i68 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[Sept. i, 1886, 



ex cathedra statements of certain brokers who may 

 or may not be exaggerating the effects arising 

 from the causes isreviously indicated. At this 

 juncture, Mr. Gow, a gentleman of many years' 

 experience in Mincing Lane, and previousV in 

 Assam I believe, comes amongst us and condemns 

 the whole system of working tea in Ceylon from 

 the plucking to the packing it is said. Those who 

 put faith in such sweeping condemnation of the 

 island industry can hardly remember that up to 

 quite recently, with a few exceptions, the manu- 

 facture of Ceylon tea was pronounced i)erfect 

 or nearly so, whilst the present system of 

 pruning and plucking as generally practided are 

 the outcome of several years' experience of our 

 soil, climate and bushes. That we have all much 

 to learn no one will deny ; readiness to avail 

 himself of the knowledge and advice of others is 

 characteristic of the Ceylon planter, but on the 

 other hand we have learnt much and gained great 

 experience since tea was in its infancy, and a 

 stranger should be very diffident in his criticism 

 till he has learnt something of the peculiarities of 

 the object of it. I must apologise for the length 

 of this letter, and will close it with an expression 

 of belief that in a very short time, the tea from 

 mature gardens will be of as high a standard as 

 ever, without any radical change in our methods 

 of working, whilst young gardens will imi^rove as 

 bushes get more fully formed and experience is 

 gained.— Yours faithfully, T. C. OWEN. 



11. 



Rookwood, Hewaheta, 2nd August 1880. 



Deae Sir, — I have been asked to make public 

 my opinions as to the cause of the falling-off in 

 our teas this season, which opinions I have often 

 expressed to friends. I gladly do so and trust they 

 may lead to discussion for the good of all con- 

 cerned. 



I have always admitted there has been a slight 

 falling-off, but I will not admit there has been 

 a serious one, or that we have any cause to fear 

 for the future of our staple : — 



1. The article sold has always its share of 

 blame in a falling market, therefore a low market 

 this season is partly to blame for the crying down 

 .of our liquor. 



2. Some few marks in Ceylon have plucked above 

 their standard, thinking at the time not so much of 

 their nett profit per acre as of obtaining a higher price 

 in the market ihan their neighbour, and why not? 

 when they were only " playing at Tea." Now with 

 larger acreages and an estate entirely dependent on 

 Tea, the style of plucking which gives the best 

 results per acre in returns is studied, and not the 

 highest market average, if this is beyond their 

 legitimate standard. I years ago stated in the 

 various district.-- I visit, that as all soils and all 

 climates were not equal, even on estates with a 

 common boundary, so all Teas could not show equal 

 value, if the best was to be made of the estate, 

 and that it was our first duty to endeavor to dis- 

 cover our best paying standard yield with a certain 

 average price, and to stick to it allowing our neigh- 

 bour to get his Id or 2d more per lb. without 

 regret. 



3. Manufacture has a little to answer for with 

 some new marks. A little knowledge is a dangerous 

 thing ; our novice tries to " get color " when 

 his leaf is not in a fit condition to give it ; re- 

 sult, over fermentation, giving a thick dull liquor 

 flavourless and sometimes verging on rottenness. 



Ov,rfire'l teas, more especially witli choolah firing 

 over charcoal, or burnt teas. 



Our novice generally tries to pack away his teas 

 into bins roasted to a degree, and this is how it hap- 



pens, working his sirocco at too high a temperture 

 with too little roll on his trays, and not turning his 

 roll often enough. Or v/ith charcoal firing — and 

 this mode of tiring is the chief cause of burning 

 with the novice— over-firing his fine teas from not 

 sifting often enough, and lighting the fires in the 

 ehoolahs themselves, instead of putting in live 

 charcoal, from an outside furnace ; result of dead 

 charcoal in the ehoolahs, a smoky flavor, want of 

 briskness in the liquor, and with the greatest heat 

 in the choolah at the most critical time just as 

 the firing is being finished, burnt teas. The 

 ehoolahs should be charged with red-hot char- 

 coal, and kept at the same temperature through- 

 out the firing. The hand should never enter the 

 tray while it is over the tire or fine tea falls 

 through and smokes that in the tray; — another 

 hint for the novice. 



4. Pluching — Cruel treatment of the bush early 

 in the season from over anxiety to get in large 

 pluckings when tea bush has not matured sufficiently 

 after pruning, to give the yield asked ; — first 

 pluckings after pruning result in poor thin liquor 

 as a matter of course — and by thus pushing the 

 bush prematurely we have unhealthy wood to work 

 on during the rest of the season, and defeat the 

 objects in view, getting neither quantity nor 

 quality. It is a f^inc qua non to get either one or 

 the other, we should have a healthy foundation 

 for our flush— a healthy new shoot — (because 

 allowed to develope) from our topping or pruning, 

 clothed up to a certain point with new leaf. The 

 following flushes also allowed to have a healthy 

 leaf or leaves, according to the style of plucking 

 one so often sees which I call " grazing" on the 

 bush. It is sometimes diflicult to make the anxious 

 proprietor or superintendent believe that by a few 

 careful rounds — working his bushes on certain fixed 

 rules — he will later in the season benefit by his 

 forbearance at the beginning of it, although for the 

 first three months his neighbour, acting differently, 

 is ahead of him. This is too deep a subject to enter 

 into more fully here, suffice it to say now, extremes 

 either way are bad, too gentle a treatment causing 

 a loss in yield without any advantage to counter- 

 balance it ; too harsh treatment causing a loss of 

 yield, and giving poor liquor for the current season, 

 and half the next. 



5. Pruning. — A heavy pruning, necessary under 

 certain conditions, of the bush results in poor 

 liquor, at from three to six months fmm the first 

 round of plucking, according to elevation. 



The temporary falling-off of the Rookwood liquor 

 so far this season is due to this cause. And 

 I think I am right in placing the temporary 

 falling-off of Loolcondura also, to the same c.iuse. 

 I have from the first pruned according to a 

 fixed rule, (after trying many expejiments on an 

 old plot of tea), and following this rule, I cut 

 too hard wood this season, well knowing what the 

 result would be, but al^o knowing this treatment 

 wao necessary, and I do not think there wih be 

 any complaint of poverty of the Rookwood liquor 

 from July for the n^xt 4 years, with the excep- 

 tion of two breaks in each season following the 

 topping. A particular style of pruning then ne- 

 cessary at stated intervals, means pro-tem thin 

 liquor. 



Including para : 1, add one or other of the above 

 reasons and I think we can ' account for the de- 

 terioration, temporary only, of most of our teas. 

 Good liquor (provided we have good soil and good 

 j,1t at our Back) is to be made from good wood, 

 brought to a stage of development, without respect 

 to the age of our bush, at from 18 months old 

 upwards. — Yours truly, 



C. SPEARMAN ARMSTRONG. 



