The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1901-01-23

able to secure 5Tioh an expert We will
select three or four young men to be
replaced directly under him and re,
ceive Instructions in the tea hueiness,
SO that they may furnish valuable and
necessary data to business men and
companies engaged in the tea bust
ness"
5"You refer to furnishing informa.
ton to men and companies engaged
in the tea business; is there any i'm
mediate prospect that companies. to
any considerable extent, will be form.
ed for the purpose Of developing the
tea Industry I asked.
b. TEA FARM COMPANIES.
eyes. Tue department is in receipt
Of many communications on this sub
ject., There are several compap :es
now being organized for the purp ,se
Of purchasing lands in the Southern
States to be devoted to tea raising,
and the department. is anxious to fur
nish them all the data and informa-
tion possible to insure the successful
establishment Of the industry"
IF the plans Of Secretary Wilson are
carried out in the development of the
tea industry in the Southern States
the negro population will advance in
civilization and intelligence in proper
tion to the advancement Of the indus
try. The question of labor 10 unques-
tionably the most dominant factor in
relation to the culture Of tea in this
country. When the experiments were
first commenced it seemed impossible
to compete with the cheap labor of
the Orient, and, while some processeo
of manufaoture we're delegated TO ma
chinery, The picking Of the leaves,
which requires great discrimination in
selection, had TO be done by hand.
The question of competition with the
cheap labor in the East was serious
one. 1t was discovered that it cost
about eight times more to pick one
pound Of tea in South Carolina than
the price for che same service in Asia.
But a remedy has at last been found
which Secretary Wilson believes will
work admirably. In discussing this
phase Of the question Secretary Wilson
said:
DIR. sHEPARDs 8 PIONEER WORK.
when DR.. Shepard first took
charge of the Pinehurst station he
found himself face to face with this
problem. His tea gardens not being
of sufficient area to employ constant
force, in the gathering OF the FIRST flush
he would obtain any week all the pick
srS required, but when the next flush
came he would find his former pickers
scattered and unobtainable just when
most needed. In this way his opera
tions we're so embarrassed as to entail
loss, for it is all important to pick
leaves when at their best condition,
which is Of short duration. They
rapidly develop beyond the requisite
of tenderness, after which they are
MOTIF for use.
"After bestowing much thought on
methods for the betterment of this
State of affairs DR.. Shepard matured
L i E. 4.
plans and put them into execution,
and is 80 far we'll pleased with the re-
suit. He built school house, a
comfortable, homelikescottage build
ing, having ample, well-furnished
rooms, containing all the requisites
for teaching. After engaging COM
petent teacher he invited the colored
families Of tho neighborhood to send
their children to his sohuol free Of
charge. They were to be taught read
ing and writing and such other accom-
plishmento as are ordinarily to be
learned in primary schools; they were
also taught to pick tea, and thus earn
money to help buy them food aud
clothing. This offer was favorably re-
ceived and acted upon, 80 that DR..
Shepard has goodly list Of scholars,
fr'n which he draws his pickers in
numbers required.
i &Of course there are many Of them
too young for field work, bnt the work
lis light, great strength not being
needed, and the youngsters like IL,
speedily learning the art. At first
they required instruction and close
attention until they became sufficient
Fly expert to pick only leaves Of proper
age. This is the foremost require
1 ment and one which depends upon
nicely Of touch of the fingers in rapid.
sIly: passing over the young leaves and
deciding at}once as to what to pick