October i, 1888.] THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
275 
we also take iuto consideration the consumption of tea 
in Japan, Uochiu China, and the neighbouring states, 
-150 millions of lb. of this dried herb is probably not too 
great a sum for the east of Asiu. Now think of the 
mass of fresh leaves and the number of bauds which 
are necessary to prepare this quantity of tea. Of such 
importance is agriculture in China and Japan for 
this object only. We do not indeed know wilh sufficient 
exactness I he quantity of tea which is annually ex- 
ported from China, but wo know what is imported 
to Europe and the European Colonies', From accu- 
rate sources I have calculated the whole quantity 
of tea exported by Europeans from the port of Canton, 
at 15,000,000 lb. for the year 1830; to this must be 
added the tea brought to llussia by caravans, which 
ia said to have amounted iu the year 1830 to no 
more than 5,405,990 Prussian lb. 
The largo quantity of tea, with which China supplies 
the Indian Empire by land carriage, is unfortunately 
not known, and data also are wanting to enable us 
to estimate its approximate amount; yet to judge 
from various accounts, the consumption of tea there 
must be very great. Over all Thibet and in Nepal 
tea is the common beverage at every meal. But disre- 
garding entirely the quantity of tea which is brought 
by land carriage to India, yet 50,000,000 lb. are exported 
to Europe and its Colonies, for whioh a sum of about 
eighteen millions of Prussisn dollars flows iuto the 
Chinese empire, for on an average the teas are worth 
one-fourth of a piastre a lb. at Canton. We have 
howevor, seen in what au exceedingly singular way 
this immonso sum of money is again drawn from the 
Chinese Empire but unfortunately it flows into other 
hands, so that Europe by the use of tia always suffers 
a considerable loss of gold. 
I may mention that of the 50,000,000 lb. of tea which 
are exported by sea from Canton, and sent by laud 
through Kiachta, not more than about 200,000 lb. are 
usi d in the Prussian States, while England consumes 
26,000,000 or J7,UUii,000 lb.*; accordingly England, 
iu proportion to the population, consumes one huudred 
times more than Prussia. 
The culture of tea is now of great importance to the 
eastern part of Asia, ami yet scarcely 100 years have 
passed since tho use of tea became general iu Euiopo . 
in the meantime the taste of the people for tea is 
daily increasing, and therefore it may be foreseen that 
this branch of agriculture iu hilf a century will be a 
new ami important source of prosperity to certain 
tropical countries. 
The chief cirouinstauce to be regarded in introducing 
the culture of toa iuto other countries, is the value of 
1 .hour iu them. The preparation of tea demands much 
labour, and as the value of tea of itself is very small, of 
course a very low wage cm bu Rivon for the labour of 
its preparation ; therefore iu a country whore labours 
are few and ihc day's wane high, tea can never he 
grown with advantage ; this is the case with the cul- 
ture of tea iu Brazil, where slaves are so enormously 
dear. As tho average price of a lb. of tea at Cautou 
is aiiout 8A<A, the cultivator must sell it at Sid, or 6V. 
iur the merchant who disposes of the tea to foreiguers 
must have about 30 per cent profit after all expenses are 
daduotad, for the Chinese merchant borrows money at 
On ii ton Kt from '20 to 20 pur cent, with which he goes to 
tin- tint plantations in the interior and buys the crop on 
the bush lor ready moucy, just as the wine makers buy 
the grapes with us. 
IIKUll.KIA \ ASTATRIX. 
To the Editor of the Mad,\t.< Mail. 
Sir, — It seems to me that certain facts point to 
tho vapour which rises from decaying vegetable mat- 
ter as hciiig, perh.i' i not the cause, but the most 
Dotu ashing food i.i tho fungus Heniileia Vattariat. 
