222 CULTIVATION AND MANUFACTURE OF TEA. 



CHAPTER XXXVI. 



TEA MACHINERY. 



So much has it been extended and improved since the 

 Third Edition was published, I have much to say on this 

 subject. 



I will divide it into two headings, " Tea Cultivation " 

 and " Tea Manufacture." Of course the machines for the 

 last far outnumber the first, which are very few, but much 

 of great importance to the industry will find its place under 

 the first heading 



Machinery and Implements for Tea Cultivation. 



Formerly, with prices as they ruled, Tea paid under 

 most circumstances. It is not so now. Unless Tea, and 

 good Tea, can be made cheap it is hopeless to look for profit 

 from a Tea garden. To cultivate cheaply, and efficiently, 

 is therefore all important (far more important than has 

 hitherto been recognized), and assuredly the more machinery 

 can be made to take the place of hand labour, the sooner 

 shall we attain that end. On this point I need only observe 

 that in most of the Tea districts in India labour has to be 

 imported at a great cost, varying from Rs. 50 to Rs. 100 per 

 coolie, and anything which would lessen this want would 

 materially help to success. 



The following, signed " Nil Desperandum," appeared in 

 the Tea Gazette in August, 1881. I quite agree with the 

 writer and have myself often expressed the same opinions : 



