Junk i, 1889.J THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
863 
beet. But even then, when the apparent conditions 
of the atmosphere are the same, tea will vary greatly 
on different days: on one day you can get an ex- 
cellent fermentation and a liquor that clouds well ; 
on another day you cannot do so. A continuous 
series of experiments by an analytical chemist, as 
suggested somt, time ago by Mr. Kutherford, would no 
doubt help us in these matters. 
2. I have not yet experimented with manuring 
tea myself. 
3. I think really fine plucking cannot pay as the 
yield obtained would be too small. Hoolankanda 
is the typical example of this at present, of fine 
plucking and high prices, I mean, and it would 
be interesting to have figures for that estate. The 
popular rumour is that the yield is only some 
80 lb. an acre and the profits per acre only about £1 
sterling. What requires more attention than is often 
given to it is careful plucking, in other words the 
carrying out more thoroughly in practice the system 
of plucking wi'ich must planters would adopt in 
theory, ai d tliis requiies very constant supervision in 
the field. It is the hard leaves (whether large or small) 
that spoil the wither, and to a great extent the re- 
sulting tea ; and if the green leaf is free from these, 
the quality of the tea is much improved, while the 
jield is not much lessened. Careful rac dinm rather than 
fine plucking is what I advocate. 1 think the Observer is 
wrong in lending its countenancp to fine plucking by 
quoting the prices of broken pekoes only. The highest 
priced of these are more often than not fancy teas The 
truer test is the average 'price, though even this is not 
much guide unless we know at the same time the 
approximate yield per acre. G. F. Vv . 
XVI, {From, an Old Tea Planter.) 
1. I do not think anything has been proved by analy- 
sis; and nothing more than opinions are available at 
present. My opinion is that the quality of the tea is not 
best when the busiies flush most 'freely, or when there 
are heavy flushes from manuring, but rather that the 
contrary is the case. Better looking tea may be mad« 
from the softer and more tender leaf, but I would 
expect that it would be deficient in " quality." 
Experience of Many Districts. 
XVII. 
St. George, 6th May 1889. 
1. I really could;; not say whether or not Mr. 
Armstrong is responsible for the statement " that 
the quality of the tea is best when the bushes flush 
most freely." I am of opinion that there must be a free 
and healthy flush to give good quality of tea, but that 
aDy " rush " or excess of flusU, is overstraining the 
bush and means deterioration in quality. 
2. There is no doubt as to suitable manuring giving 
quality, and I think that where the soil is naturally 
good &c. it will nho give quality or keep this up ; but 
that where the soil on the other hand is poor and 
washed it is not likely to do this. I have some 100 
acres on one estate two to three years old tea plaLted 
in iand with naturally good soil and where the coffee 
had been regularly manured with bone and castor take 
and occasionally with bulky manures, and this is giving 
some 250 to 300 lb made tea an acre this year and the 
tea has been specially valued at home fur strength and 
flavour. All this for such young tea with an average ex- 
pected at not less than Is lor the jear, points to a good 
deal of it being due to the previous manuring. At 
any rate we have given the manure credit for part of this 
most exceptional result from two to three years old tea 
planted at stake under thick coffee. 
3. I thiuk the " happy medium " applies here as 
elsewhere. Too coarse leaf should be decidedly avoided, 
hut on the other hand too fine plucking means much 
less in quantity, and I am of opinion works out to a 
loss in the end. W. J. 
XVIII. 
Haldummulla, 5th May. 
No '. Mr. Armstrong stated that the best flushes 
were the first, good flushes after pruning, but that though 
the quantity of yield was then greater the quality was 
poorer. 
2. I have not had any experience of the results 
of manuring tea. 
3. I should certainly say that the loss of leaf 
caused by very fine plucking would not be made up 
for by the extra price. I should say a medium pluck- 
ing which gave, say - 60 to *65 per lb. of pekoes would pay 
best. Of course where tea is being purchased, the 
finer it is, the better it pays the purchaser, but in 
manufacturing one's own tea one has to look to the 
cheapness of plucking. 
XIX. 
Sogama, Pussellawa, May 7th, 1889. 
I am not in a position to answer your first two 
questions. With regard to No. 3 — I think fairly fine 
plucking to be necessary to good prices, but should 
b • inclined to lay most stress on the regularity with 
which the plucking is conduoted. J. G. C. 
XX. 
Dolosbage, May 7th. 
1. Yes, when in full flush, but not till four m onth 
after pruning. 
2. Yes, the better the soil, the better the quality 
of tea. 
3. Yes, medium, but careful plucking, I find pays 
better than fine plucking — J. B. 
XXI. 
1. I cannot say whether Mr. Armstrong ever 
made any such statement; but I believe the quality 
of the tea is best when the bushes are flushing rather 
well (say an average of 121b per cooly). When they 
flush very freely, such as in April this year, the tea 
made is generally weak, wanting in flavour and often 
dull infusion. 
2. Artificial manuring certainly increases the quan- 
tity, but so far as my experience has gone it affects 
the quality injuriously. I am writing of castorcake, 
and applied on good soil. Of course on poor land a 
high-class fertilizer ought to improve the quality, but 
I doubt if manuring any tea, at present prices, will pay. 
3. In my opinion no rule can be laid down as to 
plucking, soil and climate decide the matter. To give 
an illustration, if I owned an estate in Kelebokka 
or Kandapola I would at any rate at present, if not 
always, pluck fine, but if I owned an estate in Kelani 
Valley, 1 would now as always pluck hard ; all prac- 
tical men know that if it is not in the soil, you can- 
not make a high-class tea, however fine you pluck. 
Any intelligent superintendent, who knows his work, 
can soon tell what his bushes are capable of doing, 
he should know best how to pluck them, under different 
fluctuations of the market. 
Wide Experience ovehDiffekent Districts. 
XXII. 
Dikoya. 7th May. 
1. I was once of the opinion that when the most tea 
was plucked the best tea was made, but since less 
frequent pruning has come into vogue I do not con- 
sider this now to be the rule. I obtain better leaf 
during the south-west monsoon (it is my wet season) 
than in the north-east. Perhaps in Uva it is the other 
way about. I undoubtedly get the best leaf when 
my tea has been pruned down, from about 7 to say 12 
months, and if then the weather be favourable and 
free from dry winds the leaf is both plentiful and 
excellent. Later on when it is almost time for prun- 
ing, especially if this should happen towards November, 
December and January, the leaf is apt to be hard, the 
tea takes no form or appearance, breaks in rolling, 
and the flavour falls off. The liquor may be strong, 
but the whole lacks character ; it is broken in appear- 
ance and brown in colour. Flavour seems now most 
in request at home, and this with me improves from 
June to September; strength prevails from September 
to January; and then from January to June the quality 
is very variable. It iB otten difficult to deal with leaf 
when it comes in abundantly : indeed there are so 
