The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-01-08
The Cultivation Of Tea.

The Cultivation Of Tea.
Editor Weekly Ee1rs and Courier sec it
stated that all attempts to cultivate tho
tea'plant In this country have been aban-
doned. Is this true7
B. C. l..
The possibilities of tea culture in this
country have attracted widespread attcn.
tion during the past few years in the
Southern States, and numerous expert.
mentB have been made, with results both
favorable and adverse to the successlul
cultivation of the plant. While there
have been sOme failures reported, the
experience in most cases of those who
have been engaged in tea growing seem
to show that the industry can be made AZ
profitable here as in India, China or
Japan, and that equally as fine plants
can be raised and as good On article of
tea can be made Us the best imported
from the East.
Mr.. @, Menelas, the owner of large
plantation about sixty miles below Jack.
son, Mississippi. where he has expert
mented successfully for number OF
years in tea cultivation, recently ex.
pressed himself fully satisfied that the
industry will in time assume O great
importance in this country, and that
imported teas will be thing almost un.
known. Mr.. Menelas has about 100
plants of producing age upon his planta
ton, with which he expects to attain q
practical knowledge of tea manufacture,
and an experience in the culture of the
plant which will enable him to SUCCESS.
fully manage large farm. He expects
about rs pounds of imported seed in a
short time, which he will SOW in beds,
and which, IL properly grown, will fur
piah at least fifteen acres of plants. Mr..
Menelas 10 deeply interested in the sub.
,ject, and firmly believes that in large
section Of the South, including Carolina,
Middle Georgia and Florida, Alabama,
Mississippi aud Lonisana, where the soil
II favorable and where there is O copious
rainfall the industry can. be carried on
90 successfully a. in The tea.growing'and
tea;making countries of the East. In o
recent trip through Carolina be visited .
number of tea gardens for the purpose of
observing the growth Of the plant. In
'narrating theresult of hiB visit he said !:
II left Savannah a few wees: ago for
Georgetown, 8. O., to visit MIRA. a. &f.
Forster's garden. Her son met me Ut the
depot, and quarter Of an hour later we
reached the old mansion, substantially
built seventy.ive years ago, and in q
manner that bespeaks of, com fort, ele.
gance and wealth, passed away for time
only hope. Mrs. Forster found an
elderly lady, but full of life and energy,
highly cultivated end remarkably Weif
versed In all fle mysteries and beauties
of botany. sEiI
"Her husband, the late DR.. A. NJ.
Forster, was very hopeful for tea culturs
in thets,uth, and procured, in 1868, q
dozen tea plants. From the seed pro.
dGaed bY thoss few plants Mfs. Forster
has now in her gardens over 4, 900 plants,
ssGe: ems 70 a.s fee. high. = :.v of the
frat plants growing in bushes measure
over tEaaiy feet in circumference. Some
ere in. .Soy1s GA, but the InsiSSTTity a&I05i;S IL
iiiraefy rows, and talthoughaihe.soir ts
very sandy and poor, tho plants show a
remarkably vigorous growth.
f"A'year or SO ago they were examined
by o gentleman who lived several years
inE China and was engaged in the tea
business there, and were pronounced by
him as being Of q very good variety. I
myself tasted some lea prepared from
tho plahtsby Afss. F6rstsr, and found it's
afen1a delidious, aud .its color !heSc:iful,
but deficient ii; taste for want Of better
kuowledge to cure IT, Mrs. Forster had
some three bhshels Of seed saved last
year from her plants, and tho day.sI Left
her plantation q seed bed was prepared
ID receive the seed for the purpose of
plants which very noon will
represent very good monoy value.
From thence !. proceeded to Summer.
willie siy, yisfk thS f( f(3nSersifient gsea earn.