The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-09-12
Tea Culture IN the south.

Tea culture in the south has attracted
considerable attention, and experiments in
growing the plant have generally been at
tended with success. Still, tea raising has
not become a southern industry. The diff
Guilty appears to be in the harvesting and
curing the leaves, and not in cultivating
them. In China and Japan both harvesting
and curing is done entirely by hand, which
cannot be done at the rate paid for farm
labor IN the south, and the American tea
crop has, 50 far, been Of 30 little importance
that American inventive genius has not been
led 10 devise labor-saving apparatus for
curing the leaves. The harvesting must
necessarily be done by hAad that cannot be
avoided.
! Tue first experiments in tea culture in the
south were made under the auspices Of the
| United States department OF agriculture
before the war. When LIE Due was COM
missioner of agriculture he made q study
OF the uoject, became a tea enthusiast and
established an experimental garden near
SummervIlle, S. C. When the war came
on experimenting in everything except ex-
plosives aud projectiles ceased, and
ing the past few years, however,
tea culture has been taken up again by the
agricultural department and a number of
progressive planters. The old tea garden
at Summerville has been acquired by DR..
&. U. Shepard, Charleston planter and
chemist, who is making a thorough sciea-
tiic study of the plant, its propagation and
the preparation OF its leaves He has ex
tended the area of the old garden used by
the government and will experiment with a
hybrid plant made by crossing the old half
wild government plants with variety
from India, and add other plants from
China, Ceylon and Japan to his stock. SO
far his garden is too young to make fair
test, but he expresses the belief that he will
be able to produce tea very much superior
TO that commonly found in the market
Another South Carolina gentleman who
has experimental in tea culture with con-
siderable success is Capt. B. l.. Beatty. of
BucksvllIe. Several years ago be obtained
seeds from the department OF agriculture
with which he planted about an acre. The
plants prospered, and have now attained a
vigorous growth. He has harvested aud
cured several crops Of leaves, by the old and
clumsy hand process, and has never failed
to produce tea which has been pronounced
excellent by expert and professional tasters.
But the cost OF picking and curing makes
its production for market Improbable
The tea plant Is not hardy an authority
says north of the Both meridian its culture
would be attended with considerable risk.
In appearance the bush is not unlike the
mock-orange (philadeiphus corondrius),
except that its leaves are Of q lighter shade
Of green and not so thick. 1t bears pretty
star-like white flower, which is very fra
grant. The plants are generally placed
from four to five feet apart.
averaging from 1850 to 2,700 to the
acre. After the fourth or firth year 100 to
$50 pounds Of leaves should be gathered
from an acre. The youngest plants pro-
duce the best tea, and the youngest leaves,
on the tops Of the plants, are the finest
favored. Picking begins at the top. The
youngest and most tender leaves grade first
class, and on down the bush the pickings
are graded.
1t is believed that an improved method
Of curing will be worked out by the gentle-
men interested in tea culture in the near
future. And, that process perfected, there
appears to be nothing further in the way OF
tea becoming one of the south's staple
crops.