TEA. 



119 



formerly connected with the Prussian Embassy, and was later in the 

 Japanese service. On arrival, he purchased a " ranch " (farm) of 600 

 acres, near Placerville, El Dorado county. He brought with him 

 6,000,000 tea seeds, and iminediately planted out a number of them ; 

 only a moderate quantity have thriven. 



The tea shrub in California is an evergreen, from 4 to 6 feet 

 high, with a straight stem and irregular branches, the former of a 

 bright grey colour, while the latter is chestnut, the wood being hard 

 with a peculiar odour. The leaves closely resemble those of the wild 

 rose, the colour being bright green, but deepening with the advance 

 of the season. The blossoms, at first of a rose colour, assume, when 

 full blown, the colour of a tea rose ; when the flowers fade away, they 

 leave a small fruit which contains the seeds, which are planted in 

 rows from 4 to 6 inches deep. The proper time for planting is 

 stated to be in November or December, the sprout appearing in about 

 a month. Within six months the plant reaches a height of 14 inches, 

 when the leaves are stripped off and placed under manipulation. The 

 trees are annually trimmed down to a height of 3 feet, and it is 

 believed they produce a good yield for upwards of thirty years. The 

 only question as to the success of tea in California is that of labour. 



The following instructions have been issued for guidance in North 

 America. 



Soils. — Almost any good, free soil, upon which water does not 

 stagnate, will grow the plant. A good garden soil will produce tea 

 in perfection, but it will be best to describe a tea soil as a sandy, 

 chocolate-coloured loam, containing an abundance of humus or decay- 

 ing vegetable matter in a fit state for absorption by the roots. 



Propagation hy Seeds and Cuttings. — The first thing for the experi- 

 mental grower is to understand the best manner of raising his plants. 

 This is simple, the only precaution necessary being to use fresh seed. 

 If tea seed is kept for any length of time out of the ground it turns 

 rancid, as the chestnut and many other oily seeds are apt to do. Eipe 

 seed is known by its dark chestnut colour. As soon as procured it 

 should be laid upon a hard surface and covered with 2 or 3 inches of 

 rotten leaves, decayed hops, or almost any convenient vegetable 

 material. In this position the seed will germinate, and when the 

 sprouts are 2 or 3 inches high the young seedlings may be trans- 

 ferred to beds much in the same manner as market gardeners prick 

 out celery plants. The plants can be set in nursery beds at 3 or 

 4 inches apart, according to the time they may possibly remain. If 

 they are " pricked out " into beds in the spring, to be finally planted 

 out in the fall, or in the fall to be planted in the spring, 3 inches 

 will be ample ; much will depend upon the time when the seed is 

 received ; if, however, the plants are likely to remain in the nursery 

 beds for more than six months, it will be best to allow 4 inches 

 between plant and plant. An easier method is simply to plant the 

 seed in the beds in drills from 1 to 2 inches deep and 4 inches 

 apart, in a half shady position ; but vacancies from bad seed cannot 

 well be avoided by this plan. By germinating the seed a full 

 nursery is obtained with very little extra labour. The seed may 

 also be planted in hills, as gardeners plant melons, the hills being 



