November i, 188$.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 



32J 



to 22 inches, a sKck 2S inches would be quite long enougli 

 aud would be a guide to show them that nothiug under 

 that height was to be taken. 1 would take the tip, tiist 

 leaf, and h the second, aud, when the flush was inclined 

 to go or had gone bang}-, I would take the fist leaf only 

 leaving the bud to develope ; by doing this a bangy flush 

 is very often forced on and does not harden up its leaves. 

 On no account would I let the coolies pluck the side- 

 leaves unless above the level of pruning, 



I would make the women pick oft' all seed and flower 

 each round for the first three or four rounds, so as to give 

 the bushes notldng to do but to make wood aud flush; if 

 seed is requiied keep a piece apart for that purpose, if 

 possible keep your bushes free from seed if you want tbem 

 to flush well. 



As I may not be understood when I say "if the 

 flush is inclined to go or has gone bangy," I mean 

 if on account of raw, nasty weather the flush is not 

 inclined to grow but instead of a tip appearing after hav- 

 ing developed the last leaf there is only an open leaf at 

 the top of the flush, talie this if soft and put in the bas- 

 ket, if hard throw it away. 



About the begining of the rain.s, May-June, I would 

 change my mode of pluclriiig aud instead of taking the 

 usual 2i leaves I would jduck three full leaves with stalk 

 attached at one time ; by doing this the leaves do not 

 cling together in the baskets, and, when spread on the 

 withering trays dry and wither in half the time that leaf 

 plucked in the usual way does, the only thing against 

 this is tliat the next iiush does not come on so fast, 

 but the diti'crence in manufactiu'ed tea makes upfor this. 



Just before the close of the season or before pruning, I 

 would not be too jjarticular as to the nimiber of leaves left 

 on a shoot, but would take everything that would make 

 tea as the weather is uncertain and if you think of leaving 

 a shoot for nest round because too short, you find it has 

 by that time gone hard. 



Along with Mr, Owen I condemn the late Mr. Cameron's 

 system of plucking young tea in its 2nd year aud consider 

 it ruinous and bad, because no voung bush can develope 

 and make strong wood for the future if it is woiTied and 

 plucked until it has the ajaxjearance of a worn-out heather- 

 broom. By this system of taking off everything that can 

 be got very fine tea is made, and it is no wonder that such 

 Iiigh prices are got by some estates, and it astonishes me 

 that prices even double have not been got. 



For tl)e first three montlis after pruuing, pluck very care- 

 fully ; begin by getting sufficient good wood for next prun- 

 ing aud, when you have that at each round after taking 

 the tip, first leaf and half the second, see that you have 

 two fully ileveloped leaves under what has been taken ; 

 after this ctne-and-a-half is quito sufficient then towards 

 the close of the season pluck as I have before recommended. 

 By working in tliis way, the bushes will spread aud very 

 soon touehand there will be a good plucking surface. After 

 carefully watching the bushes in Ceylon I have come to the 

 conclusion that it is impossible to harm them (after the new 

 wood has grown well up) by careless plucking as is the 

 case in India; the only thing that happens is that the next 

 flush is ilelayed, but I have seen in tliis country the very 

 eye-buds taken out before pruning so that the women might 

 go to other work, and priming having been delayed and 

 the weather become warm all bauds have had to go and 

 take off a good flush from bushes that were never expected 

 to Hush after such treatment. 



Estates that were pruned and plucked under my instructions 

 up to the arrival of the late Mr. Cameron, have done well and 

 are now capable of giving much more than they ever would, 

 had tliey been treated harshly in their infancy, (iallebodde, 

 Mariawatte, Alhigala and Agrawatte show as fine bushes 

 as one wishes to see and are all clean grown and cover 

 the ground. I have always been called a coarse plucker 

 by the late Mr. Cameron, because I let my flush run long 

 and took an extra leaf-making to souchong; yet the 'Wind- 

 sor Forest averages have been good. I allow my yield was 

 more than it should have been, but circumstances over 

 Which there was no control was the cause. 



