The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1883-11-08
Tea Caiture i~ the south.

~
crowding on the opening steps OF
Southern progress Is especially TO be
noted tea culture. Almost nothing
has yet been done, but, the few small
experiments made are valuable. Mr..
c. Menelas, whose experimentation
with jute is known to all the South,
as we'll as his remarkable enterprise
and public spirit, has already, on his
Mississippi plantation, some beau =
tifully flourishing teapiants, and
there is undoubtedly nothing needed
to cause the culture to spring to i'm
mediate success in Mississippi ex-
ccpt, if we may so phrase it, the
knowledge of manipulating the pro
duct. 1t would be practicable for
any wealthy planter, one willing to
expend few thousand dollars for
the benefit Of his neighbors, to
import a man from China or India
say on five years contract-tn in
struct the neighborhood; amt we
venture that a pot made up for the
purpose by number OF planters
would return interest in few years.
| A little time and patience are re-
uuisitc Look, for instance, at what
has been accomplished by the initia--
tive of the British Government in
| India. The natives did not take to
it; but nevertheless British private
capital did, as soon as the Govern
ment showed the way. Within ten
years there were over fifty gardens
In private hands in Assam, aud the
culture has been introduced into
Darjceling. The success was 50
great that it led to speculation
and such an unhealthy dollhouse
forcing as resulted in disaster; but
after returning to normal state
the enterprise fourished beyond cal
culations. The Indian tea rates
higher in the London market than
the Chinese article, and the exports
from India have risen from almost
nothing thirty years ago to 40, 1885,
Ill pounds in 1880. IL is a mistake
to suppose that tea is a tropical
plant. A specimen Of the green ties
plant lived some twenty years in the
open air near London, being finally
killed in the severe winter of 1878
when the thermometer fell to Al de
grces Fahrenheit. In China IT is
grown say from % degrees to 40 de-
.grees, but mostly from "a degrees tt
81 degrees. 1t ought to be practica
BILE anywhere in Mississippi wher,
there is deep rich soil and first
rate drainage-the latter is impor
tant. 1t out to be successful il
many parts of South Carolina anC
Southern California. The Govern
ment has, We believe, tea farm il
South Carolina, but the presen
Commissioner of Agriculture does
not seem inclined to do much, If
indeed, he is doing anything towart
development. There is, or at least
was, a tea farm of some for
ty acres in Georgia, where
some samples were made, but w
do not know whether it is still il
Operation. AS we import abou
$40, 100000 worth of tea per arnum
chiefly from China and Japan, there
is home market for every pounC
Southern gentlemen may please t.
raise: and if the South ask it Con
gress will no doubt restore the duty
to assist in promoting the culture
Southern agriculture gets littl
enough encouragement froms thu
Government; but the tide is turning
and our demands will not be ignored
hereafter. Mr.. G. Mene.as, in re-
cent private letter to the editor o
the Plcayune. says: That we shaO
produce tea in this county, and "
shall become independent of orlenta
Asia and save our country from pay
ing it an annual tribute of SO, 1000,
900 to $30,000,000, l have not TIL,
slightest doubt" This prophets
optimist has studied the subjec
practically as well as theoretical.
and is in his enthusiasm for all tina
concerns the future-weil being OF tn
South, as truly Grecian in spiritua
force as in name and blood. and w
hope that his latter days, like tnos
of the Spartan King Menelaus, vii
be passed in peace and prosperity, =
). NeU Orleans PicdyURe.