240 
THE TROriCAL AGRICULTURIST. (Oct. 1, 189C'. 
plication here. He draws a distinction be- 
tween the cultivation and the manufacture of 
Tea; and while admitting that the problems on 
which he had been previously consulted, touch- 
ing blights and pests, are connected with cul- 
tivation, he points out that it would be vain 
to expect the officer proposed to be employed 
to deal with those problems, to be 'able to 
advise as an expert on all questions relating 
to Teas. Even in respect ot pests and tungal 
blights, Entomology and Mycology are two 
widely ditt'erent studies ; and it is almost 
impossible that a Biologist could be an ex- 
pert in both branches, though he may con- 
duct useful investigations in both. But Dr. 
Watt regards it as contrary to all experi- 
ence that a Biologist could be an expert 
chemist at the same time, and he proceeds 
to refer to our own proceedings in the fol- 
lowing terins : — 
Some few years aso the Association broufiiit 
to India a cheuiist (Mi-. Bamber): and he furnished 
a report \\ hich no doubt most of the nieuibei-s 
of the Association have read. Its practical value 
is therefore, a point I need not deal with. At 
the present uiomeut the Ceylon planters have 
engaged Mr. Bamber as chemist, but they have 
secured also the services of Mr. E. E. Green, an 
entomologist of the very highest European repute. 
Mr. Green is himself a tea" planter of many years' 
experience, but has consented to become Govern- 
ment Entomologist mainly with the view to 
devote his entire energies to the investigation 
of the pests of tlie tea plant. With a chemist and 
entomologist at work, Ueylon may reasonably 
hope to make some progress, but I do not look 
with nuich favom- to a scheme that would secure 
one officer, in the hope that he would be an 
expert on every scientific problem of tea planting. 
I should, therefore, recommend the Association 
to "carefully consider whether they want a chemist 
or biologist as the first and inbst important con- 
sideration. 
The action of the Government there having 
been inspired by the local Association, Dr. 
Watt approves " of its action, subject to the 
foregoing qualifications ; and while appreciat- 
ing the desire of those engaged in the Tea 
Industry to discover remedies for pests and 
blights, to cultivate the bush to the ))est 
advantage, and to perfect the methods of 
manufacture, he declares that he knows " no 
industry of a similar magnitude wliere em- 
piricism is allowed to have such linutless 
sway." These iire sf^i'ong AS'ords ; but do they 
"■o beyond the truth ? it is easy to blame 
the Government here for inaction ; but it 
was not so long ago that our " preachings," 
on the need of calling science to the aid of 
cultivation and manufacture— to decide on 
t^he choice of manures and to study the 
chemical changes which the leaf underwent 
from the plucking to pacliiing— were regarded 
as mere vapouring. And Dr. Vva;t justifies 
his language by reference to a former Rejiort, 
in which he gave instances of the diametri- 
cally opposite views held by " well-informed 
and successfid planters on almost every as- 
pect of the industry." It is only " the im- 
mense capabilities and vast powers of en- 
durance of the plant" which have been the 
safe'^uard of planters, as their conflicting 
. opimons might both be wide of the mark 
and the profits obtained be far short of 
what they should be. Holding, as he does, 
that the limit to the blindfold trusting in 
Px'ovidence and to the endurance of the 
plant, is not very remote, he declares that 
there is scope, " not for one scientific expert 
for a few years, but for half a dozen for a 
life time." These are words the truth of 
which our Government should recognise not 
only in connection with the immediate de- 
mands of the Planting Community, but 
also in connection with the project of a 
Department of Agriculture, or a Board, which 
is under inciuiry by a Commission. Dr. Watt's 
advice is that, if funds will not permit of 
the whole cjfuestion being dealt with, the 
Association should decide whether it want.s 
(a) a Biologist tf) inquire into pests, {b) an 
Agriculturist to inquire into cultivation, or 
(c) a Chemist to suggest improvement.s in 
manufacture. Tliese are precisely the dejjart- 
ments in which knowledge and help are 
needed here ; and it beiioves the Government 
to consider the ((ucstion, not merely l)y the 
liglit of the innnediate present but as one 
intimately connected with the maintenance 
and extension of an industry on whicli the 
in-ogi-e&s in pj'osperity of tiie Island so largely 
depends. 
In this connection we may call attention 
to the very encouraging report of the Superin- 
tendent of the Agricultural School, the 
bulk of which we rei)roduce elsewhere. 
China Tea not popular in Amerca.— An 
interesting repo' t of Mr.JConsular-General Brenan 
has j.ust been jiublislied by the Foreign Office. 
He says that the Ping-suey teas weie the purest 
and best that have been brought to njaiket for 
thirty years, and yet they met wiili a poor 
reception in America. This is partly attributed 
to the aljseuce of colouring niatter, which caused 
the leaf to be unattractive to tlie eye. Seeing 
that the tea is only wanted for making an infusion, 
and not for putting on tlie table in the shape of 
leaf, it i^ .strange that consumers do not prefer 
to have the pure uncoloured leaf as it i.s used by 
the (/liinese themselves. Colouring enables the 
tea curers to hide defects which would otherwise 
be exposeil. The crop was 80,000 half-chests 
against 112,000 half-chests last eason. 
Tea Plantinx; in the United States.— 
Here are further particulars from the American 
Grocer, regarding a subject which we treated edi- 
torially quite recently :— The Secretary of Agri- 
culture is following in the foot-steps of former 
Commissioner Le Due, in furthering tea planting 
in the Southern States. Secretary Wilson re- 
gards a domestic tea industry as one of the 
hopeful problems of the day, if, indeed, it has 
not been demonstrated to be a success already. 
From the specimens sent to the Department 
of Agriculture, he is induced to believe that the 
plant can be produced at a profit in the United 
States, and to this end he is prepared to use his 
oest effons. Fourteen thousand tea plants have 
been secured and sent to the South in continu- 
aUon of the experiments started by General Le 
Due several years ago, when the bibour ques- 
tion was the dillicult prol)leni to solve. Since 
then machinery has come into use for the pre- 
paration of the leaf for market, but there still 
remaias the question of labour for picking. 
In Ctylon and India, [tickers receive afew cents 
per day an<l it is doubtful if tea planting in 
this country can be made a profitable industry 
until labour is as cheap as in China and otbev tea 
growing countries. 
