262 TEA-CULTURE, A PROBABLE AMERICAN INDUSTRY. 



William Summer, Esq., Newberry, S. C., states : 



There are several healthy, vigorous tea-plants growing in Colum- 

 bia. I have seen, at the Greenville residence of the late Hon. J. R. 

 Poinsett, the tea-plants growing finely from those introduced by 

 Dr. Junius Smith. We have here also the Olea fragrans, with 

 which we can flavor the tea equal to any prepared for the special 

 use of the Emperor of China. The fragrant olive blooms freely 

 from early spring until midwinter, and the flowers, when gathered 

 fresh and put in the caddy among the tea, impart a delightful 

 aroma to the tea. I have, at different times, imported a few tea- 

 plants from Angiers, France, and these have been disseminated 

 from the Pomaria nurseries, and found to succeed. So that I have 

 no doubt of the success of the tea-plant in the middle and upper 

 portions of this State. 



Col. S. D. Morgan, Nashville, Term., says : 



Of all the plants for the South Atlantic States that of the Chinese 

 or Japanese tea promises most success. Before the war I had a 

 few of the shrubs growing in a small parterre attached to my town 

 dwelling, from which I obtained leaves as rich in aroma and theine 

 as is to be found in tea from any country whatever. The shrub 

 grows luxuriantly in Central Georgia even 100 miles north of 

 Augusta, to my personal knowledge as I there used the domestic 

 article for several weeks' time and found it excellent. There may, 

 however, be a difficulty about its culture, for want of a very cheap 

 class of laborers to pick and prepare the leaves. This, however, 

 is a subject I have not investigated, but I think it is worthy of a 

 thorough investigation. 



Mr. Alex. M. Foster, Georgetown, S. C., says : 



The original plant I brought from Columbia. It is a genuine 

 Thea viridis, from seed, I think, produced from the tea-plants 

 brought to this State some years since by Dr. Junius Smith, and 

 cultivated near Greenville. After my plant had attained the height 

 of two or three feet, it began to bear flowers and seed. From 

 these seeds, or nuts, I have now 50 or 60 plants of various sizes ; 

 some of them bearing fruit also. I might have had 500 plants as 

 50, so easily are they propagated and so abundantly do they bear 

 seed. The only care necessary is to preserve the tap-root as care- 

 fully as may be in removing the young plants from the nursery 



