February i, 1884.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



S6i 



ARE THE EARLIEST TEA CROPS FROM 

 ESTATES ALWAYS THE BEST ? 



We ask, in view of what Sir James Caird said at the 

 meeting of the Leboiig Tea Compauy : — 



I »m happy to be able to say turthei' that better prices 

 have been realised from the early shipments of the Com- 

 pany's crop this year. The markets of late have not been 

 so favourable, as those interested in this question must be 

 aware; but we have reason to hope that the average re- 

 sult will show an improvement on last year. Some tea 

 from the Baruesbeg estate has realised a high price, and 

 a leading firm of brokers— not those employed by the 

 Company— have drawn attention in one of then- circulars to 

 the fine quality of the Darjeeling teas from some of this 

 Company's estates. Mr. Christison wiM be, no doubt, pre- 

 pared to tell you that the quality of the Baiuesbeg tea 

 results from the fact that it is a comparatively new cult- 

 ivation. Most of us who know anything of tea cultivation 

 have fomid that it is in its earlier stages of cultivation 

 that land if it is good, yields the best results. 



aiC. Law observed that the first duty devolving on the 

 meeting was, he thought, to thank the directors for hav- 

 ing called the jiresent meeting so as to give the share- 

 holders an opportunity of making Mr. Ohristison's ac- 

 quaintance. (Hear, hear.) He was very glad to meet their 

 general manager, and to see him looking so well. (The 

 Chairman : He has been twenty years in our service, and 

 does not seem the worse for it.) Now, there was one 

 question he should like to ask. The teas that had come 

 very much into favour lately had been the Darjeeliug 

 and C'eylou teas. Tlie latter, in particular, had commanded 

 this year very much better prices than the Assam teas. 

 ■NVTiat he wished to know was whether the same seed and 

 plant were used in the Ceylon as in the Darjeeliug district 'i* 

 He quite confirmed what had been said about the high 

 quality of the Barnesb, g teas. Tliey had had during the 

 past season as fine Darjeeling teas as had ever come to 

 hand, and also tea of a very fine quality from Ceylon, 

 but not much fine tea from Assam, so that the Barnes- 

 beg teas had quite stood away. The current was 

 now running in that dkection, and undoubtedly these 

 would be the teas in demand for the nest few 

 years. In former times Indian teas were used 

 only to the extent of one-tenth in the combination with 

 China teas, whereas now any one who knew his trade would 

 use half-and-half. In conclusion, the speaker remarked he 

 had heard with pleasure that the Board had engaged a 

 gentleman possessed of mechanical knowledge because he 

 understood that machinery was each year more 

 largely used in the preparation of teas, and it was, there- 

 fore, very desirable the Company should have some one 

 on the spot capable of repairing machinery if it got out of 

 order. (Hear, hear.) 



Mr. CiiRisTisoN, replying to the foregoing remarks, stated 

 that he had an opportunity of visiting Ceylon on his home- 

 ward voyage. He had ."Stayed in the island ten days, and 

 had )n.spected several tea-gardens. It is wortiiy of note 

 that one of the oldest gardens he had visited had been 

 planted with seeds from the estates of the Lebong Tea 

 Comp ny, while the plants in the newest gardens closely 

 resembled those under cultivation at Harnesbeg, which were 

 a sort of hybrid Assam. Therefore it might be said that 

 the variety of plant seen in Ceylen was similar to that in 

 Darjeeling. With regard to the high (juality of the Ceylon 

 teas, referred to by one of the speakers, this was ex- 

 plained by the plants being young, the freshness of tlie 

 soil, and the small quantity made. For these reasons he 

 did not think tliey need apprehend any great competition 

 from Ceylon, particularly in view of the fact that the tea- 

 producing capabilities of the island were limited. 



Mr. L.iUKiE suggested that when the Ceylon planters 

 began to make tea in larger quantities they would not be 

 able to turn out so good a quality. 



Mr. CiinisTisON coincided in this view, and added that the 

 growers were sanguine of replanting the old cotfce estates 

 with tea plants, but he did not share tliat anticipation, 

 and contended that the supply from tho island must always 

 be limited. 



Mr. Wilson asked what were the pro.spect6 as to the ex- 

 termination of the red spider. 



