708 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST 
("May  i,  1893. 
SCIENTIFIC  INVESTIGATIONS  TOUCH- 
ING THE  CULTIVATION  OF  TEA. 
Hatton,  April  3rd. 
Dear  Sir, — I have  marked  with  pleasure  the 
passage  of  the  resolution  of  the  Dimbula  planters 
in  the  above  connection.  We  have  lately  heard  a 
great  many  complaints  respecting  the  falling  off  in 
quality  of  Ceylon  tea.  Many  will  not  admit  this, 
and  suoh  may  have  been  their  experience,  but  as 
far  as  I have  been  able  to  observe.  I have  noted 
that  1 have  obtained  more  aromatio  and  nicer 
flavoured  teas  from  trees  whioh  have  aged  from 
8 to  10  years  than  from  trees  aged  beyond  the 
period  named,  Especially  so  has  this  been  the 
casein  new  land.  This  deoay,  we  can  only  attribute 
to  the  exhaustion  of  some  material  in  the  soil  which 
supplied  this  fine  flavour.  We  have  noted  further, 
that  there  are  certain  tea  estates  in  Ceylon,  which 
produoe  a very  finely  flavoured  tea,  but  at  present 
are  unable  to  determine  whether  this  result  oomes 
about  through  the  tea  being  grown  in  better  soil 
or  at  a higher  altitude  or  both.  Portswood  for 
instanoe  and  some  other  estates  at  higher  altitudes 
must  contain  some  property  in  the  soil  whioh  im- 
parts suoh  fine  flavour  to  the  leaf  grown  on  these 
estates,  and  the  matter  to  determine  is,  whether 
or  not  a man  of  soienoe  could  tell  us  what  properties 
those  soils  oontain,  that  others  do  not  possess  ; and 
having  found  out  the  characteristic  that  they 
possess  and  that  poor  estates  laok  proprietors  will 
at  once  (if  possible)  supply  the  needful  nourish- 
ment and  improve  the  quality  of  their  teas.  A 
field  of  tea  was  manured  on  Strathdon  ; and  it  is 
stated  by  the  manager  (Mr.  Blaoklaw)  that  the, 
yield  was  greatly  inoreaeed,  but  what  is  more  sig- 
nificant, that  the  teas  had  a very  peculiar  flavour, 
which  was  not  relished,  so  if  manuring  can  bring 
about  suoh  a result,  is  it  not  possible  that  some 
other  kind  of  manure  (containing  more  of  the  pro- 
perties of  the  soil  of  the  estates  whioh  obtain  good 
yields  and  good  prices)  could  be  supplied,  and  the 
same  favourable  results  obtained.  If  such  were 
possible,  we  should  not  only  double  the  value  of 
poorish  properties,  but  would  maintain  the  high 
opinion  formed  in  the  Lane,  as  to  the  excellence 
of  our  teas.  The  process  of  manufacture  of  our 
teas  calls  for  investigation  also,  and  we  oould  not 
do  better  than  undertake  to  solve  both  matters  at 
the  same  time.  The  brewing  of  beer  has  been 
brought  within  a scientific  sphere  ; and  seeing  that 
tea  undergoes  a process  something  similar  to  hops, 
there  iB  no  reason  to  think  otherwise  than  that 
tea  manufacture  could  be  brought  within  the 
same  sphere  and  results  infinitely  better. — Yours 
truly,  W.  A.  T. 
PERTINENT  QUERIES  FOR  TEA 
ESTIMATORS. 
Upcountry,  April  1. 
Dear  Sib, — Your  Overland  of  March  30th  gives 
an  export  of  over  4 miilion  lb.  of  tea  more  than 
last  season  at  same  date.  The  rainfall  here  to 
date  is  30  inches,  having  fallen  on  43  days,  this 
is  ahead  of  last  year  by  10  inches  falling  on 
exactly  the  same  number  of  days  43.  Last  year 
we  were  told  our  outturn  of  tea  was  Bhort,  owing 
to  the  want  of  sun-heat  and  too  much  ram.  How 
are  we  now  going  to  account  for  the  excess  l— 
another  obanoe  for  the  P.  A. -Yours  truly, 
AN  OLD  COFFEE  STUMP. 
BRITISH  NORTH  BORNEO. 
Kandy,  April  3rd. 
