September i, 1887.] THE TROPICAL, AGRICULTURIST. 
197 
To the Editor of the " Ceylon Observer^ 
QUERIES ABOUT THE PREPARATION 
OF TEA. 
Matale, 20th August 1887. 
Dear Sir, — Can one of your numerous corre- 
spondents answer the following questions? — 
(1.) Up to what percentage is it best to wither, 
highest and lowest? 
(2.) How ought leaf to be covered to ferment ? 
I find that when withering from 60 to 63 per 
cent the roll blackens and the outturn is dull. 
Some cover up their leaf to ferment in the jute 
hessian, some with cloth, and some in the blanket. 
Some, again, damp the cloth that covers the roll, 
others do not. There is another question I wish 
to have answered. Leaf, after it has been rolled 
is sifted for dhoolie, while some put the large leaf 
again into the roller, others allow it to ferment, 
and then roll hard. What is it better to do, roll 
at once after sifiing "dhoolie" or allow it to fer- 
ment and then roll. In some notes that I have 
taken from the Indian Tta Planters' Gazette the 
following occurs : — "Leaf opens out during colouring 
and requires re-rolling. Heavy re-rolling before firing 
softens the tea, a light pressure to excite a little 
moisture gives the twist and polish required." Again, 
with regard to flavour, I have notes that contra- 
dict each other. One says : Care given to withering 
ensures a good colour, care given to roll ensures 
strength, but care will not ensure flavour. The 
other says: Flavour could be obtained from very 
even plucking, light rolling, etc. E. B. 
ENGLISH VS. NATIVE PLOUGHS. 
21st August 1887. 
Dear Sir, — In your impression of the 16th inst. I 
notice a very extraordinary letter signed " W. A. D.S." 
It professes to contradict certain statements of mine, 
concerning the relative merits of ploughs, and to correct 
"misrepresentations" made by me. A charge of mis- 
representation is a very grave chargo to make against 
anyone, and should never be made unless it can be 
proved. " W. A. D. &." does not attempt to do so. It 
is very difficult for me to meet this writer and to con- 
trovert his reckless and vague assertions, as his letter 
is not " understandable " to ordinary intellects, due, 
I believe, to the fact that a high educational test is 
not required for entrance to our Agricultural School. 
It will be well for this writer, before he attempts to 
criticize anything, to be sure that he has carefully read 
and understood what he criticizes. His opening sent- 
ence affords conclusive proof that be has not done 
this, or is a misrepresentation. I have nowhere said 
that natives do not require, improved implements. His 
laboured attempts in involved sentences to prove the 
contrary is a beautiful example of industriously raising 
op a man in buckram for the pleasure it affords to knock 
him down. 
It is kind of this writer to point out to the natives 
how they m iy acquire an improved plough — "they can 
club together and buy one." In his experience have 
they done so? "When richer land-owners buy it, others 
poorer will very readily hire it for a reasonable sum." 
1-. tbis too within his experience? I will give you 
mine. I have an iron plough and I know that its 
owner will very readily give it gratis for use amongst 
the villagers if only to overcome their prejudices and 
to popularize it. Not only is no application for it 
made, hut once win n I wanted buffaloes to work it, 
and offered to hire thorn, I was told that if it was lo 
work the iron plough no buffaloes wero available, but 
if for tin- native plough I could have buffaloes without 
any payment. Thoiuh I have had tho plough in use for 
about 3 years it has nover yet been worked with village 
e.lttlc . 
Your correspondent " W. A. I), s." must excuse me, 
though he writes with the high sanction of an Agri- 
culturallnstructor, if I refuse to surrender my opinion 
to his, that Mr. Green did not take sufficient account 
of the difference in the conditions of agriculture when 
he introduced ploughs worked with horses in European 
Agriculture, for the cultivation of our rice fields. Their 
unsuitability lies not in the work they do, which is emin- 
ently satisfactory, but in their weight and consequen 
unsuitability for our small breed of cattle, and for our 
muddy fields. Given a not too muddy field and a couple 
pair of good buffaloes, I would much rather use an 
iron plough than two native ploughs, both for economy 
and efficiency of work. My opinion, which is the 
result of observation and experience, as to the unsuit- 
ability of the heavy iron plough for wet cultivation, 
is endorsed by so high an authority on agriculture 
as Professor Wallace of the Edinburgh University, 
who is now in our midst and with whom I had the 
privilege of discussing ploughs and their work. He 
agrees with me that the native plough does the 
work expected of it, and that the only objection to 
it is its narrow furrow. Widen it and natives want 
no expensive, heavy iron ploughs. The ploughs at 
present in use necessitate or at least cause the waste 
of an immense amount of human and animal power. 
Widen them and the only objection to them vanishes. 
I remember Mr. Walker's Report mentioning that 
the yield of the field the Agricultural students worked 
would have been higher but for the floods. Was 
not the field the natives worked, so that the yield of 
both may be compared, subject to the same amount 
of damage from floods ? If it was not, no com- 
parison could be drawn between the two for the 
conditions vary. 
I am much obliged to " W. A. D. S." for recommend- 
ing me to read so advanced a book on Agriculture 
as Green's Primer. I leave such literature to Agri- 
cultural Instructors and their ignorant village pupils. 
Sorry to disappoint " W. A. D. S." But his letter has 
failed to "enlighten" me. It has sorely puzzled 
me as to what he meant to say, Let him not attempt 
the task again. I will not reply. — Truly yours, B. 
A BIG TEA LEAF FROM A HIGH ALTITUDE. 
Agra Patanas, August 23rd, 1887. 
Dear Sir, — Enclosed tea leaf does not quite come 
up to Dolosbage but it 's not a bad specimen I 
think grown at over 5,000 ft. elevation — from seed 
put into nurseries in April and planted out 
September or October 1885. 
When pulled this morning, it measured lO.Jin. 
by 1 in. — fcll both ways. — Yours faithfully, G. 
[A beautiful leaf, the proportion of breadth to 
length showing high jat. — Ed.] 
COFFEE PLANTING AT LOW ELEVATIONS. 
Sir, — Can you or any of your readers kindly give 
me any information regarding the cultivation of 
coffee in valleys at the foot of mountain ranges? 
So far as my knowledge goes, coffee is in Ceylon and 
India successfully cultivated by Europeans only at 
certain elevations above the plains — and I believe 
hat the same circumstances are found requisite in 
all regions in the eastern hemisphere. I should bo 
glad to hear what tha obstacles are to cultivation in 
valleys at the foot of hills in India. What is the 
elevation of the plantations in Brazil ? Is it 
necessary to grow coffee on the slopes of hills in 
that country ? 
I am thinking of experimenting with coffee in a 
valley in the Eastern Ghauts of India, facing the 
east with a backbone of mountains on the west — 
the soil deep loamy stuff, the lie of the ground 
the ordinary rolling slopes found in such localities ; 
elevation above the sea, 500 feet. 
Rains commence with showers in April and May, 
fallowed by monsoon weather in June, July, August 
and September, with a further monsoon in Novem- 
ber and part of December. I wish to know whether 
there is anything in tho elevation or lie of land 
that puts success out of tho question. I would add 
