^ 304 [Assembly 



out the cause and cure, a few agricultural associations in Hol- 

 land and Germany prevailed on two professors from universities 

 in each of these countries, to endeavor to find out the cause, when 

 the remedy could be more easily discovered. The two gentlemen 

 selected were among the most eminent for their knowledge in 

 every department of natural history. They entered most 'assid- 

 uously on the duties ot their commission ; they labored nearly 

 two years in making investigations and experiments ; traveled 

 through 'Holland and considerable part of Germany, wlierever the 

 rot had prevailed to any extent and violence ; examined all con- 

 comitant causes that could have an influence in producing the 

 disease, such as weather, soil, tillage, insects, &;c.; made many 

 analyses, and finally concluded that insects were not the cause, 

 and had nothing to do with it. . One of them thought it was owing 

 to the weather or atmosphere. Tlie other no.t so decided ; he had 

 his doubts on this last. Still, as many learned and wise men 

 have been mistaken on this mysterious subject, these may have 

 been, too, and ultimately made to appear so, and Col. Houghton's 

 theory prove to be the true one. 



Mr. Francis Bonynge was introduced to the Club by the secre- 

 tary, as being recommended by our Minister to England, Abbott 

 Lawrence, and by Professor Henry, of the Smithsonian Institu- 

 tion, for his able practical knowledge of the culture of tea, he 

 having passed fourteen years in the East and raised tea himself 

 there. 



Mr. Bonynge said that he had no doubt that the climate and 

 other circumstances of the United States, render some of it as fa- 

 vorable to the tea plant as China. He had looked tlirough tlio 

 country, this side of the mountains, and judged that the soil and 

 climate of Georgia were best adapted to it. He is perfectly aware 

 of the great difficulty of procuring from the East proper tea nuts 

 for planting, or proper plants for setting out, and can obtain what 

 he wants. He had a tea plantation in Tarlary, in north latitude 

 27 deg. His crop of tea was commonly 1200 pounds an acre of 

 green leaves, which made 300 pounds of tea when cured. Some- 

 times ho got 480 pounds of tea from one acre. One good hand 



