The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1899-10-21
A NEW SOUTHERN INDUSTRY.
Tea Culture Seems Destined to be
Added to the Southern In
dustries of the Future.

0untr1ea OF the rutuRes
There is no doubt that this country
will become a larger exporting tea
producer. If it should only produce
enough for home consumption, it
would not only be a remunerative ag-
ricultural enterprise, but would be y
blessing to the tea drinker. Most OF
our imported teas are adulterated and
those that are not, are too high in
price for the great mass of consum-
ers to indulge in. For several years
there has been successful tea plan
tation in one of the southern states,
on which, according to the testimony
of foreign expert tea judges, some of
the best tea is grown. The expert
mental stage of the business, so far as
suitabilityof soil and climate are con-
cevned, seems to have been passed,
and in that direction there would APP
pear to be no difficulty in growing
tea in many southern sections, or
wherever it is hot and damp.
OBSTACLE TO SUCCESS.
The only obstacle TO success might
be the high price paid for labor, and
that is always urged as an objection,
when we attempt to produce any
thing in the United States that is
produced where there is cheap labor.
We have no trouble to compete with
Europe in manufacturing, although
our labor costs us double what it does
the European manufacturer. We are
taking the European markets nearly
as rapidly as we can get out manufac-
tured goods into them, and are doing
it because our goods ere superior, and
| in the matter Of tea production, SUI
perior quality is also promised, and
the success of the industry will de-
pend much more upon the quality OF
the product than it will upon the
cheapness of labor.
But the management of this south
ern tea plantation has solved even the
labor problem. The work is done by
negro children, who are provided with
school facilities, and among the
studies is all that pertains to the
growing of the tea plant and the har-
vesting and care to the product. Not
only is cheap help thus secured, but 1t
is really of high order of intelligence
on that line, and probably, all things
considered, very much cheaper Ia
Dor than is employed in the tea grow
ing countries. Unless some such pro-
vision for labor as is found on this
southern plantation is made, there
would be wide difference between
the cost of labor here and in Asia. 1t
requires about four pounds OF green
tea leaf to make one pound OF cured
tea, and the cost of picking pound
of cured tea in Asia Will not exceed
one cent. Here it would cost, under
ordinary circumstances, not less than
six cents. Rates for transportation on
foreign teas are only two cents q
pound. With ordinary labor, there
fore, we can hope to compete only
with the highest grades of foreign
tea, but superiority is our only hope
in any line of competition. The best
climate for tea growing is hot, damp
one. There must be plenty Of rain
fall, especially during the first of the
season. Drought is inimical to tbs
. crop.
In a moist, hot climate the yield IL
double what it is in climates that are
! temperate and dry. 1t has occurred to
the swriter-though he has nothing
debate on which to base an opinion
that in some of the irrigated districts
of the west tea might be successfully
grown. The summers are long and hot
in some of these districts, the winters
are mild and short, and the moisture il
at command. Take section, for lar
stance, like the Yakima valley, in
Washington. The winters are shor'
and not very severe. Most of the yeal
is hot and growing. Speaking With
out experience, and Judging only from
general conditions, such locations, i
would seem, are suitable for tea cul
ture. 1t is said, it is true, that M
really healthy climate can be good fo
: tea-that fever and tea growing go to
gether. But that is an assertion. w
> have domesticated other plants in eli
mates that were conspicuously unlik
that in which> they originally grew
and tea culture has had no such tria
in this country as would warrant us II
saying with positiveness, that it cal
not be acclimated in sections which
are decidedly dissimilar to its nature
home, if they posses the heat an'
moisture.
Fl For the last IS years the American
have annually consumed on an averag
about one and one half pounds Q
= tea per capita, which, according to on
present poulation, would be 10S,000,00
pounds, the value of which offers
: great inducement to tea culture in ,e'
: ery locality where the plant can b
| grown.--Agriculutrai Eritomist.