V 
May 1, 1900.] THE TEGPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 751 
every incentive to embark in the culti- 
vation. 
The sum of the matter in this. We 
must either return to our former automatic 
silver Currency, or India and Ceylon in- 
dustries must be protected by a Bounty, or 
they must steadily decline in consequence 
of the unfair competition to which they are 
now subjected. 
In conclusion I wouid warn planters that 
nothing can be got out of the Indian Govern- 
ment by a representation of planting 
interests. The Indian Government has de- 
clared war against those interests by its Cur- 
rency policy. For the blow it has struck 
at us, we have only one-third of a blow 
to deliver in return, and that is by stopping 
extensions, and throwing out of cultivation, 
or placing in an inferior state of cultivation, 
all but the best lands. This will reduce not 
only the wages, but very largely the num- 
bers of people employed. Such reduction 
in wages will gradually extend themselves 
to other Indian industries, so that the 
whole policy I advocate will hamper the 
Government permanently by increasing the 
cost of finances. Mr. Granville Acworth told 
the Currency Committee that the Govern- 
ment policy would have created a rebellion 
in any other country. Well we cannot 
rebel, but we must recognize the fact that 
the Government has declared war against 
us and that we must do our best to reta- 
liate in whatever way will at once best serve 
our own interests and inflict most injury 
on the Government. One thing at least is 
certain and that is that if we do not adopt 
some form of strike the Government will 
conclude that we are so well off that we 
could easily afford a one-shilling-and six 
penny, or even a one and eight-penny rate 
of exchange. — Obedientlv vours, 
ROBERT H. ELLIOT. 
TEA PRUNINGS— BURIED OR UN- 
BURIED. 
March 17. 
Dear Sir, —I see in a letter from Mr. E. 
Ernest Green, the Government Entomologist, 
in the March Tropical Agricidhtrist, that 
he thinks it possible that root disease in the tea 
trees at a high district may be induced by 
large accumulation of buried pruningn. 
What with " Old Hand" 's white ants and the 
chemical processes that occur in their stomachs 
after gorging on buried prunings and the 
attacks of mycelium fostered by said buried 
prunings, I think I will allow my prunings 
to lie unburied in futiire.— Yours truly, 
DUFFER, 
[A little quicklime added to the buried 
prunings would save trouble, as per the 
example of the experienced manager of 
"St. George," etc., Agras.— Ed. T.A.] 
TEA CROPS AND MANURING. 
No. T, 
Sir, — III looking thiougli your editorial (see 
page 697) which 'liscussed the sul>ject of niaiiininf.', 
— it struck me that the o])inioi)s you quote as 
to the after effect of manuring hardly seen logi- 
cal. One manures ; the vigour of bushes increases 
and the soil improves ; but we are told the after- 
efiects will be a falling-off in yield. It would he 
just as logical to say lliat children should not 
be fed on Meilins' and other artificial foods 
because the child would suiter afterwards. Again 
a deterioration of quality is spoken of, as the 
result of manures. Possibly were very stimulating 
manures used such might be the case, but this 
lies entirely with the Manager ; his eonmionsense 
—coupled witii tiie scientific knowledge we now 
have at our disposal should prevent such oc- 
carrinw. When tea is to be manured for 
the lirsb time, in many cases, increased yields 
are undesirable and in fact excepting whenever 
slimulaiing mixtures are used, nature sees to 
this and devotes her time to fostering and crea- 
ting the rootlets and frames so conspicuously 
absent, ere allowing her patients to start liie work 
of creating excessive foliage, I have ofcen thought 
that in many cases, money and time could be 
saved were manuring operations to be preceded 
by careful attention to bush and soil, 'reating 
the former to careful pruning ; bearing in mind 
the necessity of a healthy sound frame, free 
fron\ gnarly knots, etc., and sometimes a great 
change for the better would occur were the roots 
pruned as well. As for soil, an attempt 
should be made to improve its mechanical con- 
dition and increase organic matter, which 
can be done by prunings — burying, forkine and so 
forth, and in very steep places a small 
dose of some organic manure might be applied. 
Having done all one can in tliis way ; when 
the time came for manuring everything neces- 
sary for economical work would be at hand, 
instead of the manure lying idle (for want of 
the necessary chemical balance in soil-life in bush 
required to render it solublej and being .slowly 
washed out of the bushes' reach, a healthy growth 
would start at once. 
My personal experience of the effects of usine' 
a mixture containing some soluble matter — sul- 
phate of ammonia, etc. — in lields that liave 
been in a fairly healthy condition at the time 
of application, is that increase of yield has com- 
menced almost at once, accoinpanie I by marked 
improvement in vigour of bushes. In one field 
particularly, I made repeated tests — extend- 
ing from time of application — even about 
six months , finding the teas made from this 
leaf, fully equal in every particular to teas made 
from contemporary lields which was — though I am 
not quite certain on this point -hardly the case 
formerly. As far as comijaring manmed with 
uumannred property goes, figures may prove any- 
thing ; but taking into co.isideration jpast, pre- 
sent and possible fxUure results, one argues 
against nature in giving a preference to un- 
manured estates. 
As for the last item, Over-2n-oduction, this sub- 
ject is no doubt a serious one ; but more fitted 
for discussi on by the Pessinnstical Theorist than 
the Practic al Planter ; the latter, as an indivi- 
dual, is hardly likely to reduce, or keep down, 
yield for thebenefitj of his neighbours. 
SUPERINTENDENT. 
No. J[. 
Peacock Hill, Pussellawa, IGth March. 
With regard to your leader "Tea in Ceylon," 
in Observer of 13th instant, — 
(1) Has the export (or crop) of tea from Ceylon 
of recent y ears kept up wuh the extension of 
