68 CULTIVATION AND MANUFACTURE OF TEA. 



cattle manure. It is not heating, like horse-dung, and may 

 be applied in large quantities without any risk. The fresher 

 it is applied, in my opinion, the better, for it has then far 

 more power. If mixed with any vegetable refuse, the bulk 

 being increased, it will go further, but I do not think it is 

 intrinsically any the better for it. 



There are several chemical manures advertised for Tea 

 plants. " Money and Ponder's Chemical Manure," lately 

 patented by Mr. Ponder and myself, is said to have been 

 very successful on several gardens. It is manufactured by 

 Mr. J. Thompson, Kooshtea, Bengal, who will supply all 

 details. 



All garden refuse should be regarded as manure and 

 buried between the plants. I allude to the prunings of the 

 bushes and the weeds at all times from the land. To carry 

 these off the ground, as I have sometimes seen done, is 

 simply taking off so much strength from the soil. The 

 greener, too, all this is buried the better. 



When it is considered how much is taken from the Tea 

 plant, it is evident the soil will be exhausted, sooner or 

 later, if no means are adopted to repair the waste. Where 

 manure cannot be got the waste must be made up, as far as 

 possible, by returning all other growth to the soil. But 

 manure should be got if possible, for it will double the yield 

 of a garden ; and highly concentrated chemical manures 

 will, I am sure, be eventually much used on Tea gardens. 



The best way to apply it, if enough manure is procurable, 

 is round each plant ; not close to the stem (the rootlets by 

 which the plant feeds are not there) but about i foot from 

 it. Dig a round trench with a kodalee, about 9 inches wide 

 and 6 inches deep, at the above distance from the stem, lay 

 in the manure, and replace the soil at top. If the plants 

 are young the trench should be narrower, shallower, and 

 6 inches, instead of i foot, from the stems. 



