July i, 1885.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 



Kole hy Editor G. O. — Tt would thus appear that 

 the average proportion of moisture in rolled tea which 

 has to be dissipated by driers, ranges from 58 to OG 

 per cent. The latter ligure is so much higher than 

 the other two, that we believe we may safely take it for 

 granted that the general average is as nearly as 

 possible GO per cent, somewhat more than one-half 

 of the roll. Taking the fact that 4 lb. of green 

 flush yield 1 lb. of dry tea, we should like now to 

 know the proportion of moisture dissipated in wither- 

 ing ? Apparently only 15 per cent ? 



INDIAN, CEYLON, AND JAVA TEAS. 



Sir, — I have noticed from time to time in your 

 issues remarks about China tea, and, as these were 

 evidently written by some one who knows the subject 

 thoroughly, I am in hopes you will allow mo to give 

 you some information about Indian, Ceylon, and Java 

 teas, feeilng assured it will be of equal interest to 

 your readers I am indebted for most of the inform- 

 ation i give you below to Messrs. George White and Co., 

 the well known tea-brokers of this city. There is very 

 little doubt in the minds of importers like myself that 

 if the Chinese levy an extra local tax (lekin tai) — per- 

 fectly distinct, it must be understood, from the export 

 duty charged by the Imperial Chinese Government— on 

 all teas exported by foreigners from China, the benefit 

 will be great to those interested in Indian, Ceylon, and 

 Java teas in the coming tea season. 



Ceylon and Java are expected to produce about four 

 and a half millions each during the coming season. 

 Planters in the former island appear determined not to 

 be left behind in the race, which they have been carry- 

 ing on 80 well for the past two years, while the pro- 

 duce of the latter has shown a great improvement, 

 some of the teas having full rich flavour like hill-grown 

 Indiana or Ceylons. 



" Regarding Indian teas," to quote my authority, 

 "prospects for the coming season seem favourable, 

 though a higher average price than last year's should 

 not be depended on with an incriased yield. The 

 stimulus given to the market by the duty scare may 

 cause a reaction after the budget is announced, whether 

 an alteration takes place or not. If an addition is 

 made it will tend to increase the demand for teas 

 for price, and if no change is made things will 

 probably settle down as before. Fine to finest will 

 in all probability be much wanted until September 

 or October, and high prices may be obtained for 

 them until buyers have replenished their stocks. 

 During the past season a few fine, pungent, lightly 

 fermented teas have sold well, partly owing to their 

 scarcity, but the demand for these is rather limited. 

 It has now been pretty clearly shown that, with 

 a few exceptions, a large quantity does not pay so 

 well as a smaller amount of better quality. The tempt- 

 ation to swell their outturn per acre should not be 

 yielded to by managers, for, although the Bgures may 

 look well on paper as regards the total of tea manu- 

 factured, the pecuniary result often proves anything 

 but satisfactory. The different stages of manufacture 

 ha»o of late engaged the nttcntion of planters in India 

 and Ceylon, and a great deal of correspondence has been 

 carried on « ith regard to it, both privately and in the 

 different joutnalo connected with tea. 8"me advocate 

 fillip withered leaf, as it produces teas with fine rich 

 flavour, which the same leaf less withered does not 

 pOfstSB. Rolling by machinery is almost general, 

 though owing to the leaf beint; sometimes submitted 

 to too much pressure the juice is partly lost. Ferment- 

 atioD, one of the most im[jortaiit processes, dots not 

 Bp(>car to be thoroughly understood by the majority 

 of planters, and is a subject which would well repay 

 Bcieutilio investigation. The cause of the poor- 

 pees of a larger portion of this season's crop has 



been shifted from ' climatic influence ' on to t e 

 shoulders of tho dryingmachires. As, however, it 

 is a well-known fact that good and bad teas 

 have been produced by the same machines, and 

 even from the same gardens, it would appear that 

 sufBcient experience in the use of them has hardly 

 yet been attained. Firing at » very high temper- 

 ature and briskly is advocated by a few, but it is 

 generally considered that tea fired at a moderate heat 

 is usually the best. To obtain a good name for a 

 garden should be one of the chief aims, as many 

 buyers will give pence per pound more for a mark 

 which they have become used to, and of which thoy 

 can depend upon obtaining a regular supply." Then 

 agaiu : " The total estimated crop for the season 

 1884-85 amounted to (iS.OOO.OOO lb., from which do- 

 j duct say onc-and-a-h.ilf million for local consumption, 

 and two-and-a-half millions for shipment to the colonics, 

 j America, and the Continent, which will leave about 



sixty-four millions available for Great Britain." 

 1 Let me add that, if Ceylon growers of tea wish 

 to maintain for their teas the high prices that havo 

 j been ruling in the London market, they must keep 

 ! a standard quality, otherwise their teas will fall to 

 ^ the level of the low prices ruling for all China teas 

 j and for large quanties of Indian and Java sorts. 



Apologizing for the length of my letter, but trust- 

 ing its subject may be of sufficient interest to excuse 

 the trespass on your valuable space, I am, your 

 obedient servant, AsDAM. 



London : April 1885. 

 — Whitehall Revieiu. 



NOTES ON TEA. 



By Percy SwiNBunXE, late of Sylhet and Oachar. 



The following " notes " are the outcome of many years 

 practical experience in India in the cultivation and manu- 

 facture of tea, and were made from time to time with the 

 idea of placing on record the results of actu\l observation 

 on a subject in which hitherto the planter's only guide 

 has been his own experience. Of course the experiuce how- 

 ever varied of no individual planter would be anything 

 like adequate to the purpose of giving a full history of 

 so vast a subject, and it is with the hope of obtaining 

 the opinions of others that I venture to publish tho fol- 

 lowing. Although the strides made during the last ten 

 years in the scientiBc cultivation of tea have been enorm- 

 ous, yet it may still be considered in its infancy, nearly 

 every planter having some special opinion of his own differ- 

 ing from others on even the mo.*-* elementary and vital 

 subjects, ard it can only be by massing together tho ob- 

 servations of a number of men, that proper deductions can 

 be drawn which may act as a serviceable and reliable 

 guide to planters present and to come. Year by year, the 

 extension of the area of cultivation, the iutroductiou of 

 machinery, aud the increased competition reuder the 

 economic, or what in the same thing, the scientific cultiv- 

 ation of lutlia tea all the more necessar}-, and the only road 

 to success will be the carefully studying and taking 

 advantage of the observation of others. Some of my 

 deductions will doubtless be canvassed. Indeed, I do 

 not profefs to speak ex cathedra on any subject which 

 may be open to question, but only to claim attention to 

 the facts to which I have noted down in tlio hope of olj- 

 taiuiugthe more valuable expcri(;nce of othcr.^, as in no other 

 way can a proper knowledge of the subject be advnnced. 

 These observations are necessary to account for the form 

 in whicb the notes are written, and if other planters can 

 be induced to record their obrervations, the results in com- 

 bination would be invalu.ible. I may add that I havo 

 thought it advisable to " begin with the liegiiming." 



Choice of Land. — An experienced .and careful planter will 

 probably be successful on almost any site of land he may 

 choose, yet the measure of his success will depend in the 

 first place on the quality and lay of his laud. If pos.sibIc 

 tho services of a surveyor should be secured, and the pro- 

 posed laud should be demarcated, and diagonal farries cut 

 in a perfectly ettaigltt liuts tbrougb the juugle. Xboflnr* 



