The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1923-11-02
FORTUNE
RUNNING Wild
Experts Think our Yaupon
Contains Possibilities as a
National Beverage

That some one may yet make
fortune from a plant that
flourishes in wild state mere
in Eastern North Carolina is
the opinion of experts of the
U. S. Department of Agrlcul-
ture. We have here shrub
that yields tea without tannin
and from which some one may
vet produce a soda fountain
beverage that will eclipse Coca
Cola i'll popular favor.
The shrub in question is the com
mon yaupon which our grandfath-
ers drank. TO MI North CarOlin-
ians it should be mattcc of much
interest that the leaves of this
particular shrub. after thorough in
vcstigation by the Bureau Of Chem
istry of the l.. :. Department of
Agriculture, have been recommend
ed as a source for n new tea to br
called cassina tea. Or, prepared
in the proper way with the addition
of certain flavOring elements, ii IL
suggested by the government men
that there are genuine possibilities
in the direction of cold drinks either
for fountain Use or for bOttlIng.
In recent bulletin by DIR. George
i. Mitchell Of the Bureau of Chem
istry, Washingtos, it is stated that
at n recent fair in the Sonth thirty
gallons of cassina tea were dispens-
cd daily. From the general rapidly
increasing interest In the new drink.
the Washington men believe there
are very promising commercial pos
sibilities in this new beverage.
The shrub in question is known
commonly as "yaup0n," "cassina" or
"Christmas-berry" tree. In science
It il called Hex casscne, which
makes it n relative of the we'll
known holly. When not exposed 10
excessive wind, the shrub assumes
an oval or nearly spherical shape. It
has rather rigid branches with
sharp, stiff lateral shoots which are
suggestive Of thOrns, but it IL not a
th0rn-bearer In any real sense. The
small. firm. oval leaves Ohree-
fourths inch lOug) are somewhat
shining in full sunlight, and being
borne thickly, make this evergreen
shrub one Of the most beautiful 10
he found in the State. In its
general aspect it is suggestive OF
box. n shrub highly priced by horti-
rulturists everywhere.
The use Of the leaves for making
brcws Of various kinds and strength
has long been practiced by certain
folk in the regions where the plant
was abundant. and it is well kno'
that the Indians would make long
pilgrimagcs to obtain the leaves.
There had not been worked ont in
the past, however, any standard
methods Of curing the leaves or def
mite recipes dealing with the use of
them in hot and cold drinks.
The essential beverage element in
the leaves Is caffeine, of which there
is. according to DIR. Mitchell. about
one per cent. In some samples IL
will run as high as 1.6 per cent. Cof-
fee may contain up To Is per cent
and tea 3.5 per cent. So that from
a caffeine standpoint cassiiIa may
he rated as n mild drink.
The writer of this article is caf-
feline sensitive. yet cup of cassina
tea at night produced no n''iceable
insomnia. The drink, II might be
said, may he readily placed in the
there Is q reason class of harm
less foods.
In taste is resembles tea, without
the undesirable tang Of tanhin
which tea possesses. II has a dis
tinctivc flavor. which to the sensi-
hilities of the writer, Is very attrac-
tive. The writer's sample came from
the Washington laboratories, the
leaves having been treated in ac-
cortlance with recently wOrked-out
methods.
IT is of much interest to know
that the famous SOuth American
drink, YerI'c Mate, or simply mate.
is made from Il near relative of our
casSina. There Is such demand
for this tea that in Argentine alone
19O. O.rO0,OOO pounds per nnnum of
the dried leaves are consumed. This
is about 20 pounds per person.
1t is needless TO remark that if
casSina tea comes into any such
vogue IN this country, il wOnld
mean that certain rather extensive
areas OF sterile sandy land In the
coastal counties would quickly nd.
vance IN value and North Carolina
would enjoy repetition of her
famous Sand Hills story.
If one may judge by the distri-
button of the plant in nature, the
cassina actually does better in the
door leachcd-Out sandy stretches Of
upland soil, such soil which hardly
anywhere is under cultivation ut
the present time. Ii should, how
ever. always bc remembered that
plants of'rltimes occupy certain
areas simply because they cannot