Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1901-05-02
TEA IN THE SOUTH
EXPERIMENTS IN ITS CULTURE
NOW BEING MADE.
RESULTS SATISFACTORY
But the Ultimate Outcome as Yet
roblematc-Growth of Plants
Gradual and Good-Negro not we'll
Fitted for the Niceties of the Bust
ness, Thinks One Grower.

Tea culture may finally develop into
one of the more important industries
of Louisiana, says the New Orleans
Times-Democrat, although at this time
the outcome of experiments now being
made is largely problematical. Out a
the Louisiana experimental station DR.
w. C. Stubs, who is in charge Of the
station, is conducting an elaborate ex
pertinent, and up to this time the re
suits have been thoroughly satisfac
tory. He has an area of comfortable
size with $50 tea plants. They have
grown until they now range from siS
inches to one foot in height. They
are healthy, vigorous-looking plants
and if any injurious influences are al
work, no traces of them can be found
in the present colony of the plants
The growth has been gradual and
healthy in every particular, and DR..
Stubs is sanguine, SO far as the physi
cal possibilities are concerned.
He says there is no reason why
Louisiana should not grow an elabo
rate tea crop, and the tea would be
equal in quality to that grown in
China. There would be one drawback
He was not so sanguine about the
south's ability to manufacture tea, on
account of the character of labor in
this section. The negro could not be
| depended upon to do the work. He
would find it difficult to master the
tedious processes necessary in getting
the article into useful and market
able shape. This work had received
special attention in South Carolina,
where tea culture had been carried on
with much success by DR.. Charles u !.
Shepherd. But it had been neces-
sary for DR.. Shepherd to educate negro
children, in order to have the crop
handled. He had established in con-
nection with his place a school of
pickaninnies, and they were taught
how to gather tea leaves and how to
handle them in all their processes of
manufacture.
Here in louisiana" said DR..
Stubs, 1--WE are even in better posi-
ton to successfully cultivate tea than
they are in South Carolina. Our
natural advantages give us the first re-
quirements. The tea plant demands
damp soil. We are we'll equipped in
this respect. Whatever we lack in
this respect can be overcome by IT.
rigation. The plants in my collection
have not suffered on this account, and
they are now in thoroughly healthy
condition. No blighting influences are
at work, so far as present indications
go, and l am inclined to believe that,
in physical sense, there will be no
sort of trouble about tea culture in the
state of Louisiana. If we had few
Cinnamon to handle it, or class of
laborers equally as skilled in the de-
tails of the work, am sure we would
experience no serious trouble in MAX
ing tea culture an elaborate and
profitable industry. However, | am
concerned now simply in studying the
question of the plants adaptability to
Louisiana soil. The question of the
character of labor necessary in it's
culture and manufacture is another
matter, and it is not necessary to deal
with it at this time. l have been watch
| ing my plants with much concern, and
probably within the next year / will
be able to give out an intelligent state
ment with reference to the the expert
ment."
The Shepherd experiment in South
Carolina was the first successful eff
fort made to cultivate tea in this coun-
try. But as early as 1S4S Dr. Junius
Smith, in the same state, experimental
with tea culture on small scale, and
while his effort did not altogether
fail, it never excited much interest,
and tea culture was abandoned. In
1881 the possibilities of tea culture in
the United States were brought to the
attention of congress, and an appropri-
| alton was made, but the money, for
some reason, was not judiciously
spent, and no good results were
reached. Later experiments proved
that tea culture was easily within the
reach of states in the lower region of
the American republic, and since that
time the best agricultural authorities
of the country have been advocating
tiAS NuituiS VI Tea upon an eldDOTdl6
scale. The Shepherd experiment was
begun 10 years ago, on the plantation
near Summerville. The commence
ment was on small scale. The
acreage has gradually increased. until
now there are so acres in cultivation
on the Shepherd place Each year the
yield per acre has increased, and
there has been much Improvement in
the method of handling the product
and putting it into useful condition.
When the plants have arrived at the
full bearing age the yield on this place
will amount to about 100000 pounds
of high grade tea, although in some
instances an acre of ground has yield
ed much more than 200 pounds of tea
But this yield would net a good profit
to the man who cultivates tea, profit
much larger than that yielded by an
acre planted in cotton.
The tea plant is small. dumpy
plant, never growing much higher than
mans shoulder. The main stem is
generally stout and capable of sus-
tanning the heavy weight of the spread
ing branches. They are generally
planted about four feet apart in