TEA.. 



97 



of trees, fresh, green and healthful, as if still growing in the 

 plantations of China, after a passage of little more than five 

 months. These plants, together with the seedlings and nnts, 

 were of the green tea species, and obtained from a quarter 

 situated about 700 miles from Canton. 



In a letter, dated Grrenyille, S. 0., June 17th, 1850, with which 

 I have been favored, he adds : — 



" I never heard of the failure of the tea-crop. All vegetation may be re - 

 tarded, or lessened, or augmented, in its production, in a slight degree, by- 

 excessive rains, or drought, or cold, or heat, or atmospheric action ; but the 

 tea-plant is sure to produce its leaf. From all I have observed, a decided 

 di-ought is the most detrimental to the health of the tea plant The almost 

 continued rains which marked the advance of the past spring, seemed perfectly 

 agreeable to the tea-plant, and facilitated the germination of the tea-nuts. 

 Where any vitality remained in the nut, it was sure to germinate. Curiosity, 

 •on this point shoiild be restrained, and no picking and pawing up of the nuts 

 permitted. I have seedlings with tap roots four inches in length, where no ap- 

 pearance of germination is visible upon the surface of the ground. The chances 

 are ten to one that the seedling would be destroyed by the tamperings of idle 

 curiosity. Let natui-e have her own most perfect work, and see that the enemy, 

 the drought, is vanquished by an abundant supply of water. 



From experience, I notice that nothing is more congenial to the germination 

 of the tea-nut than a good stiff, blue, clayed soil. The marly colour of the 

 soil is undoubtedly the result of a rich loam, combined with the clay of a lighter 

 hue. The adhesive nature of the clay retains moisture in an eminent degree, 

 and the fertilising qualities of the loam are well known to every bottom laud 

 farmer. 



Plants put out three weeks ago, after a long voyage from China, are now 

 taking root, and look fresh and vigorous, notwithstanding the recent heat and 

 dryness of the atmosphere. But I have taken unwearied pains in the cultiva- 

 tion. Every plant is sheltered from the scorching influence of the sun, now 

 from 70 deg. to 86 deg. of temperature. Although the soil is naturally moist 

 and clayey, and half bottom land, from the work of gentle acclivities, rising on 

 either hand, yet I have given the plants a liberal watering in the evening. By 

 last summer's drought of fifty-seven days, I was taught the absolute necessity 

 of deep digging and deep planting. None of my plants, of this season's plant- 

 ing, are more than two or three inches above the surface of the ground. 



If any of the plants have leaves, as most of them have, below that height, 

 they are planted with the leaves retained ; none are removed. Some of the 

 older plants have no leaves remaining, and looked like dry sticks. Many of 

 these are now beginning to break, and put forth fresh leaves." 



In 1851, Mr. Prank Bonynge set on foot a subscription list of 

 fifty dollars each, to procure tea and various Indian plants for cul- 

 ture in America. That tea can be grown successfully in Carolina, 

 G-eorgia, and Elorida, is almost certain, because the experiment lias 

 been pretty fairly tried, as above shown, by Dr. Smith. The ther- 

 mometer at Shanghai indicates the cold as more severe by thirteen 

 degrees than at Charleston, South Carolina. The cold winter of 

 1834-5, which destroyed the oranges in Mr. Middleton's planta- 

 tion, in Charleston, left his tea plants uninjured. 



The question of cultivating tea in California has been seriously 

 discussed, and will no doubt be gone into when the gold digging 

 mania has a little subsided. There is the necessary labor and ex- 

 perience on the spot, in some 12,000 or 14,000 Chinese, most of 



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