June 1, 1899.] THE TROPICAL AGPJCULTUPJST. 873 
FACILITIES FOR MAKING GOOD TEA-V, 
"We would gi'oup the replies received 
from Pussellawa, Kotagala (Lower Dimbula) 
and Watawala (Lower Dikoya) together 
for the sake of convenience, though the 
districts are neither adjacent nor character- 
ised by the same conditions. Pussellawa 
seems pessimistic in its enumeration of the 
drawbacks to making better tea than at 
present— "Jat, soil, climate, want of sufficient 
withering space, excessive pruning, bought 
leaf from native gardens, carelessness and 
indifference." A lieavy catalogue truly ! 
And yet we are told that, tilthcjugh the jat 
on the older plantations is inferior and 
mixed, on recently planted estates the jat 
is excellent ; and that the soil is not gene- 
rally poor, though, of course, not so good 
as in some of the younger districts. In the 
matter of jat and soil, Pussellawa is thus 
no worse off than other old districts which 
grew coffee and cinchona before the era 
of tea ; but yet our friend declares that 
manuring would not be profitable, and would 
be only helpful in bringing up the poor 
portions to average yield. Does that mean 
that no financial benefit follows from placing 
the poor fields on a level with the good 
ones? And if the poor can thus be bene- 
fited, may not the oetter fields respond to 
manuring with larger crops? In withering 
room, factories are said, on the whole, to 
be deficient, but not in machinery, though 
there are exceptions, nor in motive power 
Labour is abundant, or at least was when the 
I'eport was made. Pruning has been far too 
severe in many cases, though not. perhaps, 
too frequent ; it has, however, seldom been 
too long neglected. In dry seasons the tea 
in the higher fields does best ; but when 
the rains set in, the lower elevations have 
the advantage. 
From Kotagala, as from most other places 
from which we have heard, the chief draw- 
back to making better tea is regarded as a 
deficiency in the soil ; but we are very hope- 
ful that agi'icultural chemistry will both 
indicate the character of the deficiency and 
suggest the remedy. We shall soon see 
what Mr. Kelway Bamber has to say on the 
subject. Of jat, we learn that there is good, 
indifferent, bad and very l)ad— a sjjlendid range 
in sooth !— and the same description is applied 
to the soil. On wind-blown and steep ridges, 
estates are approaching the worn-out stage ; 
and although faith is expressed in manure, 
as calculated to improve the bushes and 
possibly help the tea, its profitableness is 
regarded as contingent on cost of transport, 
A:c. As regards factories, there is no gi'eat 
deficiency in withering room; nor are they 
v/anting in machinery or motive power. 
Labour has been not onlv al)undant, but even 
over-abundant for some time past ; but, of late, 
we suspect, the supply has scarcely been in 
excess of the demand. Pruning has not been 
too severe ex(tept in a few cases, nor has 
it been too long iu>glected, at any rate, re- 
cently. And, it is comforting to learn, 
notwithstanding the gi'owls about jat and soil 
that the district is, on the whole, very suit- 
able for lea ! 
The only drawback experienced in "Wata- 
wala in improving the character of the tea 
manufactured there, is connected with " cli- 
109 
matic disadvantages," by which we under- 
stand the iual)ility to equal th? flavour of 
the highest districts, rather than excess of 
sun or rain for proper manufact'.ire. In jat, 
though some of the bushes are very poor, 
others are good, making the district as a 
whole a very fan- medium. The soil is gene- 
rally " lightish" : and if the tea districts 
be divisible into three classes, "Watawala 
prefers a claim to be reckoned in the second 
for soil — few, if any, of tiie estates being 
worn out. It is consistent with this verdict 
tliat faith is expressed in manures, as both 
improving and profitable, save on the very 
poorest fields. The average estate should, 
therefore, derive benefit from manures and 
find their application remunerative. There 
is no deficiency, whether in withering room, 
motive power, or machinery, in the fac- 
tories, and the labour supply is adequate. 
Severe pruning is not practised, but average 
bushes will not run long without priming— 
22 mont'hs being a fair limit. In some cases 
the bushes have been allowed to grow too 
high and beyond the sxistaining power of the 
soil ; but the yield is fair, the climate being 
wet, although soil and climate are against the 
attainment of the best flavour. 
» 
CEYLOX TE-A COMPANIES' KEPOKTS. 
Several Reports, published by us, remain to 
be noticed. There is not much noteworthy in 
respect of the " Proprietory Tea Estates Com- 
pany; " but why do some reports give the cost 
of the tea harvested, and others not ? Several 
Companies tell us the gross price realized ; but 
nothing is said as to cost f.o.b. or other- 
wise. The "Proprietory" has 2,105 acres of tea 
in bearing and 2-51 young, distributed over 
five districts so representative as Pussellawa, 
Kelaui "S'alley, Dimbula, Dikoya and Mas- 
keliya. The dividend for last year was 4 
per "cent. The Scottish Tea Company, as 
already mentioned, gives 10 per cent altogether 
for 1898 : it owns close on 2,(XX) acres of 
tea, all in Dikoya, Lower Dikoya and Mas- 
keliya districts. The Kangalla Company is 
in the unfortunate position of giving no 
divdend whate%'er, owing to a falling-off in 
the yield of both tea and cardamoms last 
year, the latter especiallv giving less than 
iialf the crop of 1897. 'Prospects for 1899 
here, as in most Reports, are given as en-_ 
couraging. We now come to the Ragalla 
Tea Estates, Ld., which is also unable to 
show any divid<;nd to its ordinary share- 
holders — a very remarkable fact, considering 
the high reputation of L'dapussellawa estates 
(Ragalla and Halgi'anoya) as well as of Kel- 
burne in Haputale. Possibly, too much was 
l)aid for the hitter as one reason for the 
disappointment about dividends. However- 
a special Report has been furnished on 
these properties (which we give on page 
870 by Mr. W. L. Strachan and he is 
verv lic^peful (as a large shareholder him- 
self) that there are better times and crops 
to come. We are much surprised that 
Ragalla should bo cropniiig at not much 
over SOO lb. an acre, and this is (ho more 
striking as one flat gives over l.tXX.) lb. an 
acre. But Mr. Strju-han anticipates a 
steady increase until 000 lb. an ucixj 
