342 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[October i, 1882. 



TEA IN UPPER INDIA. 



We need not waste time writing of manufacturing, that 

 process being the same in all districts. In the Upper 

 Provinces labour is so cheap, tbat we could never see 

 the advantage of tea-roUiug machiuery. There can be no 

 doubt that several machines are doing good work, but 

 for a thoroughly well finished tea, we prefer hand-work. 

 Labom* being so cheap there, the tea is a41 hand-rolled. 

 The only room for machinery is in the directing of a 

 withering apjjaratus, and the local talent and .skiU have 

 produced a suitable machine to this purpose. lu the Upper 

 Provinces, too, the good old custom of panning black tea, 

 is retained in many factories. "We have tried both plans, 

 and consider panning eyseutial for the production of a 

 delicately flavoured tea. We know that many planters 

 will join issue with us here, but there are many who still 

 believe in the old habit. In China it is universal, and 

 John Ohinaman would surely have discovered the advantage 

 of dispensing with this manipulation, if it could have been 

 done without. [There may be differences of opinion as 

 to the value of a final panning, but we thought there was 

 none as to the superior evenness of tea rolled by machinery ? 

 Can any reader tell us the nature of this withering apparatus 

 referred to ? Something of this kind would be vahiable 

 in the wetter districts of Oeyloa. — Bd.I 



We come now to the production. The winter season 

 is very cold, and the summer not by any means so hot 

 as in Assam, Oachar, or Sylhet, and one would naturally 

 look for a smaller outturn on this account. He would 

 be mistaken, as we consider the outturn of the bushes 

 in Dehra Doon, will not suffer by comparison with the 

 production of the same class of plant in the hotter districts. 

 Darjeeling is another instance of this. The frost which 

 the plants get, and in particular, which the soil gets, does 

 much good, and when the spring sets in, after a few 

 months of cold weather, the flushing is wonderful. Five 

 hundred pounds per acre is not an unusual outturn, and 

 it must be borne in mind that the bushes are all of the 

 ordinary China jat. We question if hybrid plants in 

 Assam would give more — counting an equal number of 

 pluckings — from a China and from a hybrid bush, it will 

 be seen on a moment's reflection that the weight of the 

 latter ought to be at least fifty per cent more than the 

 other. 



The teas of Upper India are in great demand for private 

 consumption. They lack strength, and hence are avoided 

 by the grocer for mixing purposes, but they possess a delicate 

 flavour, which may be said to be peculiarly their own. 

 For a cup of delicious tea, we infinitely prefer the mild 

 flavour of the Upper Indian teas, to the strong body of 

 the Assam variety. — InJigo Planters' Gazette. 



HOW TO SOW SEED. 



A third of fine loam, a third of peat, and a third of 

 silver-sand, with a little of pulverised leaf-mould, make 

 a good compost. Drain and fill your pot, and when full 

 to a quarter of an inch press down with a flat bottomed 

 tin to make a smooth surface ; then if your seeds be 

 small, say of Begonias, Heaths or the like, sift with a fine 

 wire sieve, a little sandy compost, on which sow your 

 fine seeds, and then, without covering them, press down 

 with your .smooth -bottomed tin ; you will find, by the press- 

 ure, they will be sufficiently covered. Larger seeds, such 

 as Delphiniums, Columbines, or the like, may be covered 

 by the wire sieve, as before, then smoothed by the'tin. 

 In watering I would recommend you to use ouly boiled 

 water, for if you use such water as we are supplied with 

 in Edinburgh, or even rain-water from roofs, you will find 

 that if your seeds be long before they grow the pots will 

 be covered with Li%^erwort before sis months are run, 

 which the growth of small seeds, or even pretty large ones, 

 cannot penetrate. For my own part most seeds come 

 better away under a higher temperature than tbat in which 

 they subsequently grow, but once sprung, remove temper- 

 ate things to more temperate quarters, and in genial sura- 

 n^er weather an open frnme, exposed to the rains and 

 dews of heaven, is the host place for them, indeed, I 

 have had hopeless things housed and so exi^osed for sum- 

 mer after summer. Some of the things above noticed, 

 which took years to vegetate, were so exposed. 



