of producing such teas at from fif-
teen to twenty cents per pound, and that
tea garden should produce, in the
fourth year, when it comes into bearing,
24O pounds per acre, which should be
increased upon its arrival at full malu-
rity to from $50 to 400 pounds per acre,
which can be maintained for a number
of years. When the tea plant is from
fifteen to twenty years Of age it is found
advisable to cut it down to the ground
and let it spring up afresh from the
stump.
Pioneer Press-At this rate the culture
of tea should be very profitable ?
LeDuc-It is undoubtedly by far the
most profitable of all agricultural pro-
ductions. This is we'll known to tea pro-
ducers everywhere, and large fortunes
have been made in England and Scot
laud by persons engaged in the cult!va.
ton of tea, who never saw tea plant
and have never even been away from
their insnlar homes. The stocks of the
Assam and other companies are quoted
daily like railroad and other stocks, and
when the advantages of America for tea
culture are understood by English aud
Scotch capitalists, they will hasten, ]
have no doubt, and that is Mr.. Jackson's
view too, to invest their money in tea
enterprises in this country, similar to
those in India.
Pioneer Press But if tea can be pro-
duced so cheaply in America the result
would be to reduce the price Of tea.
LeDuc-Yes; undoubtedly in the end.
But we are now importing teas to the
value of from thirteen to twenty-five
millions per year. 1t would be many
years before the production in America,
even if carried on with the enthusiasm
with which Americans pursue profitable
investments, would equal the demand,
aud in the meantime the present price OF
teas would be approximately maintained.
In fact, the American tea would for sew
eral years command fancy prices, because
it would be known to be pure article,
whereas foreign teas are generally known
to be adulterated.
Pioneer Press-The successful culture
of tea in this country, then, means a
great saving to our people?
LeDuc-1t means saving OF from
sls,oOo,oo to s23, 600 now sent every vel
year chiefly to England to pay for Chi,
nese, Japanese and Indian teas, and
which would be retained at home to feed
our own industries. 1t means more
than this. The necessary effect of this
large increase in tea culture would be to
eventually reduce the price of tea.,per-
haps to half its price-which would be
another great saving to the people, while
still leaving large margin of profit to
the producer.
Pioneer Press-Have any enterprises
been started other than that of Mr..
Jackson?
LeDuc-None of much magnitude.