54 AGRICULTURAL AND COMMERCIAL 



day, as fifty in the Southern states. Indeed, this is the 

 secret, or one of them, why the Chinese cannot, and do 

 not, compete successfully in cotton culture with the read- 

 ers of this journal. A tea tree needs to be replanted 

 only once in twelve or fifteen years ; and an acre will 

 yield about 1200 pounds of green leaves a year, which 

 will make 300 pounds of merchantable tea. Mr. Bonynge 

 employed some two hundred hands, and manufactured tea, 

 after the leaves were gathered, at less than an English 

 penny per pound. The East India Tea Company is now 

 making about 200,000 chests a year, and produce a very 

 superior article. The people of the United States annu- 

 ally consume over 20,000,000 Ibs. ; and those of Great 

 Britain over 50,000,000 Ibs. It is truly one of the 

 greatest staples of civilized man, and one that we regard 

 as coming legitimately within the sphere of Southern 

 climate, soil, labor, capital and enterprise. Of course, 

 we esteem it as a matter of experiment only ; but an 

 experiment which ought to be fairly made, for if success- 

 ful, incalculable advantages to the South will certainly 

 follow. 



We want that Mr. B. should see the tea plants near 

 our friend Mr. A. R. Kilpatrick of Trinity, La., referred 

 to by him in the May number of the Cultivator. The 

 trouble of procuring any considerable quantity of the tea 

 seeds that will grow after they arrive in this country, is 

 quite a drawback to the enterprize. The Patent Office 

 has received some bushels, but not a seed that vegetated. 

 The operation will be better conducted in future ; at least 

 we hope it may. We have before us an interesting com- 

 munication from Mr. Williams, American Consul at 

 Canton, on the introduction of China fruits into the 



