5S6 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [Feb. i, 1894. 
tea has been poor throughout the seaiOD. 'iberewill 
not be the flourish of trumpets that dwarfed all otht r 
districts at the end of 1892. Scarcity of labour and 
the struggle for it is a very sericus factor in ihe 
Dooars, aud a disagreeable incidtct ootinected wiih 
it during the past year surely should prove to all 
connected with the industry that it ehould be a case 
of "Live and let live." 
The outturn in this district has grown to such 
dimensions and the average yield is so extraord- 
inary, that it is a matter for serious retiection, 
as new extensions come into btaring what is 
to become of all that class of tea that is matufac- 
tured. Quality in the Dooars seems to be tut of the 
question, the amount of leaf at times to be dealt with 
seema »o be beyond the power of even the most 
energetic manager to cope with ; that and the want 
of labour can be the only excuse for the ttas th«t 
have been offered during 1893. Ttiat it it> tot the 
fault of the plunt must be admitted, or we thould 
not hear of sales of tta seed from the Dooiire, which 
is now becomiDg a remunerative part of ton;e of the 
better known gardens. Whether the amouiit of 
withering accommodation is inadequate, which strikes 
us es most probable, or whether it is the machinery, 
must be left to those most interebted to dettrmine, 
but the fact remains the same. Dooars tea taken as 
a crop by itself bas been most dieuppoiuting during 
1893. ^ , . . 
Cachar and Sylhet grouped together h»ve had an 
average yield, whether due to new exteosions or 
heavier plucking is not easy to determine. In some 
cases in Sylhet old gardens have done badly ; the 
weather has been indifferent and unseasonably cold 
during the busy months from June to September, 
•nd the quality poor os compared with 1892. ihe 
appearance cf the tea, as usual with Cachar, 
*howa great care in manipulation, but there 1i»h 
been no bcdy— light in the cup is the cliarac- 
teriatio of this district. Great hopes were entcrtaiued 
that with the new Bbeel gardens and their fine plants, 
there would be a diftinct improvemf-nt m tbeqaalitv, 
but it cannot honestly be said that so far these hopes 
have been realised. We hear in some instances of 
a serious falling-off in the yield of some of the 
o'der Bheel gardens, aitribnted to the heavy drainage 
that was requisite and the coneequent loss of soil 
after any heavy downpour. In grouping these districts 
locether it is only fair to add that with respect lo 
some of the new gardens in South Sylhet the average 
vield equals the best part of the Dooars, and both 
this District and Caebar are fortunate as t<. their 
labour. a» even vsith imported labour, owing to a tar 
healtlier climate, there never ia the terrible death 
roll that hampers Assam; there is an amouot of in- 
digenous labour that renders many parts of tbe dis- 
tricts quite independent of foreign labour; the final 
result is that 1893 baa not equalled its predecestor. 
The fall in the market, coupled with an inferior 
crop, must tell heavily on the results. 
Assam has the same tale to tell; the teas 
have been indifferent, not attributable to want 
of care but unreasonably cold weather in the best 
months of tbe year. The estimates have been 
in most oases exceeded, and as far as quantity 
is concerned 1893 must ba considered a good 
vear but the fall in value has been considerable, 
and two annae a lb., equal to BIO a mauad, may he 
without exaggeration placed as the loss compared 
with 1892 This spread over the heavy yield from 
Assam, as will easily be seen, is a terrible total, and 
6harehold"r8 cannot expect much in tbe way of result. 
There has been in Assam, as elsewhere, exceptions 
to the role, but taken as a whole Assam Las not 
done well Those gardens that have maiotained their 
auality have done fairly well and have incoi.testably 
oroved that Ai-sam can produce a qu&lity of tea tl at 
defies oomp'-tuion from other distriois, and if it were 
not for the terrible labour difficulty, and consequent 
Btrueele for it. that handicaps Assam so seriously, 
there can be but one conclusion that ae a tea pro- 
duoina district Assam has no rival, and we would 
preach and impress on all concerned quality versus 
quantity, feeling convinced that a yield of six mauada 
per sere in Aesam will give better reealts than ten 
maunds from any other diatricts, of conree, provided, 
and as stated above, that quality is made the first 
consideration. As compared with 1892, wbeu the 
prices paid for tbe Kood quality of that year on- 
fortunately induced tbe heavier plucking jo 1893, Ihe 
latter year cannot show, even with its larger out- 
turn, anything like the results of itf^ predeeeesj'r. 
