SOIL THE MOST SUITABLE. 65 



But whatever the peculiarity of the structure of 

 these hills may be — and that they have such the 

 universal testimony of the Chinese will not allow 

 us to doubt — yet it may be fairly surmised that 

 the priests, who have selected this romantic spot 

 as the scene of their seclusion and devotion, have 

 lent a helping hand in rearing up that fame which 

 this particular site has exclusively acquired through- 

 out the empire for the superiority of the flavour 

 and quality of its tea. Careful cultivation through 

 a period of a thousand or twelve hundred years, 

 has doubtless exercised an important influence in 

 modifying the original constituents of this soil, and 

 largely contributed to its improvement, and, per- 

 haps, to that of the plant. 



In other situations in this neighbourhood, per- 

 haps in that part which is termed the " middle 

 range," it is said "there are some plantations on 

 plains rather low, the soil of which is very compact, 

 a little muddy, black, and rather damp. The tea 

 of this place is worth two-thirds more than that of 

 other parts of Fokien, with the exception of the 

 1 inner range ' of the Bohea Mountains." * M. 

 Guillemin notices a similar description of soil at 

 St. Paul's, which had been recovered from a kind 

 of morass, where the shrubs exhibited great vigour 

 of growth. 



These examples afford proof that the tea tree 



* P. 48. § 6. 

 F 



