THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



345 



for the past ten years have fully demon- 

 strated that the commercial tea can be 

 produced and that at least 400 pounds 

 may be taken from an acre. The most ex- 

 tensive tea gardens are operated in South 

 Carolina where 50 acres are planted and 

 produce an average of 400 pounds per 

 acre. In the oriental isles some of the 

 most successful tea growers get 1,000 

 pounds from an acre. The tea plants will 

 stand cold as low as zero and are, there- 

 fore, adapted to nearly all of the great 

 South. 



The different grades of tea used consist 

 of the leaves of the Camellia tea. The 

 original plant comes from Assam in North- 

 ern British India. It grows luxuriously 

 often attaining a height of 25 feet. The 

 leaves are a bright green, measuring 9 

 inches in length and four inches in width. 

 The trees were transplanted in Japan and 

 became more stunted, the growth being 

 small or large in proportion to the heat or 

 cold in which it grew. It requires a rich, 

 well drained soil, containing plenty of 

 plant food, where the rainfall is abundant 

 "and the climate not too severe. 



There are about fifty varieties of tea 

 that have been acclimated to other coun- 

 tries beside the hot valleys of India, 

 Among them are the Darjeeling, Kangra. 

 Kumaon, Ceylon, Formosa, Chinese and 

 Japanese. Seed comes from China and 

 Japan and costs from 50 cents to $1.00 

 per pound. There are approximately 400 

 seeds in a pound. The seed should be 

 planted early in the Fall, on light, sandy 

 soil, to the depth of two or three inches. 

 If the rainfall is not enough to keep up 

 good, perfect moisture, artificial irrigation 

 should be applied. The seeds germinate 

 in early spring and plants will reach a 

 height of 6 to 8 inches during the first 

 summer. 



The soil for the tea crop should be 



thoroughly pulverized and put in good con- 



ition before transplanting the trees. It 



is essential, of course, that a sufficient 

 amount of plant food be supplied, as the 

 tea needs nourishment, the same as any 

 other plant. Both the quality and quan- 

 tity will be influenced by the kind of fer- 

 tilizer applied. A suitable mixture for 

 tea would be about 400 to 500 pounds of 

 a complete fertilizer, which should analyze 

 3 per cent Nitrogen, 7 per cent Phosphoric 

 Acid and 8 per cent Potash; in place of 

 this from 300 to 400 pounds of Bone Meal 

 and 150 pounds of Muriate of Potash can 

 be applied per acre. The fertilizer should 

 be broadcasted and then thoroughly mixed 

 with the soil. 



Leaves may be plucked from the trees 

 the second year. Crops will increase every 

 season for a number of years, the trees- 

 probably being at their best in six or seven 

 years. The yield of tea bush generally 

 ranges about 5 ounces of dried tea, ready 

 for market. Leaves are generally picked 

 by children who receive 50 cents per day 

 for their work. It requires 4 pounds of 

 green leaves to make one pound of the 

 dried product. Picking may be made 

 every ten days or about twenty times dur- 

 ing the season. 



The tea is prepared for market by being 

 rolled or fired to make the green or black 

 teas of commerce. For these purposes 

 machines are employed. These are manu- 

 factured especially for the purpose and 

 may be made by the grower with but little 

 expense. The work of tea growing is new 

 but is worthy an investigation by every 

 farmer in the Southern States. The im- 

 mense volumns of tea imported every year 

 makes a great amount of money sent to- 

 foreign lands which should be kept in the 

 South. As the Southern portion of our 

 country is rapidly developing into one of 

 the richest sections of the world, aud tea 

 is one of the natural products of the soil 

 and climate, it should bocome one of the 

 money-making crops. 



JOEL SHOMAKRR. 



