Studies on the frost resistance of tea varieties

The buds and young leaves of tea are severely damaged sometimes in spring when night temperatures falls several degrees below freezing point. So it is desired to select the tea varieties resistant to frost damage. An excellent opportunity was obtained in order to have a comparative study on frost resistance of tea varieties on June 5 and 6, 1955 at Kanaya, in Shizuokapref., when somewhat light frost occurred. At this time early flushing varieties were in the third and fourth leaf stage, and late varieties were just commencing to flush. In general, the frost hardiness of tea varieties seerrled to be highly correlated with their date of flush-commencement and also with their water content.