226 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
[Oct.  i,  1892. 
find  calculated  to  injure  rather  than  help  the 
cause  sought  to  be  benefited.”  The  main  object 
is,  of  course,  to  prcmole  the  consumption  of 
our  tea.  Bnt  other  products  ar.d  manu’a',turcs 
as  well  as  minerals,  cabinet  woods,  jewelry  p-e- 
cious  stone?  and  curio?  will  be  sho in,  Mr.  Ormlinton 
making  a speciality  of  Ceylon  lace  and  other  wemen’d 
work.  There  is  strong  jastifi  nation,  th -refore,  for 
liberal  grants  from  general  r-venue,  as  weT  as  for 
private  liberality,  and  wo  trust  the  hvter  will  be 
developed  in  the  free  rf  the  cri -is  which  has 
overtaken  cur  chief  product,  after  a fashim 
which  will  render  us  preud  of  the  col  ny  instead 
of  feel'ng  shame  for  the  undeserved  credit  given  it. 
- 
REPORT  ON  SAMPLE  OF  SOUTH  CAROLINA 
TEA  (MANUFACTURED  BY  II.  COTTAR, 
LATE  OF  CEYLON),  BY  A NEW  YORK 
TEA  EXPORT  AND  TASTER. 
Extract  from  letter  addressed  to  Dr.  Shepard,  of 
Pinehiurst,  Summerville,  South  Carolina, 
"Good  original  stock  and  isminsuallij  well  prepared. 
“ Has  all  the  characteristics  of  au  Indian  or 
. Ceylon  tea  and  is  particularly  brisk  or  to.asty  in 
firiug,  which  is  desirable.  I am  inclined  to  believe 
that  it  is  better  tea  than  TettlowV." 
Dr.  Shepard  has  planted  from  10  to  12  acres  of 
Assam  hybrid  tea  now  three  years  old  a photograph  of 
which  points  to  the  healthy  condition  of  the  tea  plants. 
The  negro  children  receive  free  education  on  Pine- 
hurst  estate  and  are  ready  to  pluck  tea  when  called 
with  a hull/  ham/ani  in  charge  of  them. 
There  is  an  abandoned  tea  garden  planted  ten 
years  ago  by  Mr.  Jackson  of  India  who  died  in  South 
Carolina.  I believe  the  tea  is  strong  and  healthy. 
Redout  ox  Four  Sajiw.es  or  Tea  Gkowx  and 
Manufactured  in  South  Carolina.  (From  H Cotiam.) 
Extract  from  letter  addressed  by  Mr.  lleid,  tea 
taster  and  importer  of  North  loth  St..  By  Arch 
St.,  Philadelphia,  to  Dr.  Charles  U.  Shepard,  of 
Piuehurst,  Summerville,  South  Carolina:  — 
“Your  teas  I find  have  an  individual  distinct  and 
pronounced  character  different  to  the  teas  of  any 
other  country,  consequently  I describe  their  character 
flavor  as  • South  Carolina  flavor.’  They  have  merit 
I and  intrinsic  value  of  a high  order. 
“I  have  very  much  pleasure,  my  dear  sir,  in  offering 
yon  my  sincere  , congratulations  on  the  complete 
success  of  your  enterprise  in  having  produced  from 
the  soil  of  the  United  States  of  America  the  com- 
mercial article  ‘tea  leaf1  crjuul  in  style  and  value  anil 
on  a par  with  the  fine  teas  of  the  wort  /." 
report. 
Report  and  valuation  of  four  samples  of  Pi noliurst 
teas  as  prepared  by  Mr  Henry  C0.Ma.111,  June  1892 : — 
No.  1. — Rather  hands  >me,  rather  small  even  black- 
ish leaf  with  pekoe  flower  strii  ily  extra  tine  tea,  strong 
full  and  rich  South  Carolina  pekoe  flavor. 
No.  2. -Blackish  even  leaf  with  a few  pekoe  tips. 
Fine  to  extra  line  strong  brisk  South  Carolina  pekoe 
souchong  flavour. 
No.  3.  — Bather  bold,  evenish  curled  black  leaf, 
middling 'tell,  rather  strong,  fresh-burnt  South  Carolina 
souchong  flavor. 
No.  4. — Bold  black  uneven  curly  leaf  middling  tea, 
rather  strong,  fresh-burnt  South  Carolina  souchong 
flavor. 
NOMINAL  VALUATION. 
No.  1 . . 60  to  70  cents  per  lb. 
No.  2 . . 50  to  60  ,,  ,, 
No.  3 . . 35  to  40  ,, 
No.  4 . . 30  to  35  „ 
The  soil  and  climate  within  the  yellow  pine  belt 
of  South  Carolina  is  suited  to  the  growth  of  tea  a 
sister  plant  to  the  Camellia  Japonica. 
II.  Cottam. 
[We  can  only  repeat,  tl  a‘,  whiie  there  is  no 
doubt  that  good  tea  can  be  grown  and  manufactured 
in  the  Southern  Slab  s of  America,  the  cost  of 
labour  wid  prevent  the  carrying  on  of  the  enter- 
prise on  a commercial  teale. — Ed.  T.A-] 
TEA  AS  AN  EXHAUSTING  CROP: 
PROPOSED  EXPER1M  ENTS. 
