174 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [September 2, 1889 
ing the week to that date 10'81 inches. As I write 
— the morning of the 28th — the rain is coming down 
steadilv, iust as it had beendoingall nightand nearly 
the whole of yesterday. I have not the means by 
me of comparing this with last year, but I can mfke 
a pretty accurate guess from memory and can say that 
we have had a good deal more of Jupiter Pluvius's 
attention this than the corresponding period of last 
year. While on the subject of tea and prices, I may 
say I am glad to see Springside heading the list. The 
garden is a very old one and by no means large as 
regards area, but the results bear out the very true 
maxim that constant changes in management are 
a mistake. This garden has been under the same 
control during the last decade or more, and has always 
during that period given a very good return on the 
capital invested; By the way, I saw one of Davidson's 
new machines on a garden the other day. It had only 
just been set at work, but the manager expresspd 
himself as being exceedingly pleased with the results 
so far. I, of course, and for very obvious reasons do 
not give the name of the garden; but I was told that 
several more of these machines are on their wav to 
this district, and so I will be able to give your readers 
more acurate and more extended results later on than 
I am able to do at present. — Cor., Indian Planters' 
Gazette, July 2nd. 
INCREASED ACTIVITY AMONGST DELI 
PLANTERS. 
One of our Deli correspondents writes to inform 
us that some old Deli tobacco planters have lately 
acquired large tracts of land in the district of 
Bila with a view to form a company and to open 
a few estates before the end of the present year. 
" It would appear," says our correspondent, " that 
the land in Bila is, after all, not so inappro- 
priate for tobacco planting on account of the back- 
water as was the general impression some time 
ago ; on the contrary the shore formation in Bila. 
is very different from that of other coast land 
in Deli, where the shores of the great rivers are 
rather high and the land deviates in the interior 
to a lower level than that of the river. In Bila, how- 
ever, the shore lies rather low, but at a distance 
of a few yards the land rises gradually towards 
the interior. There are but few small rivers in Bila, 
The soil generally consists of a layer of dark 
coloured humus with a substratum of clay without 
touching upon sand, as is the case, at - a very 
small depth, in the adjoining districts of Kwaloe 
and Assahan. The locality is easily reached by 
the great rivers, and communication between Bial 
and the outer world is all that can be desired. 
A Government steamer plies regularly every fourteen 
days from Bila to Deli and vice versa, whilst small 
steam launches carry on uninterrupted communi- 
cation with the coast ports. 
" That good tobacco can be produced in Bila 
has already been proved ; and as rega rds the 
prices realized, former Bila planters had every 
reason to be satisfied, especially if it is borne in 
mind that being " coast" it had to undergo very 
close inspection and to support all the criticisms of 
the other planters who have an interest in its 
depreciation. 
" The reason why an estate whioh was opened 
in Bila by a great Deli company had to 
be closed, is only known to a very few. The 
real facts are that the district of Bila being out 
of the ordinary circle of operations of the Deli 
company, the late planters forgot to take the most 
ordinary means of precaution to secure their crops 
from inundations, and planted almost to the water's 
edge of the Bila river, which will dehord at times ; 
besides this they made the old mistake of opening 
too much land at the boginning and ereoted ex- 
ten iya buildings beforo they were certain of a good 
result. Having, as already said, neglected to secure 
their crops against the periodical overflows of the 
Bila river, most of their tobacco was washed away, 
and they were eventually compelled to close their 
operations on an injunction from head-quarters. 
The deficit was large, but it was simply the conse- 
quence of waste and neglect. 
"It is firmly believed that, advantaged by the 
experience their predecessors had to undergo, the 
men at the head of the present undertaking will 
be successful and prove that very good tobacco 
may be grown in Bila at, remunerative prices." — 
Straits Independent, July 6th. 
♦ 
CONTRACTING CINCHONA BARK SUPPLIES. 
The following opinion of an Uva planter, contained 
in a semi-private note, is worthy of being published 
in view of the recent decussion : — 
" I believe in no method that I have ever heard of 
being used to force a market up or down. Being, 
pretty deeply in as regards cinchona, biirk nobody 
would more gladly welcome higher pr.ces, but I 
think these should come about from natural causes, 
say a falling tff of supplies, or an increased con- 
sumption, and not from holding back supplies." 
TEA CULTURE AND PREPARATION. 
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS. 
II. 
When is it best to prm e, and how ? I usually 
prune when my trees begin to show indications of 
stopping flushing and when much small banjy 
comes in with the plucked leaf. How one prunes 
must depend upon so many influences: - Altitude, 
jat of tea, quality of and, exposure, &c. As a 
rule at a higher altitude less frequently, good 
jat less frequently than u ferior, good less fre- 
quently than poor land ; exposed localities too eea-e 
flushing first. For 24 months I have seen tea 
bushes continue flushing under favourable circum- 
stances, while in other spots tea has not run well 
for 12 months. Thus I know no general rule for 
pruning any more than for drinking or putting on 
more clothing. 
The foregoing to make intelligible and of service 
would require about a column of print at least 
to put it into practical form, as indeed would 
almost each of ' tf." 's 13 questions. Briefly how- 
ever. The system mu-t always change as fre- 
quently as the conditions. Undoubtedly most tea 
planters are now disposed to work their bushes 
lower than formerly, and I think 4 leaves are more 
usually left when tipping, instead of five or six 
inches of length of stalk. This catches the in- 
ferior, jat bushes which do not flush if left too 
long, aa would be the case by measurement rather 
than by counting leaves. 
Firing tea will always be a difficulty as long as 
China tea goes into the market. China teas are 
always brisk, consequently want good strong dull 
Indians and Ceylous to give them strength. As 
China shipments fall off, there will be a demand 
for flavour and briskness ; consequently we shall 
hear less of overtired teas. There was a time 
when the London market preferred strong liquor- 
ing teas above all others ; hard rolling, nay grind- 
ing into strength commanded the best prices ; now 
flavour is chiefly sought, and if strength can be 
got also, so much the better. 
There is not the slight- st doubt in my 
mind that unless the teas fit the market they are 
abused, irrespective of a fair consideration of their 
merit sui generis. 
Those who have a systpm of making and com- 
mand a fair price, make a mistake in changing 
