2$ 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [July i, 1889 
kept in each room in the house to be used in an emer- 
gency. In case of a fire occurring one or two bottles 
should immediately be thrown with force into the burn- 
ing places so as to break them, and the fire will cer- 
tainly be extinguished." 
This may prove useful to proprietors of factories in 
Oeylon and be the means of preventing a fire or putting 
one out. TEA PLANTER. 
TEA : FINE, MEDIUM AND COARSE 
PLUCKING. 
Matale, 15th May 1889. 
Dear Sir, — Why not take up the subject of " What 
are we to understand by fine plucking, say from 
three to five months after pruning ?" We hear a 
great deal about fine plucking, but opinions on this 
subject are so varied, that a synopsis of them would 
be useful. When the flush runs to four leaves 
and the bud above the fish leaf, as in many in- 
stances it often does when you want to pluck 
only two and the bud, which is considered medium 
plucking? Should the third leaf be plucked and 
thrown away ? Or, if put amongst the leaf in the 
cooly's basket, would such leaf be called coarse ? 
Medium plucking, as I understand it, is two leaves 
and the bud, plucked at the proper time, leaving 
only one developed leaf on the shoot. If this be 
so, what is fine plucking ? Less than this I con- 
sider will not pay at the price of loss in leaf, and 
for the injury which finer plucking will do to the 
bushes.— Yours faithfully, JUNIOR. 
THE CHINA TEA SEASON AND TEA 
PROSPECTS GENERALLY. 
Colombo, 18th May 1889. 
Dear Sir, — I agree with you that there is not 
the least use in discussing tea statistics till it is 
seen what China is to do. I haven't the least 
doubt myself China will ship all the tea the trade 
now requires from her. The Hankow first crop pro- 
mises to be a larger one than ever. The size of 
the second and third will of course depend upon 
the demand for it. If the teas are good — as I am 
inclined to think they will be— there will be no lack 
of buyers you will find. 
Foochow buyers have gone out quite confident 
that they are going to make money this season, but 
I rather fanoy their London constituents don't take 
the same view, judging by the orders given out ; but I 
don't doubt the orders will be sent out by wire, when 
the quality of the crop and the scale of opening 
prices are known. The failure of two of the largest 
Foochow buyers (one the large " Auction Firm " 
of Geo. Oliver & Co. ; the other a man who only 
started on his own account last season) will create 
more healthy business this coming season. I am 
told the losses on China tea in Australia last 
season have been the most serious for years 
past. Everything in Foochow points to a late 
opening at low prices, and in Hankow the reverse, 
as handsome profits were made on the early 
realized first crops. Hankow buyers are, I expeot, 
in the thick of it by this time. — Yours truly, 
OLD HAND. 
TEA : RA.TES, PLUCKING AND PRICES. 
Sir, — I annex table showing the different rates 
which tea must fetoh per lb. at different yields 
in order to cover expenditure, calculated on an 
ordinary expenditure of R50 per acre general up- 
keep, as this will not vary whether fine or coarse 
plucking is carriod out. The cost of plucking, 
manufacture, etc., is shown in another column at 
different rates for varying yields. From the 
figures it would seem to pay better to pluok 
medium or coarse than fine, as 400 lb. per acre at 
9d gives R50 per acre profit, whereas with 200 lb. 
per acre an average price of 1/1£ i* required to 
get the same profit, which price is more than 
many broken pekoes are fetching at the present 
moment, while our average price has not yet 
dropped to 9d. For estates giving 500 lb. and 
upwards 8d per lb. and less will give R50 profit per 
acre, so there is still a margin for large yielding 
estates, but estates giving about 200 lb. unless gel- 
ting above the avera^, have very little to go upon 
and must he scarcely paying their way. — Yours 
truly, SA.BARAGAMUWA. 
Table showing price required to give R50 profit per 
acre with varying yields, ordinary upkeep being 
R50 per acre : 
5. g- a J .2 2! So ° -2 .5 5 3 
2 -* h o 
■2 « 
a <k 
O o3 
> - a 2 S 
2 3 £ <2 
cts. per lb. 
B. c. E. c, R. c. R. c. R. c. made tea. 
500 0/S 00 36 180 00 50 00 80 00 50 00 16 
400 0/9 00 42 168 00 50 00 68 00 50 00 17 
300 0/10j 80 50.5 151 50 50 00 51 00 50 50 If 
200 1/1^ 00 68 136 00 50 00 36 00 50 00 18 
150 l/4f 00 87 130 00 50 00 30 00 50 00 20 
100 1/9| 1 20 120 00 50 00 20 00 50 00 20 
Exchange at l/4§. 
Table slwwing price required per lb. to cover 
expenditure at varying yields, ordinary upkeep = R50 
per acre. 
i tm **** 
1 ce 
H O 
->o, a.<*-f 4- a cu E 3 
co o, S a 5 r? r. a? 
o o S.P- h — £ (*« £5 
per lb. 
made tea. 
c. 
R. 
c; 
R. 
o. R. 
0. 
c. 
c. d. 
500 
0/fi| 26 
133 
00 
50 
00 80 
00 
16 
10 or 1| 
400 
0/7 29-5 
118 
00 
50 
00 68 
00 
17 
12.5 or 2 
300 
0/7| 34.67 
101 
DO 
50 
00 51 
00 
17 
17 or 2| 
200 
0/9 43 
86 
00 
50 
00 36 
00 
18 
25 or 4 
150 
0/10£ 52.35 
78 
50 
50 
00 28 
50 
19 
33 or 5i 
100 
1/lJ 70 
70 
ou 
50 
00 20 
00 
20 
50 or 8f 
TEA LEAD. 
Dear Sir. — A good deal has been written lately 
re tea boxes, but why has the question of tea lead 
been neglected ? What matters it how suitable 
the boxes may be if the lead itself is defective ? 
Now is the time to iletermine by discussion whether 
one is safe in using 4 ounce instead of 5 ounce 
lead. It is said that if you hold up to a strong 
light sheets of the former you cou positively see 
through them 1 I can quite understand that 4 oz. 
lead if sound may do very well for small packets, 
but is it suitable lead for chests is the question. 
Is any lead heavier than 5 ounce ever used ? 
PROPRIETOR. 
IN FAVOUR OP JAPANESE BOXES ; 
COTTON CULTURE AND PREPARATION. 
May 18th. 
Dear Sir, — In support of Japanese oedar boxes : 
I have used these for two years and never received 
a word of complaint either as regards brittleness 
or tainting the tea. I have always used the §th 
in. half-chests and 5 in. full chests. Lately I 
have been using estate-made boxeB, but intend re- 
turning to the Japanese paokages when my estate 
boxes are finished. 
