The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1888-08-09
Our African Teachers.

A blight having attacked the coffee
trees in Natal, Africa, the planters there,
the Phiadelphia Record states, have been
experimenting with the tea plant as q
substitute. The methods of preparing
the tea for market have been studied
intelligently and patiently year after year,
for ten years, and it is confidently pre-.
dicted now that Natal will become tea.
producing country. The teas produced
there, says the Record, are Of q good
quality and can be put upon the market
at prices that ensure ready sale. 1t
only remains, apparently, to develop the
new industry which has been carefully
founded.
It is doubtful that N NAtal enjoys any ed
vantage over South Carolina for the
cultivation of this valuable crop. Mum.
bers of tea plants are growing in South
Carolina to day, and some of them have
done we'll for many years. The quality
ofthe leaf has been tested by experts in
Northern markets and pronounced excel
lent. Why is it. then, that the teaPro,
ducing industry in this State, is where it
was ten years ago, while the Africa plan.
ters have well nigh mastered its secrets in
the same interval, and are now ready to
reap rich annual reward from their Ia
bors. The answer is, probably, taat the
farmers of Natal have themselves studied
the plant, and experimental patiently in
its preparation for market, while We have
depended on the government to perform
this work for us. The government aban
doued the experimental farm at Summer.
vile, in short time after establishing it,
and there the experiment ended, except
for the efforts of one or two farmers who
have continued it with a few plants only
and without, perhaps, paying special
attention to them. tits not surprising,
under the circumstances, that our African
rivals are ahead.
There is a ray of promise for Us still,
however. Prof. Shepard, of Charleston,
has started tea farm, at Summeryille,
and will resume at that place the work
which the Government discontinued 80
precipitately, though, of course, on q
smaller and less expensive scale. There
is small reason to regret the change in
these respects, however. Ifthe tea plant
is even to be domesticated on our soil and
cultivated with profit on comparatively
large scale, 1t must be by private enter.
prise. Government methods are not
within the reach of the average farmer.
The experience of Prof. Shepard. if he
shall succeed in his undertaking, will be
infinitely more valuable to the farmers
who shall desire to follow his example
than the experience Of the manager Of Q
Government farm could be; since they
can pursue Prof. shepard's methods when
they could not think Of adopting those in
use by an official whose accounts were
settled by the United States. treasury.
Itis seen, therefore, that Prof. shepard's
enterprise is ofgreat interest to the whole
people of South Carolina, and his success
may we'll lead to results the Importance
of which cannot be overestimated. The
farmers Of South Carolina should not fail
when the African farmers have overcome
like difficulties, and as the tea industry
has been fairly established in Natal by
patient effort, we may we'll hope that it
will sooner or later be established in South
Carolina. .-Ne,us and Courier.