The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-10-13
AMERICAN TEA.
1t F1ourishes I'm south Carolina and
Ii Growing in Favor.
George E. walsh, in New York Independ-

IL NoicAs III A<NW yin lllCItuu-
The trouble between China and Japan
over the island Of Formosa has had the
effect Of interfering very much with the
tea-growing industry OF that island, and a
gradual increase in the value of this prod
uct from now on is anticipated by the trade.
The tea crop in China and Japan has also
been seriously interfered with by the war,
and the crop will be smaller than usual.
Formosa teas are expected to advance in
prices from 20 to 80 per cent. while other
grades will feel the effect Of this rise and
be advanced by it. But while this may
make the tea-drinking public anxious about
the cost of their favorite beverage. it will
give a decided impetus to t~ea-growing in
this part of the country.
Comparatively few people realize that
good tea has been raised, cured and sue
c~essfully sold In this country, and that ever
since 1892 a regular crop has been harvested
in South Carolina Tea seems so closely
identified with the Eastern countries that
many cannot think of it as being Guilt
waited except in an amateurish way else
where. But in 1892 about 80 pounds of
good tea Were raised at the Pinehursf
farm a short distance from Summerville,
and most of 1t sold In the market at 81 a
pound. Since then the crop has been stead
lily increasing, and this coming seasons
pkOuuCl Will pIObdDig dSSItkdlt' over llTce
hundred pounds-a small quantity COM
pared with the consumptive demand, but
large enough for the beginning Of a new
Long before any trouble between China
and Japan was anticipated tea gardens
We're being experimental with in South
Carolina; and under the indefatigable eff
forts of DR.. Charles u. Shepard, the owner
of Pinehurst. the gardens have gradually
been brought TO a state of culture that
makes them successful rivals of the best
Fornosa or China tea gardens. Before the
war an experiment was made with tea
plants in South Carolina, ana young plants
Before a fair test could be made Of them
the rebellion broke out and the
plants were neglected. Since then these
take care of themselves, and many OF
them are veritable trees now. A few OF
the native>settlers gathered the leaves ev-
cry year and made their own tea out OF
them; but II never seemed to occur TO any
of them that the tea plants were of any
special commercial value. 1t was not until
and tried to cultivate them that the tea
growing industry received any value. He
was familiar with the industry abroad. He
besides giving the plants the proper
culture, he introduced new plants and
varieties from the East Under his
hurst gardens have yielded crops equal
in quantity and qualityto the best In
dian gardens Of the same age. The
80 s;s'a and ID 500 p sa anis f 10 every rynf f'5o plants plants.
Only the young leaves are picked and these
yield the finest grades of tea. None Of the
than Is cents per pound and most of it
brings 81 and upward. DR.. Shepard does
not consider it profitable TO raise the in
ferior grades In competition with Asiatic
Cheap labor. The costNo of picking and cur
ing the leaves at present rates in this
country would not make it possible 10 mar
ket the tea for less than 90 cents a pound,
and even at this price the margin OF prohts
is small.
- A. --o-, xhr
leaf has been picked at the Pinehurst gar
dens; but this season a fair crop VIII be
gathered from Chinese and japanese plants
which were brought over here for expert
mentation. Both the green and Oolong
teas that have been raised in China for
an indefinite period will be cured for mar
ket. If these plants prove as we'll adapted
to the climate and soil around Charleston
as the Assam hybrid plants the great
to their liking. The Assam va
riety of tea is the hardest grown, and the
true Assam is such a vigorous grower that
it will produce leaves seven or eight inches
long and three broad. But nearly all the
plants here are q cross between this plant
| and other varieties. The true Assam is
now raised only in a small part OF British
India, but intermediate between the Assam
have haV BEEN called Assam hybrids. They
exhibit many notifications between the
parent plants and can be adapted to many
soils and climates that would Kill either
of the original stocks. Hybridization has
thus made tea raising possible in the
Carolinas.
But the new tea gardens of China, India
and Ceylon plants, that were set out at
Pinehurst a few years ago, are ABOUT 10
yield crops which prove that even these
c~essfully in America. The cost OF a pack
age of seeds of these trees delivered In
this country is about $50. but many of
those sent here are of little real vafae.
They refuse to terminate and the cost IS
thus increased. The future gardens here.
-. Ill "a -lonfal with cuttings
rather than With seeds. and this will be
much quicker and a more satisfactory way
of getting the plans into bearing condi-
From present indications DIR. Shepard
considers the outlook for tea growing IN
the South as very promislng ana ne 'n INK
dred acres will be scattered tnrougn
the United States; There viii
Pr sitSsr cotton be more cr r psees le 'n All present sent
the chief difficulty is the trouble In secur-
ing the properly skilled labor. The. work
Of picking and curing the tea Involves a
great amount of slow labor. and this must
be cheap, skilled and Intelligent me
cheap tea pickers and curers IN the East
ern countries form very important factors
in tho DEVELOPMENT of the industry IN this
country. Considerable outlay OF money Is
required TO start the tea gardens. TOT III
takes several years for the plants to get In
good picking order. The time required
from seed is from five TO six years, and a
little less when planted from cuttings,
and children. and a few estates In. the
South would give employment TO hundreds
of farmers children.
The old government tea gardens, that
have been neglected SO long. have come
into the possession OF the owner or Pine |
hurst. who has the privilege Of removing
the old plants and taking cuttings from
them. These plants are now being i'm
proved in every possible way by expert
cultivation. BY manurirg them they grow
vigorously, and produce much better tea
leaves than those gathered when they we're
left TO care for themselves. Cuttings from
these young trees also produce good new
gardens of considerable value |
At various times In the past attempts
have been made 10 cultivate tea in the
South. but the efforts were all spasTsodic /
and not attended with very good results.
Near Old Point Comfort a few tea plants
were started. but the cold was too severe
for them. and they have been injured be-
yond hope of recovery. Professor Massey,
OF ths experimental station. has several
times advocated the culture CT tea plants in
the South. and the instructions for handling
them have been given out through the bull
lefins 10 farmers. In the new farming OF
the South tea culture will. in time. un-
doubtedly assume an important place. az \
though at present IT Is confined 10 a few
experts and pioneers in the industry.
S-uoufaueous Cnmbu<tIon.