Mr. Chbistison auswered that he hoped they had got 



over the worst of that difficulty. The plant was steadilj' 

 regaining its vigour, and he was %-ery sanguine now that 

 the result of the working diuring the next six years would 

 be more satisfactory than had been the case in tbe last 

 six years. At the same time, it was to be borne in mind 

 that the plants recovered slower than he had expected 

 and that they must expect to be troubled every year more 

 or less with the red spider. 



After a remark by Mr. Tye regarding the character of 

 the cultivation carried on the Company's estates, 



Mr. Chhistison observed that the red spider disease had 

 been largely brought about by the excessive degree to 

 which high cultivation had been practised during the last 

 few years. This order of things had been since rever.^ed, 

 and their chief object now was careful cultivation. The 

 present was an expensive system of cultivation, but it was 

 the one that paid best in the end. The experience he 

 had had, and the study he had made of the potato disease 

 —similar in many respects to that of the red spider— led him 

 to believe that the best cure lay in improving the general 

 healthiness of the plant. (Hear, hear.) He m;ght add that 

 various remedies had been tried, such as Ume-water, to- 

 bacco-juice aud sulphur, but with no very satisfactory re- 

 sults. Kevertlieless it was his intention to attempt one 

 other euro on his return — namely, the application carefully 

 carried out of parafhn-oil judiciously diluted with water so 

 as to prevent any injury accruing to the plants. 



The CHAinMAN said that Mr. Christison's reference to the 

 similarity between the spider and the potato disease re- 

 miuded him that some years ago, the latei Dr. Darwin 

 had instituted a series of experiments, with which he 

 had been good enough to associate him (the speaker;, 

 with a view to trying whether the jjotatoplanl could 

 not be so invigorated as to enable it to resist the dis- 

 ease. There could be no doubt, spealdug from the latest 

 experience on the subject, that in this suggestion the best 

 cure was to be found for this terrible disease. 



Mr. Law felt no hesitation in repeating before Mr. 

 Christison's face what he had already said behind his back, 

 aud in moviag that the best thanks of the shareholder>, 

 together with an expression of confidence in his manage- 

 ment of the Compjny's affairs in India, be accorded to 

 the general manager. 



Mr. TyE seconded the proposition, which, on being put, 

 was cai'ried unanimously. 



Mr. CliniSTisoN briefly acknowledged the compliment. 



Mr. Law hatl pleasure in moving a vote of thanks to 

 the directors for their courtesy aud consideration in aliord- 

 ing the shareholders an oppr.rtuuity of meeting Mi-. Chris- 

 tison prior to his return to India. 



Mr. TemI'LE Lavton seconded the resolution, and in 

 doing so asked, as a partner in the firm of brokers who 

 sold the Company's teas, to be allowed to endorse the 

 statement of one of the speakers as to the particular 

 favour in which this Company's teas were held by the 

 public generally. Now the season «hy Iu<iian tea had 

 gained public favour so rapidly and considerably— a fact 

 testified to by the returns of the past niouthj which showed 

 an increase of hUU,OtlO lb. in Indian tea, and a falling of 

 500,ijOO lb. in China tea — simply lay in tho fact that con- 

 sumers found that they got a better juticle from Inida 

 than China. All this pointed to the i;ecessity of main- 

 taining the quality of their tea, otherwise the time might 

 come when the Ceylon pecjple would cut them out of the 

 market as India had done China. 



All the above is very interesting to us in Ceylon. We 

 suspect there is more room for the exj ansion of the tea 

 enteiprize here than Mr. Christison in agines. But we 

 are utterly at sea as to what ihis gei..:eman meant as 

 excessive " high cultivation" encouraging red spider, while 

 the object now is careful cultivation. 'J he red spider in 

 not a fungus like the potato rot aud h af-disease, but as 

 insect, as are all the tea bhghts of whehwe have read. 



TKA BOXES. 

 (To the Kditor of the Vidian Ai; .ictilturist.) 

 Sir, — Will you allow nie a little spa e in your col- 

 umns to give publication to the result of an exptri- 

 nieut tried by me on wood used in tlie mauufacture 

 of tea boxes. My attention was first drawn to the 



