1837.] 



the Assam Tea Plant. 



439 



pensable of all conditions as I shall presently show), the tea plant 

 flourishes in its barren soil along the verge of rivers, lakes, and marshy 

 lands. 



Where the requisite porosity of structure is not afforded by subsoils, 

 the defect may be overcome on the rounded summits of embankments, 

 and on the declivities of small hills and undulations, such as those on 

 which the plant appears to be cultivated in China :* and where these 

 last are wanting artificial drains and trenches may be resorted to, 

 either with the view of qualifying an unfavourable soil for the recep- 

 tion of the plant in the first instance, or for supplying the want of 

 suitable porosity. 



In the more sandy rice districts, the small ridges which subdivide 

 the fields may be increased in size, and each planted with a single row 

 of tea plants, a practice which would seem to be followed in China al- 

 though the erroneous notions hitherto entertained regarding the sup- 

 posed mountain habit of the plant, prevented the example from having 

 been before recommended. 



There are however many spots of suitable structure in Upper Assam, 

 that might be selected for new plantations ; the most desirable might 

 be at once chosen, while the old colonies should be carefully preserv- 

 ed for the supply of nurseries. This would seem to be the more 

 necessary, as in case of the seed becoming exhausted by the injudici- 

 ous treatment of the plants composing the original colonies, the diffi- 

 culty that might arise in procuring a fresh stock from China might 

 prove fatal to Assam as a tea province. From those tea seeds which 

 were procured from China at an enormous expense to Government, 

 few plants have been reared, and probably not one of those few will 

 ever bear seed. The importance therefore of abstaining from officious 

 interference with the original colonies must be evident. None of them 

 are very great in extent, and it is possible to conceive that as they are 

 all in retired forests some attempts may be directed to the transplan- 

 tation of the trees in a more convenient but less appropriate situation 

 (as is almost sure to happen on such occasions if convenience be at all 

 allowed to enter into our views), and thus exhaust, if not totally destroy 

 the means of conducting more judicious experiments. 



Little is to be expected from any attempts that can at present be 

 made to manufacture tea from the uncultivated plant : but still as there 

 is a small establishment on the spot for the purpose, consisting partly 



* I shall have occasion to refer to authorities on this subject when considering the 

 climate of the tea provinces. 



