392 



TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. 



Chap. XXII. 



by means of fine varieties and improved cultivation. 

 It was well known that a variety of the tea-plant 

 existed in the southern parts of China from which 

 inferior teas only were made. That, being more 

 easily procured than the tine northern varieties, 

 from which the great mass of the best teas are made, 

 was the variety originally sent to India. From it 

 all those in the Government plantations have sprung. 



It was to remedy this, and to obtain the best 

 varieties from those districts which furnish the trees of 

 commerce, that the Honourable Court of Directors 

 sent me to China in 1848. Another object was to 

 obtain some good manufacturers and implements 

 from the same districts. As the result of this mis- 

 sion, nearly twenty thousand plants from the best 

 black and green tea countries of Central China have 

 been introduced to the Himalayas. Six first-rate 

 manufacturers, two lead-men, and a large supply of 

 implements from the celebrated Hwuy-chow districts 

 were also brought and safely located on the Govern- 

 ment plantations in the hills. 



A great step has thus been gained towards the 

 objects in view. Much, however, remains still to be 

 done. The new China plants ought to be carefully 

 propagated and distributed over all the plantations ; 

 some of them ought also to be given to the Zemindars, 

 and more of these fine varieties might be yearly im- 

 ported from China. 



The Chinese manufacturers, who were obtained 

 some years since from Calcutta or Assam, are, in my 

 opinion, far from being first-rate workmen ; indeed, I 



