os ‘~ a 
“ oe. , ‘ + dl “ 
Bibliography. = _ : 167 on ‘ 
2. Report of. M. Guitiemi, Botanical Assistant at the Museum | 
of Natural History, presented to the Minister of Agriculture and © 
Commerce, on the subject of the Expedition to Brazil, undertaken a ” 
principally with the view to obtain information respecting the culture ™ 
and preparation of the Tea-plant, and the introduction of this shrub 
into France. (Revue Agricole, 16me livraison.)—An abridged trans- 
lation of this report is published in the seventeenth number of Hook- 
er’s Journal of Botany, for October, 1840. Mr. Guillemin returned 
from his important expedition in July, 1839, bringing with him fifteen ~ 
hundred living tea-plants, about one third of the number with which 
he left Rio Janeiro, and having collected much information respect- 
ing the cultivation and preparation of tea in Brazil. The following 
extract is copied from the translation mentioned above. 
“In the middle of November had an opportunity of observing the 
method pursued when culling the tea, which is performed by black 
slaves, chiefly women and children. They carefully selected the ten- 
derest and pale green leaves, nipping off with their nails the young 
leaf bud, just below where the first or second leaf was unfolded. One 
whole field had already undergone this operation; nothing but tea 
shrubs stripped of their foliage remained. The inspector assured me 
that the plant receives no injury from this process, and that the har- 
vest of leaves was to become permanent by carefully regulating it, so 
that the foliage should have grown again on the first stripped shrubs, 
at the period when the leaves of the last plants were pulled off. About 
twelve thousand tea shrubs are grown in this garden; they are regu- 
larly planted in quincunxes, and stand about one metre distant from 
each other; the greater number are stunted and shabby looking, pro- 
bably owing to the aspect of the ground, which lies low, on the level 
of the sea, and exposed to the full rays of a burning sun; perhaps the 
quality of the soil may have something to do with it, though this is 
apparently similar to the prevailing soil in the province of Rio Janeiro. 
This soil, which is highly argillaceous, and strongly tinged with trit- 
oxide of iron, is formed by the decomposition of gneiss or granite 
tocks. -The flat situation of this tea ground is unfavorable to the im- 
provement of the soil, for the heavy rains which wash away the su- 
Perfluous sand from slanting situations, of course only consolidate 
More strongly the remaining component parts, where the land lies 
Perfectly level, and thus the tea plants suffer from this state of soil. 
— The kindness of M. de Brandao, Director of the botanic garden, 
induced him to invite me, shortly after I had seen this above described 
tea ground, that I might inspect all the operations for the preparation 
oftea. I found that the picking of the leaves had been commenced 
very early in the morning, and two kilogrammes were pulled that were 
mm % 
