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THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[February i, 1883. 



trees 7 feet high in 38 months. The average height 

 in that time attained in thf Kalutara estates is 14 feet, 

 and thii-e are some trees 19 feet high. The analysis 

 of soil from Assam hj Dr. Voeleker has shown con- 

 clusively that lime as an ingredient is unsuitable, if 

 not injinious, for tea, and recent observations here 

 have ooutinned thiit conclusion. In 1843 a Captain 

 Champion of H. M. 95th Foot* made reference to the 

 introduction of the tea plant by Mr. Stewart MacKenzie, 

 "but" he says, "I have not h^ard with what suc- 

 cess or what steps have been taken to ensure the 

 climate and locality it is used to. The soil should be 

 lioht and porous, yellow or yellowish red over sand, 

 it^contains no oarbouate of lime and the iron of the 

 soil is almost wholly in a state of carbonate of iron, 

 hence even in Assam aood tea soils are comparatively 

 of rare occurrence. The plant re(iuires much rain and 

 bright sun." Some are forced to the conclusion that 

 tea and coffee cannot well be planted together, and 

 suspect that a moderate quantity of lime is needed for 

 tea. It seems not, unless fruit is desired. It is not 

 a matter of difficulty to grow tea and coffee together 

 or tea on abandoned coffee land. They both thrive and 

 yield fruit, but, as leaf is what is desired in tea and not 

 fruit, the result as regards the tea will noi be satis- 

 factory on really good coffee soil. The excessive 

 moisture and the high temperature has much to do in 

 limiting or lessening the yield in upcouulry gardens, 

 and another cause is undoubtedly an excess of lime 

 in the soil.t Those estates that were abandoned in 

 the early days of coffee planting, owing, as was sub- 

 sequently asceriained, to deficiency of lime to produce 

 ciop, are now very suitable for tea. Tea-fields left 

 purposely to run to seed in Kalutara gave barely ^ a 

 maund of seed per acre, whilst from tea-fields of the 

 same age upcountry even on abandoned coffee land, 

 5 to 8 maunds of seed have been gathered. It seems 

 that an average yield of 500 lb. of prepared tea per acre 

 is what is reasonably expeded in the Kalutara dis- 

 trict, and that, as some fields with high cultivation 

 could be made to vield 7001b. an acre, an average 

 crop of 600 to 7001b. is not an impossibility. That 

 the high-grown tea is of a different or superior flavor 

 admits of much doubt, and, as it was correctly stated 

 in a recent issue of the Ohsi-rver, the quality and 

 difference of flavour is due mainly to the manufacture, 

 and is also dependent on what has been pointed out by 

 "Cha," in the proper picking or plucking of the leaf.f 

 Tea cannot be properly prepared if the picking is 

 carelessly done, and hitherto bad manufacture isowing 

 a good deal to bad and indifferent picking of the 

 leaf Sufficient trouble has not, been taken to tram 

 and" instruct the pickers. In the Kalutara district, 

 there will in time be a yreat advantage as regards 

 trained labor. The Sinhalese villagers readily seek em- 

 ployment and demand no more wages than the Tamds. 

 Thev are of course not migratory and can be engaged 

 whenever they are needed. They will not occupy 

 coolv lines as a rule and even those who come from 

 distances prefer living in the neighbouring villages 

 among their people. Tney are far more intelligent 

 workers, and are a much cleaner race than the Tamd 

 coolies to employ as pickers and particularly at the 

 factory. The monthly weeding of the tea clearings 

 after 18 month" or two year s is n ot likely to fin d mu ch 

 ""iAri^ccompUslied" botanist, who published a list of 

 rev Ion plants in the Government Calendar. As Colonel 

 of his regimnt he bravely led a ch irge at Inkerman, re- 

 ceiving a bayonet wound Ciroagh the lungs, from the effects 

 ot which he died.— Ed. ^ . ,ii j' 



•fLime is in small proportion over most parts of tlie dis- 

 tricts of Dimbula, Dikoya and Maskeliya. All plants, with 

 the fewest possible exceptions, requiresmne hme.— Ep. 



