The sun., 1908-05-03
LITTLE AMERICAN TEA YgT
THOUGH PEOPLE HAVE TRIED
FOR A CENTURY TO GROW ~.

W. W VIZ
WARRINGTON, May The account Of
visit TO the tea farm Of Or. Shepard near
s. C., recently published n
The SUN recalls the fact that 10 h Just
fifty years since the UnitAd States Govern
ment began tho attempt TO Introduce tea
growing IN this country. H..
Probably no project Of the kind--thAt b.
no agricultural project-has been 90 long
and so persistently fostered with such spare
results. For the first private Sttsmpt 70
introduce tea growing into the United States
was made more than hundred years sgo
and the experiment has been repeated At
intervals ever since.
A French botanist named Michaux haa
the credit Of the first successful planting
of tea In this country. 10 is q peculiarly
Of the history Of American tee thst The
scene Of almost every one Of the Su6ooeSive
experiments, from Michaux's 10 Dr. Shep-
ards has been South Carolina,
Michaux planted his tee AT Middletown
Barony, about fifteen miles from Charlbstop
According TO the Department Of Agriculture
the next serious attempt was made IN tsts
by DR.. Junius Smith, who left an active
career in London to try 20 raise tea near
Greenville. S. c.
DR.. Smiths plants got along FIRST Fsts'
even surviving snow eight or nine hohss
deep, and the doctor was convinced thAs Ws
would become as great tea growers ~ any
body. But unfortunately--oerta for the
tea pants-Dr Smith died in 1887 and hia
garden went 10 rack and ruin.
Six years later the Government took bold
Of the matter to the extent Of sendipg Robert
Fortune to China to get seeds, which were
distributed free among residents Of the
Southern States. People we're quite taken
with the idea Of raising their own tea and
enthusiastically planted the seeds and suo'
cessfully cultivated the plants. Some per-
sons even reported that they had made tea.
but the interest soon died out.
In 1880 the Government employed John
jackson, who had been a tea planter In india
for fourteen years, to carry on experimenta
in Georgia. The Government had bought
land there on which tea had been planted IN
1850 by a DR.. Jones. For some reason this
tea notion seems to appeal especially To
doctors, three Of them having been pioneers
in the movement.
After a while the Government leased 2co
acres near SummervlIe for twenty years.
and began TO import seed and TO collect ~
from the plants in this country which had
s,u7yived their various ups and downs. But
the man who was pushing the movement.
Commissioner Le Due, died before the tea
farms got fairly started,
His successor probably didn't care for
tea. At any rate he abandoned the expert
ments. and the idea had another long period
Of retirement. ..
But the tea farm OF Pinehurst tea gar
dens Of Dr. Shepard have proved that vs
really can raise tea on commercial scale IN
this country il we want 10. He had about
loo acres planted. The area In bearing
Yields about $4,000 pounds OF tea a year
One Of the gardens has given record Yield
of s3s pounds Of dried tea to the acre In .
single season. "
The trouble in pushing the raising Of tea
In the United States doesn't lie In any par
ticular dificulty Of cultivation, but because
nost OF the individuals who have raised the
plants haven't known how TO pick and 10
cure the leaves. The Department Of Agri'
culture has Issued a bulletin telling them
how 10 do this properly.
In the Southern States the picking begins
about the fret Of May and continues I'll
about the middle Of October. Only the bud
(called pekoe tip) and the first two OF three
leaves should be taken.
This Ia done by pinchng on the stem OF
the shoot just below the last leaf TO o.
plucked. The bushes are generally pncked
everv ten or fifteen days The shoots must
be watched go that they do not become TOO
tough before plucking.
70 cure your own tea all that Is necessary
ia four quart double boiler large agate
lined pan, a large wooden spoon or paddle
and kneading board Or a clean bitehen
table. To make black tea take the leaves
snread them very thinly and evenly on 2
clean table or floor and let them remain
there from twelve TO twenty-tour hours.
During that time they will lose about nan
their weight by evaporation andWill get scit
like old kid. 4,
About half a pound Of this wlthered leaf
ia rolled or kneaded for half an hour. ~
first It must be done lightly. 80 that'the
leaves will begin to twist
Then the rolling becomes more and more
violent until all the pressure possible is being
applied This will press out the juice
which is again sopped up by the ieaves.
which become tightly twisted.
" hen the rolling has gone on long enough
the leaves are formed into ball and put IN
a cool, damp place for from three TO Elk
hours 10 rerment. At the end Of this time
ON breaking open the ball IL will be found
10 have turned a yellowish copper color
and the raw odor has become more pro-
nounced and more agreeable.
The ball is broken up and the leaves
snread in A large agate pan 10 q thickness
of about half an inch. This is put intc
the oven and left until the leaves become
very crisp 30 the touch and give Oh q slight
odor OF tea. This stage Of the prooeee
requires the same careful watching that
must be given throughout.
Black tea is also cured by witherine the
leaves in the sun. The process is shorter
and many persons Ike the nAVor OF SUP
cnred black tea better than the other
Instead OF from twelve 10 tventy-four hourt
bejnV required for withering the leaves II
can Be done In an hour and q half II the
sun is hot enough.
Green tea is made from the same hAyes
A the black, but the withering and ferment.
ine processes are omitted and the greer
leaves are put into double boiler a. eoor
as they are pioked--one pound OF leaf 70 .
four quart boiler.-snd allowed 70 remain
there surrounded by boiling waller Tor
from seven TO nine minutee
The cover IA lifted occasionally and the