Bulletin du Jardin Botanique de Buitenzorg. 



Troisième Série. 

 Volume I. Livraison 4. 



A Basis for Tea sélection 



by 

 Dr. C. P. COHEN STUART 



First division: 



I. HiSTORICAL AND GeOGRAPHICAL. — II. SysTEMATICAL. 



PREFACE 



To introduce the présent division of my researches in connection with 

 tea breeding, being a translation of the first two chapters of my dissertation 

 (1916), 1 propose first of ail to expound the way in which the sélection of 

 tea was started in Java. 



In 1910, the problem was taken up by Dr. Ch. Bernard, director of 

 the Tea Expérimental Station at Buitenzorg, when a little experiment garden, 

 set up at the Government's OVzc/zoAZû'-plantations by Mr. P. van Leersum, 

 proved to thrive uncommonly well there. As Mr. van Leersum's seed-gardens 

 for Cinchona and his plantations in gênerai were justly renowned, the 

 occasion to begin tea sélection — a lengthy labor — under his expert survey 

 presented itself hère; this was what the Director of the Department of 

 Agriculture, Mr. H. J. Lovink, realised at once. So several nurseries were 

 started in December 1910. 



The trial proved a success and assumed great dimensions. In 1910 — 191 1, 

 two nurseries of imported seed and one of seed from Java-gardens were 

 laid out ; in 1911-1912, eleven nurseries of imported seed, two of Java- 

 garden seed, and three of Java-garden stumps; in 1912—1913, sixteen of 

 imported, and three of Java-garden seed. Interesting experiments were made 

 by Messrs. Bernard and v^an Leersum on the relation of spécifie weight 

 of tea seed to the quality of seedlings, by immerging the former in water 

 and 25% sugar solution; other experiments were begun in grafting so as 

 to render végétative propagation possible. 



Much work, however, remained to be done; not only was there quite 

 a lot of ,, types" (viz., the commercial varieties at the nurseries) to be 

 studied, compared, selected; but never had anybody selected tea-, nor had 

 the principles of tea sélection ever been investigated. And it was this last 

 thing, as Mr. Bernard clearly realised, that was to be done first in order 

 to prevent future errors and delay. 



It was thus a complicated task that was put before me in April 1913. 

 I had to work along very différent Unes of investigation, and to find my 



