94 



TEA. 



tivated in Japan, as far nortli as 45 degrees. It seems to succeed best 

 on the sides of mountains, among sandstone, scliistus, and granite. 



In 1834, tlie East India Company introduced the cultivation of 

 tea in Upper Assam, where it is said to be indigenous ; and they 

 now ship I'dTge quantities of very excellent tea from thence. 



Mr. Boyer, director of the museum at Port Louis, Mauritius, has 

 succeeded in rearing 40,000 tea-trees, and expresses an opinion, 

 that if tlie island of Bourbon would give itself up to the cultiva- 

 tion, it might easdy supply France with all the tea she requires. 



The culture has also l3een commenced on a small scale, in St. 

 Helena, and the Cape Colony 



The cultivation of the tea-tree might be tried with probability 

 of success in JSTatal, and the Mauritius. The plant grows in every 

 soil, even the most ungrateful ; resists the hurricanes, and requires 

 little care. The picking of the leaves, like the pods of cotton, is 

 performed by women, children, and the infirm, without much ex- 

 pense. The preparation is known to the greater part of the 

 Chinese, of whom there are so many in Mauritius ; besides, it is 

 not difficult, A Mr. Duprat has, I am informed, planted a cer- 

 tain extent of land in the neighbourhood of Cernpipe, in that 

 island, but I have not jet learnt with what success. 



The tea-plant has been successfully cultivated, on a large scale, 

 in the island of Madeira, at an elevation of 3,000 feet above the 

 level of the sea, by Mr. Hy. Teitch, British ex-Consul. The 

 quality of the leaf is excellent. The whole theory of preparing it 

 is merely to destroy the herbaceous taste, the leaves being perfect, 

 when, like hay, they emit an agreeable odor. But to roll up each 

 leaf, as in China, is found too expensive, although boys and girls 

 are employed at about two-pence or three-pence per day. Mr. 

 Yeitch has, therefore, tried the plan of compressing the leaves 

 int o small cakes, which can be done at a trifling expense. It is 

 performed when the leaf is dry ; whereas, the rolling requires 

 moisture, and subsequent roasting on copper plates is necessary 

 to prevent mustiness. In this process the acid of the tea acts 

 upon the copper, and causes that astringency which we remark in 

 ad the China teas. 



The tea of Cochin China is considered inferior to that of China, 

 being less strong and pleasant in flavour. 



An inferior sort of tea, with a leaf twice or thrice as large as 

 that of Bohea, grows wild in the hilly parts of Quang-ai, and is 

 sold at from 12s. 6d. to 40s. the ijicul of 133 lbs. 



The Dutch have devoted much attention to tea cultivation in 

 Java, and the plantations are in fine order. Xearly a million lbs. 

 of tea were shipped thence in 1848 ; but the tea is said to be of 

 inferior quality, and grown and manufactured at considerable 

 expense. 



Japan produces both black and green tea. The Japanese prefer 

 the latter to the Chinese green tea. The black tea is very bad. 

 The Japanese tea-tree, is an evergreen, growing in the most sterile 

 places to the height of about six feet. It is described as above. 



