2 
THE TliOPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
[July 1, 1898 
the iiijuied parts, deep down to the wood, and ending 
in Bound tissue j)elo\v thcni, this being tlie only 
method by which healthy new bark can be made 
to extend over an iiijiued Hiufiice. 
In order to make the so called nolchinf,' of a branch 
or Hhoot o£ fiood effect, the notch must be cut down 
through the biiik to the wood at a poinl just above 
a dormant- l)ud ; which then leads to the siiergthen- 
ing of the (growths below that point, «hertBs if the 
notch be made under the butt it weakens then). 
Koopmann discovered that notching can be used 
in different methods with diverse effects on various 
kinds of fruits. 
Important are his observations on pruning newly — 
planted trees. The very common practice of cutting 
the bhoota hard back, i.e., to three or four buds, 
was always productive of unfavourable results, but 
a cutting back to one-half the length was satisfactory, 
and good results were sometimes obtained in the 
absence of all pruning, but only by such trees as 
possess a very compact habit of growth. And con- 
cerning the much- discussed subject of the season when 
to plant, Koopmann has much to say. He found 
that planting during winter, in the early autumn, 
and as early as possible in the spring, gave the best 
results; and the worst when the planting was per- 
formed in late autumn, and in winter just previous 
to the occurauce of haid frost. 
In Germany, where the winters are, as a rule of 
great severity, with blight sunny days, protection 
against Irost by means of mulches, and against 
Buni-hine, have to bo used for autumn and winter- 
planted trees. Koopmann deprecates the planting 
of fiuit trees in the autumn after a wet summer 
and autumn, the wood being in an immature con- 
dition ; and ho only lecomnieuds the planting of 
Apricots and Teaches at that season if the summer 
has been a worm one. — Uanleners' Chionich. 
INDIAxN AND CEYLON TEA, 
ANNUAL EKVIEW. 
38, Mincing Lane, June 8th, 189a. 
The publication in London of statistics relating to 
the trade of the twelve months ending May olst brings 
an opportunity of reviewing the niaiu features of the 
season now concluded, of recording results of general 
or particular interest, and of surveying the position 
and prospects. 
The season opened under favourable conditions and 
with a hopeful outlook. In the background stood the 
record ot many prosperous years; accumulated ex- 
perience and knowledge, placing planters in a position 
oE great advantage ; and the signs that our produce 
was making headway in all the chief markets. In the 
foreground stood the hopes raised by the remarkable 
increase in the use of tea at home during recent years ; 
by the abundant capital attracted to the Home 
Trade ; and by the evidence that in none of the busi- 
ness centres of the world large stocks were in existence. 
The outcome of the season, however has not 
been fully equal to its early promise — and it ia 
necessary to search for explanation of a result dis- 
appointing to many, though not entirely unexpected 
by those who a year ago took note of possible contin- 
gencies. 
Turning, in the first place, to PRODUCTION :— as 
regards INDIA, owing to circumstances which may 
be considered exceptional, over large areas conditions 
prevailed which prevented planters from making tea 
sutlicicntly good to maintain its value. Taken as a 
whole, Assam kept up its high reputation — some Es- 
tates yielding tea ot exceptional quality — but results 
weie not so vn[foniili) good as usual, and gardens north 
of the Erahinapootr.i. have generally suilered from 
adverse climatic inliiieuces. Cachar aud Sylhet, on 
the other hand, tempo) aiily lost ground in respect of 
quality and value of produce, largely attributable to 
the effect of the earthquake, which was followed by 
widespread malarial sickness, rendering it difficult to 
maintain work at the highest point of efficiency — aparj. 
irom the disturbance of factories, machinery, road 
and waterways. Estates in the Dooars appear to have 
been lens affected; they have ^iven (ull crops of 
average qualily, if somewhat short of the excellent t*a 
ofice produced in this dialrict. In ])i<rjeeiiDg with a 
few exceptions results liave I ' iuji, nolwith- 
standing tlifr iiitreai^ed 8| I ua. l ^to 
thetiateof the earthquake II , edoingwell 
but subsequently a general revtitc wab t^perienced, aud 
Kllhough a lair yield was secured, the latter portion of 
the crop lacked the right flavour, tieatlv to ihe detri- 
of value. % some this was attributed to rupid 
flushing after excessive rainfall : by others to distur- 
bance of soil during the earthquake, which affected tba 
bushes. The crops froiir S utheru India — slowly grow- 
ing ill volume— liave not been of sufficienlly good quality 
to hold theirovin in couipeiitiou with other gr«wiiiB. bnt 
if Managers will pay more attention to the details of 
cultivation aud niauufaclure, there seems no reason 
why good tea should not be made there : if good it will 
find a ready market here. The 8»'afOii was not a 
favourable one for Estates in the Kangia Vallty, bat 
there is a demand for their tea abroad, aud buyers will 
pay a fair price for such as have flavour. 
As regards CEYLON:— Production i I lutata 
slower rate than hitherto. Upon the » i op has 
maintained its ground in respect of qua - . i though 
it has contained but few of the t-peciaiJv Um. sorts ori- 
ginally made, tea of uniformly good make aud flavour 
has been sent from estates situated on the higher levels, 
possessed of character so distinct from other produce 
as to make a market for itself. The position of 
properties which have not Riven " diitiuctive teas " 
and cannot work as cheaply as estates in the low 
countries seems less assured, and it will be well for 
their proprietors to make improvement of quahty 
their liist aim, in face of the tendency for values to 
decline forordiimry teas lacking special characteristics 
wherever produced. ' 
All growers in India and Ceylon have suffered 
from the high rate of exchange, which has raised 
the cost of production without bringing any compen- 
sation in the form of higher values in London. An 
inflated ru(.ee may check fartlur (xtcnsiout, but the 
effect of this, in retarding increase in production, will 
not be fell for years. .Some have aUo suffered 
heavy loss on rice, ovviug to the famine. These 
several drawbacks to a successful season, however, 
would not have been so much felt if the market had 
not been checked and buyers discouraged by the signs 
that Home Consumption was not expanding as it used 
to do. Useful as our growiug foreign trade ia, it ia 
still inadequate to do more than stiffen the price of 
particular kinds, the value of the crop as a uhole 
remaining dependent (1) upon the requirements of 
tlie United Kingdom ; (2) upon its qualily. 
The Board of Trade Returns show that 'in 1891 Home 
Consumption increased 8§ million lb. ; in 1892, 4-', mil- 
lions; in 1H'J3, 1 million ; in 1894, millions ;' in" 1695, 
7J millions; in IbOU, 6 millions, and in 1897, only 3| 
millions ;— making a total of 371 millions in 7 years, i.e. 
from 19i millions in 1890 to 23ij millions in 1897. By 
contrast with such progress, the increase of only li 
million lb. during the 10 months ending .Slst March 
was most discouraging :— that the figures at the 
moment look better is dua to recent heavy duty pay- 
ments in advance, 
When writing a year ago, we pointed out some of the 
causes contributory to the large expansion in the past, 
aud remarked that as they had " been for some time in 
operation in Loudon and other great centres, if not in 
the country, it would be unsafe to reckon upon Home 
Consumption expanding in the future as substantially 
as it has done for the past two years." AVe also 
showed that the margin for increased use of uvr own 
t,:aif at home had become narrow, owing to the extent 
to which China tea had already bc-eu pushed out of 
consumption. The figures arc as follows •— 
Of the total used in I89I-2 1893-4 1S95-6, 1896-7 1897-8 
British-grown tea 
CMnl and oth^ ^GJ % 88. o. 90 91i% 
kinds were . . 21 „ 13| „ ll^r iq „ § „ 
