Februart t, 1884.] 



THE TROPICAL AGSICULTUEIST, 



S87 



TEA AT HIGH AND LOW ELEVATIONS IN 

 CEYLON. 



We insert below letters of a most satisfactory 

 character as to the success of the leading "new 

 product" at a very low elevation and a high altitude 

 in Ceylon. On "Citrus" (near Galle) some of the 

 plants must be growing only a few feet above sea 

 level, for the higliest point on the estate is only 

 200 feet above that level. The tea grown and pre- 

 pared on this place, which Mr. Ziegau has sent us, 

 is excellent, so that there is vast room for extension 

 in the "lowcountry" of Ceylon. If on such low 

 places the soil is lighter and the climate more forcing, 

 leading to earlier exhaustion, facilities for the application 

 of fertilizers will be easy in proportion, and there 

 will be the great advantage of contiguity to port of 

 shipment. 



The quality of the tea grown on the high estate in 

 Dirabnla is shown by its average price of 1/4J; includ- 

 ing broken t<a aud dust. And now we have most 

 favourable iuformation regarding what was a matter of 

 doubt at one time, the yield at very high altitudes 

 The superintendent of Abbotsford gives the detailed 

 figures for a years pluckings, showing an avtrage of over 

 400 per acre, in the first year after proper pruning 

 was resorted to, and he is sanguine of an increase on 

 this quantity during the year on which be has en- 

 tered with very satisfactory results. The overage 

 rainfall at Abbotsford may very safely be taken at 

 110 inches, of which fully one-third falls in the two 

 months of June and July, the rest being fiiirly dis- 

 tributed over the year: the comparatively dry and 

 genirtl season extending from December to April in- 

 clusive, August and September are medium months, 

 while October and November are wet and misty, 

 but with nothing like the rainfall of June and July. 

 There is no lack of moisture, and the soil has proved 

 itself an excellent tea soil. Col, Money would ask 

 about the temperature with a shake of his head, when 

 told of the altitude. But latitude (only 7° from the 

 equator) atones for latitude, and that the temperature 

 favours the luxuriant growth of tea is shown by the 

 results. The cold is sometimes keen at night and in 

 the early mornings, but it can be very hot indeed on 

 cloudless dajs. No sufficient observations for temper- 

 ature have been taken at Abbotsford. But we can 

 in judge this way. At Langdale, close by; 4,600 feet 

 altitude, careful observations by the late Mr. Heelis 

 resulted in a mean temperature of 65'90°, mean a max- 

 imum of 7.3'5° and a moximum of 89°. The lowest 

 temperature observed was 45'5° and the mean min- 

 imum v»as 58'3°. In every month cf the year the temp- 

 erature had reached 79°, up to 89° as a maximum. 

 Let us take the mean temperature at C6°. The mean 

 temperature of Nuwara Eliya, 1,600 feet higher up, 

 is over 57°, but, as the grassy plain, from evaporation 

 and radiation, is considerably colder than the forest 

 land above, we may certainly add 2° to get the mean 

 temperature of forest land, which Abbotsford is. The 

 fall in l.()00 feet, therefore, is from 66° down to 59°, 

 or 5°. This would give a fall of 1° for every 320 

 feet and as the height at which the tea referred to 

 is gi"Own is 5,600 to 5,800 feet, the mean temperature 

 may be taken at somewhat under 63°, giving a 

 climate excellent for human health and very good 

 for tea, Col. Money to the contrary notwithstanding. 

 Abbotsford ranges from 4,600 to 6,075 feet elevation, 

 and if coffee does not revive (there has beeu con- 

 siderable improvement this year), we have no doubt 

 the whole expanse of .'549 acres will soon be covered witli 

 tea. We give the above iuformation as an encourage- 



ment to the many of our brother-planters who have 

 land at similar elevations in a similar climate. There 

 is plenty of wind occasionally in Dimbula. but is 

 is not an eddying, teai'ing wind, and tea seems hot 

 to be affected to any great extent by it. The case 

 is different, we believe, in some other districts, aud 

 that circumstance will have to be taken into account. 

 But, after allowing for poor or worn out soil and 

 injurious winds, there are vast tracts, in the high 

 and the lowcountry of the western, southern and 

 central portions of Ceylon, eminently fitted for suc- 

 cessful tea culture. 



TEA AT LESS THAN 200 FEET ABOVE SEA 

 LEVEL. 



Colombo, 28th Jan. 1884. 



Dear Sir, — With the exception of tea grown on 

 " Downside " estate in the Morawak Korale district, 

 and which appears to have turned out so successfully, 

 I find no mention made in your paper of tea being 

 manufactured in any other place in the lowcouutry, aud 

 conclude therefrom that up till now viry little has 

 been done to cultivate that product in the southera 

 district, although the land there seems peculiarly 

 adapted for the cultivation of a first-class tea, whin 

 prices such as 3s 6d to 5s for broken pekoe and 

 2s 4'Sd for pekoe are quoted in Mincing Lane for 

 Morawak Korale tea. i have now the pleasure of 

 forwarding you some samples of tea grown on " Citrus " 

 estate near Galle, highest elevation aliout 200 feet, 

 and which is perhaps one of the lowest places where 

 tea is grown in this island, this being entirely a hand 

 made tea and manufactured under great disadvantages, 

 I think the result is fairly satisfaciory, so much so 

 that when some time ago I was dubious about the 

 result and hesitating as to planting out more, I am 

 now convinced of its proving a success. 



I may mention that on a small ncreage where tea 

 and Liberian coffee are planted in alternate rows, both 

 seem to thrive better than where pl.inted separately ; 

 more so, however, is this the case with the latter. The 

 trees in this patch look exceedingly well, und I trust 

 the crop will be proportionately good. — I am dear sir, 

 yours faithfully, W. ZIEGAN, 



p, S. — The twosairples of broken pekoe aud pekoe arc 

 quite new, but the packet I send j ou is some months 

 old and can be used at once. I trust you will like it. 



W. Z, 



YIELD OF 400 LB. OF TEA PER ACKE AT 5,G0O 

 TO 5,800 FEET ALTITUDE IN DIMBULA. 

 Upper Abbotsford, Lindula, Ist Feb. 1884. 

 Dear Sir, — As all reliable statistics regarding tea 

 are especially valuable to Ceylon planters just now, I 

 know you will not hesitate to publish the accompanying 

 statement of the results of a piece of tea, which, as you 

 will see, is under 5 acres. It has not spi cially been cared 

 for and is one of the most exposed parts of the 

 estate. From 11 mouths' picking off 110 acres 1 tind 

 that I have made 1 lb. of tea for every 396 lb. 

 of green leaf. At this average the bungalow field 

 would show 409 lb. per acre for tlie lull 5 acres, 

 which it is not; but, counting the full acreage and 

 the full quarter for leaf, it is now placed beyond 

 doubt that the highest tea estate in Dimbula has 

 given over 400 lb. per acre. 1 may, say, loo that through 

 ignorance this field was abominably picked to begin 

 with, or fully 500 lb. could have bei u got. At the 

 end of this month I hope to give you similar 

 statistics respecting our whole 110 acres, which, through 

 the same bad picking, will, I think, be slightly under the 

 400 111. ; but, with the experioneo I ii' >v h.avc, 1 liave 

 very little doubt that I shall this time next year, if 



