The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1907-07-06
WE CAN GROW
OUR OWN TEA
People Should Raise Enough
For Their Own Use
SAYS AGRICULTURAL DEF.
--------.
Test Made ii South Carolina Or Chas.
y. shepard's Farm of 100 Aersa
Produces 10000 Pounds
Of Tea.
SAYS AGRICULTURAL DEP.

Washington, July 5,--Growing Of tea
in this country On a commercial scale ii
practicable, according to the department
Iof agriculture. The department has set.
out " encourage Tea growing, and especi-
| ally I'd encourage people To raise enough
tea for their own uac, which in those
parts Of the country whe1e the climate
and soil are favorable can be done with.
out difIicIlty.
What the department Is anxious to nee
pfaetised III this country Ii system
that ii followed with success iii China.
There III III significant that much az the
TEN grown ~ planted iii the corners and
waste places Of farms. Similarly, ac.
cording to q report on the subject of
home grown tea, prepared BY George II.
Mitchell, scientific assistant IN tea clil-
ture Investigations, farmers and others
who have enough garden space to grow
| the tea plants for use OF for ornamental
purposes can, with very slight expense
aud trouble, provide enough tea for their
home consumption. Experiments have
been conducted with success to develop
a simple process by which both the green
and The black teas can BIZ made with
only such utensils as are to be found in
every kitchen.
According to Mr.. Mitchell, the climate
of the southern and gulf states in gem
eral admirably adapted TO the cultivs-
ton Of the tea plant. Although the
rainfall Is much less than IN great
many reproducing countries, the aver
age annual temperature Is lower, caus.
/ ing less evaporation and consequently re-
quifing Iess rainfalIs. The cultivation
| Of fhe tea plant can safely be risked
where the temperature seldom falls be-
low "a degrees Fahrenheit and never goes
below zero, and where The annual rain
fau exceeds so inches. 80 inches or more
Of this precipitation coming in the crop
ping season A well drained, friable and
easy penetrable clay loan Of sandy, con
tanning large amount of organic mat
Ter, Il best adapted to the cultivation
of tho tea plant.
/ This government has been looking In.
4 to the question Of tea culture ia this
country. more or less for about fifty
years. Recently the possibility Of the
cultivation and manufacture Of tea on a
commercial scale IN this country has
been practically demonstrated in connec-
tion with the bureau of plant industry
| By Dr.. Charles u. Shepard at his Pine
hurst tea gardens, near Sunmeryille, s.
| G., whore about 100 acres are planted to
tea, Of which the area III bearing yields
about 10000 pounds Of dry tea each
year. One Of the gardens has yielded
81 much as 5aS pounds Of dried tea to
the acre In q single season.
Mr. Mitchell says the cultivation Of
the tea plant in home gardens Is not
only profitable, but great deal Of pleas.
ure can be derived from it. At the same
time the use OF the much aduterated
foreign article Is avoided This il often
found to contain prussian blue, indigo
ltumeric, soapstone, and leaves 81 other
plants than tea, some Of which are in.
/ jurieus.
The ten plant is evergreen and beauti.
full. and In tho autumn Il is covered with
lteadsome. fragrant, whitish flowers, hay-
ii a goldenyelow centre and making
It an excellent ornamental plant.