Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1912-07-11
SOUTHERN GROWN TEA
BY No Means an impossible Prod
uct OF America
ssapTs Crop Of Far East Gives pronlss
Of Playing Important Role In In
dvstrles % Southern States
Annual consGnptlon.

American tea Ia By no means an
impossible product OF the ruture.~
says Secretary Wilson OF the depart.
uaent o. Agriculture. ne being OF the
opinion that the obstacles IN the way
% this achievement may finally be
overcome by persistent effort
Tea Is staple crop Of India. Ceylon.
Chins and Japan. who're cheap labor 10
abundant. and at present extends the
promise OF playinB an important role
IN tho Industries OF the southern
states.
The work IN tea culture carried On
40 summerviiie. y. c., has continued 20
give favorsbls results. and although
last season vas somewhat discourse
ING from the standpoint % rainfall. tas
year vas very satisfactory. machins
20 pruns the plants either IN TIA nat or
convex type OF eut has done suooessful
work. saving expensive hand labor.
and tea-pioking apparatus IL now 70
eeiving attention. and some sman
samples OF machine picked tea have
been obtained. When thssS two oper-
aeons are successfully done BY ma
chimes. tne labor problem iR the Amer.
lean tea raising industry win have
been solved
OF the worlds annual consUCDption,
exclusive Of the very iarEe Zeal Use
IN China The extent o. which cannot
be dstevminedl amounrnE 70 about
700.0o0.0o0 pounds 10000. 600 u pro
duced I'm China. and the recent trou-
bic there u bound 70 interfere 20 a
great extent Win this Industry and
viii IN all probability bring about
rsadiuEtment or the tea trade OF the
warld
The people OF the United States. a.
though considered a corae-drinkinE
ration. consume annually upward or
100000 600 pounds OF tea. for which
$4,000. 900 or more are paid. The
imports OF tea Tor every nuh year
from 1855 70 1908 inclusive. show a
general increase in the quantity OF tea
imported. and II is possible by estab
iishing q tea industry az home 90 great
~ Increase the consumption. as has
been done On Great Britain since tea
became a staple o. her colonies IN the
1 East Indies.
The secretary asserts that the abil-
I ity Of the tea plant 20 adapt itself to a
vide range or conditions Is exceeded
only By wheat. and that the climate
OF the southern states is In general
fairly suited 90 It's cultivation. Tor
although the rainfall is much less than
10 most Of TIE tea-producing countries.
The average annual tamparaturs Ia
lower. hence chere Is less evaporation
and therefore less rainfall Is needed.
For its successful growth. the tea
plant requires deep. fertile. we'll
drained. triable and easily peaetrabls
loan. containing a large amount OF
we'll decomposed organic matter, such
as is found In much OF the southern
territory.
In establishing tea plantation
there Is nothing more important than
the selection OF the seed. especially
when Imported As about one only IN
avery three shipments arrive Ia good
terminating condition. the cost OF I'M
pOrtation assumes high figure. WheH
gardens become general In this coun
Try the expense OF Importation vii
become unnecessary. and sven now tel
seed gathered from Pinehurst. Soutl
Carolina. costs less than nvs dollar,
per 100 pounds. while imported sseC
cost $50 per 20 pounds. The di1ersnc,
OF cost OF labor which would appear L
condemn the attempt % establish tel
industry here. does not exist % the az
tent generally believed"