August i, 1882.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



149 



The success of these undertakings eugenderetl a wild 

 spirit of speculation in Tea Companies, both in India 

 and at home, wliicli reached its climax in 1865. The 

 industry recovered but slowly from the effects of the 

 disastrous crisis, and did not again reach a stable 

 position until 1869. Since that date, it has rapidly but 

 steadily progressed, and has been ever opening new 

 fields of enterprize. At the head of the Bay of Bengal 

 in L'hittagoiig district, side by side with cotfee on the 

 Nilgiri bUls, on the forest-clad slopes of Ohutia Nagpur 

 [anciently Chota Nagpore ! — Kc], amid the low- 

 lying jungle of the Chutan Dooars, aud even in Arakan, 

 ;he energetic pioneers of tea-planting have established 

 their industry. Different degrees of success may have 

 rewarded them, but in no case have they abandoned 

 the struggle. The market for Indian tea is practically 

 iue.x'haustible. There is no reason to suppose that all 

 the suitable localities have yet been tried ; and we may 

 look forward to the t' ay when India [and Ceylon, — Ed. J 

 shall not only rival, but supersede, China in her staple 

 product. 



The following statistics, unless otherwise stated, 

 refer to the year 1877-78. The total area taken up for 

 tea in Assam, including both the Brahmaputra and the 

 Barak valleys, was 73l),082 acres, of which 538,961 acres 

 fit for cultivation ; the total number of separate estates 

 was 1,718; the total outturn was 23,.352,-29Slb. at the 

 average rate of 280 lb. per acre under mature 

 plant. In Bengal, the area taken up was 62,642 

 acres, of which 20,462 acres were under mature 

 plant, including 18,120 acres in the single district 

 of Darjeeling ; the number of gardens was 221 ; 

 the outturn was 5,768,654 lb. at the rate of 282 lb. 

 per acre under mature plant. In the North- Western 

 Provinces, there were, in 1876, 25 estates iu the 

 districts of Kumaun and Garhwal, with an outturn of 

 578,000 lb., of which 350,000 lb. were sold iu India 

 to Central Asian merchants ; and in 1871, 19 estates in 

 Debra Duu, with 2,024 acres under tea, and an out- 

 turn of 297,828 lb. In t-ie Punjal), there were 10,064 

 acres under tea, almost enlirely confined to the Kaugra 

 district, with an ouituru of 1,113,106 1b., or 111 lb. 

 per acre. In Madras the area under tea on the Nilgiris 

 was 3,160 acres ; the e.xports from the Presidency were 

 183,178 lb., valued at £19,308. Excluding the figures 

 just given for Madras, the whole of the Indian tea is 

 shipped from the port of Calcutta, and almost tlie 

 whole is sent to the United Kingdom. The total ex- 

 ports by sea for 1877-78 were 33,459,075 lb. valued at 

 £3,044,571- Of the total supply, about 26,000,000 lb. came 

 from Assam, about 8,000,000 lb. valued at 787,000 lb., 

 from the North-Western Province.", and 684,000 lb, 

 from the Punjab. In the same year, the exports of 

 tea from th- Punjab to Central Asia were returned 

 at 1217,840 1b., valued at £181,634, being a con- 

 siderable deoiease on the pievious year. In the year 

 1879-80, the exports of Indian tea to Great Britain 

 rose to 40 million lb., aud new markets have been 

 Buccessfully opeued in Australia and the United States. 



These processes of cultivation and manufactuie are 

 \ery similar throughout the whole of India, with the 

 exception that iu Upper India the leaf is prepared as 

 green tea for the markets of Central Asia. Three 

 main varieties* are recognized — Assum, t'liina, and 

 Hybrid. The fir-t is the indigenous plant, sometimes 

 attaining the dimensions of a tree, yielding a strong 

 aud high-priced tea, but difficult to rear. The China 

 variety originally imported from that couutrj', is a 

 short bushy shrub, yielding a eomparatively v.eak tea 



* It will be observed that Dr Hunter aj^plies the term 

 varieties to two plants so different as the Assam and China 

 tcTS, and yet he cal's the cross between them a true hy- 

 brid. From tlie full and permanent fertility of tlie latter, 

 our own strong inclination is to go counter to Mr. Owen's 

 couchisioii, and to recognize the parcnt.% however difl'ereut 

 iu liabit, as only well-marked varieties. — Eu. 



and a small outturn per acre.* The third variety is a 

 true hybrid, formed by crossing the two other species. 

