358 cost or production at 



cost may continue so high as from Is, 2d. to Is. id. 

 the pound. 



The experiments on the cultivation of tea in 

 India have not yet furnished any results regarding 

 the actual cost of tea after manipulation, on an ex- 

 tensive scale, upon which we can satisfactorily rely. 

 The plantations of Kamaon in the north west 

 districts of the Himalayan Mountains, however 

 promising they may be, are yet in their infancy : 

 and those in Assam have been conducted ex- 

 pensively, and, to all appearance, injudiciously. 



The actual quantity of tea manipulated at Assam 

 in the year 1846 amounted to 170,000 lbs., which 

 cost in India, all charges included, 7,600/. ; thus 

 furnishing a cost price of about 10^d. the pound, 

 while it sold at an average price of 2s. the 

 pound in England. But there are certain charges 

 not included in this account : and the large expense 

 in Assam is said to be attributable to a fixed esta- 

 blishment of superintendence and management suf- 

 ficient for a cultivation of four times its present 

 extent. The wages paid to the manipulators of tea 

 are 5 rupees, to their assistant coolies 3 rupees, 

 and, to the labourers, from 3 to 4 rupees the 

 month ; and the chests cost only 1 rupee each. 



With so low a rate of wages can there be any 

 doubt that, under a suitable and inexpensive system 

 of management, Assam ought to be able to com- 

 pete with China in the cultivation of tea ; provided 

 the plant be found to possess all the essential pro- 



