CHAPTER m. 



The origin of the tea plant. 



Silice Darwin put forth his celebrated theory on „the origin of spe- 

 cies", profound ciianges hâve been wrougiit in tiie natiiraiists' conceptions 

 on the Evolution problem. Although this masterpiece was almost universally 

 received with feeiings of immense admiration at the elaborateness of its 

 composition, as well as at the grandeur of its conception, — when assiduous 

 research had begun to test its foundations, those enthusiastic feeiings in- 

 sensibly became intermingled with the consciousness that some facts were 

 doubtful, some assumptions were not founded, some conclusions wanted 

 revision And since the unprecedented outburst of scientific activily in the 

 heredity Une in 1900, our doubts about Darwin's theory hâve been raised 

 to such a pitch, that no less than Bateson says, in the préface to his 

 „Problems of genetics"'): rJhat species hâve corne into existence by an 

 .,evolutionary process no one seriously doubts; but few who are familiar 

 „with the facts that genetic research has revealed are now inclined to 

 „speculate as to the manner by which the process has been accomplished. 

 „Our knowledge of the nature and properties of living things is far too 

 „meagre to justify any such attempts. Suggestions of course can be made: 

 ,,though, however, thèse ideas may hâve a stimulating value in the lecture 

 „room, they look weak and thin when set out in print." 



The auspices are, indeed, not favourable to attempts made to elucidate 

 the origin of any plant, even if this is an important crop plant, likely 

 to hâve been recorded and described long ago. And if, nevertheless. the 

 attempt be ventured, it is in consciousness of our profound ignorance on 

 essential points. My object is to examine the principal facts of the geo- 

 graphical distribution of the tea varieties, as described in the preceding 

 chapters, in the light of modem genetics, which may clear up our ideas 

 on the systematical and genetical value of thèse varieties; that such has an 

 intimate bearing on the problem of tea sélection is obvions. 



First of ail, l think I shall hâve to eliminate some ideas that are 

 frequentiy met with in literature. yapan is mentioned sometimes as being the 

 native country of the tea plant; this assertion sounds very improbable, and 

 is not, for aught I know, corroborated by any authority. 2) Von Siebold, 



') W. Bateson 1913, p. VII. 



2) Prof. A. Krassnow seems to hold this view with great eniphasis. According to A. 

 KiEFER (1902, p. 11) he deîended it in the discussion after Mr. J. Me. EWAN's speech 

 on „The geographical distribution of the tea plant in growth, and of its product in 

 consumption" at the Vllth International Geogr. Congress, Berlin 1899 (which paper 

 is not at my disposai). According to Kiefer the Russian professer said: 