The  Secretary  of  the  Planters’  Association  sends 
us  the  following  letter:  — 
Copy. 
John  Hughes,  Agricnltur  il  Analyst. 
Analytical  Laboratory,  79  Mark  Line,  London.  E.C., 
July  15  b,  1892. 
A'exander  Flvl'p,  Esq  , Kandy. 
Dear  Sir, — At  tbe  present  time  when  the  prrms- 
nance  of  tbe  Tea  Indua’ry  is  of  su-h  great  impor- 
tance to  the  intcreftt  cf  Oeybm  it  appears  very 
desirable  to  a^cer'am  how  far  tes,  as  at  present 
produced,  i«  an  exhausting  crop,  end  secondly  how  its 
requirements  in  the  way  of  plant  food  can  be  most 
economicary  supplied. 
IIow  can  this  be  dore  in  a practical  manner  is 
nahirally  asked.  I would  suggest  the  following  : — 
When  a patch  of  tea  is  jus*,  fit  for  plucking,  let 
some  3 or  4 trer-s  representing  sizes  varying  from 
the  large  t to  the  smallest  he  selected,  and  these 
trees  completely  stripped  of  all  the’r  leaves- 
The  loaves  in  separate  heaps  to  be  then  weighed 
and  coreful’y  dried  in  the  6un,  hut  protected  from 
rain  should  showers  come  : when  fully  dried  and 
aga;n  weighed  to  be  packed  in  quantities  of  2 lb. 
in  bottles  carefully  sealed,  labelled  1,  2,3,4  according 
ti  s’ze  of  tree,  age  of  gard-m  and  other  particular* 
and  p eked  in  boxes  to  be  forwarded  to  my  ad  tress. 
In  ord  >r  to  make  practical  calcu'atiois  it  would 
be  necessary  ti  weigh  the  fresh  leaves  taken  from 
rach  tree  an  1 again  to  weigh  tbe  Fun-dried  leaves, 
wb«n  folly  driel  after  two  or  three  daj6  exposure 
(as  hay  is  made  in  this  country). 
With  a knowledge  of  the  number  of  trees  on  tbe 
acre  and  the  weights  of  fresh  and  dried  haves  res- 
pectively wo  should  have  the  necessary  details  for 
extending  the  cl.emica' remits  obtained  by  the  subse- 
quent aca'ysis  of  tbe  dried  leaves  in  London. 
I make  this  suggestion  for  the  considers' i in  of 
your  Coromittp.p,  and  doubt  not  if  tbe  proposal  should 
be  considered  formally,  tbit  two  or  three  members 
would  be  willing  to  undertake  the  eo’l  ction  of  the 
simples  in  the  manner  suggested.  My  o vn  ilea  is 
tt  at  we  should  find  that  of  the  largo  quantity  of 
Nitrogen  present  in  the  leaves  a very  large  proportion 
must  bo  origi  .all v absorbed  from  the  air  ra'li’rthan 
from  the  soil.  With  tbe  previous  analyses  of  Oyl  in 
soi  s which  I have,  b7  me,  I could  thee  ascertain  Lov 
far  this  opinion  was  lo-ne  cut  by  previous  results,  and 
some  useful  information  be  obtained  not  only  in 
reference  to  the  amount  o'  Nitrogen,  but  also  of  the 
proportions  cf  the  mineral  constituents,  which  must 
of  course  be  a'sirbel  from  the  soil  alone  such  as 
Po’ash,  Phosphoric  Acid,  Lime  and  Magnesia. — Await- 
ing your  rep'y,  belie  e me,  yours  faithfully,  (Sgd.) 
John  Hughei. 
TEA  CULTIVATION, 
TO  TIIE  EDITOR  OF  THE  “ J1\DRA3  TIMES  ” 
Sir, — Refer  ing  to  Mr.  C.  N.  Grey’s  letter  on  this  sub- 
j ct,  I am  glid  to  see  that  tin  m itter  of  my  lett<  r to 
you  is  attracting  the  attent  on  of  planters,  and  Mr. 
Grey’s  deta  led  es'imate  of  the  cist  of  working  Tea 
which  he  has  published  is  valuable. 
Except  in  ths  arrangement  of  bis  calculations  bis 
figures  do  no'  greatly  differ  from  mine. 
M r.  Grey  in  his  E itimate  gives  details  of  superin-  It. 
tendeice,  and  cultivation  expenses  amount- 
ing to  ..  ...  ...  11,700 
or  R39  per  acre. 
Then  he  det  ills  many  o’her  charges  including 
manuring,  chtrcoal  fu  -1,  assessment  which 
varies  according  to  tenure,  (ome  of  these 
chnrges  should  be  included  under  crop  ex- 
penses) ...  ...  ...  3,420 
or  R1P6  per  acre. 
And  then  takes  the  expenses  incurred  in  pluckii  g, 
manufacture  and  carriage  to  coast  of  the  crop  taken 
at  040  lb.  per  acre  ...  ...  ...  23,320 
or  R77  12  per  acre. 
33,440 
