The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1903-05-20
Tea Culture in South Carolina.

Fifty-fve years ago the United
States Government made the first
practical experiment. in tea culture, at
Greenville, South Carolina. The re-
suit was failure, and no further Off
cial effort was made until 1892. In
that year DR.. Chas. U. Sheppard, a
cultured and travelled planter, owning
a fine estate near Summerville, South
Carolina, twnety-one miles from
Charleston, made an exhaustive report
to the commissioner of Agriculture
upon the subject. This gentleman had
visited and inspected the tea-growing
districts of China, Formosa and
Japan, and, impressed with the belief
that tea could be grown successfully
in the United States, be had planted
a considerable area of his farm, and
had, at the time of his report, de-
monstrated the wisdom Of his conclu-
sions. He has now fine tea plalta-
tion, producing several of the choicest
varieties, notably the product of his
"Rose Tea Garden, the site Of which
was originally an old pine woods. The
soil is black loan, undeflaid with
quicksand and under that clayey
stratum. By draining the subsoil,
fertilizing, and deep-plowing, he
succeeded in subduing perverse condi-
tions and finally creating tea growing
soil. This garden now contains near
ly 1, 800 healthy tea plants, or bushes,
capable-with sufficient rainfall-of
producing in one season approximately
400 pounds of tea, or about four ounces
to the bush. This is the yield of one
acre of land, and exhibits striking
contrast to the verage Of foreign pro-
duction, which in China is one to two
ounces aud in Japan one ounce per
bush.
DR.. Shepherd has constructed and
perfected machines and appliances
within the past few years. which
greatly improve the facilities and les
sen the cost of handling and curing
the plant. In his report in 1899 he es-
timated the total cost per pound for
pruning, manuring, cultivating, leaf
picking and factory work at twenty
seven and one half cents. He states
that this may possibly be reduced to
sixteen cents per pound.
Labor is, of course, the chief item
of cost, and the expertness of the tea
hand is to be considered first over all.
On an output of 400 pounds to the acre,
the picking and it's supervision is es-
timated at eight cents per pound, girls
and boys being employed.
The expense Of preparing the land
is estimated at about the same as for
any other intensive crop" The
initial work, covering period OF
years, involves the really serious ex-
pense. In Japan, tits said the best tea
is picked from bushes 200 years old.
TIE tea from the Rose Garden sells for
s10O per pound, and is superior
article; but even at a net profit Of ten
cents pound on an acre yielding 400
pounds, the results are certainly at
tractive.
DR.. Shepherd Informed US that his
crop in 1898 was about 1900 pounds
from his three gardens, and that the
profit was twenty-five cents q pound.
The present capacity of the tea factory
exceeds fifty pounds per day OF dry,
black tea. The Doctors plans OF con-
struction, including a tea rolling ma
chine, doing the work of fifteen to
twenty men; his hot-air drying ma
chimes; and later the construction of
green tea factory, have elected from
Government experts encouraging COM
mendation.
The hibernation of the plant has
much to do with its ability to with
stand an unusually cold winter, and
very luxuriant plants appear to suffer
most Pruning is therefore an i'm
portant operation on low grounds.
Judicious use of the knife has increas-
ed the size of the bushes and CORES
ponding increase of the crop has re-
suited.
A visit to these tea gardens and their
environments, via the Southern Rail
way to Summerville, South Carolina,
cannot fail to delight. as we'll as in
struct, any one interested in this fu-
ture domestic industry, and the Doc
tors courteous, old-school manner and
knowledge of old world peoples and
countries add greatly to the charm and
plasure Of the visit.