THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



727 



tity of food smaller which Liebig and 

 other distinguished chemists attribute to its 

 possessing positively nutritious properties. 



The common way of taking tea every- 

 body is familiar with ; but in Japan, among 

 the wealthy, a more ancient mode is fol- 

 lowed. The leaves being first ground to 

 powder, it is infused in hot water for 

 awhile, and afterwards whipped with a 

 split bamboo till it creams, when they 

 drink both the infusion and powder, as 

 coffee is used in many parts of Asia ; 

 when it is said " to temper the spirits, 

 harmonize the mind, dispel lassitude, and 

 relieve fatigue ; it awakens thought, and 

 prevents drowsiness ; lightens or refreshes 

 the body, and clears the perceptive fac- 

 ulties." 



Chemists look for the properties of tea 

 according to its elementary constitution ; 

 but the fact is, that however active the in- 

 gredients might be under other circum- 

 stances, they are so nicely balanced in 

 tea that, when taken in their combination, 

 the effects of no one of its constituents 

 are particularly pre-eminent. Tea can 

 never be employed for its tanin, nor inju- 

 rious on account of the amount it con- 

 tains. The same may be said of theine 

 in a still lighter degree. Theine is a fee- 

 ble base, precipitated by tanin alone from 

 its solutions, and does not, in reality, con- 

 centrate any of the active qualities of tea, 

 it being only an isolation. 



The prevalent discrepancies regarding 

 the effects of tea on the constitution are 

 wholly due to the different temperaments 

 of individuals, whenever such tempera- 

 ments are specially marked; and the 

 same may be said, too, as regards the dif- 

 ferences between black and green. When 

 employed in moderation, the particular 

 variety may safely depend upon the taste 

 and experience of the consumer. 



Climatic Adaptation. — The tea plant 

 flourishes over a wide range of latitude 

 and degree of elevation. It grows luxu- 

 riantly in the climate of Pekin, in the lati- 

 tude of 40°, and equally well in the vi- 

 cinity of Canton, on the verge of the 

 trdpics. The best tea, however, is pro- 

 duced in a mild, temperate climate, the 

 country about Nankin producing better 

 tea than either Pekin or Canton. But in 

 any case, the tea plant is found to require 

 a rich sandy loam, in order to bring it to 

 perfection. Japan appears to be even 



more favorable to the growth of tea than 

 China. In Japan it is planted around the 

 borders of fields, without much regard to 

 situation or soil, while in China chiefly 

 middle grounds have to be selected, and 

 much order observed in distance and cul- 

 tivation — the plants standing about four 

 feet apart. 



By experiments which have been made 

 of late years in South Carolina, tending 

 to prove the perfect climatic adaptation of 

 parts of that State to the growth of tea, 

 and considering that the time cannot be 

 long before the Chinese will form a much 

 more considerable proportion of our im- 

 migrants than heretofore, there is just 

 reason to believe that ere long tea will be- 

 come an important agricultural product of 

 the United States. In respect to latitude, 

 elevation above the level of the sea, and 

 other circumstances which modify the cli- 

 mate, our Southern States singularly cor- 

 respond to those regions of China and Ja- 

 pan which are known to produce the best 

 tea. 



Counterfeits and Adulterations. — It is 

 proper in this connection to state, that in 

 order for tea to retain well its properties, 

 it should be kept as free as possible from 

 all moisture. Besides which, sea or ship 

 air exercise a particular influence on the 

 quality of tea, which ultimately destroys 

 its aroma. The writer has frequently ob- 

 served the result of this on the very best 

 qualities of tea that could be obtained ; 

 no matter how tightly sealed, if kept at 

 sea for a twelve month, it is scarcely bet- 

 ter than so much of the dried debris of 

 any other plant. It is well known that 

 the shorter the voyage from China, other 

 things being equal, the better the quality 

 of tea. 



The frauds in tea seem to have kept 

 pace with the extent of its consumption. 

 These chiefly consist in the employment 

 of artificial coloring matter, and in the 

 substitution of foreign leaves. 



Green tea is more frequently adultera- 

 ted than black, and of the latter, Congou 

 and Souchong are the most pure ; while 

 those qualities having the strongest aroma, 

 isuch as Pekoe, Caper, Chu Lau, and black 

 I Gunpowder, are more likely to be adulte- 

 rated than those apparently weaker. The 

 leaves of the plum, ash, elder, hawthorn, 

 willoiv, poplar, horse-chesnul, laurel, sweet 

 brier, elm, and divers other leaves colored 