We are known that leaf disease is most rampant in 
H e month of September, when after the in •nsoon 
• lu the course i, f th" jears 18;it-:i.\ utter the piiu* 
lugc of trading to China was take) i from the Euglish 
But India Company, and the high duty on toa was 
lowered, about BB,000|0001bi ot tea, ac> r.ling to the 
•NMpapeje, w»ru cousu >d 
rains a great deal of saturated decaying vegetable 
matter is on the ground, unit the first gleams of sun- 
shine cause the vapour to rise up through the coffee 
and thus spread the disease. Cnder good shade trees 
again, the disease is stayed because the sun does not 
reach the ground, and evaporation is not so prolific. 
Again, on weedy estates in this month, I have ofteu 
remarked that no disease is noticeable, but, after 
weeding, it becomes far worse than carefully haud- 
weoded estatis in the same neighbourhood, although 
the weeds may be buried. In freshly weeded soil 
which has been to a great extent turned, over a 
great d"al of decaying vegetable matter is to be found, 
viz., roots of weeds, leaves, &c, and the ground being 
cold, vapour rises rapidly with a little sunshine, and 
the raviiges of tho disease are frightful to contem- 
plate. I am no advocate of weeds, and I thiuk 
that all arguments for them are exceedingly shal- 
low — for instance, that " they take the place of the 
carpet of leaves that is found iu the natural jungle." 
But nothing can take the place of the carpet leaves 
(who ever found weeds iu good jungle?) in keeping 
the soil moist in hot weather, and weeds certainly 
only help the quicker to exhaust the humus with 
their long roots, for they must have moisture to 
grow, and when they are fulled out, they instantly 
dry up, and all moisture is lost. But why should there 
not be a carpet of leaves on a coffee estate, where 
we have a thin jungle of shade trees, and a heavy 
under-growth of coffee, which are constantly shedding 
their leaves. If an estate is worked properly then 
there will always be a carpet of leaves in the hot 
weather, when it is required. I argue that in May, 
Juno and July, manure should be applied, and the 
ground scraped free of ad weeds and leaves which 
should be buried with the manure. During August 
and September no weeding should be done fas this 
makes the decaying matter which starts leaf disease), 
but weeds should be prevented from seeding by a 
careful grass knifing late in September, and if absolute- 
ly necessaiy, in October a clean hand-weeding should 
be done. As we are now past the leaf disease months, 
the weeds, and not leaves, should be buried in ; and 
if hand-weeding is persevered with there will be a thick 
carpet of leaves by the end of c rop time, as the coffee 
drops a large quantity of leaf then, and the pruniug will 
help to cover tho ground. Weeds will not grow so prodi- 
giously if the ground is covered, and during the hot 
weather the hand-weeding must be persevered with 
to eradicate the weeds, if possible. This form of 
cultivation will keep the ground free from decaying 
matter during August and September, the worst leaf 
disease months, and the estate will be comparatively 
free from it. Wynaadien. 
Saultau's Battery, 20th Aug. 
♦> 
VEGETABLE PRDUOTS IN VERA CRUZ. 
The growth of Tobacco in the State of Vera Cruz 
is .slid to be increasing considerably, the present pro- 
duction amounting to nearly 0,000,0001b. per auuum, 
and the average cost being about 5J<2. per pound. 
About 23 per cent, is exported to foreign countries, 
and of this export somewhat less than half is of manu- 
factured tobacco, and comes chiefly to England, the 
remainder is consumed iu the Republic. For tho 
highest quality of tobacco as muoh as 10.<. 6d. per 100 
leaves has been obtained, but this quality is very scarce. 
Notwithstanding its primitive method of cultivation, 
Vera Cruz Tobacco is obtaining — and denervedly — a 
rapidly increasing reputation, ami the tobacco manu- 
facturers of this part are increasing the size of their 
factories and the number of their operatives, and pay 
iug greater attention to the seleotion and the sorting 
of the leaves, and are, iu fact, producing a very 
superior article to the Vera Cruz cigar of two years 
ago. or even of last year. This improvement in the 
manufacture will, of course, increase the market, and 
a 'so give great encouragement to the planter; but 
what Is chiefly wanted is oapital, combined with the 
better cultivation which is so i. •>•. s«»r% . but so dif- 
ficult to obtain, iu the prese... financial condition of 
the majority of planters. 
