88 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



of land, depth of drains, and method of planting. It is, as a rule, not wise to 

 plant nearer than four feet nor wider than five feet each way. Four and a half 

 feet each way would be equal to, say, 2,000 plants to the acre. Much difference 

 of opinion prevails as to whether the lines of plants should be at right angles or 

 diagonal. In the latter case (triangular planting) they can be about five feet 

 apart, whereas on the square four-and-a-half feet, to give the same amount of 

 plants to the acre. 



Draining, Hoeing, Manuring, and Pruning are operations of vital import- 

 ance, regarding which full particulars will be found in " The Pests and Blights 

 of the Tea Plant." I desire to bring before you, however, features of the plant 

 that hav^, or may have, an immediate bearing on the production of the various 

 qualities of tea, and not to write a complete essaj^ on tea planting. 



Plucking. — Dr. Mann, in a communication I have recently received, writes 

 that the annual course of plucking after light pruning is about as follows : 

 When the tea has been pruned new shoots begin to grow, and after two or 

 three months have attained a length of 9 inches or more. At this stage 

 the bushes can be " tipped," that is to say, the first lot of leaves may be 

 taken off, the object not being so much to get the leaves as to force the 

 production of secondary shoots on the plant. This "tipping " should be 

 done when there are, in the centre of the bush, on the average six leaves 

 without counting either the unopened tip leaf or the so-called " phaki " or 

 "janum " leaf (a bud scale) at the base of the shoot. The shoot of two 

 leaves and bud, on the extremity, is nipped off ; but it is a common 

 rule to furnish the pickers with a stick as a measure. No shoots anywhere 

 on the bush below the height of the measure to be plucked. (See fig. 14.) 



This nipping off of the terminal buds forces out a secondary growth 

 from two or three buds on the shoot, and in about three weeks' time the 

 tips of these secondary shoots are ready to be plucked, and on these being 

 removed there are left behind two mature leaves with their buds. A third 

 series of shoots starts from the secondary branchlets, and two leaves and 

 a bud are again nipped off, leaving, as a rule, only one mature leaf and 

 subtended bud. A fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth " flushing " maj 

 be secured. In the early part of the season the pluckings are almost 

 coincident with the growth of successive "flushings." Ultimately the 

 pluckings have to be more frequent, and in Assam the bushes may be 

 plucked twenty to thirty times during the season, or at intervals of from 

 seven to nine days. 



It is of importance that the "tipping" of the first shoots should not take 

 place before a fair length has been developed. At least nine inches and six 

 leaves are essential. This gives, not only sufficient buds for the secondary 

 shoots, but allows of good wood on which the succeeding light pruning may 

 take place. It is also essential that the collection of the secondary " flush " 

 should be delayed a day or two more than might at first sight be thought 

 necessary, in order to allow of the formation of sufficient wood and buds to 

 admit the repeated and severe plucking that ensues. After heavy pruning, 

 delay in plucking is imperative, not only to secure the buds, but to make sure 

 that a sufficient number of leaves are left on the plant to ensure its healthy 

 growth. 



In Assam plucking commences about ^larch in each year, but July, 

 August, September, and the first half of October are the months of heaviest 



