TEA. 121 



grains and tea on the sides of the hills. From some cause, however, either the 

 thinness of population or the want of a remunerative crop,* large tracts of this 

 fertile district have been allowed to go out of cultivation. Everywhere I ob- 

 served ruinous and jungle-covered terraces, which told of the more extended 

 cultivation of former years. 



Amongst some hills near the upper portion of this district, two small tea 

 plantations have been formed under the patronage and superintendence of Cap- 

 tain Ramsey, Senior Assistant Commissioner of Kurnaon. Each of them cover 

 three or four acres of land, and had been planted about a year before the time 

 of my visit. In this short space of time the plants had grown into nice strong 

 bushes, and were in the highest state of health. I never saw, even in the 

 most favoured districts in China, any plantations looking better than these. 

 This result, Captain Ramsay informed me, had been attained in the following 

 simple manner : All the land attached to the tvv r o villages with which the tea 

 farms are connected, is exempted from the revenue tax, a sum amounting only 

 to 525 Rs. per annum. In lieu of this, the assamees (cultivators) of both vil- 

 lages assist with manure, and at the transplanting season, as well as ploughing 

 and preparing fresh land. In addition to this, one chowdree and four prisoners 

 are constantly employed upon the plantations. The chief reason of the success 

 of these plantations, next to that of the land being well suited for tea cultiva- 

 tion, may, no doubt, be traced to a good system of management ; that is, the 

 young plants have been carefully transplanted at the proper season of the year, 

 when the air was charged with moisture, and they have not been destroyed by 

 excessive irrigation afterwards. The other zemindaree plantation at Lohba 

 might have been now in full bearing had the same system been followed. 



From the description thus given, it will be observed that I consider the 

 Kutoor plantations in a most flourishing condition. And I have no doubt they 

 will continue to flourish, and soon convince the zemindars of the value of tea 

 cultivation, providing three things, intimately connected with the success of the 

 crop are strongly impressed upon their minds ; viz., the unsuitableness of low 

 wet lands for tea cultivation ; the folly of irrigating tea as they would do rice, 

 and the impropriety of commencing the plucking before the plants are strong, 

 and of considerable size. I am happy to add, that amongst these hills there are 

 no foolish prejudices in the minds of the natives against the cultivation of tea. 

 About the time of my visit, a zemindar came and begged two thousand plants, 

 to enable him to commence tea growing on his own account. 



It is of great importance, that the authorities of a district, and persons of 

 influence 1 , should show an interest in a subject of this kind. At present the 

 natives do not know its value ; but they are as docile as children, and will enter 

 willingly upon tea cultivation, providing the " Sahib " shows that he is in- 

 terested in it. In a few years the profits received will be a sufficient induce- 

 ment. 



In concluding this part of my Report, I beg to suggest the propriety of ob- 

 taining some of the best varieties of the tea plant which have been introduced 

 lately into the government plantations from China. Dr. Jameson could, no 

 doubt, spare a few, but they ought to be given to those zemindars only who 

 have succeeded with the original variety. 



Having described in detail the various government plantations, and also thos^ 

 of the zemindars which came under my notice in the Himalayas, I shall now 

 make some general remarks upon the cultivation of tea in India, and offer some 

 suggestions for its improvement. 



GENERAL REMARKS. 



1. On land and cultivation. From the observations already made upon the 

 various tea farms which I have visited in the Himalayas, it will be seen that I 

 do not approve of low fiat lands being selected for the cultivation of the tea 

 shrub. In China, which at present must be regarded as the model tea country, 

 the plantations are never made in such situations, or they are so rare as not to 



* The crops of this district, such as rice, mundooa, and other grais, are so plentiful and 

 cheap as scarcely to pay the carriage to the nearest market town, much less to the plains. In 

 Almorah a maund of rice or mundooa sells for something less than a rupee ; barley for eight 

 annas ; and wheat for a rupee. 



