1837.] M. A. De Candolle on the Tea Plant of Assam. 413 



On the discovery of the Tea Plant in a Province of British India. 



(Extract from an Article by M. Alphonse De Candolle in the Biblio- 

 # theque Universelle of Geneva). 



A Committee, established at Calcutta for the culture of Tea, has 

 been employed in seeking, in the vast extent of the Anglo-Indian 

 territory, the best locality for cultivating the precious shrub of China. 

 To this end the Committee directed its attention to the Province of 

 Assam on the borders of the Chinese Empire, and required from the 

 European Officers stationed there information on the nature of the 

 country. In reply, Captain Jenkins, in a letter, dated 7th January 

 1834, states that the mountainous region situated between Cachar and 

 Assam, must be extremely favourable to the culture of Tea, as there 

 are found there numerous species of Camellia, a genus much resem- 

 bling the Tea, and that, in the district of Beesa, " a coarse variety of 

 the tea plant is indigenous." 



Notwithstanding, the celebrated Dr. Waiiich, Superintendent of 

 the Botanic Garden of Calcutta, appears to have doubted this assertion, 

 emanating from an officer who is no botanist. He knew how much the 

 leaf of the Tea plant resembles that of certain Camellias which grow in 

 the mountains to the north of India, and he deferred a decision until he 

 had seen specimens. Captain Jenkins was not slow in forwarding them. 

 After an examination wh'ich he was then enabled to make of the leaf and 

 fruit of the Assam tea, Dr. Wallich entertained no further doubt. It is 

 indeed the Tea of China which grows in this part of the English terri- 

 tory, as the figure and brief notice of Dr. Wallich,* which we have be- 

 fore us, plainly testify. It remains to know whether this wild tea pos- 

 sesses the perfume of that cultivated in China, and whether the province 

 of Assam offers favourable conditions for the culture of Tea, and for 

 the delicate preparation of the leaves. 



Captain Jenkins, having communicated the circular of the Calcutta 

 Committee to Lieutenant Charlton, established in the province of Upper 

 Assam, speedily procured accounts full of interest. Lieutenant Charl- 

 ton was already aware of the existence of tea in Assam. He had even 

 despatched living plants of it to the Calcutta Garden three years before, 

 which he understood to have decayed. It was from the hills of Beesa 

 that they were obtained. Many plants attain the height of 12 or 14 

 feet. He describes them from memory, in a letter to Captain Jenkins, 

 and declares that he has no doubt of its being a species of tea. " I 

 have not had an opportunity" says he " of making any experiment 

 on the leaves ; they are described as small in their green state, but 



* Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, Jan, 1835, 