Dear  Sir,— Incorrect  reports  having  got  about, 
I have  been  requested  to  give  publicity  to  the 
following  facts  regarding  reductions  of  the  Staff 
there-  The  total  number  of  Officers  who  have  left 
amount  to  four,  viz.  three  from  Sandakan  and  one 
from  the  West  Coast.  Of  these  one  went  home 
on  leave  and  may  or  may  not  return.  A second 
resigned  the  servioe  so  that  there  are  only  two 
remaining  officers  to  make  up  the  socalled  re- 
ductions. The  tobacco  orop  for  1892  will  be 
shipped  shortly  ; it  is  reported  as  satisfactory  in 
almost  every  district.  Attention  is  now  being  drawn 
to  planting  it  by  natives.  Mr.  Cottah,  an  ex- 
perienced planter,  is  about  to  start  operations  on 
the  Sabah  river.  Much  attention  is  drawn  to 
Liberian  Coffee  and  Manila  Hemp  and  both  of 
these  valuable  produots  promise  a valuable  return 
to  the  investor. 
British  North  Borneo  expects  shortly  to  be  placed 
in  telegraphio  communication  with  Singapore  and 
Europe,  the  Eastern  Extension  Telegraphio  Co. 
having  undertaken  to  lay  down  a oable  from 
Singapore  to  Manila  touching  at  Labuan  from 
where  a land  line  oan  be  made  to  Sandakan. 
Labuan  and  North  Borneo  have  just  been 
visited  by  Admiral  Sir  Edmond  Freemantle  with 
H.M.S.  Impereuse  and  Archer. 
The  settlement  of  the  Dutch  Boundary  question 
has  enabled  the  Government  to  open  a new 
Station  at  Tawar  whioh  is  attracting  much  atten- 
tion and  already  applications  are  being  made  for 
town  lots  and  village  sites. 
W.  D.  GIBBON,  Agent. 
THE  ACCLIMATISATION  OF  TROUT. 
Sir,— May  I,  through  your  columns,  inform  those 
who  are  interested  in  the  acclimatisation  of  trout 
how  the  matter  stands  at  present,  and  in  doing  so, 
reply  to  numerous  letters  addressed  to  me  on 
the  subject. 
The  first  experiments  in  trout-breediDg  were  made 
in  1880  by  the  late  Mr.  H.  L.  Hubbard,  of  St. 
John’s,  Udapussellawa,  who  was  greatly  interested 
in  the  subject,  and  to  his  efforts  is  due  the  know- 
ledge that  trout  could  be  easily  reared  in  Ceylon 
waters.  He  was  assisted  by  Mr.  Le  Mesurier  and 
Mr.  Hearn,  but  no  reoord,  so  far  as  I oan  learn,  was 
kept  by  him  of  the  number  of  ova  imported.  About 
twenty  fish  were  turned  into  the  Nuwara  Eliya 
stream  in  1882  by  Mr.  Hubbard,  and  he  continued 
to  import  ova,  but  I cannot  learn  the  results  of  his 
later  experiments. 
In  1886  Mr.  Hubbard’s  efforts  were  energetically 
and  successfully  followed  up  by  Mr.  C.  J.  R.  Le 
Mesurier,  then  Assistant  Government  Agent  of 
Nuwara  Eliya,  who,  as  Chairman  of  the  Local 
Board,  invited  public  support,  and  began  operations 
on  a larger  scale.  In  1886  and  1888  the  public 
subscribed  liberally,  and  an  equal  amount  was 
contributed  by  the  Local  Board,  making  a total 
of  considerably  over  B.3,000. 
Ova  were  imported  in  1886,  1887,  1888,  and  1890, 
but  it  is  to  be  regretted  that  no  record  was  kept 
of  the  results,  nor  of  the  localities  in  which  trout 
fry  were  turned  out-  I believe  that  several  streams 
were  stocked  by  others,  Mr.  Wilson  of  Drayton, 
especially,  besides  the  lake  and  river  in  Nuwara 
Eliya  ; but  the  trout  seem  to  have  entirely  disap- 
peared frtm  them.  Mr.  Le  Mesurier  devoted  a 
great  deal  of  care  and  attention  to  attempts  at 
artificial  spawning ; but  without  success.  In  1890 
anti  1891  hardly  any  fry  were  turned  out,  and 
