268 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. TOctober i, 1885. 



the report, and shows a considerable advance on 

 the 2S6 lb. produced per acre last year. The failure 

 of prices la t yar is too well-known, and h?s I 

 been too sadly commented ou to need further 

 rimaiks. It will be sufficient to state that this 

 report fully confirms preconceived impressions, and \ 

 goes far to show that the fall amounted on an / 

 average to nearly two annas per pouud. On the j 

 vexed question as to how far the fall in prices was \ 

 due to the inferior quality of the teas sent for- i 

 ward, the report ►peaks ou the whole on the side 

 of the complaining London brokers. The Chair- 

 man of the Tea Association, in his statement 

 above referred to, expressed his opinion that the I 

 complaints were unfounded, bnt in tbis report we 

 have the Superintendent of a large company, the 

 Deputy Commissioner of Sibsagar, and the Deputy 

 C'ommissioner of Kaohar, all plainly hinting that 

 coarser leaf was plucked, and that quantity 

 was made to f'o duty for quality. Krom all sides, 

 brokers, managers, ctficials give evidence pointing 

 to less careful manufacture, and it is greatly to 

 be feared less Assam tea may be by these means 

 discrtflited in the home market. The season is 

 ehj«ri to have been an unfavourable one so for 

 as climaie consideiations were concerned, and the 

 l-ed ep-der and Assam bug blight proved greater 

 pest than usual. The rainfall in all parts of Assam 

 shows great variations from year to yenr, and even 

 from month to month, and it is seldom indeed 

 that rain is so fairly distributed as to give a 

 year of ' bumper months.' The fipues of the export 

 of tea seed show that something like 15,0110 

 maunds were exported in 1884, or nearly three 

 times as much as in 1883. This would show a 

 large demand for Assam indigenous tea seed, and 

 an II crtasing appreciation of that species of plant. 

 These are the chief points that are dealt with in 

 this important statiHical report, but it is to be 

 regretted that some information, which might have 

 been easily compiled as to the ultimate destination 

 of Assam teas was not given. The returns of 

 the Tea Assoc ation would show that most markets 

 except that of Great Britain are closed to us. 

 The exports to Australia are, it is true, more 

 extensive than in 1883, but even in 1884 they 

 do not reach two million lb. The exports to 

 Americ.-i, always insignificant, are dwindling to 

 vanishiug point, and 61^ millions of our total 

 outturn fiood the markets of Great Britain. The 

 report is, however, a valuable ard satisfactory one, 

 and the repeated thanks given to managers for 

 their submission of .'eturBS sliow that, when returns 

 are of real use and serve some visible end, the 

 tea planter is by no means so contumacious about 

 lending them in as some officials are apt to buppose. 

 Thfl im|ioitance of the report cannot be gainsaid 

 When it is considered that, out of some Otj million 

 lb, of ten yearly esportod from British India, 

 •bunt 50 million lb, come from A<sani, and it is 

 to be hoped tbat neJtt yftti'» 8gu8« will show 

 aome decided impfovem«oti on those of this yeal', 

 til although tbo psaacii of 1894 wae not an aN 

 together bad ore, it it ilnrossible to say how long 

 Home of the gardens and companies that have been 

 of late apparently burying their capital in tea 

 will he able to strugg'e sgainst the depression 

 from which at the preent nifnnnt the Indian tea 

 trade is BnSerwg.—Snglishmnn's Overland Mail. 



"ROUGH ON RATS." 



Clears out rats, mice, roaches, flies, ants, bed-bugs, 

 bei'tlcs, insect.-, .-.kunks, chipmunks, gophers. Druggists. 

 fV, JB. ijmitb k Co., Miidra*, Sole Agu,t«. 



BRITISH SCHOOL OF FORESTRY. 

 It will be of interest to learn what course the 

 Ceylon Governmeut is likely to pursue when the 

 new School or College for the study of Forestry is 

 opened in England. The British in the past, have 

 been so far behind the great Contiueutal nations in 

 the study of this important branch of Agricultural 

 science that it is matter for congratulation that the 

 apathy that has heretofore been displayed with 

 respect to it, is no longer to be permitted to exist. 

 That Forestry, should rank high among those scienc- 

 es which are submitted to close study has long 

 been acknowledged; but, until the subject was 

 dealt with during the present Session of Parliament, 

 no steps were taken to give effect to that acknow- 

 ledgment, and we have, as a nation, remained de- 

 pendent for the training of the oflii ers destined to 

 serve in the Indian Forest Department upon the 

 Schools of France and Germany. Although the 

 scheme for the establishment of a similar School 

 in England is as yet but in embiyo, no doubt 

 is entertained, but that it will before very long, 

 become fully developed, and th it the Empire will 

 then possess an institution fitted by the varied ex- 

 perience which its Professors will possesi to impart 

 ii structioa of as high a standard as any of those 

 Continental Schools upon which we have bad here- 

 tofore to rely. 



Now, what is to be the course that will be 

 followed by the Government of Ceylon whtu such a 

 School is established, as to its relations with our 

 own Forest Dtpartment? Most of the gen'lemen 

 who have acted in the past, as Foresters in guarding 

 and preserving our large reserves of woodland, 

 were, when they entered upon their duties, wholly 

 untrained in Forestry. They had, in fact, to proceed 

 by rule of thumb, or at best upon such acquaint- 

 ance with the subject of forestry as they could 

 areiulre by study of publications relative to the 

 science produced by the Governments of India, 

 France, and Germany. It will not be denied that, 

 so far as it has been possible tor them, most of our 

 Foresters have done good and efficient work j but 

 it will be acknowledged even by themselves, we 

 should presume, that they are even yet deficient in 

 many of the branches which go to make up the 

 sumtotal of the acquiremMits desirable for thorough 

 elficiency. They have had to learn their business 

 at the expense of the colony ; for during their 

 training it is impossible but that many mistakes 

 must have been committed by them. Indeed, Mr. 

 Vincent's Repoit on the Forests of Ciylon proclaim, 

 fd aid sustained such an indictment; and, if 

 this is to be removed in the future, it is evident 

 that it can only be done by restrioting further 

 admlssloDB to the Department to those who have 

 b come conversant with their work before reipon- 

 sjblllty is entrusted to them. In this light, a recent 

 ai pouitment must bo exoepti d, for it is well" 

 known that Mr. Al xtrder had a special training .-s 

 Forester bi fore h- came to Cejion. 



Wo learned from Mr. Vincent's Report before 

 alluded to how varied are the attainments neces- 

 Fary to constitute a thoroughly efficient Forestry 

 Ollioer. Forestry is like all other professions : pro- 

 ficiency in it does not and cannot come hy intuition. 

 It involves not only questions to he dealt with by 

 the scientific Aboriculturist, bnt others of a purely 

 ecom mU char.ic'er, tbo Imowletlge of which can 

 only be acquired by study nnder those whose ex- 

 perience had i'cen largo and varied. To thosa 

 who h.ive attentively read Mr. Vinicnt's Uepi rt 

 tb« iinportaoce of llii« division of the profeesiou of 



