AtTGUST I, I 



883.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



"3 



CULTITATIOX OF THE'TEA PLANT IN' THE 



CAUCASUS. 



(Translated from the Journal cU St. Petersbourg, 



25th iviarch l.iS3.) 



The question of tho cultivationof thotea-plantinthaCaucasus 

 hasbaen startod bvthe EconoTnist .So;;ety of ourcapital. Ac- 

 cording to the information of the Xonveriu ZVi/jpssome plant- 

 ations of the tei-plant have been already made at Sou- 

 khonm both intheiBotrancal Garden and iii that of Mr. Wed- 

 enshy. The plant's of rhe qualities that haro been cultivated 

 there have matured p -i-fei^tly. The que^tiin therefore of the 

 possibility of the culture of the tea-plant in the open air is 

 practically solved, and the only thing that remains to be 

 done is to ameliorate the mathodj of such cultivation. 



The establishment of tea plantations is equally feasible in 

 other parts of the Caucasus region ; for example, in tlie 

 western part of Trans-Caucasia, especially in the valley of 

 Alazan, where the climate resembles that of China. Every- 

 thing depends now on the method of preparing the leaves of 

 tea- plant, and as yet this is not well known in the Caucasus. 

 The Aitricultural Society of the Caucasus has therefore 

 solcited that a specialist in the cultivation of tea may be sent 

 to that disti-ict. It is surprising that no serious effort has 

 yet been made to cultivate the tea-plant in Southern 

 "Russia, principally in Caucasia. After the English and the 

 Americans no people consume as much tea as the Russians, 

 for they import annually to the extent of sixty millions of 

 roubles worth of this article, and yet they neglect to de- 

 velope the cultivation of tea in their own coimtry . China has 

 no longer the monpoly of the production of tea. Japan 

 provides the United States with a lage quantity,^ and India 

 sends enormous quantities to England,. The Indian produce 

 which was commenced in the last century has greatly de- 

 veloped, especi,ally in the district of Assam, during the past 

 thirty years. Indian tea costs a gi-eat deal more in England 

 than Chinese tea, the consumption of which is diminishing 

 yearly. Generally speaking forty per cent, of the tea con- 

 sumed in Europe is from other countries than China. Even 

 the Java tea is used in spite of its bad quaUty. That of 

 Ceylon, which is excellent, is getting into vogue. The pro- 

 duction of tea has been also introduced, into Borneo, the 

 Phillipiues, Brazil, and the South of Cahfomia. Why should 

 not Caucasia follow the examjile of all these countries ? Even 

 admitting that the qualitj' of tea produced there were of in- 

 ferior quality at the beginning, there is no reason why it 

 should not bijusedformakinghricktea.of which the consump- 

 tion is considerable. This iuf';-rior qrality of tea costs us 

 annually live milUons of roubles, which we now pay to China. 

 Xoiiomti Tempi proposes to attract an emigration of Chinese 

 to Caucasia so as to introduce the proper cultivation of the 

 tea-plant and the fabrication of tea there. Oui- CoiLsnls at 

 Hankow and Foocho.v can make conti-acts to bring those 

 speciahsts from China who thoroughly understand the whole 

 tea process, and without having recourse to the proprietors 

 of the Russo-Chinese tea plantations in China, whose inter- 

 ests might suffer from the eventual development of the cultiv- 

 ation of the tea-plant in Russia itself. — N.-C. Serald. 



TR.VXSPL ANTING TREKS. 



Save for the presence of a wrapping of canvas around 

 the st«ms — a wrapping, by the way, for which hay-bands 

 kept wet might advantageously be substituted — few per- 

 sons would imagine that the fine symmetrical trees which 

 now border the Place d'.^rmes at Ghent had only recently 

 been planted ; yet such is the case. It appears that the 

 square had, many years ago, been planted with Lime trees 

 for which no suitable provision had been made at the 

 time of planting. The consequence was that the trees 

 had a wretcheil appeai'ance, and shed their leaves in early 

 summer, just when shade is most grateful. It was there- 

 fore deciiled to remove the Limes, about 100 in number 

 and replace them by some fiiic Elms, each measuring 13—20 

 inches in cirumtereiicc^ at 3 feet from the soil. 



