Feb. I, 1886.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



575 



a certain degree of abstract svientifie validity, but 

 in dealing with a question of this kind fiui-drawn 

 theoretical principles maj be safely subordinated to 

 the plain practical consideration — which of the tivo 

 systems yields the more profitable results. Judged 

 by this test in a comparison of the working of tea 

 estates betwee 1 the two countries, Coylon would 

 seem to have decidedly the best of it. Paying 

 quite as much, if not more, for his labour, the 

 (Jeylon planter produces his teas at a lower cost per 

 lb., of a quality at least equal to ours, and ohtams 

 a higher yield per acre frL-ni plant of the same age. 

 If the climate tends to force the growth of tea, it 

 should have the same effect on the growth of weeds, 

 thereby enhancing the cost of production In natur- 

 al fei-lility of soil and surface configuration we 

 should be at least on a footing of equality— a good 

 deal more one would imagine in respect of the large 

 tracts of old cotfee laud put under tea. We thus 

 arrive at the fairly logical inference that the superior- 

 ity pos^essed by Cevlon is derived mainly from its 

 system of culture. 'Be that as it may, the tleylon 

 planter has this advantage in the argument, that 

 while we have left his system untried, he has tried 

 ours, aud tried it to condemn it as little better than 

 ruinous. It was found a very troublesome and costly 

 process to restore to its former condition the land 

 on which these hoemg experiments had been made, 

 but it was held that' there is no alternative between 

 that course and absolute abandoumeut. This fact 

 poiuts to the most serious impediment to be encount- 

 ered — though I believe not an insurmouutable one — 

 in the -^plication of the system to our old 

 gardens. In new clearances, however, carefully made, 

 with the weed roots eradicated, there appears no 

 valid reason why it should not be found to answer. 

 In the case of a clearance made on grass land on 

 a method tried by me, many years ago. with com- 

 plete success in the objects than aimed at, it would 

 have the best chance of success. The method is 

 simply to dig or trench the ground to a depth of 

 about 18 inches— starting with a clean cut tiench 

 by casting on one side the soil dug out of it, then 

 carefully putting at the bottom of each successive 

 trench first the grass roots, then the surface soil, 

 audfuialli/ the sub-soil thoroughly pulverised at the time 

 of iliggin'g. While the tea plant will readily es- 

 tjiblish itself aud grow freely in such ground, finding 

 nourishment for its tap root in the underlying 

 surface soil and decaying grass roots, the subsoil 

 now on the surface is so inimical to ordinary vegetation 

 that no weeds will take mot in it for many months 

 after breaking up. Land treated in this • manner 

 will also be found to retain moisture in a much 

 higher degree in dry weather, aud to part with it 

 more freely when in excess, especially where there 

 is a stiff bottom— often a hard pan till thus broken 

 up. This system would be inapplicable to ordinary 

 forest land, nor could it be carried out in its en- 

 tirety where a large extension on grass land bad to 

 be maile in any one year. 'Ihat it would be more 

 costly than the ordinary method is obvious, but the 

 extra co.-t would be largely recoupijd by the saving 

 in cultivation in the first year, whilst the gain to 

 be derived from the plant being established under 

 conditions ensuring the minmum of vacancies and 

 the maximum of healthy development, is not 

 easily estimated. I may add that after the people 

 got used to the work a three tar nirik was got 

 without difficulty. In the experiments made by me, 

 the land was prepared early an<l the seed sown at 

 stake with the least possible delay. This might not 

 always be found practicable ami safe, and where 

 transplanting had tn be resorted to, care would 

 have to be taken in digging the liolcR to return the 

 soil in the order I have described, so as to always 

 have a pure subsod on the surface. 



While advocating this system of clearance of grass 

 lands on its lue its, one, and not the least of my 

 objects in bringing it so promiueutly in view is my 

 belief that it furnishes the key, so to say, to the 

 introduction of " hand wee<UBg" in our old gardens. 



To attempt this before eradicating or destr"ying 

 the tangled mass of weed-roots now in full possession 

 of the soil of old gardens would be siraph to court 

 failiire, and this object will be more "effectually 

 attained, I believe, by following in its main lines 

 the plan I have described, than by any other. Pre- 

 cautious woulil have to be taken to jireserve as far 

 as possibli' the chief lateral roots of the plants 

 from injury, but I think wa may safely reckon that 

 any pailial damage in this way will be tally com- 

 pensated for by the thorough breaking up of the 

 soil and .lestruction of weeds, even if not followed 

 up by hand weeding. 



To those who may doubt the efficacy of this 

 plan_ in destroying the vitality of grass roots by 

 burying them at the depth indicated, an alternative 

 procedure is open to them by digging to about the 

 same depth, and carefully separating, collecting, and 

 removing all weed roots. As an illustration of the 

 beneficial effects of this mode of treatment, I can 

 poiu! to an experiment made on a patch of old tea 

 purchased from Monyram Dewan more than 20 years 

 ago, and which formed the nucleus of the Cinna- 

 mara Garden. 



This piece of tea was in a sadly neglected condition, 

 and with at least 25 per cent of blanks, but its 

 response in the first year to this thorough treatment 

 and malgre considerable apparent tiamage done to 

 lateral roots, was a return of nearly 800 lb. of dry 

 tea to the acre, followed by nearly 700 in the second 

 year under ordinary treatment. Hand weeding was 

 nnthought of in those days, but it would have been 

 an excellent opportunity for trying it, though I am 

 inclined to think the first method described would 

 be fully as effective and perhaps cost less. However, 

 this is a point which can only be determined by 

 practical experiments carefully conducted, and my 

 primary object in throwing these observations to- 

 gether is the hope that some — a good many I trust 

 — of the managers of Indian Tea Gardens may be 

 induced to make such experiments as may help to 

 solve the problem of whether, and how far, the 

 Oeylou system can be advantageously introduced on 

 Indian Estates. The process must be a gradual one 

 under any circamst«nces, but that is all the greater 

 reason why no time should be lost in making a 

 beginning.— G. Williamson.— //irfMn Tea Ga:,tte. 



Tea in S. Wvnaad. — There is a prospect of con- 

 siderable Tea extension taking place here, as OofTee 

 prices are becoming most discouraging, and it is 

 Seen that tea is daily pressing closer and closer on 

 the heels of Ooffee. — Indian Tea Gazette. 



Cuvi.oN Te.v Soi.n IN England. — A gentleman 

 who was at home last year calls our attention to 

 the quality of the teas being sold under the name 

 of "Ceylon" to consumers in England in some 

 cases by those wlio profess to have our best inter- 

 ests at heart. He has sent us a sample of the 

 "Cobra Brand" tea sold at 2/8 per lb., which 

 was taken from a packet in a grocer's shop in 

 Devonshire, and adds : — " Tliough I am scarcely 

 competent myself to give an opinion, \* seems to 

 me poor stuff and not worth the price asked, and 

 several tea-planters to whom I have shown it 

 concur in this view. I have heard several com- 

 plaints in England of the quality of this ' Cobra 

 P.rand ' which, however, is now very largely sold 

 both in England and Scotland." The sample is 

 certainly decidedly inferior, and is probably a 

 " blend," while, we suppose, 23 8d ought to secure 

 a really good Ceylon tea. From an independent 

 authority we learn that the tea is rubbishy : half 

 of it broken red leaf and altogether not equal to 

 Pekoe Fannings, This is certainly the way to 

 damage Ceylon interests, by selling aiioh tea as 

 good average Ceylon at 2s 8d per lb. 



