66 SOILS OF AMEKICA AND CHINA. 



the tea piant can support a very severe frost, as its root 

 extends below its influence. The root penetrates di- 

 rectly downwards, having none of any size extending 

 horizontally on, or near, the surface of the earth, for frost 

 to injure. In case of a very soft March, and moisture that 

 might force out the young leaves, and then frost coming 

 on in April, it would injure the young leaves, not the 

 tree, and that crop might be lost, but the other three 

 would be all safe.* However, the leaves of the finer 

 teas are collected soon after budding, and might therefore 

 escape ; and in any case it could be only a part of the 

 young leaves that could be injured from an irregular 

 night's frost. It happens in China, that the April crop 

 is at times more or less damaged by frost. However, I 

 do no not refer to a slight hoar frost, but a smart night's 

 freezing. 



I have taken up a tea tree of some 35 feet high ; there 

 were but a very few horizontal weak roots. The mean, 

 or tap root, was near three-and-a-half feet in length. 



Mr. Ball had been told by the Chinese, that a vast 

 improvement was effected in green tea, by bringing the 

 plants from the hills into the plains, and by cultivation and 

 manure, and that this practice had existed for 600 years. 

 The Catholic missionaries stated to Mr. Ball, that " the 

 soil should consist of vegetable mould, sprinkled with 

 sand, light and loose, and rather moist;" and, again, the 

 missionaries replied, " that the tea plant may be planted 

 either in a rich or poor soil, sandy or garden soil, but 

 that which is moist is most suitable ;" and, again, they 

 add, " Garden grounds, and the embankments of gardens 

 or fields, are the most favorable." It may be seen from 



* Four crops yearly. 



