June i, 1883.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



969 



TEA CULTURE IN . DARJILING, SYI.HET 

 AND CEYLON. 



When in the Darjiling district iu March 1876, we 

 examined with special interest the more elevated tea 

 estates witli reference to the question of tea culture 

 at high altitudes in Ceylon. Tlie highest estate of 

 all was one close to the station at an elevation of 

 nearly 7,000 feet, being the property of the late Mr. 

 David Wilson of Calcutta. The feeling then was strong 

 as to the unprofitableness of estates at any higher 

 altitude than al)out 3,000 feet : the idea being that the 

 lower the better and the flatter the more productive. 

 We learn that there has lately been (|uite a revolution 

 of feeling in regard to altitude in tlie Darjiling district. 

 Not only ha\'e the Iiigli estates yielded much better than 

 was expected, but they have been free from the 

 plague of red spider, which has ravaged the lower 

 estates. As 3,600 iu Darjiling is the equivalent of 

 5,000 iu Ceylon, it is obvious tliat, if estates at and 

 above 3,600 feet in a locality 27° from the equator 

 give good results, we may very safely go up to 0,000 

 feet and oter in Ceylon. The yield of tea per acre 

 may not be equal to that obtained in "lowcouutry" 

 places, but not only may tlie quality be finer, but 

 there is the grand consideration of a climate most 

 favourable to human health, witli, probably, immunity 

 of the tea-plants from blight. 



We have had a call from Mr. Con.stable Brown of 

 the .Sylhet district on Ids way home, and he informs 

 us th.at the plantation he was on — he mentioned tlie 

 name, but we forget it — has 200 acres planted with 

 tea, of which 90 are in liearing, and from 

 this portion there has been gathered tlie biggest re- 

 turn this year recorded for the Indian districts. 

 Kroni .54 acres on the flat he gatliered 10 maunds 

 (810 lb.) per acre all over, and from 36 acres of 

 hilly ground an average of 8 maunds (672 lb.), and 

 all this tea was delivered in Calcutta at 5 annas il 

 pies per lb., the c.\-act equivalent of 36 cents. Of 

 course, the splendid yield reduced the average cost per 

 lb., but Mr. Brown says that in Sylhet with cheap water 

 carriage, and so fa v as he knows a fairly good labour 

 supply, many of tlie planters aim at a reduction even on 

 this rate, and he added that one large firm who are 

 opening 1,500 acres this year base their estimate on 

 a cost of 54 annas or 34-37 cents per lb. in Calcutta, 

 Mr, Constable Brown had visited our hill country 

 when Windsor Forest was being planted, and he then 

 expressed a favourable opinion about the growth of tea in 

 the Dolosbage district, but he has a strong opinion in 

 favour of flats and against sloping ground, based 

 no doubt on liis own favorable experience on 

 flat land in Sylhet. On the other hand, a gentle- 

 man with Assam' experience declares that the 

 draining of "flats" costs a Large sum there. 

 Of course the Sylhet returns mentioned are far above 

 the average — being the season's maximnm — for the 

 Indian districts ; but, if Mr. Cameron is a true 

 prophet, we may hope to see a considerable area in 

 Ceylon yielding 8 maunds and upwards ; while al- 

 ready it is stated that the tea from a well-known 

 Ambagamuwa property (all sloping land and 3,000 

 feet above sea level at least) is being delivered in 

 Coloml)0 at a cost of 30 cents per lb. 



On the other hand we have heard the question of 

 labour supply for Ceylon tea estates debated as one of 

 serious moment in counection with the future success 

 of the enterprize. The argument is put in this 

 way : — " In tlie busiest and most prosperous days of 

 coffee planting, one cooly per acre per annum w.is 

 122 



an ample supply to bring in the biggest crop. But 

 for tea, it would seem to be a case of 3 or 4 hands 

 to the acre in the height of plucking (if from 6001b. 

 upwards are to be gatliered); and so, if plucking is to 

 be continued for S or 9 mouths of the j'ear, Avhere 

 are the hands to come from, when we have 150 000 

 acres under tea ? At this moinent with the scant cooly 

 supply it would be ditficult to overtake 5 ' OllO 

 acres of tea in bearing." Our answer to this is: — Would 

 that the Colony had a crop to gather today beyond 

 the visible supply of han.ls — the coolies would quickly 

 be found, or Sinhalese brought in to help, — if there 

 only was the leaf available. Taking averages however 

 and supposing that coifee in bearing required j cooly 

 per acre, and that tea will take 14 all the year round, 

 the dift'erence in the demand for labour for the two 

 industries will no doubt be considerable. But .are 

 not the Sinhalese men, women and e\en cliildreu 

 specially fitted to be tea pluckers ? We believe the 

 Dolosbage tea planters s.ay (at least ^'r. Blackett 

 is confident) that as many Sinhalese could be got for 

 their requirements as may at any time be required, and 

 no doubt this will hold good of districts lower down 

 all the way to Morawak Korale and Kalutara, Ind- 

 ian coolies too will \ery speedily find their way 

 back to Ceylon when they |liear that there is rro/i- 

 (whether leaf, or cherry, or pod, or bark, or rubber 

 juice), which means money, to harvest. We have no 

 fear therefore that this LJolony will be In difficulties 

 from shortness of labour supply for tea or any of 

 the new or old products. 



It was startling to see Mr. Tom Gray the other 

 day, calmly stating that he had pruned and was plucking 

 two-j'ear old tea trees. It is laid down in books on 

 Indian tea planting that tea bushes should not be 

 subjected to even liglit plucking until their third 

 year. But tlieu in India age is computed from the 

 date of putting the seeil into the nursery. So that 

 to Indian planters Mr, Gray's plants would be three 

 years old. Nevertheless it would stagger an orthodox 

 Indian planter to hear of three year old trees being 

 " cut down." Done as this was under Mr. 

 Cameron's advice, the presumption is that growth in 

 Maskeliya is rapid beyond Indian experience. 



TEA IN CHINA. 



Sir, — The interesting article on the manufacture and 

 sale of Indian tea, iu The 'I'iinea of March 24, contains 

 the very pract'cal suggestion for the development of 

 thai important industry that the Chinese system of 

 tea-hongs should be established in the principal cen- 

 tres of cultivation. 



Having had exceptional opportunities of studying 

 the whole Chinese economy of tea growing, picking, 

 sorting, firing, and packing, it is possible that my ex- 

 perience may be ol some nse to those who may wish 

 to interest themselves in this subject. 



In the year 1861, when the Yangtse-kiang had 

 ju't been opened under Lnrd Elgiu's Treaty and the 

 extensive te.a-growing regions of Hupeh and Hnnan 

 were made accessible by that great water-route, I v aa 

 sent by my employers at the opening of the season 

 to superintend the purchase and manufacture of the 

 first ijickings of the tea, under the impresfinn, not 

 always justififd by experience, that the ue.Trer one 

 could appioach the souiee of supply the cheaper one 

 could buy. Kuropeiins had Ijegun to settle i ■ Han- 

 kow 90 soon to beconip a great inland se»po t, and 

 there my modest expedition was equippeo, .After 

 three da J s and ni!>lits nf sh'W but coml'm'tiable travel 

 in an empty tea junk 1 landed at a ponit on the 

 river 100 miles above JUankow, called Sz'tins.', my 



