48 TEA 



In thinking of path-cutting, j-ou are reminded that 

 hills have to be terraced, and as you now happen to be 

 on a plain, you are tempted to jump to the conclusion 

 that the business of transforming Assam forest-lands 

 into tea plantations was rendered so much less arduous 

 by reason of terracing not being necessary. But there 

 were highlands, as well as lowlands, to be cleared in 

 Assam. Moreover, the plains were particularly trouble- 

 some to drain. 



And there were two local conditions which very 

 seriously hampered the pioneers of the tea industry in 

 Assam — the unhealthy climate, particularly in the 

 lowlands, and the scanty population. Natives of other 

 parts of India had to be persuaded to set out for this 

 remote and unknown part of their own vast country ; 

 and recruits could only be sought for amongst such 

 natives as were accustomed to living in a damp district. 

 Again, when a volunteer labour-gang had been enlisted, 

 it was no easy matter to arrange for the conveyance 

 of the workers to the scene of the new enterprise ; the 

 journey from Calcutta, the " base camp," took two or 

 three months, the usual route being by water, and the 

 only available boats being of a most primitive, native 

 type. 



But the pioneers of the British-grown tea industry 

 set themselves a still more difficult task than that of 

 solving the complicated problem in connection with 

 the cultivation of the tea-plant in Assam. Fired by 

 the ambition that Indian tea should not only become 

 famous for its quality, but should deserve and win a 

 reputation for absolute purity, they determined that 

 the fresh leaves should be prepared for the consumer 

 by machinery, instead of being treated by hands 



