23 



idiya, and Mr. BRUCE. To my great astonish- 

 ment, not 500 of the plants were alive, and of these 

 almost all appeared in the last stage of decline. 

 The ground was literally matted down with low 

 tenacious weeds, and it is a fact, that on our arrival 

 at the Nursery, not a Tea plant could be seen, owing 

 to the uniform green colour of the surface. I look 

 upon this Nursery, which would, nnder other circum- 

 stances, have contained many thousands of excellent 

 linese stock, to the existence of which, I at least, 

 attach primary importance, as totally destroyed. 

 The cause of this destruction is beyond doubt to 

 be attributed to the fact, that the plants, which 

 had for several months been under sheds, were in 

 the Nursery completely unsheltered from a suffi- 

 ciently hot sun, the obvious remedy for which would 

 have been the erection of temporary muchowus or 

 mats, by the removal of which, at certain times, the 

 plants might have become accustomed to that which 

 was to them an excess of solar influence ; and that 

 the intervals between the plants, as well as round 

 each, had apparently never been subjected to the 

 operations of a hoe or any other instrument/ 



Assam was now left entirely to its own resources 

 the indigenous trees, and the plants raised from 

 their seed ; and owing to the deep interest taken in 

 the experiment by Captain Jenkins, and Major White, 

 and their active support and, above all to the 

 praiseworthy and valuable services of Mr, C. Bruce, 





