22 CULTIVATION AND MANUFACTURE OF TEA. 



enterprise were much to blame, perhaps not for making the 

 mistake at first (no one at the first knew what climate was 

 suitable), but for perpetuating the mistake, when later very 

 little enquiry would have revealed the truth. I believe it was 

 guessed at by Government officials long ago, but it was easier 

 to sing the old tune ; and a very expensive song it has proved 

 to many. 1 



I need scarcely, after this, add that I do not approve of 

 Kumaon for Tea. An exhilarating and bracing climate 

 for man is not suited to the Tea plant. The district has one 

 solitary advantage rich soil. I have never seen richer, 

 more productive land than exists in some of the Kumaon 

 oak forests, but even this cannot in the case of Tea counter- 

 balance the climate. Any crop which does not require much 

 heat and moisture will grow to perfection in that soil. Such 

 potatoes as it produces ! Were the difficulties of transport 

 not so great, a small fortune might be made by growing them. 



Could any part of Kumaon answer for Tea it would be the 

 lower elevations in the outer ranges of the hills, but these 

 are precisely the sites that have not been chosen. Led, as in 

 my own case, partly by the Government example, partly by 

 the wish to be out of sight of the ' horrid plains,' and in 

 sight of that glorious panorama, the snowy range, planters 

 have chosen the interior of Kumaon. Some wisely (I was 

 not one of them) selected low sites, valleys sheltered from 

 the cold winds ; but even their choice has not availed much. 

 The frost in winter lingers longest in the valleys, and though 

 doubtless the yield there is larger, owing to the increased heat 

 in summer, the young plants suffer much in the winter. The 

 outer ranges, owing to the heat radiating from the plains, 

 are comparatively free from frost, but there again the soil is 



1 Is it possible that the continued deception (it was nothing less) was owing 

 to the fact that Government had gardens to sell there ? They were advertised for 

 sale a long time at absurd prices. 