Suth » task was no ligh*"' one, but it did not discourage 

 M. Van Hu.ie. Xr. the middle of January of the present 

 year opirations were commenced, the soil of the square, 

 was trenched to a depth of 5 feet or so, the old soil, 

 where dry and nnperneabie, being removed. M. Van 

 HuUe, however, attaches even more importance to tli,. 

 15 



depth and sufficiency of 'the trenching than to the quality 

 of the soil. The Elms were moved by the aid of a trans- 

 planting machine, so as to allow of a ball of earth being 

 rjised with tbe roots 1. m. 90 in diaiieter (() feet). 



A tre ch was excavated round the trees "f an oval form, 

 90 as to include the longer roots on two aid. s of the t-ee 

 Planka were f.astened around the bail to keep tlie s t!! in 

 plac^ and io prevent i jury to the roots. Supports were 

 placed underneath the ball and connecte I by chains wilh 

 a windlass arrangement on each side, by which the ball 

 could be raised or lowered ;it pleasure. The ball thus 

 supported res:ed on a truck, which was drawn by three 

 horses, and thus each of the ninety-nine trees was safely 

 removed and conveyed to the site prepared fur it, the 

 ball bein.r gently lowered onto the top of a slight mound 

 projecting from the base of the hole, the planks were re- 

 moved, and tlie planting finished. Waterin.: to settle the 

 soil around tha. r^ots, and the ordinary cares in the way 

 of tree guards were provided. Wire guy lines or otbei 

 means of support may be ome necessary, at present they 

 have not been required, but watering during the summer 

 is almost sure to be required. The total cost of the pro- 

 ceedings is given as follows, nothing being set down for 

 the use of the transplanting machine, which was lent by 

 the City of Antwerp :— 



Francs. 

 Trenching, about ... -. 2000.00 



Removal of bad soil and substitution of good, 

 about ... ... ... 1300.00 



Preparation, removal, and replanting of 

 the trees ... ... ... 2100.00 ' 



Gratings around the roots... ... 2800.00 



Tree guard.s ... . . .. 1000.00 



9200.00 

 — or, in round numbers, the expenses of transplanting 

 each of the ninety-nine trees amounted to 93 francs (say 

 £3 15s). 



No doubt other trees, such as Planes, some of the 

 Piplars, and Pyruses would do even better than Elms. — 

 Gardeners' Chronicle. 



PLANTERS AND COOLIES ON THE ASSAM 

 TEA ESTATES. 



The Indir/o Planters' Gazette thus notices the nature 

 and effect of the elaborate code of rules regarding 

 the trentmeut of coolies on .Assam tea estates. In 

 Ceylon we are perfectly familiar with the process by 

 whicb coolies improre the best built and best ventil- 

 ated lines : — 



It is ihe usual practice of the coolies, if the man- 

 ager builds a substantial line with a nice verandah, 

 to alter and improve upon it according to his 

 ideas ; the tirat of these alterations is to carefully en- 

 close the verandah with a tattee (an ekur or mat 

 wall). This is then carefully plastered over so that 

 not a crevice is left nor can a breath of air pene- 

 trate it. After this he carefully subdivides the interior 

 into a number of small apartments or pigeonholes, 

 so that when fini!.hed according to his ideas to the 

 European eye, it presents on examination more tbe 

 cliaracter of a " rabbit warren " th.^n a human habit- 

 a ion. This of course is a direct contradiction to 

 the Chief Commissioner's ideas, but what is a man- 

 ager ti do ? If he obeys the Chief Commissioner he 

 offends his coolie, who takes his depariure at the end 

 of his time, as he considers any interference with his 

 ideas of house arrangements to be great dool', atid very 

 naturally too, for does not every one consider his house 

 his castle ? And if he chooses to have his dearly 

 beloved cow in his house, who is to interfere with 

 him, for is not his co^'^ bis own, and not the s'ricar's ? 

 And \i he has a pencliant for unripe fruit, why 

 should he not eat thereof, and give to his infant son 

 or, liauiihter, no doubt oltei; entailing grievous after. 

 oonseciueuces and an application to that ncoessaiy 

 ornament of a tea garden, the Doctor BcAqo : but to 