As you mention in your paper that on the last-mentioned 

 estate, there was a bush 14 feet by 10, I c:in verify the fact; 

 and this was arrived at by careful pruning and each year 

 drawing the bush out by leaving the side-shoots until they 

 were above the level of ]>runed surface. AVhen primed last 

 by nie the hcigbt was about 2 feet Siuchesaud yet itwas 



this width. I would not have written this had you not 

 asked me, as I am no great hand at putting my ideas and 

 opinions on paper; if you think it worth anythiu"- let it see 

 the light of day or if not the light of the fire. 



I enclose an estimate for bringing a tea estate iiito bear- 

 ing in its third year and have added the fourth year as 

 well; it is supposed to be in an accessible district and opened 

 from an adjoining estate. I have provided for makmg tea 

 by machmery in the third year and for having proper factory 

 and all conveniences. Of course there may be errors, still I 

 have done my best to estimate everything at an or'diuary 

 average and have not gone to extremes cither way —Yours 

 faithfully, q' ji^ g_ 



Esfimale of cost of opening out a Tea Estate of 250 acres, 



of ichkh 100 acres is in ike first year and 150 acres in 



the second, in an accessible district. 



Cost of 300 acres of forest laud at say 1120 EG 000 



Ist Season :— Ist July 188.3 to 30tli June 1884. ' 



Felliug and clearing up 100 acresat K1.5 ... Rl,500 

 Cutting pegs, lining, holing, filling in, at 



E22-50 ... 2^2.50 



riautiug and supplying (say 10 per cent) ... 4S0 

 Weeding, for 16 mouths at lU ... 1,G00 



Nurseries for 25 maunds seeil . . . 1,750 



Reading in ordinary cases at E4 per acre ... 400 

 Draining with fair amount of blasting at E9 900 

 Lines for coolies: 10 rooms permanent K400 



20 rooms temporary R200 . . . (joo 



Contingencies, (Survey, tools, medicine, 



stationary, etc,) ... 500 



Superintendeuco ... l,O0O 



R10,9S5 



2nd Season :— 1st July IS&i to 30th June 1885. 

 Felling and clearing up 150 acres . . . E2,250 



Cutting pegs, lining, holing and filling in ... 3,375 

 Planting and supplying ... 800 



Weeding 150 acres for 16 mouths and 100 



acres for 13 months ... 3,600 



Nurseries for -10 maunds seed ... 2,800 



Topping 1st 100 acres at R2 ... 200 



Reading 150 acres and upkeep of roads in 



100 acres ... 050 



Draining 150 acres and upkeep of drains 



100 acres ... 1,100 



Additional lines (permanent) 16 rooms ... 640 

 Superiiitendont*.s bungalow and furniture ... 3,000 

 Contingencies ... 1,000 



Superintendence ... 2,000 



R-22,315 



If the bushes are well-grown after pruning 



towards the close of the season, some leaf 



might be plucked and sold to the nearest 



estate. 



3rd Season 1st July 1S85 to 30th June 1886. 



Weeding 250 acres at Rl ... R3 000 



Nurseries and supplying ... 1,000 



Topping 150 acres at R2, pruning 100 at R4-50 750 



Upkeep of roads and drains at K2 ... 500 

 Permanent tea house 100 by 20 completely 



fitted- ... 3,000 



Coutiugencie.s ... 1,000 



Superintendence, including tea house man 3,800 

 1 " Excelsior" Jackson's roller .-£130 plus 



30 per cent freight &c. ... 1,690 



1 No. 2 Kinmond's Dryer £220 do do... 2,860 



Pulleys, belting, shafting, &c. &c. ... 750 



1, 2u'll'et Water-wh»!el, and pit ... 1,500 

 Cost of Plucking, Manufacturing, Pack- 

 ing, kc. 30,0U01b. tea, (240 lb. from 100 

 acres 40 lb. from 160) by machinery at 



IGc. per lb. ... 4,800 



Transport charges to Colombo at 2 c. ... 600 



25.250 

 Or. By value of 30,000 lb. tea at 00 els. per lb. 18,000 



Interest ou gross expenditure calculated thus i-^ 



ET,250 



