358 



TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. XXI. 



and it was at this time that the counterfeit tea was 

 made from the leaves of Pongamia glabra, the ac- 

 count of which I have given in a former chapter. 

 All the glass cases were taken to the garden to 

 be examined and put in order for the next part of 

 the journey. 



When the cases were opened in Calcutta the 

 young tea-plants were found to be in good condition. 

 The seeds which had been sown between the rows 

 were also just beginning to germinate. These, of 

 course, were left undisturbed, as there was room 

 enough for them to grow ; but it was necessary 

 to take other measures with those in the camellia 

 cases. On opening the latter, the whole mass of 

 seeds, from the bottom to the top, was swelling, and 

 germination had just commenced. The camellias, 

 which had now arrived at their destination, were 

 lifted gently out and potted, and appeared as if they 

 had never left their native country. Fourteen new 

 cases were got ready, filled with earth, and these 

 germinating seeds were sown thickly over the surface, 

 and covered with soil in the usual way. In a few 

 days the young plants came sprouting through the 

 soil ; every seed seemed to have grown ; and by this 

 simple plan about twelve thousand plants were added 

 to the Himalayan plantations. 



Many attempts are yearly made by persons in 

 Europe to send out seeds of our oaks and chestnuts 

 to distant parts of the world, and these attempts gene- 

 rally end in disappointment. Let them sow the seeds 

 in Ward's cases as I have described, and they are 