T But '-Chi" with Ins knowledge of Iiidi;\ and the pos- 

 ition 'occupied' by Kangra Valley and Darjeeling tea, is a 

 believer in the superior flavour, other things being equal ot 

 mgt-growu tea.— Ed. 



favor in the Kalutara district. The quarterly keep- 

 ing down of weeds and not the eradication of them 

 is a method more consistent with nature than the 

 former system. The cost is very much the same, but 

 the advantages of the former method are many, such 

 as protection of the soil from the continuous action 

 of a powerful sun, the absorbtion and retention of 

 moisture by and plant food for the decaying weeds, 

 the prevention of wash and the retention of humus, &c. 



The imported hybrid tea seed should be put out in 

 nurseries and not at stake, if, as iu the generality of 

 cases, the seeds are found germinated when taken out 

 of the boxes they are piacked iu, and entangled 

 in a mass of rootlets. To secure a good straight 

 taproot some care must be taken in putting 

 out such seeds iu beds. Before transplanting plants 

 it is possible to avoid plants of an inferior jat or 

 groM'lh Ijy carefully examining them. These should be 

 pulled out a day or two before planting begins, thus 

 preventing the coolies removing them to tlie fields. 



There is a great tendency in the hybrids to fall 

 back to some lower kind. It is therefore advisable to 

 plant fresh sefds, two at least at every stake, instead 

 of two at every other stake. The planter will then 

 not only have a sufficiency to fill up vacancies with 

 sun-hardened plants, but can afford also to "chuck" 

 away inferior plants without a regret. The vacancies 

 will be very few indeed, and, as inferior plants are a 

 loss, the planting of them can be thus avoided at the 

 outset. In addition to cheap, intelligent and trained 

 labor, procurable when needed, and cheap transport, 

 the Kalutara district, as well as most lowcountry 

 districts, has the advantage of the sun as a manu- 

 facturing agent, not for withering the leaf but to com- 

 plete the curing in lieu of firing. The rule hitherto 

 was to reserve an acre of forest for every acre of tea 

 to secure wood for fuel and charcoal and for timber 

 for boxes. Luckily for the coffee estates in high 

 elevations, where tea is being largely introduced, and 

 fuel is scarce, recent inventions in stoves and firing 

 apparatus will obviate the necessity of having much 

 forest laud in reserve for the above purpose. The sun 

 will, however, play the part of a very active and cheap 

 acent in tea manufacture in low districts. It is 

 well worth a trial, as it will facilitate and cheapen 

 manufacture, even if it does not do so completely 

 dan a final firing be found needed at a factory in 

 Colombo, prior to packing the tea for export. The 

 tea after fermentation could be dried by being thinly 

 spread on metal, clay, or stone.trays placed on rough 

 and raised platforms of thick granite rock. A second 

 day's exposure of thicker layeis of the previous day's dry- 

 in" and covered with light clean mats, would almost 

 complete the drying and curing.* Owing to cheap rice, 

 transport, timber, abundance of cheap fuel and local 

 labor, &c., it is expected that the tea of the Kalutara 

 district can be prepared and placed on board 10 to 13 

 cents per lb cheaper than that of any other district 

 in the isbind. 



Rubber. Of the several vaiieties of rubber, the Cear^ 



seems most suited for this district, chiefly owing to its 

 rapid and easv growth and its adaptability to dry .toil, 

 though the district is a wet one. Swamps if deeply 

 drained and raised and are ahove flood level seem to 

 answer. Of course on any land submerged by annual 

 floods the rubber trees sicken and many die. Of the 

 other varieties Para, Castilloa, Landolphia, &c., little 

 can be said, as they are of very slow growth, and 

 for tl.is reason it is not advisable for those who look 

 for quick returns to attempt the cultivation of them, 

 even though the soil suitable for tbem can be found 

 and selected. A period of 12 to 15 years is rather 

 a long time to wai', for it is probable, at the comparative 



* Mirrors to concentrate heate rays might, perhaps, be 

 used with advantage. — Ed. 



