544 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[Feb. 1, 190L 
larger it is supported the better, that will 
convince British teti-grov/ers of the necessity 
for concerted action, for the common good, 
IS most desirable. 
Such an agitation would also sustain our 
right to relief, in reduction of the Home 
Tea Duty, and in Oeylon, of surplus re- 
venues i.e, of railway lates, of upkeep of 
grant-in-aid roads, &c., &c. 
AVere finer pluclcing generally adopted, the 
higher cost of production, consequent on a 
lower yield, would partly equalize the pos- 
sible extra profit per acre. Supposing, how- 
ever, a glut of fine teas on our markets, 
prices for such would certainly come toppling 
down and further minimise such looked for 
l)rofit. Nonconforming membei's to a general 
scheme would then score heavily by supply- 
ing the demand for common teas. 
High estates should now at least, with 
advantage to themselves, be able to adopt 
a policy of liner plucking. Medium to low 
estates, where teas with any special point 
cannot be turned out, would not, I believe, 
secure any much better price by plucking 
finer. It would be insufficient to compensate 
for the loss in yield and the extra cost. In 
other words, finer plucking, is not I think 
a remedy for the bulk of Ceylon. 
Green tea manufacture ajjpears to me to 
be the present solution to tliis very difficult 
problem. The development of the green tea 
market is what we should devote our en- 
ergies to. I would suggest that approximate 
statistics be obtained and a, tabulateci state- 
ment be published of the green tea con- 
^ sumption of the world: 1, time of country, 
:amount of consumption. At present supplied 
by. 2, Standard samples, methods of manu- 
facture of such. Pj'ices, equivalents in ster- 
ling, &c. 3. Freights, dues, duties, &c., and 
any other information which would lead 
Ceylon and Indian men to see the possible 
scope that may exist for an invasion of the 
green tea market. This, however, would 
take time to accomplish. It does not alford 
any immediate relief. 
My experience of " resting " a certain pro- 
portion of an estate would lead nie to expect 
a subsequent increased yield. Supposing a 
10th of our acreage were rested for twelve 
months, then brought into bearing, another 
10th in the following year and so ad infi- 
nitum, the result in the third year and on 
would 1 believe be an increased yield and 
the last state of the colony would then be 
worse than the present. Estates would cer- 
: tainly rest their weakest tea first. Would 
' then the reduction in supply amount to 15 
or 20 million lb. ? and would such curtail- 
ment, by India and Ceylon combined, ensure 
a sullicient, comj^ensating rise in price ? 
But Mr. Rosling suggests, as a palliative 
only, an absolute rest of ten per cent of an 
acreage for two years, to enable us to tide 
over our ])resent difficulties by curtailing 
wupply. Tliis is oiily i)ossiI)lc, as he says, 
with the "full supjiort of India." How to 
ensure unanimity aii;l a sense of honour in 
Bitch support ia the question. 
Jl. K, U. 
11. 
Hiralonvah, Haldummulla, Jan. 2. 
Drar Sir, — I was very glad to see in your 
])a|)er of 31st, how enei'getically the subject 
of over-production was being taken up, 
and that the remedy I suggested in my 
letter to your paper dated June 29th. 
"That all planters should not pluck from 
a certain acreage each year, say one-eighth 
or vv'hatever amount would be considered 
best, so as to reduce export by 13 million 
pounds or so," — is considered the best method 
of impi'oving our position. A tenth will no 
doubt be l)etter than one-eighth and I ho]>e Mr. 
Rosling will be well supported in his scheme 
by all proprietors and agents. I should think 
the Indian Planteis would be only too ready 
to join a jjlan, so certain to he of benefit 
to the majority of them, especially when 
we can show them that we in Ceylon are 
practically unanimous. 
The only pity is, that it was not begun 
earlier.- Your faithfully, H. H. KIRBY. 
III. 
Dear Sir, — I am very glad to see by letters 
in Observer lately, that the Chairman Parent 
P. A, has taken up the suggestion I made 
in June last, in mine to you ; only, as stated 
befoi'e, there must be some inducement, such 
as a refund of the individual estates contri- 
bution towards the tea cess, t.e. pay back the 
10 ct. per 100 lb. or say for an estate pro- 
ducing 100,000 lb. tea pay the proprietor who 
stops plucking 10 per cent of his average 
in bearing, RlOO per annum, which would 
Ijractically cover half cost of weeding that 
portion of the estate resting. What would 
that leave ovxr American Commissioner? Not 
nnich, I fear ; but, if we raise prices by my 
suggestion it would pay us— if India will only 
join — to increase the cess so as to keep our 
good friend W Mck. going. Either that, or 
reduce his advertieiug bill for a couple of 
j'ears and get him to push his own hobby, 
Ceylon Green Teas.— Yours faithfully, 
SYN AR DY HUN. 
P S. — How nuich longer are we to keep on 
adv^ertising in America in the face of an 
actual falling-off in the consumption of our 
teas there ? 
IV. 
Jan. 3, 
Dear Sir, — Mr. Rosling's letter is good, but 
he should, when he went in for yearly 
letting slide one- tenth of tea area, have gone 
further and written one-fourth. One-tenth 
will not make sufficient impression. One- 
fourth would at once establish a large reduc- 
tion and bring the buyers to their senses. 
India has been too hard hit in 1900, to go in 
for coarse plucking again, and no increase of 
tea area would arise, as capitalists would 
know Ceylon had the one fourth of her area up 
her sleeve as it were, to pour in extra- tea three 
months after pruning down their area al- 
lowed to go fallow. 
The cornering crew will, of course, object to 
Mr. Rosling's views as their wish is to let the 
weak go to the wall ; a most cruel and 
abominable course to _ pursue either as 
against India or Ceylon. Why should not 
