TEA DISTRICTS. 21 



in Darjeeling), can scarcely be called ' elevated/ and for 

 them the remarks applied to the Terai are more fitting. As 

 a broad rule it should be recognised that the lower Tea is 

 planted in the Himalayas the better chance it has. 



All the plants in the Darjeeling gardens, with but few 

 exceptions, are China. 



The China plant makes by far the best Green Tea, and I 

 believe the Darjeeling gardens would pay much better than 

 they do if they altered their manufacture from black to green. 

 (See further on, under the head of Hazareebaugh, what has 

 been done in this way). All Himalayan gardens should, in 

 my opinion, make Green Tea (Kumaon has awoke to the 

 fact), for all have China plants, and can therefore make far 

 better Green Tea than can be produced from the Hybrid 

 which is so general in plain gardens. 1 



KUMAON. 



It was in this district (a charming climate to live in,, with 

 magnificent scenery to gaze at) I first planted Tea in India, 

 and I much wish for my own sake, and that of others, I had 

 not done so. I knew nothing of Tea at the time, and I 

 thought a district selected by Government for inaugurating 

 the cultivation, must necessarily be a good one. No hill 

 climate can be a good one for Tea ; but the inner part of 

 Kumaon, very cold, owing to its elevation, high latitude, and 

 distance from the plains, is a peculiarly bad one. Yet there 

 it was Government made nurseries,, distributed seed gratis, 

 recommended the site for Tea (seethe 'Records' alluded to), 

 and led many on to their ruin by doing so. The intention 

 of the Government was good, but the officers in charge of the 



1 When this was written the demand for Green Teas in Europe was greater 

 than it is now. Still Kumaon has found a local market for Green Tea over the 

 border, that is, among the Asiatic tribes, and Darjeeling might do the same. 



