Dec. I, 1897.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
375 
Large leaf goes further than small leaf, (both 
being tender, for that is an indispensable condition 
for making good tea.) The young plants, whether 
grown from seed in situ or transplanted seedlings 
from the nursery, should fill out the gardens at regular 
intervals, determined chiefly by their expected growth, 
varying from three by four to six by six feet, where 
plowing is used. Vacancies occur from the death 
of individual plants ; they should be as few as possible, 
as they waste the land and increase the labor of 
cultivation and gathering. A vigorous growth depends 
upon the productiveness of the variety of plants used, 
on the climate, the richness of the soil and the 
cultivation. As regards temperature, the best climate 
for tea is a warm one, ranging during the year from 
45° to 90° F., and without sudden and great varia- 
tions or severe wind storms. The rain-fall should 
be abundant and evenly distributed throughout the 
year. But it is essential that copious rains and 
frequent fogs should occur during the warm season 
when the flushes are produced. The rain-fall in the 
countries best adapted for raising tea ranges from 
75 to 150 inches and more per annum. Nevertheless 
it is possible to remuneratively grow tea in medium 
climates with lower averages of both heat and rain- 
fall. Indeed, were this not the case, it would be 
idle to attempt the cultivation here with an average 
temperature of 65° F., and an annual rain fall of 56 
inches. The question then probably turns on the 
two points already mentioned, viz. : the dearness of 
labor and the liability to extreme cold in the winter. 
The occurrence severe cold in the winter may so 
weaken the vitality of the choicer sorts of tea that 
the crop of the following season may be reduced by 
the amount per acre that marks the limit of profit. 
An average production per acre of Indian and Ceylon 
gardens, in good bearing, is about 400 pounds of 
cured tea annually ; although instances are not in fre- 
quent of 700 to 1,000 and even more pounds under 
the most favourable conditions of cultivation and 
climate. 
The tea plant is an enormous feeder. If the soil 
does not afford abundant food, artificial enrichment 
must be resorted to. Liberal fertilization augments 
not only the quantity but improves the quality of 
the leaf, as has been demonstrated experimentally 
at Pinehurst, especially on poor and medium lands. 
The picking of the leaf on a garden of twenty-five 
acres will keep a small force of say twenty children 
almost continuously busy during the season. With 
patienoe and attention, the colored children in the 
Southern States quickly learn to perform the task 
satisfactorily. In thh earlier flashes, they are taught 
to pick only the nnexpanded leaf bud at the end of 
the shoot (the “Pekoe tip,’’) with perhaps the one 
or two next and very tender leaves. Later in the 
season, the number of leaves to be picked may ex- 
tend to three or four. It is a pretty sight to see 
the gathering of the leaf by the children. 
A suitably equipped factory is indispensable to 
even a moderate-sized garden. Ft r the present only 
black teas are made at Pinehurst ; and, consequently 
a brief descr p i ion of what is requisite for their manu- 
facture mu I suffice. The first step is the withering 
of the fresh leaf. This is effected by thinly spread- 
ing cut the h af orr floors or trays, so that every 
pound shall cover about ten square feet. As each 
pound of finished tea represents four and one-fifth 
pounds of fresh leaf, it will be seen that arr output 
of one hundred pounds of dry tea per diem requires 
about foi r Ihcusarid square feet of withering surface 
— in itself an expensive item. The pnirpose cf 
withering is to render the fresh leaf susceptible cf 
being rolled without breaking. As it comes to the 
factory it is crisp and elastic ; it crackles wherr com- 
pressed in the hand ; wherr bent, it irrrmediately 
resumes its forrrrer shape. Withering requires a light, 
airy roorrr, but it is better to exclude direct sunlight. 
A few hours sometirrres suffices for the change, but 
irsiially a vchole day’s exposure is necessary. When 
sufficiently withered the leaf has lost its elasticity 
and leels like an old kid glove; no longer will it 
crackle when compressed, nor will it regain its shape. 
Fresh leaf has neither distinctive taste nor odor. 
Withered leaf has a faint odor; peculiar, but not 
suggestive of the finished tea. By rolling (either by 
hand or machinery.) the oily cells in the leaf are 
broken up aird the juice expressed upon the surface 
of the leaf. There it becomes foamy from the action 
of the air and the continued rolling. An oxidation 
begins, which is prolonged by exposure to the air. 
By rolling and oxidation (formerly and erroneously 
termed fermentation) are developed the strength and 
in part, the flavor of the tea. The rest of the flavor 
and the fragrance are the result of the final process 
of “firing” or drying. It has been found advanta- 
geous to substitute machinery for hand power in 
most of these operations, especially where the pro- 
duction is sufficient to warrant the expense of buying 
and erecting the especially devised machines. And 
aside from economy in production, the greater uni- 
formity of product and the more attai' able cleanliness 
of the manufacture are commendable features. In 
the rolling of tea leaf, a capable man can handle 
thirty pounds a day; a “Little Giant ” rolling 
machine can do as much in half an hour, and takes 
the labor of one mule to accomplish it. The total 
cost of a factory suitable for the daily production 
of fifty pounds dried tea may be estimated at 50n 
to |2,000. ® " 
It has been thought advisable to dwell on the 
expensiveness of tea production, as letters are cons- 
tintly leceived asking for such information. There 
should be added the loss which follows f-om" impair- 
ment of seed on the long journey from the East" 
whereby only one box in four comes to hand in good 
order, as also the remuneiation of the skill and 
attention which must patiently and constantly oversee 
every step in the growth and manufacture of this 
product. And thus, even if the raising and manufac- 
ture of tea in the United States be divested of all 
fancy, and the utmost economy be practiced it will 
be seen that the obstacles and expenses to be over 
come are very considerable; indeed so considerable" 
that any serious competition with Asiatic producers 
on the lower and medium grades is simply out of 
the question. What, then, are the grounds which 
justify the continuance of experimentation in this 
direction ’? And the only satisfactory answer that can 
be given is, that thus far experience appears to justify 
the original hope of our ability to grow high grade 
teas remuneratively. Thus far, we have established 
at Pinehurst very fair tea gardens from choice 
imported Chinese and Japanese seed. From them 
we have produced both the green and black teas cf 
a quality which readily ccmnnnds one dollar or more 
in the retail market. The gardens have few vacancies 
and the plants have a luxuriant growth. There ar ’ 
also a number of gardens raised from hybrids that 
were introduced m.my years ago into this country 
by the national government. Unfortunately thev 
exhibit the effect of neglect, in having largely relansed 
towards the Chinese type. They require rigorous 
pruning, often the extirpation of refractory indivi 
duals, the promotion of a more favourable s^ondarv 
growth, and liberal cultivation; under these oondi 
tions they give excellent results. Other gardens of 
Formosa, Assam, and the best hybrids from India 
and Ceylon are yet too young to afford reliphlB 
data. There can be no question of the luxuriant 
growth of the hardier sorts, nor that the quality of 
the product and its reception by the public entirely 
meet with our fullest anticipations. But not enough 
experience has been gained to form an estimate of 
i s productiveness per acre (or per plant) of the 
gardens; nor can any positive statement be given as 
to the success of the two lines of experimentation 
to improve the general quality of the plants bv 
importing different varieties of the more tender"sort = 
until that variety be found which combines the utnu st 
quality with the ability to stand this climate or bv 
direct propagation by cuttings and grafting to’rerro- 
duce the best individual plants in the already 
established gardens. It w’as to be expected that our 
experiments must encounter many obstacles and 
cause many disappointments. But there has been 
