4i6 



THE TEOPICAL AGRICULTURIST, [December I, 18S3, 



nnd that too much leaf is put iuto one charge, and in 

 consequence gets very much heated ; besides, when dis- 

 charged from the machiue, the cold air it meets gives a 

 check to fermentation, and in consequence deteriorates 

 the quality in cup. Of the small one we have heard 

 very good accounts indeed, with the cue saving clause 

 that it must be fne leaf ; but as we said before, this is 

 an essential m almost all the machiues. Of Thompson's 

 Challenge we know nothing, the testimonials attached to 

 the prospectus read well, aud the price of results are 

 good ; these should be au attraction. In summing up our 

 evidence these two points must strike the reader as the 

 opinions of the planters, namely, that most of tlie ma- 

 chines will only roll^<u leaf well, with the one exception 

 of Lyle's, which would appear to roll coarse leaf best, 

 so that, where a factory can afford it, the best poUcy 

 would be to pick out one of the many others to choose 

 from, and also Lyle's, provided the coarse leaf can be 

 plucked separately. It is no fault of any of the ma- 

 chines that fine and coarse cannot be manipulated together. 

 It must be apparent to any one, even who knows nothing 

 of tea manufactui-e, that a coarse leaf must requii'e more 

 roUing antl crushing than a fine sort succulept leaf, aud 

 that the latter must lose by overdoing. We believe it 

 costs more to pluck separately, but we should suppose 

 the increased value for the tea would more than com- 

 pensate for the extra price paid for plucking. "We there- 

 fore say pluck and manufacture seiJarately. [But smely the 

 two descriptions of leaf can be separated in the store and 

 rolled separately? — Ed.] 



TEA. 

 Season, 18&3. 

