New-York tribune., 1901-01-27
AMERICAN GROWN TEA.
SECRETARY WILSON'S EXPERIMENTS
GIVE HIGHLY SATISFACTORY
RESULTS.

washington Jan 2s (speciai).--Amerfca Is des-
fined 10 become one Of the great tea producing
countries OF the world. The imports from China
Japan Ceylon and other tea growing countries viii
diminish from year 10 year in the future UNTIL IN
the opinion of Secretary Wilson the United States
,iU becoroe an exporter OF this article. for which
the American people now paying annually
from $l2 900 900 10 Sl5.00o,0oo.
Az result Of recent experiments by the Agri-
cultural Department. preparations are making Tor
the bishment Of several tea plantations in the
Southern States. Already one company, with
capital OF $4,000 has been organized in Newly ork
another with capital Of 100000 is being perfect
ed while st!ll others with large capital are in
contamination for the purpose Of securing suitable
lands in Southern States with soil and climauc
ooraitions adapted TO the growth Of tea
This e the result Of the esforts OF James wilson
Who shortly after his installation Secretary OF
Agriculture, became convinced that tea culture IN
she Southern States not only practcapie Dut
might be made profitable. Gathering together All
the data obtainable upon the subject, Secretary
Wilson directed the establishment OF an expert
rnent station AZ the Pinehurst Gardens In south
Carolina. At first doctor OF divinity was placed
In charge a special agent OF the Government
During the first year there was little progress
ynsda in tea culture To use the language Of Score
tarv Wilson divinity and tea did not seem TO
harmonic" and as the Department was particu-
larly interested in the development or the tea
industry divinity was superseded by special
As q result Of his labo-s, more than $500 worth
Of American tea was placed on the markets OF
washington New-York, Philadelphia and other
cities in 1899.
The American product found 10 he superior
20 anv Of the black teas imported Some OF the
crop Of 1899 brought as high 81 a pound. which
IS three or four times greater than the price OF
the teas imported from China and Japan Last
year there increase in the yield or the Tea
gardens Of l2 per cent the yield Of 1893. and
hull NriT rGr-
ting a handsome profit to the Government
The experiments during the last three years
have established the fact that a good grade OF
American tea he grown and put on the market
in bulk at a cost not exceeding Is cents pound
Under average conditions acre will yield 400
mounds Of marketable tea. and this. al Is cents
round would make the expense of growing the
sea SEQ an acre. The tea he sold in bulk at
from so 80 cents pound. and the proht on thls
basis would be from 100 to 175 per cent
In discussing this subject the other day Secre-
tsry Of Agriculture Wilson said:
The last Congress appropriated 5000 for expert
rnenting in the industry. We now have
large number of plants ready 10 be sent out anu
have written 10 State agricultural colleges in the
Gulf States stating that they can secure inc
plants on application 10 the Departmetnt accom- I'M
Department in establishing tea gardens on ii tHeIr
ance possible by sending our scientific agents
there to give them advice BY thiS % meIhoe we We
that region the absolute pracucabhty oi the
TEA industry - a., a., =, -.
lined almost exclusively 10 the Gulf States?'
No I did say that Our hrst experiment
will be in that section hest suited by climatic con-
ditions, rainfall and soil 10 the industry. \ little
later will experiment in Tennessee, North Caro-
lima Arkansas. Indian Territory. Oklahoma Terri
tory. Missouri and other border States Ii may bs
that il can be successfully produced in that section
Our experiments have led 10 believe that II cam
not be successfully grown in climate where the
thermometer records winter temperature lower
than Is degrees above zero.
The question Of moisture is also an important
one II requires from forty 10 sixty inches of rain
fall annually TO grow it successfully At Pinehurst
have annual fall Of about sixty inches, but
for certain kinds of tea this is inadequate We
propose howSVe', 10 overcome this by irrigation
50 that the plants will retain their green foliage
secretary Wilson believes that the tea industry
in the United States he better promoted
through comra nies than through individuals. for
The that il requires Considerable outlay of
capital cultivate properly a considerable numser
OF acres OF tea but the viii be greater than
in many other industries. With the development of
this new industry Secretary Wilson looks for
substantial change I'm the condition of the negroes
IN the South the main work can be done by the
children who have not attained sufficient maturity
10 become field laborers 1t viii keep them en-
pioyed and OF mischief furnish them a sub
stsnrial basis for education. and start them on
the road 20 frugality and thrift. which heretofore
hss been practically closed TO them.