There is yet a class of plants I ha^p frequently had no 

 little trouble and sometimes total R[ilure to raise from 

 seeds, namely hybrids among various tribes. Among these 

 I have had large experience, and over many years, especi- 

 ally in the case of Khododendrons, Gentians, Campan- 

 ulas, Sileaes, Aquilegias, &c. Many years ago I was especi- 

 ally drawn to cross Rhododendrons with Indian Azaleas, 

 at all times a difficult cross. However, when the grand 

 species of Rhododendron, R. Aucklandi, became known, I 

 attempted and did succeed in crossing an Indian Azalea 

 with its pollen, and though I allowed ample time, as I 

 believed, to ripen, I found, to my disgust, when I had 

 pulled the seed capsules, the seeds, though plump, were 

 still green; yet, hopeful after drying them, that some 

 would come, not one seed ever did. This taught experi- 

 ence, and experience hope, and I ever after gave all 

 liybrid things more than the usual time for ripening 

 normal seeds. But we must not stop here, but liberally 

 extend the time for hybrid seeds, when fully ripe, coming 

 up. I found this especially necessary among the Camp- 

 annlacoEe, which among crosses of the smaller forms, 

 such as Waldsteiui, pulla, and the like, would take very 

 frequently two years and more. — I. Anderson-Henrt. — 

 Qardcners' Chronicle. 



LANTANAS AT OHISWIOK. 



How largely the group of Lantanas has increased of late 

 can be inferred from the fact that M. Victor Lemoine, of 

 Nancy, catalogues something like forty varieties, and they 

 are of comparatively recent introduction. Not one of 

 them appears to be of English origin. AYe are, there- 

 fore, indebted to Continental raisers for the production 

 of new forms of the Lantana. Mr. Barron has gathered 

 together a goodly number of these at Chiswick, and grown 

 them in pots, and any one interested in these greenhouse 

 shrubs can inspect them, and note those worthy of cul- 

 tivation. They vary somewhat in the character of the 

 foHage and in vigour of growth : some are of a free- 

 branching habit, others of a more compact character, 

 while there is a dwarf section that seems particularly 

 well adapted for cultivation in pots. There is a good 

 amount of variety in the tints of colour, and generally 

 speaking, they are all bright and effective. There is a 

 group in which pale purple, violet, mauve, and salmon 

 tints are prominent ; and the varieties in this group are 

 being improved year after year. The best among them 

 are Venusta, salmon with orange centre, very fine pip 

 and truss, distinct, and very good. Le Patriote opens 

 orange and blush, changing to pink, with rosy-pink centre ; 

 fine and distinct. Clio opens gold, and gradually changes 

 to lively rosy-purple; fine pip and truss, and a good free 

 grower. Triomphe du Commerce, pale lilac-pink, deepen- 

 ing to violet: fine pip and truss; extra fine. Giselle, 

 lilac and mauve, tinted with rose ; opens pale lemon ; good 

 grower, and very free : one of the best in this group. 

 Rosa Mundi, rosy-purple ; very pretty indeed. Souvenir 

 d'un Ami, opens gold, changing to orange -salmon, and 

 deepening to rosy-purple ; very fine pip and truss. Com- 

 tesse de Biencourt, opens yellow, changing to pale rosy- 

 pink ; very pretty, and remarkably free. Met^ore, opens 

 cream, changing to pink and rosy-lilac ; pale in colour, 

 but very pretty. 



Among the yellow and gold flowered varieties there are 

 a few that are particularly fine and striking. Foremost 

 is Reveil, deep yellow; very fine. Pluie d'Or, golden-yel- 

 low, small flower, good colour; capital for pots. Figaro, 

 bronzy-yellow, very free; Bijou, a dwarf form, with pale 

 orange and yellow flowers, very free; an excellent pot 

 plant. Globe d'Or, a fine hue of gold, very dwarf and 

 free. California, pale yellow, distinct in character, good 

 close habit, and very free. Toisou d'Or, pale orange, 

 golden centre, small and very free. 



The varieties which can be grouped as white flowered 

 aru but few in number. The best are Innocence, opens 

 pale lemon changing to white ; good habit, and very free. 

 Bouquet Blanc, pale yellow changing to white ; and Le 

 Lis opens pale yellow changing to pure white — so far the 

 best white : good habit, and very free. 



Lautanas can be put to several uses. Strong growing, 

 high coloured varieties like Le Grenadier, make fine speci- 

 mens for exhibition purposes, when the foliage is tho- 



