39 



Tea. 



1. The tea-plant is a shrub cultivated in the isle 

 of Java at a height of from 500 to 3000 feet, in different 

 soils, generally clay-grounds mixed with vegetable-mould 

 and drained as much as possible. 



2. Tea is propagated by seed which must be fresh, 

 to ensure its prompt growth. The seed is ripe when the 

 seed-coat bursts and drops the grains which have a dark- 

 brown colour and are picked up from the ground. 



Each husk contains 1 to 3 grains. It is estimated 

 that of a quantity of fresh seed 2 /s take, whilst, when 

 using seed of one or two months old, this will be the 







case with only ! /4 to Vio. 



3. The culture of grains is done on beds or the 

 grains are carried to the plot and sown at a depth of 

 from 3 to 5 centimetres in the soil, which has been thor- 

 oughly tilled beforehand, or they are laid in furrows of 

 9 cM. width and 12 cM. depth. These furrows have all 



