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urged the necessity of it. especially of crossing experiments with other 

 Camellia-specles. But nobody has taken up this suggestion. The only 

 thing the planters hâve done of their own accord, is, the substitution of 

 many China plantations by indigenous varieties, because they gradually 

 recognized the superiority of the latter. But this superiority is not 

 universally accepted, and, as a maiter of fact, the Himalaya districts 

 furnish a conciusive proof that, under certain conditions, China tea may 

 be the better variety Everywhere, however, it has left indelible traces in 

 the shape of innumerable hybrids. even where they are most certainly inferior. 

 It is remari<able with what difficulty the British planters could be 

 induced to disengage themselves from the idea that the China plant was 

 the best in ail circumstances; and it is conceivable that this phenomenon 

 is reflected in the tardiness shown by the Java planters in taking over 

 this récognition. 



As far as I know, the first experiment with Assam tea in Java was 

 taken in 1872 bij Mr. Bosch at his plantation Tjigoentoer near Patjet 

 (Preanger Regencies); some maunds of seed were sown, but, having 

 passed into other hands in 1876, the plantation died through neglect. 

 The first successful importation was performed in 1878 by Mr. A. Holle 

 at his plantation Sinagar-Tjirohani, division Moendjoel. near Tjibadak 

 (Preanger Regencies); he acquired a small quantity of „Indigenous 

 Assam Tea Seed" and planted a seed garden with it. In 1879 a second 

 lot was received, and sown in the division Sinagar by baron Van Heeckeren 

 TOT Waliën, but this was not quite so good. Mr. R. E. Kerkhoven 

 of Gamboeng, near Bandoeng (Preanger Regencies). has informed me that 

 he had imported ,, Assam tea seed'" from Ceylon, as early as 1877. but as 

 this Ceylon tea proved scarcely différent from .,Java"- or China tea, the 

 experiment was given up, and not repeated until Mr. Kerkhoven had 

 personally seen the successful trial at Sinagar; thereupon he ordered some 

 Jaipur seeds from Assam, in 1882, and planted with thèse the second Assam 

 seed-garden of Java at Gamboeng. In that same year, importation was 

 carried out on a larger scale by five estâtes. 



In 1886, Mr. Parker of Colombo, recommended by Mr. G. Mundt '), 

 imported Ceylon seed. Considering that the „rush into tea" had begun 

 between 1881 and 1883, we cannot feel surprised that the results were 

 no more encouraging than with Mr. Kerkhoven's experiments. Plots of 

 20 — 40 hectares had to be written off, because they were constantly 

 attacked by Helopeltis. Of course such adversities, at a time when 

 the treatment and the cultural value of the new variety were still 

 imperfectly known, created scepticism and aversion among planters. 

 „It should be considered"\ Mr. Kerkhoven wrote to me, ,,that at that 

 time we had no notion of the great interests that were at stake. Many tea 

 planters (myself included) were rather disposed to scepticism. In that 

 same time, I hâve even ordered some tea seed directly from China, as 



') This gentleman had made a tour to Ceylon in that year. See G. Mundt 1886. 



