98 CULTIVATION AND MANUFACTURE OF TEA. 



in both cases, which is entirely accounted for by the dry 

 weather prevailing at Chittagong in the spring (see under 

 head of Climate) for in Cachar, Assam, and the Western 

 Dooars, two or three flushes would have occurred in that 

 time. 



There were 19 flushes in all in 1869, and 22 in 1870, up to 

 the time I wrote, so there were probably in all 27 in the latter 

 year. 



In the table I give the intervals between each flush. It 

 shows an average of 14 days in 1869 to 10 days in 1870; the 

 difference is due to the increased age of the plants, and the 

 liberal manuring given in the cold weather 1 869-70. 



Such a result as is shown for 1870, and the probable 

 result of 27 flushes to the end of that season, could not be 

 obtained without high cultivation and liberal manuring. 

 The land in question had been manured every year since it 

 was planted, but an extra dose was given in the cold weather 

 of 1869-70. The ground was therefore very rich. 



I think therefore 25 flushes in the season may be looked 

 for on gardens in good Tea climates, when high cultivation 

 and liberal manuring are resorted to. Where manure cannot 

 be obtained, I think, even if in other respects the land is 

 highly cultivated, more than 22 flushes will not be obtained. 

 Where neither manure nor high cultivation is given, above 

 1 8 flushes will not begot. 



It seems to be a general idea with planters (see diagram, 

 page 102) that when a flush is picked the succeeding flush, at 

 an interval of say seven to ten days, consists of shoots from the 

 axis of the leaf down to which the previous flush was picked. 

 Thus in the diagram, supposing the shoot to be picked down to 

 the black line above 2, the idea is the next flush will be a shoot 

 springing from the same place, viz., the axis of leaf d. But it is 

 not so. In the above case it will take a whole month, after 

 the said shoot has been picked, before the new shoot from the 



