TEA MACHINERY. 255 



(though the exceptions are many and increase yearly), it is true that 

 Indian Tea is not obtainable pure, but no more is China. The bulk of 

 the Tea now sold to the public in the United Kingdom is a mixture, 

 three parts China and one Indian, and all points to the fact that in a 

 few more years the general mixture will be half-and-half. 



We are thus surely paving the way, in other words, teaching the 

 English public to like Indian Tea, and the broad fact that, once used, 

 it is never abandoned for its rival is surely a very hopeful feature. 

 The truth is that were it possible to make the population of England, 

 Australia, and America drink Indian Tea for one week only, the 

 demand after that week would be enormous, and we should hear no 

 more of " supply exceeding demand;" nay, more, many thousands of 

 acres would at once be added to the present cultivation in India. 



But we have somewhat wandered from the question we set out 

 with, viz., why Tea does not pay now as it once did. The first reason 

 we have given ; the second is that there is now no market for Tea 

 seed. This last reason is little dwelt on, but it is a very important 

 factor. The days were when Rs. 300 per maund, and even more, were 

 paid for Tea seed, and though this did not last long, the price for many 

 years up to 1878 was about Rs. 100. Now it is simply unsaleable. 

 The receipts for Tea seed, during all these years, formed a large part 

 of mature garden earnings, and, to quote one instance, thereto in a 

 great measure were due the big dividends paid by the Assam 

 Company. 



But though Tea prices may, and we think will, improve, it is not 

 likely we shall ever again see the rates obtainable formerly. This 

 being so, it is probable that only those plantations in the future will 

 pay that produce Tea cheaply. How is this to be done ? Those 

 gardens that are heavily weighted by unsuitable climates, by a bad 

 class of plant, by slopes which are too steep, by inordinately expensive 

 labour, or other causes, will have a hard time of it, but plantations 

 with natural advantages need in no way despair. Though, as we said 

 above, we cannot, in the matter of cheap labour, vie with China, we 

 have a great advantage over the Flowery Land as regards economy of 

 production in another respect. We allude to the use of machinery, 

 which does much now, and will do more and more as each year passes, 

 to reduce the cost of production. Machinery in the manufacture of 

 Tea is, we believe, almost unknown in China. There each and every 

 operation is performed by hand ; here in India many now do, and 



