— 206 — 



Ceylon is a tea district of a comparatively récent date, having 

 iinown tlie tea plant only in a cultivated state (we will see in the tiiird 

 chapter, that the assertion, sometimes heard, that tea should hâve been 

 foLind wild in Ceylon, is incorrect). The first experiments ') were carried 

 out as early as 1839, but the first plantation dates from 1867. In the latter 

 year, there were only 10 acres (4 hectares) planted; 10 years afterwards, 

 in 1877, 2720 acres (1100 hectares); in 1887: 170.000 acres (68.800 hec- 

 tares). This rapid increase, the so-called „rush into tea", was caused by 

 the coffee blight Hemilcia making its appearance between the years 1870 

 and 1880 and ruining this culture; ail coffee plantations were then planted 

 with tea. The production of tea kept pace with this advance; in 1873 it 

 came to 23 Ibs , in 1883 to 1.500.000 Ibs. Thèse figures strikingly illustrate 

 the tremendously rapid increase within 20 years, and it is quite obvious 

 that, in order to supply the unequalled demand for tea seed 2), inferior 

 sorts of seed were bought wholesale in the north-eastern provinces ^). The 

 conséquence has been that Ceylon tea is an awful medley of tea hybrids, 

 and that Ceylon, as a seed producing country, stands in very bad repute 

 among java planters, however good its manufactured tea may be. 



Carelessness about the variety of tea planted, carelessness about the 

 precious wild tea tracts, carelessness about the management of seed gar- 

 dens, carelessness, in short, about ail measures that were liable to secure 

 an effective tea sélection, such, 1 regret to say, has been the happy-go- 

 lucky attitude of the British planters towards a matter that could not, 

 indeed, yield immédiate profits, but should undoubtedly hâve donc so at 

 one time or an other. Nor did they lack good counsel, for Sir George Watt 

 has, ever since 1882, endeavoured to re-organize the Assam seed-gardens. 

 This meritorious promotor of tea cultivation in India had the kindness to 

 inform me in what way the seed gardens were managed in the beginning: 



„When I first made a tour through the tea districts of India, 1 found 

 „seed production very much a matter of accident. Most seed gardens were 

 „found to contain several différent plants." That is, he explains, „several 

 «distinct races of plant including the China, Thèse had been introdiiced 

 „with the object of being able to supply (as it was thought) whatever stock 

 „niight be desired''^). A naive idea, to be sure! „I suggested to the owners 

 „that they should eliminate ail but one and endeavour to justify the repu- 

 „tation of each seed-garden as producing a definite and characteristic race 

 „of its own. My recommendation was adopted by most seed growers 

 „with the resuit that Bazelona, Singlo, Tingri, Namsang, Kalline, etc. 

 „are well known and specially recognised stocks of the socalled ,, Assam 

 „Indigenous"." 



However important a progress this measure was, sélection proper 

 seems never to hâve been practised in India, though Watt repeatedly 



') I owe thèse data to D. Crole 1897, p. 34. 



2) For the planting of one hectare, no less than 10.000 seeds are required. 



3) G. MuNDT 1886, p. 19; Ch. Bernard 1912, p. 76. 

 ■*) Italics are mine. 



