430 Domestic Notices : — Enfdanct. 



fc)*- 



knew that several species of camellia were natives of the mountains of Hin- 

 dustan, and that two of these were indigenous in our north-eastern frontier 

 provinces ; and, taking into consideration the close affinity between the two 

 genera, we were disposed to expect that the alleged tea would prove nothing 

 else but some sort of camellia. Wehave at length obtained the fruit of the Sadiya 

 plant from Lieutenant Charlton, and we are now enabled to state, with cer- 

 tainty, that not only is it a genuine tea, but that no doubt can be entertained 

 of its being the identical tea of China, which is the exclusive source of all the 

 varieties and shades of the tea of commerce. With the view of exhibiting the 

 peculiarities in the structure of the fruit, on which depends entirely the dif- 

 ference between the tea and camellia, we have desired our officiating secretary 

 to annex to this letter a sketch of the fruit of both, with explanatory remarks." 



[Engravings from the sketches referred to will be found in the Journal of 

 the Asiatic Society of India for January, 1835, and in the pamphlet from which 

 this extract is made, of which copies are deposited in the libraries of the Lin- 

 naean and Horticultiu-al Societies of London, and in those of other public in- 

 stitutions.] 



The chief obstacle to the culture of the tea, not only in the cooler regions 

 of India, but also in various parts of America, and even the south of Europe, — 

 possibly, even in the south of Ireland, — has always, as it appeared to us, been 

 the difficulty of preparing it by the tedious manipulation in use among the 

 Chinese. It is unreasonable, however, to suppose that this excessive mani- 

 pulation is necessary. Tea leaves, or young shoots of the tea shrub, may be 

 dried like hay, or, as the young shoots of the birch and other trees are in 

 Sweden, then fermented to any degree that may be necessary ; that is, if fer- 

 mentation be necessary at all ; and afterwards compressed into cakes, almost 

 as solid as chocolate, by a Bramah press. In this state it would lose none of 

 its virtues for many years, and might be sent from one part of the world to 

 another in little bulk. The taste would, doubtless, be different from that 

 which tea has at present; but, if it were found to be equally wholesome, the 

 prejudice in favour of the present taste would, like all other prejudices, be got 

 over in time. It appears, from a statement in the pamphlet above quoted 

 from, that the Singphos and Kamtees are in the habit of boiling the stalks and 

 leaves, and then squeezing them into a ball, which they dry in the sun, and 

 then retain for use. — Cond. 



Art. II. Domestic Notices. 



ENGLAND. 



High Clere, June 1 . — The hybrid tree rhododendrons, after being two or 

 three days splendidly in flower, were suddenly blackened by frost about a 

 month ago. At present the common rhododendrons and the azaleas are in 

 their greatest beauty : they are about three weeks later than they were last 

 year, but, on the whole, they are much finer. — T. M. lAndsay. High Clei-e 

 Gardens, June 1. 1835. 



ConifercB propagated hy Cuttings. — J^bies Wehhidna, amabilis, n6bilis, 

 Pichta, Menziesii, and Morinda, and Cedrus Deoddra, propagated freely from 

 cuttings either in spring or autumn. I struck several plants of each of these 

 last autumn, and intend trying, next autumn, cuttings of every species of Coni- 

 feraD that I can procure, and letting you know the result. — Id. 



The fact of so many species of J^bies striking so very freely from cuttings 

 ought to encourage gentlemen to plant pinetums. To those who have never 

 seen the species named by Mr. Lindsay, we may mention that J'bies Webbiawa 

 is a silver fir, only on a very large scale, the leaves being double the width of 

 the silver fir, and the young shoots of double the thickness. It promises to 

 be the king of the fir tribe. Cedrus Deoddra resembles the cedar of Lebanon, 



