166 [Assembly 



tea plantation, and am pleased to inform you that the plants and 

 seedlings are coming forward satisfactorily. These are the first tea 

 plants I have received direct from China in sound condition. It 

 has taken two years to learn the art of importing tea plants from so 

 great a distance. The plants which I brought from London in 

 '48, are now in strong and most prosperous growth, and require 

 but very little attention from my hands. The chief labor is sub- 

 duing the -weeds and keeping the garden clean. This location is 

 so far superior to the old one in the village that I have quite 

 abandoned the idea of putting out any more plants there, or of 

 planting any more tea huts, but devote my whole force to the 

 plantation at the grove. I have received two parcels of nuts 

 from different parts of China, and planted them in June. I have 

 now a pretty good additional supply of tea nuts, far more than 

 all I have before received, on the way from New-York, since the 

 last of July. I hope to receive them next week. If they germi- 

 nate tolerably well, I shall have a great increase of productive 

 plant to my stock. The plants in the village, reduced from va- 

 rious casualties to about 80, are now coming into blossom bud, 

 and were it not for the hope of gathering seed from those plants 

 this year, I should remove them to this place, but as I think they 

 will now stand any weather, shall probably let them remain an- 

 other year, and if I am disappointed in my expectations, tra)^sfer 

 them early n^xt spring and concentrate the whole at this place. 

 During vacant time I have occupied myself very agreeably in im- 

 proving my farm. My small crop of corn, oats, buckwheat, 

 mind the cakes, peas, birans, &c., all designed to supply the es- 

 tablishment, look well, and promise a sufficiency for my objects. 



It would do your kind heart good to see my fruit trees loaded 

 with apples and peaches of choice varieties. I save the fruit 

 and make it available to some good purpose. I have just finish- 

 ed a cider mill, and purpose beginning to manufacture in a day 

 or two the summer fruit and follow it up as the autumn fruit 

 ripens. I planted out, during winter and spring, as choice a 

 collection of all kinds of fruit trees as I could find in the coun- 

 try from Long Island to Carolina, and shall probably have as 

 fine a fruit orchard of pears, peaches, plums, apricots, nectarines, 

 almonds, quinces, damsons, cherries, strawberries, &.c.,&c.,as 



