Jan. 1, 1894 ] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
49/ 
off " creepers " for another place with a rue of 
salary and my P. D- not only allowed me to 
npply, but aseieted me with a good testimonial. 
The result was that I was appointed to take over 
at ElOO a month, with the underetanding that if 
I showed capability I would get an addition of 
B50 at the end of six months, It I am not fit at 
the end of my time, the blame must rest with 
myself. It was a "creeper" who was invited to fill 
the place which 1 vacated and as far as I know 
gives perfect satisfaction. Another friend of my 
own after a six months' " creep " began at ElOO a 
month and is now doing well. I wonder what the 
old planter has to esy to these items ? Is it not 
poBBible that he runs down the " creeper," besause. 
forsooth, he reminds him a little of another " eree- 
per" that makes the tree it grows on finally die. I 
would not be surprised if these are his thoughts, 
and if bo I would suggest that in the meantime 
he study how to die gracefully, i.e., that he con- 
trive how best to return to "the old country" 
after imparting to a younger generation, all 
the knowledge he possessee. With tuch planters 
as he, I would advise " creepers " on landing in 
Colombo to " burn their shipr."— I am, dear sir, 
Yours truly, "OREEPEE." 
AN ENEMY OF CACAO. 
Deab Sib,— I enclose two specimens of a small 
beetle which, since two years, has killed a fair 
peroentape of the cacao trees, not only in the 
Kurunegala district but, I am told, in other lacao 
"rowing parts of the island. It attacks in pre- 
ference" the best trees in the lower parts of 
valleys, and although I have cut down and lurnt 
the victims, the pest is on the increase. Just as 
with the coconut beetle, the damage is accomplished 
when the sign of it appears. Can any of my 
brother planters suggest a remedy ?— Yours truly, 
y CACAO PLANTEE. 
[Would our correspondent send us two or three 
specimens in a matoh-bos or phial : those received 
in paper were crushed out of all recognition.— 
Ed. T,A.} 
JAT AND MANUFACTDEE. 
Ambagamuwa, Dec, 19, 
Dear Sir,— Now that this momentous qnestiou 
seema to be occupying the minds of all tea planters 
kindly permit me to ventilate my humble ideas re- 
garding the cause and effect of low priced tea. Jat in 
my opinion is decidedly not the ruinous factor by 
a long, long way. In support of this bold assertion 
I will 'lay before your readers my personal experi- 
ence and leave you and them to draw your own 
deductionp. In the " eighties" I was manager of some 
estates in Dolosbage. One property in particular had 
an entire field of the rankest low ]iit tea (China) 
and of a no mean acreage for that time of the 
tea enterprise. I regularly pluckerl over this field 
simultaneously with the Hjbnd fields bordermg ©n 
Indigenous and as a natural consequence my 
leaf was daily well mixed up. My genial friend 
on the adjoiDinK esttte who bad the manufac- 
taring of this leaf along with his own, was always 
able to produce a tea which commatided tall prici's 
and to tlie time I left in '89 he still held high rai k 
in the sale of firm pricef, not to say that he is njt 
holding his own ut date. As another in«tance, take 
"BlackFtone" in Mr. Burber's time. Is there an 
estate with a more mixed jat than Blaokstone ? How 
stood Mr. Barber ? Some say, " Oh ! l e went i» for 
extremely fine plucUirg." This is oul> lulk ; he alwuys 
plucked the hu<\ and two loaves— perhupa not 
qnite medium. But what was the fecret? His 
ttitheriiiff. I often saw his leaf apriad ont to 
wither— the leaf w»8 not bo verj fine as you 
would fancy, but witliering was resorted to, to 
a satin softness. Never did I see leaf spread out 
more evenly and such a wither I never clapped eyes 
on. Beit remembered he was only gettinj; hie yield 
off about I cr a I'ttle more of the present acreage 
then in fnll bearirg and consequently his factory and 
withering space was tt en ample for his requirements. 
Take " Blackwttter." Look at the jnmp it has recently 
made. How account yru for this ? Has Black water 
an even jat ? A more m xed one scarcely exists, 
from the "Simon Pure" c'own to the lowest China, 
and yet the estate ranks new almost first for Amba- 
pomuwn. You have not fertolook for the reason of 
this sudden upward spring. The mfignificent cew 
roomy fectcry giving loads cf withering space, tha 
Manager will tell you is the only secret. 
The above eufBces to maintain my theory cf " not 
jat but menufactore." To further stengthen my 
views, I will quote one of Ceylon's best autborities, 
ftlaa ! now no more. — I allude to the late Mr. William 
Cameron. What was his advise to me? — " Always care' 
iuUy enpnrvipB your pluckere ; tea m aking must begin 
in the field ; do not graze over your bushes; keep to an 
evenpluckirg, fay bud and 2^ leavef; wither your leaf to 
a silken softness, which you can only acquire by having 
heaps of vvitherirg sp.nce ; spread out jour leaf one 
deep, evenly end sparsely; roll till yen think you have 
the leaf cells were broken and then you need enter- 
tain no qnalms of conscience as to the future of your 
teiwhen in the market." Speaking of jat, he only 
Slid ''What is good at one elevation may not pay in 
anothrr, that is for each man to find out fcr him- 
self, at no doubt some cost" ! 
Will those advocates cf jat tell me of their persocvl 
experience, whether or not leaf from a low jat and leaf 
from the real "Simcn Pure" bud and 2 leaf cr bud and 2 J 
leaf plucking, withers eimultaneously and if not, 
why nr t ! The constitution of these leaves all willadmii 
will differ in no way in an 8 or 9 day system of pluck- 
ing. All that can le adduced is that there would 
le a difference in size of leaf. Does it therefore 
necessarily affect the withering process if the leaf is 
carefully spread out and not jammed. I cannot for 
the life cf me see how such a ooiccidence is possible 
with carefully laid out leaf. In 50 per cent of our 
factories we are far from hav'ng the required wither- 
ing space at cur command; I em not an exception. 
Under these circume tnnces leaf is spread one indis- 
criminately, the chances being that the smaller leaf 
gets smothered over by hisb'gger and more formidable 
brother and has therefore not the ghott of a chance 
of withering sir, with the result that the leaf is 
only partially withered. Plenty of withering space 
therefore can aloue rectify this primary evil. Re- 
member I am ou'y writing on medium plucking. 
Again, sir, there are not a few amongst ns who are 
so situated that a given estimate must nolens toUns 
be secured. To give this ridicu'ous mandate due 
effect on sr me est!;trs, anything but a medium pluck- 
ing can be expected. On one property I actually 
saw whole twigs with 4 and 5 haves attached brought 
into the factory. I certainly believe in a good j4fc 
ami hftve planted nothing but the finest hybrid and 
some indigenou'^i yet 1 eay and maintain that 
]at does not and will i ot interfere with good results, 
if you are plucking carefully and witberirg well, 
soil or elevation a sine (j^ua non. If you have not 
the former, make it with liberal cultivation. — Youri 
truly. C, T, 
LEAD IN TEA-BOXES. 
Kandy, Deo, 27th. 
Sir, — I enclose copy of a letter received from 
the Secretary, Ceylon Arsooiation in London. — I 
am. Sir, yours faithfully, A. PHILIP. 
Secretary to the Planters' Association of Ceylon. 
•1, Mincing Lane, Londrn, E.G.. Peo. 8'h. 
A.Philip, B'q., Secretary, Ceylon Planters' 
Asscciation, 
Deae Sir,— I have the pleasure to enclose copy of 
