102 P:C0N0MIC PLAxN'-J'S. 



CHAPTER VIIT. 



Civilised man owes nearh- all the most important 

 stimulants and luxuries derived from the ^'egetable World 

 to primitive peoples. Since instinct has been l)lunted in 

 liim b\ civilisation he can no longer understand the 

 motives whicli guided the primitive races in tlieir choice 

 of food, lie is astonislied to learn from cliemistry that 

 the Tea of the Chinese, the Mate of the Brazilians, the 

 Coffee and Khat of the Aral^s, tlie Cocoa of the Astecs 

 and llie Kola-nut of the Negroes all contain the same 

 stimulating principle. We are able to see in La Mortola 

 Gardens how outwardh" diflcrcnt are all these plants 

 whicli A'ct contain practicalh' the same properties. But 

 it would be hard to disco\'er, even b\' the most careful 

 observati(jn, any external character common to them 

 all. Primitive men were, however, not guided bA' an^' 

 outward resemblance, but learnt rather as do the wild 

 animals who roam in search of their food through woods 

 and over plains. The\- were equalh' unconscious of the 

 reason for their selection. 



Most of our economic plants, having been adopted 

 from primitive man so long ago, possess an interesting 

 histor^•. 



The use of tea as a beverage is so old in China 

 that a book, "Rhya", written in the twelfth centurv, 

 mentions it as alreacU' long known. 



Tea drinking first began to spread in Europe in 

 1630, under the inllucnce of tlie Dutch East India Com- 

 pany, and also in consequence of the recommendations of 

 a few Dutch doctors. Tea was said to increase the 



