America's Crop Heritage


El Dorado, but by 1872 their experiences had proved the climate
unsuitable to the tea plant.
 The Department of Agriculture's hopes for the tea industry
died a lingering death. Experiments continued under Commis-
sioner Watts in 1873, but the high labor costs could not be over-
come. In spite of this, tea growing continued to attract interest.
The arboretum annually increased the number of plants dis-
tributed, and received encouraging reports from widely scattered
areas. The following year the reduced appropriation for the
garden prevented further introductions, but 20,000 plants were
distributed. Even careful William Saunders now believed tea
would become widely cultivated.
 When William Le Duc succeeded Watts in 1877, he confidently
accepted from his predecessor the challenge of the tea industry.
Because he believed that American tea could be put on the world
market, he had over 100,000 plants distributed during 1877 and
1878, and 120,000 plants were given out the following year.
 South Carolina and Georgia were indicated as favored centers
for tea cultivation. The plant was publicized by the Department
of Agriculture and information supplied regarding its cultivation
in China. Le Duc pointed to the unemployment of 1877 as proof
that there was labor available to produce tea in America. Plants
were distributed to increase the dissemination of tea and to find
which localities were best suited to it. Invention was expected to
provide machines for processing the tea leaf, but even without
machines it was thought that every family should cure its own
tea supply.
 THE EXPERIMENTAL TEA FARM
 The enthusiasm over tea reached a climax in 1881. Congress
had provided $5,000 the year before to "be devoted to experi-
ments in connection with the culture and manufacture of tea."
Another appropriation of $10,000 was made in March, 1881, and
with these funds an experimental tea farm was established at
Summerville, South Carolina.
 At the request of Le Duc, John Jackson, a native of Aberdeen-
 shire, Scotland, visited the South to see if tea raising was possible
 there. Jackson had fourteen years' experience in tea cultivation
 and in perfecting machinery for processing tea. He became con-
 vinced that American tea could be made to compete in price and
 quality with foreign varieties. Jackson purchased the estate of