Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1899-11-30

cultivation Of tea can be made profit
able In the warmer portions of the
United States in two ways. One is by
establishing plantation on the scale
Of the experiment at Summerville with
capital sufficient to carry the work to
point where the product can be offered
on equal terms with teas holding an es-
tablished place In the markets of the
United States. The other is to grow
tea for home use in the farm garden.
In either case tea growing can be I'M
dertaken safely only where the tenn
perature rarely goes lower than % de-
grees Fahrenheit, and never below
zero, and where liberal supply OF
water can be depended upon. There
10 probably no place In the United
States where the rainfall is sufficient
for the best results with the tea plant,
and irrigation should where possible be
provided for in growing tea.
The experiment at Summerville, on
the growth and manufacture Of tea. be-
gan about ten years ago. At the be-
ginning it was wisely on a small scale.
but has gradually been increased until
now over fifty acres have been planted
in tea. When the plants arrive at full
bearing the yield should be at least
10000 pounds Of high-grade tea; and
this should suffice for the object in
view, viz. to determine whether COM
mercial tea may be prOftably grown
under the local conditions of soil, eli
mate and labor.
One OF the most productive of the
Sumnerville gardens Is that called the
Rose garden. The output Of green leaf
from 1t has been: Crop Of 1892. Sc
pounds; crop OF 1893, 81 pounds; crop
OF 1894. 151 pounds; crop of 1895, 333
pounds; crop of 1896. 600 pounds: crop
OF 1897. GAS pounds; crop Of 1893. near
ly 1000 pounds. One thousand two
hundred and sixty pounds Of green lea {
will afford 300 pounds Of standard Pine
hurst black tea. But the Rose Garden
is not to be regarded as an exceptional
result, nor OF difficult imitation. Two
larger gardens, also formerly piney-
woods ponds. planted with Darjeeling
seedlings. promise successful rivalry
within few years. and yet others ap-
ptdI W Nv dVhhchihS W ~ uott NiSOI-
Gus productiveness.
Without undue endeavor. Prof. Shep-
pard sold his crop of 1898. about 1900
pounds. as also about 500 pounds of the
crop OF the previous year (which had
been bought to maintain prices). at a
profit Of about % per cent. The Pine
hurst black tea has distinctly charac
teristc flavor. and. like some OF the
choicer Oriental teas. its liquor has
more strength than its color indicates
These qualities render its introduction
slow. Bnt II has always proved diff
cult matter to change the taste OF tea
consumers: notably so In the introduc
ton of Ceylon tea into Great Britain
the mother country OF its producers
Nevertheless there has been steadily
increasing demand for Pinehurst tea
and great many people VIII drink NJ
other.
Green tea also is made mt Plnehurst
and has attracted keen interest In thu
trade. There is probably a greater de
mand In the United States for greer
than black tea. At present. large
amount OF sophisticated green ten y
consumed In this country. AS II 4
chiefly made of.'inferior leaf. highl.
colored with Prussian blue. and face'
with powdered soapstone. ETC.. 80 n
10 hide all natural defects. II cannot b
regarded as aither nutritious or health