532 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. ^February t, 1890. 
their way, bat they must not be acted on too rigidly- 
As a rule, no doubt, any export duty on produce is 
objectionable, but there are exceptions to every rule, a d 
in this particularise the theoretically objectionable tax 
could only be got rid of by imposing others which would 
be much more injurious in practice, however perfectly 
they might square with theoretical prineip'es. So long 
as Burma can find a market for all her surplus rice, 
and that at prices which encourage the spread of cul- 
tivation, it is evident that the tax is doing no serious 
harm. The country is still ab] e to hold her own, and 
even more, for the exports steadily increase. The ex- 
port duty could only be removed at the cost of im- 
posing the tax in some other way or by cutting down 
the expenditure. The latter would be a suicidal policy, 
as it would tend to promote inefficiency in the adminis- 
tration, and that just when greater efficiency is re- 
quired rather than less. The imposition of the tax in 
some other way, as, for instance, in an increased land 
revenue, would simply be to raise the money with a 
maximum of friction and at a maximum of cost, while 
the present mode of raising it causes practically no 
friction at all, and involves little or no cost. It is easily 
collected as duty at the ports, the cultivators scarcely 
realising that they are paying it at all ; whereas, if they 
had to pay it direct to the thoogyeesall over the coun- 
try, they would realise it fully and bitterly resent it. 
Every one who knows the country must agree with Mr. 
MacDonnell in thinking that to abolish the rice duty, 
and to increase the land levenue to a corresponding 
amount, that is, by about 45 lakhs of rupees annually, 
would be objectionable to the people. 
Whnt is wan'ed in Burma is to induce the people to 
supplt-meot the income they deriTe|from rice-growing, 
bv Oiltivatiug other articles as well, far more than they 
do. An experimental farm has Ven started at Lashio 
in the Northern Shan States, which is UDder the charge 
of Mr. Hillier, of the Madras Agricultural College, and 
this we are glad to learn promises to be a success. It 
is true that the object of such farms is not so much to 
estab isb a paving Government farm, as to spread among 
the people a knowledge of certain facts and the prac- 
tice of growing staples which will benefit the country 
generally. But to get the people to take up the grow- 
ing of new staples we must not only prove to them 
that these staples will grow in the country, but also 
that it will pay the ordinary cultivator to grow them. 
The want of success of so many such farms is pro- 
fa. bly 'lue to some extent to the experiments made 
on thi m being on too small a scale to convince 
the people that they will really pay ; and partly' 
perhaps, to the system of cultivation being too 
expensive for the ordinary peasant to adopt on his own 
account, as well as too scientific to be understood by 
him. From all we can gather of the working of such 
farms they are too often experiments which are quite 
over the heads of the ordinary peasantry. To make 
them really fruitful in the direction of introducing the 
production of fresh staples by the people, once it has 
been proved experimentally on the farm that such 
staples can be grown, they should be on a larger scale 
to prove to the people that it pays. So long as a fresh 
staple is only grown experimentally in a small field of 
the Government farm, the people are apt, to pass it by 
as merely one more instance of the incomprehensible 
vngiries of Europeans; but if a large qu antity were 
grown «pd exported, they would begin to think that 
there might, be mo- ey in it. Moreover, so 'ong as an 
article i B producer] only in small quantities the upcountry 
peasant often has a difficulty in disposing of it. No 
one near him knows exactlv what it is worth, or where 
to nnd a market for it. All this has to be seen to, and 
it new industries are to take root they must be care- 
fully nursed through the first few years after their in- 
trodction. AVe trust that the farm at Lashio will 
prove a permanent success ; but although this depends 
" largely on the z^al and intelli™nce of the Super- 
intendent, it does pot rest entirely with h : m. The distnVt 
othV. rs rau't co-operate with him in explaining the ob- 
jects of the farm to the people, and, should they be 
indue d to gr .w new staples, in getting them to market 
until the ordinary channels of trade are formed.— 
Uririyoon Gazette. 
OPENING THE FIRST REGULAR TEA 
PLANTATION IN CHINA. 
Improving the Tea Teade of For-hosa. 
The first really hopeful ti^n ti at the High Chinese 
Authorities are alive to the serious depression that has 
for years overhung the Tea Trade of OhiDa and that 
there are at last some among them who have a true 
perception of the only real means to remedy the evils 
producing that depression, comes from Formosa. 
There the energetic and able Governor Liu Ming Chuan 
has granted to an enterprising merchant, Mr. F. Cass, 
the necessary permission to establish a model tea 
plantation and factory where tea will be grown, cul- 
tivated, prepared and packed after the Indian method 
and by the aid of the very best mechanical appliances. 
To this farm a school will be attached for the requisite 
training of a number of youths, selected to be tea 
planters in various parts. We most heartily congra- 
tulate Mr. Cass, his Chinese partner (who owns, we un- 
derstand, the largest tea plantations in the island), and 
also His Excellency Governor Liu on their undertaking, 
to which we cordially wish every success. That 
Governor Liu should have the shrewdness and 
courage to inaugurate a practical attempt to re- 
form and save the Formosan tea trade while it is 
yet time, is but another indication that in all his 
undertakings he holds steadily in view not only the 
governmental interests but also the prosperity of the 
people. The trade in Formosan tea has hitherto held 
its own fairly well against the competing Japanese 
tea, but there, have not been wanting indications, es- 
pecially during the past season, that the same reckless 
uver-pr duction, careiess preparation and fraudulent 
adulteration with dust and broken leaves, which have 
done so much harm at other Chinese tea centres, exist 
here. Add to this the fact that the tea-planters, after 
putting in their shrubs, trust entirely to the original 
native richness of the virgin soil, and never attempt 
to manure and prune the plants or hoe the ground 
and it is no difficult matter to account for the im- 
poverished soil and consequent serious deterioration 
of the tea, which has resulted in the almost total dis- 
appearance from the market of the finer and choicer 
qualities. It is mainly this defective cultivation, com- 
bined with over-production, which is responsible for the 
pre-ent state of the tea trade in China. The question 
or taxation is altogether a secondary consideration. At 
pres nt, whilst every petty peasant can grow and find a 
market for his few catties of leaves grown on 
the stunted and feeble bushes planted near his 
i.oor, it is useless to talk of lectures, pamphlets etc. 
or even proclamations as likely to limit the production 
within reasonable bounds or to meet in a practical 
manner the evils which threaten to result in the 
elimination of the tea trade of China. For ' spose 
can oatchee chansee what for no make bye and bye,' 
is the general idea of the petty producer. The true 
method of reform lies in the line of the experiments 
made in Formosa. The establishment of model estates 
on a large scale by raising the standard of quality 
ought to prove practically to the larger tea planters 
the avantages of Indian methods, and will, it is to be 
hoperl, induce them to combine and make large plan- 
tations. Mr. Cass and his partner have engaged a 
high class practical man in India, who is now on 
his way to Formosa. On arrival he will select a 
site, prepare the soil, plant and cultivate the 
plants and also superintend the picking, withering, 
rolling, firing and packing of the tea. The 
whole process will be carried out on the estate, 
and the aid of the best mechannical appliances will 
be obtained. The promoters of this enterprise and 
the Governor hope that by this means a high standard 
of quality will be arrived at and maintained , and thai 
the other tea merohants, seeing the practical ad- 
vantages of the system, will avail themselves of the faci- 
lities afforded for acquiring the requisite technical 
knowh i ; g , and be induced to establish similar estates 
for the scientific cultivation and careful preparation j 
of tea and also to introduce the simple .machinery | 
thereto necess-ry. If this should happen, and it is , 
devoutly to be hoped it will, the trouble of over- j 
