The question of cultivating tea in California has been seriously discussed, and will no doubt be gone into when the gold digging mania has a little subsided.  There is the necessary labor and experience on the spot, in some 12,000 or 14,000 Chinese, most of whom doubtless understand the culture and manufacture.  The climate, soil and surface of California exactly answer the requirements for the growth of this plant.  The time may yet come when the vast ranges of hills that traverse this State shall present terraces of tea gardens, cultivated by the laborious Chinese, and adding millions to the value of its products.

A company for the cultivation of tea, under the title of the Assam Company, was established in March, 1839; and which, with a called-up capital of L193,337, has made up to the present time very profitable progress; having now got its plantations into excellent cultivation, and all its arrangements in admirable working order, it has sold teas to the amount of L90,000, and has a steam-boat, a considerable plant and machinery.

In the report of the Company, at their annual meeting, held at Calcutta, in Jan., 1850, it was stated, as the result of their operations, that during the year 1849, the manufacturing season was unusually cold and ungenial, in consequence of which the development of leaf for manufacture was much checked.  Although some loss was sustained, there was considerable increase in the crop notwithstanding, attributable to the continued improvements in the culture which had been obtained, and improvements over the previous season in some departments of the manufacturing process.  The gross quantity of unsorted tea manufactured in the southern division was 207,982 lbs., being 2,673 lbs. less than that of the previous season, but the actual net out-turn was expected to reach 200,000 lbs.  As much as 157,908 lbs. of the crop had been already received and shipped to England.  These teas consisted chiefly of the finer qualities.  Whilst the crops have been thus sensibly advancing in quantity and quality, and the value of the company’s plantations permanently raised by extended and improved culture, and some increase to the sowings, the total outlay had been somewhat less than the previous year, the expenditure being limited to L500 for a crop of 12,000 acres of tea.  With more extended gardens, the produce will be raised at a yet lower rateable cost than at present.

The number of acres in cultivation in 1849, was about 12,000; these were not all in bearing, but would shortly be so, and the produce from this extent might be estimated at 300,000 lbs., and the cost of producing this would be about L11,000. 1,010 chests of the produce were sold in London on the 13th of March, 1850, at a gross average of 1s. 111/2d. per lb.  The produce of 1847, sold in England, was 141,277 lbs., at a gross average of 1s. 8d. per lb.:  that of 1848 was 176,149 lbs. which sold at the average of 1s. 81/2d. per lb.  The produce of 1849 was 216,000 lbs., and there was every expectation of the average prices realised being higher than those of the previous years.  The season was cold and unfavorable, or the crop would have been 10,000 lbs. more.