2 Soil and lay of Land. 
ridges often give a very fair first flush (which 
they would not do if the subsoil was sand), al- 
though if the rainfall afterwards is very heavy, 
they get clogged and blighted badly. Soil, 
which has many rocks: in it, is always good, as 
the rocks keep it open, and some gardens, which 
are full of rocks, pay very well. . Although tea: 
rushes up quicker in flats, lying close to the bed 
of the river, a good slope is better. The flats 
want a great deal of drainage, and although they 
have. a splendid topsoil, the rocks are almost 
always very near the surface and very often 
directly the tea gets its roots well down, it begins 
to die off in patches, through the roots having 
got on to rocks. The flats are generally closed 
in, and shut off from the wind, the heat thus 
caused makes the tea grow very fast, but causes 
blight. Some gardens have put out all their 
good land and are now extending on land that 
is positively precipitous and really dangerous to 
cross. This will never pay, as the soil will soon 
bo washed away when cultivation begins, (leav- 
ing the roots bare). I saw a piece of new 
4 
