Oct. 1, 1902.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
than in the open air. especially if there is any winil. 
The tiny seedlings will appear in from two to four 
day^:, nnd the hessian may remain lying upon them 
for two or three days longer, or until the plants show 
eigna of stretching — their stems lengthening out as 
they reach upward for more light. Stretching must 
Dot be permitted, as it greatly weakens the plints. 
The hessian must be raised about 8 in. or 4 in., rest- 
ing on poles or cross-sticks for support. Prom this 
period on the bed of young plants should have ft 
plenty of light and moisture, and should be covered 
only at night for protection from cold and frost, 
and during the heat of the day for protection from 
a very hot sun. To nourish and hasten the growth 
of plants liquid manure should be med — a very 
weak solution at flist when ihe plants ate young 
and tender, and of greater and greater strength as 
they grow larger and become more hardy- Very 
strong liquid manure should never be used, however. 
The beginner is apt to make it too strong. Gocd 
barnyard or stable manure, well lotted, is the prop r 
mileiial. Soak it in water, s'.rain and dilute with 
water wiih jadgment, being c ireful to err, if at all 
CD the safe aide by making the ajlntion too weak rather 
than too stror.g. 
pr'jTkct the plant?. 
Beds of tobacco plants should by all means be pro- 
tected from the wind, especially dry, hot «indp. So, 
protected thsy will grow much more rapidly and per- 
fectly, and should become snflicien'ly developed for 
transplanting in about eiKht weeks from the time the 
Beed is sown. For avoiding the wind there is no 
better plan than boxing in the bed with boards, and it 
is not a bad plan to have the bed in a pit its top about 
12 in. or 18 in. below the surface, in which case care 
must be taken that water does not flow into it dur- 
ing heavy lains. In the woods far removed from the 
fields of cultivation, near a river or creek, is the best 
place for the plant-beds, looking to the avoidance of 
fungus diseases and dtstructive insects that may infest 
the farm premioes, and to a c Jnstant supply of water. — 
Auslraht iaii. 
THE FORMOSA TEA INDUSTRY. 
2Icinorandum on the Tea Indmlry of ^ 
the Island of Fonnom. 
BV THE liRITISU CONSUL AT AMOY, 
The following notes have been drawn np from 
personal knowledge supplemented by information 
fui-nished by the Japanese authorities. Attached 
hereto will be found a pamphlet* issued by the 
Formosa Government which wjII be of interest, and 
will, it is hoped, assist to a clear understanding of 
the tea industry. 
• The pamphlet may be seen by those interested at 
the Chamb r of Uomni'^rce. 
With rega'd to the Export of tea from this Island, 
the " season " does not coincide with the twelve 
months' returns from January tj December of the 
Customs tab'es, and an extract has therefore been 
made (see btlow) for the sake of compurison from 
both the Customs returns and the Consular reports 
on the season's yield for the last five years and 
seasons, dating from 1897, when the Island was still 
Buffering from the effects of disturbances consequent 
on the Japanese annexation. 
Export of Tea, 1897-1901, extracted from the Japanese 
Cuttoins Iteturn, 
Year. 
Oolong. 
PoNCEoxG. Total 
Qnantity. Value. Quantity. Va'ne. Value, 
lb. i; lb. i; £ 
1897 ... 17,857,438 651, .583 2,11.5,152 46,794 701,.^77 
lb98 ... 17,422,631 56y,6S4 2,704.185 ;.2,U73 e22,a57 
1899 ... — 549,834 2,918,277 6(1,812 610,646 
lUUO ... — 496,103 3,303,497 67,038 563,141 
190' ... — 353,411 2,920,228 52,610 436,021 
Return of Season's Yields ISOT-TJO'-i from Consular 
Ileports. 
Exported to Expouti'd to 
Season, j,^p^j,_ Total. 
Half-chests. Ualf-chesls. Half-chests, 
1397--1898 ... 484,061 — 4S4,'i6l 
1898- 1899 ... 421,271 — 421,271 
1899- 1900 ... 377,848 32,.502 410,3.30 
1900- 1901 ... 359,000 39,000 3; 8,000 
1901- 19U2 ... 338,5(10 64, .500 4113,000 
Especially worthy of notice, apart from the steady 
decrease, up to last year, in quantity and value of 
this Export, i< the growing trade via Kelung to 
Kobe for further shipment to the United St.ites at 
the expense of the Auioy trade during the last three 
seasons. The inclination of the Japanese authorities 
is naturally .tU for the development of the Export 
Oi tbis staple to their own country, and it receives 
e.'ery encouragement from them in that direction, iu 
respect of harbour de\elopmeut at Kclung and by 
means of i re.'orential duties tr hirbour dues. The 
Oolong teas are the final qualify of teas produced 
here and are destined for tho Am^ricaa .anu Ljudoa 
markets, whilst the Poiichong tea, which is, both as 
regards miuufacture and export, in N'.tive Chinese 
hands, is sent for consumption to the mainland aud 
the Straits Stt.l luents. 'This latter tea is highly 
scented by means of the blossoms of certain fragrant 
fiowers — among them being tho»e of the gardinea, 
tlie Tchu-lan (aglaia odoiata, Lour.) ana iiiagm 
(Jasminun Srmbac), but the Oolong teas are not 
dependent or any adventitious aid for their aroma. 
The following notes on the preparation of tea have 
to do solely with Oolong leaf. It will be understood 
that the leaf goes through two cour.s^s of prepara- 
tion, one at the hands of the cultivator or planter, 
and the other by the tea-merchant at Twatntia 
(Jap. Daidotei) the local tea miriiet anl export centre, 
where the leaf purchased from the planter or broker 
undergoes another firing, and, after sorting, ia put 
up in chests fcr shipment toAmo/or K.b.-. It wiii 
ba noticed that no kind of machinery ia used m the 
manufacture, the entire process being carried out by 
hand with the aid of very priin.ti.e utensils, made 
pnnoipally of split bamboo in diflcieut forms, which, 
however, seem admiraOly adapted to the end desired. 
The wood used for chests is impoitjd from the main- 
land ready cut into small pieces of standard size 
suitable for building up tlie boxes. The lead foil 
with wliioh the boxes aie lined la made by hand, 
beiog pressed when in a molten state between largo 
tiles, and then cut to measure locally, the lead use 
for the purpose being imported in pig form from 
Australia. The districts under tea cultivation in 
this Island lie between Eat. 24°N. and Lat. i'5°10'N., 
extending from Taichiu and Shuka in the South, 
and Kelung and Kiiupaoli in the JSlorth ; the interven- 
ing oouitiy bei gone almostcojtinuous8tretchofh.il 
ana uplands, 'xne parts most famous for tea are 
the hills aud uplands on both banks of the Tokoham 
and Kelung rivers, whilst of these tracts the locality 
which yields the choicest leaf of the whole Island 
is Paichipo, the upland country around the eastern 
extremity of the Tukoham river. 
The table belovv gives the names of the principal 
proluciug centres and the respective areas under tea- 
cultivation : — 
Prices of all commodities anl conseqnently of 
labour have risen year by year since tue annexa- 
tion of the Island to Japan. Bice in paiticnlar h«8 
gone up in value to an extraordinary degree, and 
great uistress has generally been felt iu consequence. 
The expense of such industries as the nianuiacture 
of tea have experienced an increa.ie of tally (io per 
cent iu ten years, or an average of G per cent per 
annum. The following is an estimate ol the expense 
entailed in the preliminary manufacture of tea for 
delivery to the tea-merchant; taking 100 cat(ies of 
tea as the unit (1 cattj — 1-33 Ib-j 
