Oct. i, 1894.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 271 
MANURING TEA AND ITS EFFECT ON 
"FLAVOUR 7 ' AND PRICES. 
The question was aekad in our columns a few 
weeks ago as to whether manure affected the 
flavour o£ the resulting flu-h or rather of the 
manufactured lea and so led to a reduotion in 
pi ice ? We called for the experience of some of 
our older tea planters and the outaoma of inquiry 
and ot much information which has reaohed us, 
is, we ace glad to say, or. tea whole, adverse to 
the opinion that judieious manuring need affeot 
the quality or prica of tea. 
The queslion is a very old one and was raised 
and answered by Colonel Money in hi3 original 
Prize Essay on Tea Cultivation. From tha revised 
edition of his book, we quote as follows : — 
An idea existed formerly — got, I believe, from 
stray Chinamen, who I don't think knew much 
about tea in any way— that manure, though it in- 
creased the yield, spoilt the flavour of tea. The 
idea is opposed to all agricultural knowledge, for 
high cultivation, which in no case can be carried 
out to perfection without manure, much improves 
the strength and flavour of all edibles, the pro- 
duct of mother earth. My first experience of manure 
to the tea plant was obtained in the Chittagong 
district from a small garden close to the station, 
which has been for some years highly manured. I 
was struck with the frequency and abundance of 
the flushes and the strength and flavour of the 
tea. My high opinion of the tea was later borne 
out by the Calcutta brokers. I allude to the 
" Pioneer " garden, close to the Chittagong station. 
During the best tea months flush succeeded flush 
at intervals of leas than a week, while eight to 
ten maunds (610 to 800 lb.) was the yearly yield 
per acre ! The soil was very sandy and poor. 
After-experience showed me that manuring nearly 
doubles the yield of planis, and that so far from 
injuring the flavour of tea it improves it, while 
it adds greatly to the strength. I shall therefore, 
beg the question that manure is an advantage. If 
any planter doubts, let him try it, and his doubts 
will soon be solved. Any manure is better than 
none, but I believe one of the best manures for the 
tea plant (always excepting night-soil and the 
excrements of birds, which cannot be procured) is 
cattle manure. It is not heating, like horse-dung, 
and may be applied in large quantities without 
any risk. The fresher it is applied, in my opinion, 
the batter, for it has then far more power. If 
mixed with any vegetable refuse, the bulk being 
increased, it will go further, but I do not think 
it is intrinsically any the better for it. Tuere 
are several chemical manures advertised for tea 
plants, All garden reluse shoulu be regarded as 
manure aud buried between the plants. I allude 
to the prunings of the bushes and the weeds at 
all times from the land. To carry these off the 
ground, as I have sometimes seen done, is simply 
taking off so much strength from the soil. The 
greener, too, all this is buried the better. When 
it is considered how much is taken from the tea 
plant, it is evident the soil will be exhausted, 
soonsr or later, if bo means are adopted to repair 
the waste. Where manureoannot be got the waste 
mast be made up, as far as possible, by return- 
ing all other growth to the soil. Put manure 
should be got if possible, for it will double the 
yield of a garden ; and highly concentrated chemical 
rnauures will, I am sure, be eventually much used 
on tea gardens, 
From the abovo it will be seen that cattle 
maut.ro is specially reoommendud ; and yet, cu- 
riously enough, this is just one cf the manures 
that ouo experienced Ceylon piu^'.er thinks may — 
at leant for a time— affeot the quality of the leaf ; 
while, bones aud oaeior-oake judioiousiy applied , 
ehouM not. A certain proportion of fish mauure J 
in fugo a favourite application. One case that I 
H 
reeurs to us in the earlier years of tea in Ceylon 
is that of plantations at a medium elevation, above 
3,000 feet, where the commencement of manuring 
seemed to have a distinctly adverse effect cn the 
avejage prices of tea under the eptates' mark. On 
tha pther hand, we hava several groups in which 
manuring has now been systematically kept up 
for a number of years with most satisfactory results 
both in respect of quantity and quality. There ia 
r;o need that we should mention namss or par- 
ticularize more than to point to a well-known case 
ia Matalc where old coffea estates have been so 
deilt with— to the wondetful illustration Afforded 
near Gampola — and to prominent Dimbula planta- 
tions under very experienced management, where 
the prices saoueed are ilways above the average, 
and the crops, we believe, v-.ry satisfactory in 
quantity owing in no small degree, to judioioua 
and systematic manuring. 

THE AMERICAN TEA CAMPAIGN. 
THE SCHEME OF A CANDIDATE. 
We have seen the application of one of the candi- 
dates for the post of Ceylon representative in America 
— a gentleman of scientific education and experience 
as a leoturer, but employed in the island in a 
commercial capacity — from whioh we quote as 
follows : — 
PLAN OF WORK. 
Wholesale Dealers.— The wholesale dealers would 
be the first to whom I would direct my energies; 
and by interviewing them, showing samples, anil giving 
practioal scientific reason? for taking up our product, 
I would elicit their sympathy, and induce them to 
stock Ceylon teas, giving them every poss ble informs* 
tion as to where and how to buy. 
Rstail Dealers.— After gaining the sympathy of the 
large buyer, I would then turn my steps towards the 
retailer, and by all means in my power get hitn to go 
iu for selling our tsaB. I would assist him in adver- 
tising by means of circulars and, if thought necessary, 
a native servant or two. 
The Consumer next would come under my care, 
aud this would be done by means of lectures en 
various subjects relating to Ceylon and Ceylon taas. 
I would cultivate an interest in Ceylon among the 
working classes by connecting myself with their 
various friendly society aud trade organisations. At 
all my lectures I would distribute sample packets 
of tea along with ciroulars, on which the names and 
addresses of dealers in Ceylon teas would be clearly 
printed. I would make my leetures as interesting as 
pussible by means of lime-light pictures, models and 
practical experiments. 
The Mcdieal Profession.— As a means of creating a 
taste of Cay Ion teas, the Medical Profession would be 
oue of the most valuable sources of advertising. It 
only requires a few practical demonstrations to them 
of the value of pure ueylou teas as compared with the 
chemically faced ami impure article sj skilfully 
prepared by the Chinese. It should not take much time 
to convert the Americana from green teas, were it 
only brought prominently before the Medical Prrfea- 
sion as to the plan adopted by the Chinese to preserve 
the green appearance, and the dangers arising there- 
from. Much was said at borne by the medioal and 
public health authorities, about two years ago, with 
reference to green teas. The sime cau be sud about 
the greciitcai of , China and Japan', which are to a great 
oiteut prepared with sulphate of copper. Their b aok 
tea* are also ac'ed uuon with chemicals alter they have 
ha 1 the fket infusion for themselves. Suoh tacts as 
theso bruugot practical, y b- fore the Medical Profession 
would do nobln work, and also the insanitary condition 
of the Chinese pei p e nud factories. I would interview 
the leading medical men on this subject and also 
attend tiieu - society moaiogs aud bring the matttr as. 
promiaetttly before them as possible, 
