Chap. XXII. ZEMINDAKEE PLANTATIONS. 



379 



Amongst some hills near the upper portion of this 

 district, two small tea-plantations have been formed 

 under the patronage and superintendence of Captain 

 Kamsay, Senior Assistant-Commissioner of Kumaon. 

 Each of them covers three or four acres of land, and 

 had been planted about a year before the time of my 

 visit. In this short space of time the plants had 

 grown into nice strong bushes, and were in the highest 

 state of health. I never saw, even in the most 

 favoured districts in China, any plantations looking 

 better than these. This result, Captain Kamsay in- 

 formed me, had been attained in the following simple 

 manner. All the land attached to the two villages 

 with which the tea-farms are connected is exempted 

 from the re venue- tax, a sum amounting to fifty-two 

 rupees per annum. In lieu of paying this, the 

 assamees (cultivators) of both villages furnish manure, 

 and assist at the transplanting season, as well as 

 in ploughing and preparing fresh land. In addition 

 to this, one chowdree and four prisoners are con- 

 stantly employed upon the plantations. The chief 

 reason of the success of these plantations, next to that 

 of the land being well suited for tea-cultivation, may, 

 no doubt, be traced to a good system of management : 

 that is, the young plants have been carefully trans- 

 planted at the proper season of the year, when the 

 air was charged with moisture, and they have not 

 been destroyed by excessive irrigation afterwards. 

 The other Zemindaree plantation at Lohba might 

 have been now in full bearing had the same system 

 been followed. 



