394 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III. 
the north ; and that hyson, and all its numerous varieties, are made from the 
latter; and bohea, and all its varieties, from the former: but, comparing the 
price of green and black tea in this country, and the quantity of the latter 
which is consumed in proportion to that of the former, it is difficult to believe 
that the black teas are all made from the leaves of Théa Bohéa, which is a 
very distinct species, constitutionally much more tender than Thea viridis, 
and of comparatively slow and diminutive growth. From Kempfer, Thun- 
berg, and Siebold we learn that the tea plant is extensively cultivated in 
Japan, the various islands of which extend from 30° to 41° of north latitude ; 
from which, in considering its extensive culture in China, and the great extent 
of territory where it is found indigenous, it is easy to conceive that its va- 
rieties may be as numerous as those of the grape vine or the apple are in 
the south of Europe. Mr. Reeves has disputed, in Gard. Mag., vol. ix. 
p- 713, 714., the correctness of some of Mr. Main’s statements. Whoever 
wishes to pursue this subject at greater length, and to consult a digest of all 
that has-been hitherto written on it, may peruse Royle’s J//ustrations, from 
p- 108. to p. 113. 
The Thea viridis is sufficiently hardy to stand the air in the neighbourhood 
of London, with little or no protection. There are bushes of it from 6 ft. to 8 ft. 
high, and 20 ft. or more in circumference, in the Mile End Nursery, which, in 
severe winters, have only a little pea-haulm or amat thrownover them. There 
are, also, large plants at Syon, at Purser’s Cross, at Vere’s Villa, at Bromp- 
ton, at Upton, near Ham, at Lady Tankerville’s, Walton on Thames (40 years 
old, and 8 ft. high), &c., which, we believe, have never received any pro- 
tection whatever. The plants at Mile End are in a deep sandy loam, and 
they are remarkable for sending down their strong, thick, black roots in 
a perpendicular direction to a great depth. There is a plant at Farnham 
Castle, Surrey, almost as large as those in the Mile End Nursery; and 
there are plants at White Knights, and at various other places, which leave 
no doubt of the hardiness of this species. Indeed, it thrives far better in 
the open air than in pots; probably owing to its constitutional habit of 
throwing down its roots perpendicularly to a great depth. The only con- 
servatory in which we have seen it in a prosperous state is that at Cashio- 
bury, in Hertfordshire, where the glass roof is taken off during the greater 
part of the year. The plant not only flowers freely in the open air, but 
sometimes, as at Farnham Castle, it ripens seed. It is easily propagated by 
layers; and its general treatment, both in the nursery and in the pleasure- 
ground, as a half-hardy shrub, may be considered the same as that of the 
camellia; with this difference, that, being more of a bush than that plant, 
and loving the shade still more, it does not seem to answer so well against 
a wall. In the warmest parts of Devonshire, and the south of Ireland, it 
might be grown as an article of field culture for its leaves; and, if our pre- 
judice in favour of the Chinese mode of preparation could be got over, and 
the leaves could be slightly fermented, and dried in the same manner as the 
best meadow hay is about London, being afterwards compressed into cakes 
to keep for use, the principal nations of Europe might easily grow their 
own tea, instead of importing it from China, if such a measure were found 
necessary, or thought desirable. The culture of the plant for commercial 
purposes has been tried at Rio Janeiro, at Algiers, and, we believe, in Aus- 
tralia. There is much less difficulty in growing the plants, than in preparing 
the leaves in the Chinese manner; and, as this is principally performed by 
manual labour, it can only be done profitably where the population is ex- 
tremely numerous, and the means of living proportionably as cheap as in 
China or India. At some future time an imitation of this process will, 
probably, be effected by means of steam. 
The black tea (Téa Bohea) is a much more delicate plant, and is very sel- 
dom to be seen in England in the open air in a thriving state. It wili neither 
thrive in pots, nor do well in a conservatory, unless it is quite close to the 
glass. The best situation for it seems to be a pit, where it may be covered 