 It combines the qualities of both in varying pro- 

 portions, nnd is the kind most sought after by planters. 

 In all cases, tlie plant is raised from seed, which in 

 size and appearance resembles the hazel-nut. The seeds 

 are sown in carefully prepared nurseries in l>eoember 

 and January, and at first require to he kept shadea, 

 About April, the seedlings are sufBciently grown to be 

 transplanted — au operation which continues into July. 

 The site selected for a lea-garden should bo compara- 

 tively elevated land, for it is essential that water should 

 not lodge round the roots of the plants. In Assam, 

 which may be taken as the typical tea district, the 

 most favourite situation is the slopes of low hills, 

 tliat everywhere rise above the marshy valleys. On 

 the summit may be seen the neat bungalow of the 

 planter, lower down the coolie lines, while the tea 

 bushes are studded in rows wilh mathematical pre- 

 cision all round the sides. The best soil is virgin 

 forest land, rich in the decomposed vegetable matter 

 of ages. Great pains are expended to prevent this 

 fertile mould from" being washed away by the violence 

 of the tropical rains. In bringing new land into 

 condition, the jungle should be put down in Dec- 

 ember, aud buriied on the spot iu February, The 

 ground is thru cleaned by the plough or the hoe, 

 and marked out for the seedlings by means of stakes 

 planted at regular intervals of about four feet from 

 each other. 



For the first two years, uuthing is required except 

 keeping the plant clear of wftds [aud hoeing round 

 the roots. — Ed. /. T. (?.] Afterward-, it is necessary 

 to prune the luxuriant [Why "luxuriant?" A two 

 year old plant does not present a very " lu.xuriant " 

 aspect. "Pruning" is to develop leaf , and to prevent 

 the bush growing into a tree. — Ed /. T. G.J height 

 of the bushes in the cold season of every ensuing 

 year. The pirunings should be buried round the roots 

 of the plant for manure. The plants begin to come 

 into bearing in tlie third year, and gradually reach 

 their maximum yield in their tenth year. The produce 

 consists of the " flushes," or successive shoots of 

 young leaves and buds, which first appear in tlie 

 beginning of the ruiny season. There are from five 

 to seven full flushes iu the season from March to 

 November. The bushes are picked about every ten 

 days by women aud children, who are paid by weight 

 on bringing their baskets to the factor}', t when 

 the operation of manufacture forthwith begius. The 

 leaf is first sprc-id out lightly on trays or mats, in 

 order that it may "wither," i.e., become limp and 

 flaccid. Under favourable conditions, this result is 

 effected in a single night; but sometimes the natural 

 process has to be accelerated by exposure iu the sun 

 or by artificial heat. The next operation is kuown 

 aa "rolling," performed either by the manual labour 

 of coolies or by machinery. The ol'jrct of this is to 

 twist and compress the leaf into balls, and set up fer- 

 mentation. ; 



* When thickly planted and well-cultivated, the returns 

 are good. — Ed. 



t Dr. Hunter has been misinformed here. This is not 

 always the rule.— Ed. /. T. Q. 



I This is not the case. Rolling is to give the necessary 

 twist, and for the purpose of breaking or bruising the 

 numerous diminutive cells of which the leaves arecoustructe-d. 

 in order to induce cliemieal action to take place, the result of 

 which is the product called tea. Balling is tofi.r the twist of 

 the leaf, and to promote more rapiel fermeutation — not to .s-(?Z 

 tq) fermentation, which would take place any how. Some- 

 times there is no balling at all, if the leaf has beeu well rolled. 

 We have often seen the rolled leaf as it came out of the 

 machine simply piled up on trays and covered over with a 

 cloth ; hut it takes a little longer to ferment thus, though it 

 saves labour somewhat. — Ed. i. T. Q. 



