1 6 CULTIVATION AND MANUFACTURE OF TEA. 



end of Assam to the other gives an easy mode of export for 

 the Tea, but still, owing to the distance from the sea-board, it 

 cannot rank in this respect as high as some others. 



CACHAR. 



The indigenous Tea is also found in a part of this province. 

 The climate differs but little from Assam. In one respect it 

 is better ; more rain falls in the spring. 



The soil is not equal to Assamese soil ; it is more sandy, 

 and lacks the power. Again, there is much more flat land fit 

 for Tea cultivation in Assam, and there can be no doubt as to 

 the advantage of level surfaces. 



As regards transport Cachar has the advantage, for it has 

 equally a water-way, and is not so distant from Calcutta. 



The labour aspect is much the same in the two provinces, 

 both being almost entirely dependent on imported coolies ; 

 but Cachar is nearer the labour fields than Assam. 



However, after discussing separately the advantages of 

 each province, I propose to draw up a tabular statement, 

 which will show at a glance the comparative merits of each 

 on each point discussed. 



CHITTAGONG. 



This is a comparatively new locality for Tea. The climate 

 is better than Cachar in the one respect that there is less cold 

 weather, but inferior in the more important fact that much 

 less rain falls in the spring. In this latter respect it is also 

 inferior to Assam, particularly to Northern Assam. There is 

 one part of Chittagong, the Hill Tracts (Tea has scarcely been 

 much tried there yet), which, in the fact of spring rains, is 

 superior to other parts of the province as also in soil, for it is 

 much richer there. On the whole, however, Chittagong must 

 yield the palm to both Assam and Cachar on the score of 

 climate, and also, I think, of soil. For though good rich tracts 



