JAN. I 1894.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
499 
When estates at a high elevation find it nece ssary 
to manure to keep up their yield, it is thought by 
many that there will be a loss of flavour in their 
teas; but this I eliould think, would ouly be true 
to a certain extent as there is co doubt that tlimate 
alone has a good deal to do with the superior flavour 
of upoonutry teas. — Yours faithfully, J. 
No. XL. 
Elevation, 4,20u to 4,600 feet, Dec. 13. 
Dear Sir, — I mentioned in my reply to the first 
part of your inquiry that a good Assam hybrid of 
Kelvin jat, had been found by me to give really good 
results both in price and yield, but it may be quite 
possible that a near remove from Indigenous — judging 
from Mr. Bcck's experience on Henfold and that of 
some others — gives even higher quality and more 
strength. It is not claimed for this tea that I know 
of, thai it gives larger yields than a good Assam Hjbrid 
and perhaps it may not give quite so large a yield 
per acre; but after all, experience with us is young 
yet and time alone will teach us which last the 
longefat and is most successful, 
China jat w<<ll cultivated gives good flavour and fine 
tea, but is wanting in strength au'i as fur as I have seen 
cannot compare in yield to the other teas, W. 
No. XLI. 
CHINA JAT AT A HIGH ELEVATlOK. 
Saumarez Estate, Udugama, Dec, 15. 
Dear Sir, — In reply to your enquiry of Ith inst. 
the bulk of my experience es a tea planter was gained 
at 5,000 feat elevation on estate whore we 
bad some 130 acres of China jat tea. At the time 
of my leaving the estate last year we were getting 
gome 300 lb per acre from this srea and I am able 
to say as a fact that I was never able to produce 
such a tine class of tea from the Assam hybrid plant 
as from llie China. On several ocoaeions I had sold 
the Ohina tea, unmixed with Hybrid, in tlie London 
market and never fbi'ed to obtain a higher value for 
it than for the Hybrid tea, kept eeparate though 
manufactured at the same time and in every way 
Bubjected to the same treatment. The liquor obtained 
from the China jit could n t compare with that 
resnltiug from the Hybrid in the raatter of "strength" 
but for "flavor" it was unmistakably superior, and 
whenever I waa atkfd to produce a nice sample of 
self-Hrinkiug tea I invariably njauufactured it from 
the China variety. I cannot say how iar this difference 
in favor of the smaller jat would obtain at lower 
elevatione, but I certainly am of opinion that for 
piqces at 5,000 f ' et and upwards, it would pay to have 
30 per cent aud the estate planted with it, for putting 
price on to the teas and givin? them a delicacy of 
flavor not obtainable from the Hybrid p'ant. As to 
the question of one place giving tetter prices than 
another, I see nothing wonderful in it. With the 
varying soils and climates of Ceylon it would be 
wonderful indeed were it otherwise and when all is 
s«id and done and given a uniformly proper system 
of manufacture, such as consists in a good even wither, 
Bay 100 lb green leaf down to GO lb, and a dow firing 
carried on at low temperatures, there will always be 
the fortunate proportion who will maintain a leading 
position. Many places, however, at present which 
might do better suffer from defective manufacture, 
tiring their teas too quickly at too high temperatures, 
with the result that their teas will not keep and the 
flavor is burnt out of them. — I am, dear sir, yourB 
faithfully, EX-SUPERINTENDENT. 
No. XLU. 
Dec. I7th. 
Dear Sin,— To obtain good cropg from good tea 
wh<-re tho soil, climii'o and everything p1m« are f»vmir- 
»ble, «tc uiily reaeonuble expectaliona liiUillod, but it is 
quite another affair looking for and expecting similar 
results from poor wornoot coffee lands without culti- 
vation. By cultivation I mean more than weeding, 
pruning and plucking — all very important in their 
way, but are we in many instances not too apt to 
fall into the idea that with our climate and soil the 
tea bush will do all right without going to the ex- 
pense of manuring. How often do_ we hear tea will 
grow on any soil and " at any elevation," and on the 
Btrenuth of this knowledge it is allowed to grow, and 
to get all out of we can, we worry the very life of 
the bush by hard plucking and pruning. Take an 
nnmanured iield that has been hard plucked from one 
leaf or even one and a half above the fish leaf, and 
pluck that steadily for a year or fifteen montha and 
when you come to prune it you find the wood weak 
and wiry and untuitable to carry your wood for 
next year's crop. Result, cut lower etill or you get less 
crop next year. Now low pruning is all very well, 
hut to go on pruning lower and lower every jear does 
not improve the size of yonr bush and it will end in 
having to give the field a two yeara' rest from pluck- 
ing. Had this flsld been manured, hard plucking 
would not hare had fo disaatrous an eflfect ; the 
buehea would probably have gooe on flushing from 18 
months to two years and the wood to be pruned ba 
a very differeut looking material. 
It may be asked why isn't more manuring done ? 
For the reason probably tbat it is doubtful whethe 
it will pay. There can be no doubt of the good 
effects of cutting large holes between every four 
trees and burying prunings and of cattle manure 
applied in, say a basket or two to each bole, hot 
then cattle manure cannot always be had and the 
application is expensive, but that burying and pru- 
nings and the right sort of artificial manure with 
them, is a success ia beyond a doubt, a good 
investment for the proprietor and is a certa'n means 
of making the tea on old land give good crops, 
has been proved. Manuring may be likened to 
judicious advertising, the mere you spend on it bavio^; 
gained a knowledge of what your soils require the 
better the results. 
The comparison between the unmmnred and the 
systematically manured fields of an estate ia such 
that there ia nothing more evident than a reference 
to the books tbat it pays to manure well, and that 
manure has rightly the credit of making tea give 
good crops. 
The subject "good prices" is too large an order 
for mT entering upon. Our teas don't get the prices 
they deserve aud probably won't, until America be- 
gins to indent more largely for the Elephant Brand, 
if by that is meant the finest of our teas. Then 
let us hope our B. P. 'a now lid, will be fetching 
Is id to Is 2d. 
To make good tea one must have first good leaf, 
ample withering accommodstion, good machinery, 
abundance of power, a aoiupulously clean well kept 
factory, and coolies well drilled in their work, and 
one who knows the work and can wrrk the cooliea in 
charge.— Yours truly, AN OLD PLANTER, 
« 
LIGIITXING AiS'D TEA. 
Sir, — I have read with interest and regret Mr" 
Crabbe's communication from Passara regarding 
the death through lightning of his cattle. It is 
seldom one hears of animal life being destroyed 
in this manner ; but I have lost quite recently 
several small patches of tea through this action. 
Generally an isolated cinchona tree appears to 
have been struck, and the surroimding tea bushes 
for a few yards round have been killed. 
Can you or any of your readers inform me if tea 
acts more particularly as a conductor to lightning 
than coSee and cinchona, and if the soil on the 
spot is detrimentally affected for replanting? For 
many years coffee and cinchona grew luxuriantly 
on the exact spots where lightning has destroyed 
the tea, and I am at a loss to know why hardy 
tea should be 80 aflicted.— I am, .Sc., 
—Local "Times." uYA. 
