Nov. 1, 1900. J THE TEOPiCAL AGRICULTURIST. 
THE SCIENTIFIC MANURING OF TEA. 
With reference to the discussion started by 
Mr. Talbot in the Colombo papers as to the ad- 
visability of using- sulphate of ammouia as a 
manure for tea, we learn that Dr. KoUer, of 
Messrs. Freudenberg & Co., had already re- 
ferred the matter to Professor Dr. Wagner, 
who is looked upon as one of the greatest 
authorities on scientific manuring. The fol- 
lowing is a copy of the reply received : — 
Darmstadt, 19th Sept., 1900. 
Agricultural Research Station for the Grand- 
duchy of Hesse, Director, Professor Dr. Paul 
Wagner, Privy Councillor to Dr. P. W. KoUer, 
Colombo. 
My Dear Doctor,— It is a moot point, whether 
preference should be given to Sulphate of Am- 
monia over Nitrate of Soda or preference 
to Nitrate of Soda over Sulphate of Ammo- 
nia. About a year ago at the instance of 
the " Deutsche Landwritschafts Gesellschaft "— 
a number of German Research Stations agreed 
upon thoroughly investigating this question by 
means of extensive experiments. ' At Darmstadt 
too this question has had our closest attention 
Our experience tends to prove that ontheavei- 
age— theeflBcacy of Saltpetre-Nitrogen is not quite 
equalled by a like amount of Ammonia-Nitro- 
gen. There are however conditions in which 
preference is to be given to the Ammonia salts 
over Saltpetre ; this is especially the case with a 
soil, light and permeable in which the Saltpetre- 
Nitrogen will be drained away very heavily during 
the rains. Also where no immediate return is 
looked for from the application of Ammonia salts 
should be given the preference. 
Our experience is that if as you say there is a 
marked deficiency in lime (or if in sprirg the 
weather continues to be cold and consequently 
the Ammonia does not act quickly enough) the 
crop will be smaller than if Saltpetre-Nitrogen 
had been applied. However, i£ care is taken that 
the soil has a sufficient supply of lime there 
need be no fear of the Ammonia acting too slowly ; 
for under the climate conditions prevailing in 
Ceylon a delay in the nitrification of the Ammonia 
is impossible to occur. 
Experiments with tea plants we have been 
unable to make, but on the other hand we have 
no evidence to show that Sulphate of Ammonia 
should have a lesser ett'ect on certain species 
of plants than on others. I cannot, tlierefore, con- 
cur with the view that there are positive reasons 
for deprecating the use of Sulphate of Ammonia 
as a manure for tea culture. — Yours faithfully. 
Signed) WAGNER. 
We learn further from Dr. Koller that to 
those manure mixtures, of which sulphate 
of ammonia forms a part, the necessary 
amount of lime is always added by basic slag, 
sulphate of lime or coral lime, to replace 
the quantity of lime in the soil used up by the 
sulphate of ammonia.— Since writing the 
above, Mr. Melville White's letter has come 
to hand confirming the use of lime in Ceylon 
along with sulphate of ammonia for tea, 
and also that twelve years' actual experience 
has shewn no bad results. 
COCHIN COCONUT OIL TRADE. 
The Cochin Argus of the 6th inst. says: — 
Both uiilleis and speculators have been evinc- 
ing a desire to sell forward, and a good 
business has thereupon resulted. We quote to- 
day 1189/8 for prompt and R88/8 for one to four 
months' forward delivery per candy. 
THE TEA INDUSTRY OF INDIA. 
THE SERIOUS FALL IN PRICES 
which has been brought about by excessive pro- 
duction lias checlved the openiiij; up of more 
ground iu this and other countries for the cultiva- 
tion of the commodity, but, as ic is, India has 
about half a million of acres under tea (or 82 per 
cent more than in 1885), which yield about 160 
nidlions of lb. in an average year (or 161 per cent 
more than in 1885). The totals of the production 
ot tea in other supplying countries are nob accur- 
ately known, but, as showing the great changes 
that have come over the sources of supply within 
a short period, the following table of importations 
into the United Kingdom, which appears in the 
Moral and Material Progress of India report, is 
instructive : — 
Year. From China. From India. From[Ceylon. 
186.5 93 per cent. 2 per cent. 0 per cent. 
1875 86 do 13 do 0 do 
1885 66 do 30 do 2 do 
1895 16 do 46 do 32 do 
1898 10 do 52 do 36 do 
1899 12 do 50 do 35 do 
From this it appears that in the thirty-three 
years, 1865 to 1898, the imports from China fell 
off as much as 83 per cent ; that in the thirty- 
four years, 1865 to 1899, the imports from India 
mcreased 48 per cent ; and that in the fourteen 
years, 1885 to 1899, the imports from Ceylon 
increased 33 per cent. Had it not been for the 
great success that rewarded the tea industry in 
Ceylon it is probable that Indian tea would now 
be almost as paramount in the British market as 
China tea was in 1865. But Ceylou, urged by the 
failure of coffee, took a leaf out of India's book, 
and now seems determined to keep, and even 
improve upon it. For the present, China has 
practically retired from the field of competition 
in Western Europe and America,' but she still 
grows nnich tea for her own and for Russian 
consumption ; and, given the opportunity, she is 
still capable of adding enormously to the supply 
of tea for the use of her former customers in 
foreign parts. She has not yet, apparently, dis- 
covered the method for placing in distant markets 
teas of delicate flavour, and careful manufacture, 
at comparatively moderate prices, and until she 
does this the coarser ,teas of India and Ceylon 
will continue to be preferred by the ordinary 
consumer of the cheering beverage. 
This, however, is pretty certain, that as no one 
who was counted wise in regard to tea in 1865 
could have had a ghost of an idea of the extraor- 
dinary changes in the course of the trade that 
would be brought about before the century came 
to an end, so no one who is prudent would venture 
on the prediction that the proportions of the sour- 
ces of supply will remain as they now are for many 
years to come. Most sincerely do we hope that 
India will not only retain, but will tighten her 
grip upon the tea trade of the world. But India's 
hold of the trade is not so secure that she can afford 
to take it easy, or dare to be indifferent to the 
tastes and prejudices of consumers. If. as she may 
well be, she is ambitious in respect of tea to live to 
please, she must bear in mind that she must please 
to live. Her consumption of tea is small as com- 
pared with her population ; but the taste for tea 
• No— not yet from America, to which 31i million 
lb, China tea^have gone up to Sept. 28th, this season, 
against only 19J million lb, to same date last sea- 
Bon.— Bd. T.A. 
