438 
the plants, then the latter may be planted either as subdividing hedges at any distance 
apart to suit the taste, or they may be planted within the,fences. This plan is very 
extensively/practiced by the Chinese, and is a great economy of labor, since then” 
the tea needs scarcely any special cultivation other than that given to well-kept 
hedges generally. The plants may be almost any distance apart in the rows, between 
one foot and four, The hedges may be clipped, but a flat top is the most productive 
form as regards yield of leaf. I am supposing that from one to five hundred or more 
plants are to be planted for family use. When fully started the plantation of tea 
merely requires to be kept moderately well weeded, and in no case must weeds be 
allowed to overtop and shade the tea; it is a crop requiring the full sun. 
PLANTING.—No especial directions are necessary further than to say that the plants 
must, if possible, be planted in the spring, in showery weather, and not too deep; any 
one who can plant a garden 
with success, can manage 
atea-plant. A little shade 
may be useful if hot, dry, 
sunny weather ensues; a 
few small boughs, stuck 
around the plants, are all 
that is needed to prevent 
intense evaporation from 
the soil and plants. I may 
mention that in deep soils 
the tea-plant has a tend- 
ency to form a long, bare 
tap-root, somewhat resem- 
bling aroot of salsify or car- 
rot. The directions given 
as to germinating the seed 
on a hard bottom were in- 
tended to obviate this tend- 
ency to form a long tap- 
root, and start the plant 
in the way it should go, 
forming fibrous roots; but 
if perchance a long tap-root 
is formed in spite of all 
precautions, then, in trans- 
planting, it must be got 
out as entire as possible, . 
and more care will be nec- 
essary until the plant has 
commenced to make new 
roots and growth in its new position, The kind of culture required while the tea- 
plants are reaching utilizable condition may be almost entirely performed by horse- 
labor, if the tea is grown in with other crops. 
I am not urging the formation of extensive plantations as yet, and, consequently, I 
cannot pretend to regard the setting out and tending of an ornamental hedge as any- 
thing but very pleasant pastime for the intelligent farmer in his leisure hours. The 
base of the plants should be kept free of weeds, and when 6 inches of growth is made, 
the extremities of the shoots and the terminal bud and three leaves below should 
be pinched out; if this pinching is done in the growing season the operator will not 
only be bringing his tea-bush into a spreading shape by the process, but will also be 
taking off the very article which goes to make the bulk of the teas of commerce. This 
pinching of the 6-inch shoots should continue until the plants reach their third year, 
when a sufficient quantity of leaves will be obtained for manufacturing purposes. 
The accompanying sketch will fully illustrate the pinching or picking process, to- 
gether with various qualities of leaf employed in the manufacture of the pure teas of 
commerce: 
Fig, —. 
BLACK TEAS. GREEN TEAS. 
1. Flowery Pekoe. Flowery Pekoe. 
2. Pekoe. Young Hyson. 
3. Pekoe Souchong. Hyson and 
4, Souchong. Gunpowder. ; 
5. Congou. Twankay. 
6. Brick teas, &c. Brick teas, &ce. 
The shoots marked 0 0 should be left at the base of all current growths for the pro- 
duction of future crops, and be allowed to grow to at least 6 inches before they are 
picked. The black lines below the leaves show the point at which the various grades 
of leaf should be separated. 
