Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-01
HOW TEA Is GROWN
Reasons for Believing 1t Can Be
Raised in the South.
CLIMATE and SOIL FAVORABLE
One Plantation That Has Met
With Considerable Success.
SPREADING INFORMATION
SPREADING INFORMATION
Copyright. 1899. by L. W. Thayis.l

| Written for The Evening Star.
| 1t is now almost an assured fact that tea
| culture can be made a most successful and
| profitable industry in the United States.
| says Secretary Wilson of the Department of
| Agriculture.
Mr.. Wilson's recent trip through the
south convinced him that there is no reason
| why es fine article of tea cannot be
| raised in some portions Of the south as is
| grown in any other country, and believing
| this, he will as early as possible begin the
| work of formulating plans for carrying out
his experiment stations ideas. At points
| near Augusta, Ga, and Charleston, ). G.,
| tea of a very fine quality has been grown,
/ and it is Secl etary Wilson's opinion that
! with thoroughly experienced tea raisers to
| look after everything connected with the
| stations there will be but little trouble in
| demonstrating that China cannot always
| have monopoly on the production of tea.
| 1t is likely that the largest station will be
| established at Charleston, but there are a
| number of points where thorough test
| will be made.
| The successful growing of tea by DR.
| Charles L. Shepard on his big plantation at
| Pinehurst, S. c., is engaging the general
| attention of planters and farmers of the
| great south. Mr.. Shepards estate COM
| prises 100 acres, upon which he conducts a
large number of tea gardens. Many OF the
varieties of tea plants from different coun-
| tries are found there, in healthy and vigor-
Gus growth Each garden forms separate
| variety. The object of planting on differ
ent sites has been for the purpose of eX-
| pertinent with varied aspects and varied
conditions of soil.
| tea man to these gardens, who has grown
| many thousands of tea plants and is famil-
| lar with methods of tea culture in India
| He reported the healthy and successful
of fr1n fass r,inr fhapa 4hat an
| be compared with those of the best grown
| in foreign lands.
| Soil and Climate.
| 1t is found that the profitable production
| of tea in this country depends principally
| upon rainfall, of the presence of moisture
| in the soil. With an ample supply of water
| the plants are maintained in constant yigor
| and the operations of manufacture proceed
| uninterruptedly during the whole period
| of active growth. In districts favored with
/ sufficient heats and rains the plants fur
| nish from fifteen to twenty pickings year
| ly. In some parts of China the plants are
| picked four times only. OF course, some
| thing depends upon the soil; if 1t is poor
| the growth will be limited, compared TO
| what will be realized if it is rich, although
| the rainfall may be the same in both cases
| The condition of the soil is specially inn
portant where there is a lack of rain,
| then the richest soil will support the best
| growth.
| To establish a system of soil treatment
| that would as far practicable compensate
| for the scarcity and unequal distribution OF
| rainfall DIR. Shepard concluded to pay par
| ticular attention to its physical condition
| and its relation to air and moisture He
| therefore, as a first step toward improve
| ment and as a foundation for others that
| may follow, underdrained his land; it was
] afterward plowed deeply, following with
| suhsoil pillow, stirring up and pulverizing
| to n depth of eighteen inches or more.
| This system of soil preparation is not con-
| fined TO low grounds or those of seemingly
| wet but 1t is applied to high and rolling
| lands, in order to prevent the rapid flow of
| rainfall from the surface and washing of
| the soil 1t is now recognized that drain
| ing. in connection with deep cultivation. Sc
| cures a more ample and lasting supply Of
! moisture in dry times. and maintains the
| continuous growth of vegetation during
even severe droughts. This is well eXem-
| plified in these tea gardens. those on roll
ing grounds showing a verdant color of
| leaf equally with those on lower and richer
| looking spots. This conservation of moist
| IRE is further enhanced by a careful sys-
| TEN of surface culture, which prevents. in
| a great degree. the evaporation of moisture
| from the upper stratum of soil. Thus, a
gain of moisture equivalent TO fall of ten
| to fifteen inches of rain is secured
The Labor Question.
| In all considerations relating to the prof
| liable culture of tea in this country the la
4
| It has seemed impractcable to compete
| with the cheap labor of oriental peoples,
| and while some of the process Of manufac-
ture have been delegated to machinery
| the pick of the leaves, requiring discrimi-
| nation in selection, has to be done by hand
AT the lowest estimate. it costs about eight
| times more to pick one pound of tea in
| South Carolina than the prices paid for
/ thu same service in Asia. This is the most
| serious consideration that presents itself
| he fao n
| DIR. Shepard, in facing this problem of
| labor, has matured plans and put them into
| execution, and is so far well pleased with
| the result. He built school house with
! ample, well-furnished rooms. containing all
| the requisites for teaching. After engaging
| a competent teacher he invited the cOlOred
| families of the neighborhood to send their
| children to the school free of charge. They
| would be taught reading and writing and
| such other accomplishments as are ordi-
narily to be learned in primary schools;
| they would also be taught to pick tea. and
| thus earn mOnay to help buy them food and
| clothing. This offer was favorably receiY-
| ed and acted upon, so that DR.. Shepard
has a large list of scholars from which he
| draws his pickers in numbers as required.
| The youngsters like it. and speedily learn
the art of picking. AT first they require in
struction and close attention until they be-
| come sufficiently expert to pick only leaves
of proper age This is the foremost
quirement, and one which depends upon
| nicely Of touch of the fingers in rapidly
|
| at once as to what to pick and what to
| ject. Dr. Shepard picks only the most deli
| cate leaves; for the principal, if not the
| only, mode of making profitable crop here
| is to put he market tea superior to
any now found in the trade. This he is
doing at present.
| Valuable Information.
| When the far-reaching extent of DIR.
| Shepards knowledge of the tea industry in
| this climate Is realized, his patient and
successful efforts in overcoming obstacles,
| his clear conceptions of the principles gov
| erning plant growth and the adaptation of
| cultural methods and appliances for the
| amelioration and enrichment of soils. his
| faculty of close observation of minute
sentials in all details. and the long series
of tedious and costly experiments which
| have accompanied every branch of his
work. one is strongly impressed with the
| necessity of this knowledge being commu-
| nfcated to others. 1t has been suggested
4 10 the government to open a class for pu-
| pills, so that energetic young men could fit
| themselves as experts In this business, as
| there doubtless will be demand for such
| urali in hp Of Ten