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

j. engaged in tea culture In Ceylon
visited the Pinehurst gardens and en-
inspection pronounced the tea OF FIRST
quality. Afterwards, on watching
i the pickers aud noticing the care ex-
ercised by them in selecting the irst
leaves only, he remarked to Or.
Shepard: Ie Ibestowed as much care
in picking as you do I would make
quality Of tea as good aB yours This
was very high praise, coming from
such SOURCE"
''This will have beneficial effect
i'm the way of education upon the poor
psople Of the SouthY''' I asked.
/ The greatest imaginable" the
Secretary replied with enthusiasm.
"When you stop to consider that even
to-day in many Of the Southern States
60 per ocnt7o of the negro children are
illiterate, because of the fact that they
have no school facilities, you can
readily see the wonderful benefit it
! viii DO 10 them. it viii eievste them
morally, Intellectually and physically.
It will start them on the road to in
dustry; it will give them educational
facilities which they have never had;
it will take them cut OF the dens Of
vice, and make honest and self-re-
speoting men and women of them.
When they reach the age Of 15 the
brighter ones will then be ready TO go
to Booker Washington's school or
other advanced educational institu-
tions in the South. The effect upon
that section Of the country will be
inconceivable.
SIS it fact, Mr.. Secretary, that we
can produce finer black tea than is
imported from China and Japan?"
Eyes, that is o fact. In few
years I expect 20 see the American tea
producers place on the markets the
finest tea raised in the world. You
are probably not aware Of the fact that
the finest teas raised in japan and
China are never brought to this coun.
try. This is because Of the fact that
they will not retain their strength and
flavor during the ocean voyage. We
propose to see to it that the people of
this country have an article equal to
the fiusat produced in the world. The
best tea is made from the green leaf,
which, as stated, never comes to
this country. Our imports are con-
fined to inferior grades of green tea
only. Now, in order to secure for tho
fashionable set the finest tea grown in
the world, we propose to adopt new
system Of curing it, The product of
the Pinehurst gardens at the present
is black. This is because it is oxidiz-
ed. You have doubtless noticed that
iron when first taken from the ground
is white, but after it is exposed 20 the
air for q short time it becomes oxi-
died and black. The samo is true OF
tea. BY placing the green tea, as it
is picked, into air-tight cases and ex-
tracting all the oxygen it will cure
without losing it's color and possess
flavor which is not found in the teas
which have become oxidized. Do you
know there are teas made in China by
this process which cost as high as s10O
an ounce They are made Of the ton
derest buds. This GLASS Of tea, Of
course, would not be popular in this
country, but there is certain class OF
people who would purchase it. The
wives Of the multi-millionaires, who
are always anxious to discover some
thing new for their tables, particular
ly when they give fashionable en-
ts.ts;n.asns, aud Who care nothing 10.
the cost, would consume large
amount Of this kind Of tea, if it could
be produced, and, as our Ceylon visi-
tor to the Pinehurst gardens remark
ed, there is no reason way we should
not raise it.
"The last Congress appropriated
/ ,UUU TOT experimenting In the tea
industry. We now have large num-
ber Of plants ready to be sent out,
and have written to State agricultural
colleges in the Gulf States, stating
that they can secure the plants upon
application to the department, accom-
panied by statement that will assist
the department in establishing tea
gardens on their lands. We propose
to render them cvery assistance posi-
bic by sending our scientific agents
there to give them advice. By this
method we expect to demonstrate to
the people Of every State in that re-
gion the absolute practicability Of the
tea industry.
EXTENT or THE TEA prcIoN