Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1906-03-24
Preparing 'TAA0DEA'
Uncle Sans Latest Experiment
for The Soldiers Comfort
HAS PROVED SUCCESSFUL
During the Late War These Tablet
Were Used by Russian and Japau-
csc Soldiers - Coiored Children
Used to Pick the Leaves AZ the
Government Station.


Government Station.
In devising a convenience for to.-
der and sailor Uncle Sam has come
upon an article which viii be OF in
estimable value to the traveller
sportsman. engineer and woodsm9n,
as well as to the housewife. AT his
experimental tea garden at Summer
vile, s. c., he is turning ont tea ia
tabloid form.
These are the first tea tablets
which we have ever seen In The new
world, but con- pressed tea In the
form OF slabs was Introduced in Pas
STA a century ago. As a convenience,
Russian officials and their wives
have long carried on their numer-
GUS Journeys hlgh-grade compressed
tea nodded In the form of thing or
cakes. In the late war with Japan
Russian soldiers were supplied with
these slabs, very like our cakes OF
chocolate and governed so that pieces
of standard size could be snapped off
in the fingers.
During the long sleighing trips
over the Russian and Siberian ex
panses, where II is impracticable to
halt and boil water, traveller often
places one of his tea tablets In his
mouth, with a morsel of loaf sugar
letting both softly dissolve. 1t is said
that half hour after thus taking
three or four of his tea tablets he
commences to feel a cheering, eXhil-
arating effect. The Russians call this
ind lgence dry cup of tea, = and It
is claimed by them that not the
slightest harm results from the con
sumption of three or four tablets.
But the greatest freak in this line
is the cup moulded Of compressed
tea by firm of Mockba, central
Russia These vessels after course
of drying becomes rs hard as gran
tie and allow Of boiling water being
poured into them until 1t dissolves,
each time, just enough OF the tea
from the bottom and sides of the
cup to give a sufficiently strong in
fusion One of these cups-yery like
the medicinal ''quassia" cups of our
grandparents-will continue for six
months to brew as much tea as one
drinker will desire.
But every particle of tea In the
tablets now being turned OUT at the
governments experimental tea gar
den Is American-growu. Within the
past few years the bureau OF plant
industry at Washington has rem
dered it possible to grow in this
country as good tea as can be pro-
duced In any part OF the world.
The experiments at the govern
ment tea gardens are showing that
seed from all moderate climates are
as productive here as IN their native
climes. The changes of climate I'M
dergone by the foreign seed has,
however. changed the flavor of the
tea leaves. Our early season tea is
more delicate and milder than that
tive soil, but that picked In the au-
tunn is stronger in color and taste
and resembles rhe foreign teas from
more southern climates American
tea grown al the Summerville sta
ton lacks the puckery or astringent
quality OF India and Ceylon teas, but
is decidedly fragrant and delicate In
taste. The best results have been
obtained in a hybrid plant intro
duced here about SO years ago, and
acclimated 10 the coasts of the south
ern and gulf states. II will yield 500
pounds of dry leaf 10 the acre q sea-
son and makes an excellent black
tea.
The tea pickors ut the Govern
ment stations are all colored child
rem. One Of these can pick over so
pounds OF the green leaves In a day,
whereas the average picker in the
orient rarely gathers over half that
amount There is winter school
established for the pickers. Tea
gathering demands very delicate
work Each plant has about five
leaves, decreasing In size from the
bottom and surmounted by flow
cry tip or pekoe. Only the pekoe
and the two top leaves are allowed
10 be picked al the station In for
eign gardens the lower leaves are
often gathered as makc-Weight,
but their sole value is The claim that
they are tea. They are SO tough that
the favor cannot be boiled out Of
them
The government experts attached
10 the experimental gardens are inn
proving the quality of the tea by
studying those peculiar ferments Of
"enzyms" which-as In the case of
tobacco produce the aroma or frag-
rance OF the leaves.
New York States Coed Roads.
Nearly two-thirds of the New