 The anxious question which is now revolving in many 

 a shareholder's bram is, are we to get a dividend or not 

 this year i «o far the season has beeu au unusual one, 

 aud we cannot say a favorable one. It began with a severe 

 drought aud was followed by a tlood in May, aud then 

 successions of sunshine and drought until it culminated 

 in August aud September with a mild liood again. This 

 refers principally to Cachiu- aud Sylhet although other 

 parts 01 the Province have suffered from the excessive 

 raiufall and attendant cold weather, yet we do not think, 

 from what we have seen in the daily prints, that it has 

 assumed the cliaracters of a llocd in any but those two 

 districts. In looking at the Assam Gazette, however, it can 

 be seen at a glance that the rainfall has been more than 

 ordinary and the weather cold and bleak, causing a great 

 deal of sickness amongst the coolies aud retardiug flushes, 

 in fact not only retarding them, but rendering them less 

 succulent than usual, aud consequently injuring the fresh- 

 ness aud pungency of the liquors. A prominent feature 

 this year at the public sales has beeu the comparative 

 neglect of Cachar Teas, and to some extent Sylhet as well, 

 and we wonder if this is to be accounted for by any other 

 reason than what he have seen the brokers putting for- 

 ward Y The flushes this year have been more than ordin- 

 arily heavy when tliey did come, and in consequence the 

 plauters could not manipulate them properly, or was it due 

 to atmospheric changes'' "We are inclmed to think that 

 both have something to do with the matter. Owing to the 

 cold weather which accompanied many of the periods of 

 rainfall this year, the leaf became especially leathery and 

 consequently requued a harder roll than usual, aud wc 

 imagine that this was just what plauters were unable to 

 give it owing to the excessive quantity which came into 

 the factories to be niaaiipidated, for we aie informed on 

 good and reliable authority that in some of the heavy 

 flushes this year some planters had ]ust double the quantity 

 they had ever beeu kuowu to work otf m one day. Then 

 we must take into consideration that witheriug, a most 

 important item to be taken into consideration, was carried 

 on under most trying circumstances, and in a great measure 

 artificially, owiug to the low temperatm'e that prevailed, 

 and to this probably as much as the large quantity to manu- 

 facture is, we think, due the deterioration in quaUty com- 

 plained of in Cachar aud Sylhet Teas. The fag ends of 

 large (lushes, if we may so term them, ha\e come out very 

 slowly, and in consequence have lost a great deal of their 

 Buccidence, hence the rolling cannot be carried to such a 

 pitcji of i)ei£ectiyn, and tlw lieavj pressuie requiied to 



be put on to break up the cells naturally destroyed thu 

 appearance of the tea and although there may be no coarse 

 plucking, stiU gave a larger proportion of low class brokee 

 than under ordinary circumstances might be expected from 

 the same class of leaf, provided it was young and succul- 

 ent. AVe do uot consider that the fault lies with the plant- 

 ers, and we are glad to note tidsyear that Brokers them- 

 selves do not lay it at their door. This is a step in the 

 right direction. But to return to the question with which 

 we started, are shareholders to get a dividend this year ? 

 "We answer in the affirmative, with this reservation, pro- 

 viAed that care and economy are component parts of the 

 management both locally aud in Calcutta. Last year a good 

 many gardens and a few companies, not always the most 

 favourably placed, jraid fair dividends with tea fully an 

 anna lower so that even with a little deficit in quantity 

 we do not see why the dividend this year should uot be 

 better, as five rupees jjer maund advance in price repre- 

 sents per acre, at a low estimate, 1 5 rupees, that is to say 

 3 maunds per acre. Now most gardens do not carry more 

 than 500 rupees per acre capital, so that a rise of one anna 

 per lb. means a dividend of, on an average, 3 pel cent. 

 In coming to the conclusion that the profit this year should 

 be more than last, we do not think that we are taking au 

 over-sanguine view of the matter at all, even taking into 

 consideration that the quantity may be a little less. Taking 

 the whole of the crop of Iniiian Tea, we do not think, it 

 it will be less, but we are speaking indiridually of gardens, 

 for what the old gardens fail to make, will be fully repre- 

 sented by young ones coming into yield for the first time, 

 and by extensions made in connection with old estates. 

 We therefore think that the Shareholder may safely look 

 forward to a dividend this year, more esijecially if he 

 pocketed one last year, for we do not anticipate any col- 

 lapse in the market such as took place last year, although 

 we do not anticipate any greater rise in values. — Jndigo 

 planters'' Gazette, Oct. 26th. 



Economical Use of Mangrove Bakk. — The Straits 

 Government Oazeite anuounces that whereas Frank 

 Gumm Bernard, a trader of Singapore, has filed 

 in the Colonial Secretary's office a specification of an 

 invention entitled "an invention for manufacturing 

 Cutch from Mongoor or Mangrove bark," flis Excel- 

 lency the Governor in Council has, under his hand 

 and tlie pu'olio seal of the Colony, granted to the said 

 Frank Gumnr Bernard the exclusive privilege of making, 

 selling and uaiug the said inventinn for the term of 

 fourteen years from this date. The specification may 

 be seen at the Colonial Secretary's office, on payment 

 of the usual fee. 



The Ootacamund Gardens. — Mr. Lawson, the 

 Director of Government Parks and Gardens, has 

 drawn the attention of Government to ihe great im- 

 provemtnt which would be made in the general 

 appearance of the Ootaeamund gardens were the lawns 

 properly levelled and thereafter regularly mown. 

 Government having coincided with the Director's views 

 the levelling will be carried out, and an indent is to 

 be made on England for the necessary mowing ma- 

 chines. They have also approved of another of ihe Di- 

 rector' s propr sitioDS, that au experimental kitchen 

 garden be started, where those vegetables which have not 

 hitherto been found to thrive on the Nilgiris might be 

 given a fair trial. Au extended system of meteorologic- 

 al obseivatious is also to be organized, an iudeut being 

 made on England for the necessary instruments. The 

 Director further rrcommends 1 hat, for the information 

 of those who might feel interested in the subject, 

 the meteorological results might be daily placarded 

 in pome prominent place at the garden,s, such as the 

 entrance gates. — il/adrn-s Timet. 



♦ 



SKINNY MEN. 

 " Will.--' Health Kenewer" restores health and vigor, 

 ciucs Dyspepsia, Impotence, Debillity. B. S. Wadon & 

 Co., Bombay, General Agent*. 



