170 



CULTIVATION AND MANUFACTURE OF TEA. 



of Tea as carried on hitherto with few exceptions, that is 



to say, on gardens covered with weeds for many months in 



the year, and to which no manure has ever been given. 



With such cultivation, particularly on gardens planted on 



slopes, I think myself that the yield will not exceed four 



maunds at the outside. 



High cultivation and liberal manuring will, I believe, at 



least double the above, if the plants are of a high class. 



However, here I give a table on the subject which I have 



carefully framed. 



Estimate of probable yield per acre on flat land, good soil, in a 

 good Tea climate, and with hybrid plants, if really high 

 cultivation and liberal manuring is carried out. 



* Calculating Tea by maunds is convenient, inasmuch as pounds 

 necessitate such lengthy figures for all calculations. The maund here 

 employed is, however, quite an arbitrary measure. It is not the Indian 

 maund, it equals and is represented exactly by 80 Ibs. Any number of 

 maunds multiplied by 80 will naturally give the Ibs. of Tea. 



f Up to this point, viz., the fifth year inclusive, the figures given have 

 been much more than realised, and that on a garden with 15 per cent, vacancies. 

 It has been, though, highly cultivated and liberally manured from the first. 



| From the fifth to the tenth year is assumption, except that I know one 

 garden which, to my certain knowledge, has given more then ten maunds an 

 acre, and this in spite of about 15 per cent, vacancies. The garden is an old 

 one, planted about 18 years ago. It is also a very small one. The soil is very 

 poor, but the plants are of the highest class. It was much neglected till 

 about eight years ago. From that time it has been highly cultivated in every 

 way except in the point of irrigation, for it has not that advantage. It has 

 been most liberally manured. 



