The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-09-17
TEA CULTURE IN SOUTH CAR
OLINA.

DIR. c. Hugh Shepard, Of South Caro-
lima. has been making some experiments
in tea culture in that state with very sat
tsfactory results. and expresses the BE-
lief that commercial tea can be grown
IN that State " In quantity quite COM
parsble with the average yield Of the
most favorably situated Oriental coun-
try"
DR.. shepards tea gardens are located
at ..Pinehouse, near Summerville' 5. c.
and were planted about eight years ago.
He selected for his "Rose Garden an
old piney woods pond with black, rich
but sour surface soil, everything quick
sand. and. yet lower. clay. The ground
was thoroughly subson drained, heavily
"sweetened" with burnt mari and deeply
plowed. lie put In about one thousand
plants OF acclimatized Assane-hybrid tea.
There was no crop until 1882. and then
only fifty-six pounds OF green tea was
gathered. in 1898 the output was eighty
one pounds; I'm 1885,, 151 pounds; in 1895,
1888 pounds; in 1886. COO pounds; in 1891,
64S pounds; in 1895, 1000 pounds to Sep
tember LIST. with prospect Of 200 pounds
additional. The comparatively small out
put in 1897 is attributable to prolonged
autumnal drought, which materially in
terfered with the late production.
1t is DR.. shepards opinion that the out
put OF his "Rose Garden" will be dou-
bled in the next year or two. Twelve
hundred and sixty pounds of green tea
will afford 800 pounds Of standard Pine
hurst (black) tea. on basis of 900 plants
in the Rose Garden" the production
per bushel is five ounces OF tea. If II
were fun acre, he adds. the yield would
approximate 400 pounds (of dry teal, and
If the plants had been placed at shorter
distances apart, as is the practice in the
Orient, the output per acre would be
materially larger Oriental tea gardens
usually contain about 1900 plants to the
acre. and Or. Shepard says that there
are estates in India and Ceylon which
annually produce over 1000 pounds of tea
to the acre.
DIR. Shepard gives detailed statement
OF the cost Of producing tea on his farm,
which aggregates q Il cents per pound.
He thinks that 25 cents per pound is a
liberal estimate, and says that hereto
fore without the aid of protective duty
It has been possible TO sell al the Pine
hurst tea at s1.o0 per pound retail. But
even at 30 cents per pound it is plain TO
see that there would be a handsome pro-
fit IN tea culture IN South Carolina. if in
deed it can be produced on large scale
ut anything like the cost which DR.. Shep-
ard mentions.
The expense OF putting the land in
suitable condition for a tea garden and
the cost OF raising and setting out the
tea seedlings are Of course considerable.
but when the plants are once in a healthy
condition they live indefinitely, and 1t Is
said that some OF the best tea produced
IN Japan come from bushes that are two
hundred years old.
We do not know anything about the
quality OF the tea which is produced at
FSnehurst. but Or. Shepard has been
using IL in his own family and selling IL
10 his neighbors. and all seem to be en-
tirely satisfied with the beverage which
Is brewed from the South Carolina leaves.
Tho subject interests us no little. II
would be strange thing indeed II, in
addition TO the various other products of
this country. we should also be able by
and by 10 supply ourselves and the world
with first-class article OF tea. II tea
can be prodtably produced in South Car
olina. It can no doubt be produced also
in other Southern States. The Charles
ton News and Courier in an editorial ar
ticle treats the subject quite seriously.
and predicts that tea culture is TO be
great industry in that State.