Pruning, 29 
Cutting heavily is pruning back to about 2 
feet cutting off all knots and only leaving the 
healthy stems. After cutting heavily the bushes 
have to be left unplucked until June or July. 
Cutting down is a very extreme measure and 
is only resorted to when the old bushes have twist- 
ed gnarled ‘hard old wood all through them, which 
of course, gives a most unsatisfactory yield. In 
some cases the bushes have to be cut right down 
to the ground, when this is done the plot of tea 
must be well hoed and all bushes earthed up 
even if soil has to be carried for that purposee 
Occasionally the bushes can be left 18 inches 
high. But with very old China plants the lower 
they are cut the better as they are nearly always 
one mass of knots twisted wood and lichens right 
down to the ground, If any lichen is left on 
after pruning send some children round with 
brushes (old horse-brushes) or anything rough to 
scrape it off, In heavy pruning all bushes should 
be cut from the centre, and the coolies ought to 
work round as they prune, so that each portion 
of the bush is cut out towards them from the 