We caunot conclude this epitome on the patt tea sea- 
sou without drawing attention to the steady iocreaise 
from Ceylon and that of a class of tea tbat directly comes 
into contract with the lower gr.des from India, and also 
at a time of year when India, as regards production, 
is dormant. fScfore the advent of Ceylon a* a big 
tea-producer tbe mentha of Apri', May and June in 
London enabled that nmrket to di»pore of tbe baiacce 
of the Indian crop, but vrith an export from Ceylon 
in December 1893 of eight millions as compared wi<b 
five millions in 1892, it is very evident thtre will be 
no period of rest, and that new teas from India will 
no lorger command, ae in tbe past, fancy prices; that 
of itself ehould be another and atronger inducement 
to «eek quality and not quantity. As stated in ibe 
earlier part of this article Darjeeling, which seldom 
ezceei^s three to four mannds per acre, can, owing 
to ita tetter value, show le'urns that compare more 
than favourably with Other tiistricts that yield dcuble 
and treble tbe quantity. (Quality, therefore, not 
quantity, is our motto and advice for IBfH.—Cajntal. 
KOLA NUT. 
We are indebted to Mr. W. T. Robeon— whom 
we welcome back after much wandering in out of 
the way Uiids, to settle for some time on hie 
Matale propertiee — for a (ample of "Pure pre- 
pared Kola" by our old friend Mr. T. CbriBty. 
When we eaw him last in London, Mr. Christy 
was full of the bright prospects before tbie 
food-product. It ie deemed an excellent Eob- 
Etitutc for chocolate, bat, it is evidently, difficult to 
get into use ; for we notice that in tbe very lalett 
market report it is still clasEed as a "drug" and 
the information given indicates an over-enpply 
and weak demand. There is net much chance of 
a large supply from Ceylon; for we know of no 
planter who has eo many Kola trees {Cola 
acuminata) &e Mr. Eobson himself — tome 4C0— of 
which, however, only a lew are in full bearing. 
The plant is described by Mr. Aymer ae 
developing into much tbe e&rce appearance 
BB a mangoEteen and to be bandEome and 
attractive. Fortunately, to counterbalance the 
Black demand in England, there is a market for 
tbe fruit, even in its green state in Calcutta, for 
what purpose is not very clear, though one soggeE- 
tion is that it is used by topers, and possibly by 
Opium-eaters who want to conquer the habit ? In 
any caee, as an undoubtedly valuable food-product, 
Eola deserves more attention than it has received 
and we hope Mr. Eobson will yet reap Eubetantial 
benefit from his trees and from euch extension 
of the cultivation as he may undertake. 
BAEK AND DRUG EEPORT. 
(From the Clietnist and Druggist.) 
London, Jan. 4. 
Akeca-kuts.— The market is much over-stocked with 
this drug, for which the use is comparatively limited ; 
several parcels were sbown at auction today, and 
bought in at ln.m 15s to 20s per cwt. according to 
quality ; the highest tid obtained for rather ordinary 
arecas was 5s 6d per cwt. 
Halsam of Pebu.— Very scarce and high in price. Seven 
shillings a pound is the louest figure for good quality. 
One or two parcels are landing, but were too late for 
today's suctions. 
CISCHOXA.— Several recent arrivals of South American 
Hnancco bark, which has not bcin imported for many 
mcnths, were placed on sale today ; they numbered alto- 
gether S6 serons, the whole of which told with good com- 
petion at somewhat irregular and generally very bigh 
