Feb. 1907.] 



7:! 



Edible Products. 



Since that time, much progress lias been made. In large measure, the 

 character of the laud most suited to tea has been determined ; the method best 

 adapted for the siiccessful treatment of the young tea plant, and for making the 

 largest quantity of the best leaf, are partly known, though those who have had the 

 greatest experience differ widely in their opinions. The best system for the renova- 

 tion of deteriorated tea, — a problem facing tea planters and tea owners daily in 

 India,— is likewise a matter on which the greatest differences of opinion exist. 

 Beyond these purely practical matters, little is known of the relation of the 

 various operations of tea culture to the composition of the tea leaf, and hence to 

 the quality of tea. 



And yet the settling of these questions, and the obtaining of this infor- 

 mation is of vital importance to the tea industry. Long and elaborate investiga- 

 tions have been required in ordinary agriculture to obtain the restricted under- 

 standi ig which we have, of what is required for the best results among ordinary 

 farm crops, but nothing corresponding has been attempted with tea. All, in fact, 

 that has been done has been the collection of existing information, the analytical 

 examination of large numbers of Indian tea soils in Calcutta, as well as of samples 

 of tea produced on the soils in question. The information, thus obtained, has led 

 to many conclusions, some of which have been adopted with success in actual 

 practice, but it is evident that such conclusions, before they can carry conviction, 

 require, in addition to what has been already done, careful testing on the spot by 

 those who can give the time and have the necessary training for the purpose. 



It is with the object of giving this careful testing to conclusions formed 

 on other grounds, and to experiment with a view to drawing other conclusions 

 that the Indian Tea Association decided during 1903 that they would establish an 

 experimental station in the Assam Valley, to be placed under the control of the 

 scientific officers attached to the Association, one of whom came from England, 

 expressly to undertake resident charge of such experiments as might be initiated. 



SITE OF THE EXPERIMENTAL STATION. 

 After long consideration, it was decided to accept an offer made by the 

 Scottish Assam Tea Co.. of land on their tea estate at Heeleaka, near Moriani, 

 Assam, for the commencement of the work. The tea, offered and accepted for the 

 first work, is old. It was planted between 1802 and 1805, and is hence, at least 

 forty years old, though many of the bushes are of course much younger than this. 

 It is only of moderate hybrid type and it may be supposed both from its age 

 and character of the laud that both the plants and the soil are considerably 

 exhausted. The latter fact is essential for any experiments in the effect of manures, 

 for it the soil be rich the result of any manurial application will naturally be 

 minimised. The land, like most of that in the Jorhat dirtrict of Assam is very 

 light and sandy, on which water rarely, if ever, stands, but which needs good main 

 drainage if the excess of water is to be quickly removed from the land, as it 

 should be. 



Before giving an account of the actual experiments both proposed and in 

 progress, it will, perhaps, be well to indicate the class of problems to be faced, 

 and the special difficulties which occur in the case of tea. 



METHODS OP AGRICULTURAL. EXPERIMENT. 

 In experimenting with annual crops, there are usually three problems to 

 be solved, namely the effect of the treatment adopted (1) on the yield, (2) on the 

 quality, (3) on the capacity of the laud for future crops, Most of the experiments 

 carried on have limited themselves to solving poiut"(l) a few have given information 

 as regards points (2) and (3) In the case of tea these questions are all of great 



