Jan. 1, 1904 ] 
THE TliOPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST, 
467 
To the Editor. . 
» 
INDIA AND CEYLON TEA PLANTING. 
Darjeeling, Nov. 18. 
Dear Sir, — I am indebted to you for devoting 
so much valuable time and space to my book on 
"Indian Tea, its Culture and Manufacture.'' You 
have been so good as to say some kind things about 
the book, but there are some passages con- 
cerning which you express disapproval aud 
as your paper has such vast influence with a 
very large number of planters, I feel that you 
are entitled to any explanations I may have to 
give. You express sifrprise at the para, where 1 
mention that the Ceylon planters are ahead of us 
in the matter of having cross-drains and catch pits 
for silt. My authority is your own scientist, Mr 
Bamber, in his "Report on CeyJon Tea Soils" 1900; 
in which he urges the general adoption of the 
system on all the steep parts of jCeylon estates. 
He says : — "The silt accumulated in this way 
forms an excellent material for top-dressing, 
while the annual expense of clearing drains is 
reduced to a minimum, it being merely necessary to 
clear out the holes." VVith regard to ''The primary 
object of Pruning," you make out that I am at 
variance with the Scientists, Sir Geo. Watt and 
Mr HHMann; but if you turn to the revised 
edition of the work to which you refer you will 
find at page 67 as follows : — 
"Para. 132. Objects of Frunimj. — Pruning is an 
operation carried on in order to induce the 
plant to assume a particular shape so as to 
facilitate cultivation and plucking of the. leaf, &c." 
Thus it is seen that there is perfect) agreement 
as to what is the primary object of pruning, and 
we use almost the same words, I should point 
out, however, that (he para, which I have 
quoted, does not appear in the early edition by 
Sir Geo. Watt ; and I must also mention that my 
book was already in the press before the 
new para appeared. The interesting theory about 
" flowers and fruit " does, indeed, apear in the book 
referred to, but it is only in the form of a 
q^uotation from Sir Geo. King, It is referred to 
with approval, but is, by no means, spoken of 
as the primary object of pruning. 
I should be very sorry ind.eed if it were found 
that any of my conclusions or recommendations 
are not in accord with the ascertained facts of 
science. — Please note that I appeal for a distinc- 
tion between facts and mere theories. I look to 
science for guidance in all practical work, and I 
have great hojes that the men, who are engaged 
specially in the elaboration of that branch of the 
subject, will yet accomplish great things for the 
industry. I am exceedingly sorry that a perusal 
of my book seems to have given you the impres- 
sion that the work is scrappy and superficial. In 
the circumstances, perhaps I may be excused for 
mentioning that before I went to press I took up 
each subject in detail, and studied every work I 
could lay hold of which had any bearing upon the 
subject in hand. I al.'o gathered something from 
my own twenty-five jeais' experience in tea. I 
might very well have followed the example of 
some of my predecessors, and given copious extracts 
59 
from various other authors at each stage ; in 
this way the covers of my book would have 
swelled out considerably, but it would have defeat- 
ed my chief object, which was to be intensely 
practical. Planters, as a rule, are very busy men, 
and they have nob always time to investigate into 
the nice distinctions of different theories to account 
for well-ascertained facts. The book was prima- 
rily intended for India, and specially for young 
beginners ; but if our fellow-planters in Ceylon 
find in it anytliing which can be of use to them, 
the fact will only add greatly to my pleasure. 
Tiiere is oue more point ujion which your article 
calls for explanation. It is my suggestion to Plan- 
ters in India that when tliey prune dov/n the 
main stems of young seedlings, they should do it 
so that the wounds shall face the north. I ask 
you to believe that there are good reasons for this, 
but fear I have already presumed too much upon 
your patience; hence I must close this letter, 
while I beg to remain. — Yours truly, 
CLAUD BALD. 
GREEN TEA AND BLACKS: TEE OLD 
ISSUE. 
Sir,— I take up the weekly summary of the 
Ceylon Observer for the week enditag November 
18cli, 1903, and find the following interesting 
figures : — 
Black Tea. Green Tea. 
^ 1903. 1902. ^3. 1902."" 
U.K. ... 81,841,108 88,456,940) „oo^„,q 917s con 
Others... 38,480,700 39,012,522 j ^'^^^^'^^g 2,1/3,529 
Totals ... 120,271,808 127,469,462 7,385,329 2,173,529 
Grand totals black and green. 
120,271,808 ... 127,469,463 
7,385,329 ... 2,173,529 
127,657,137 129,642,991 
Messrs. Wilson Sraithett &Co.'s London average 
Ceylon blacks :— - 
d. 
October 30th, 1903 ... S-25 
1902 ... 7-20 
•Messrs. Forbes & Walker's Colombo average : — 
c. 
November 19 th, 1903 ... 40 
., 1902 ... 35 
It will be observed from ths foregoing figures 
that shipments of black tea to London during 
1903 have fallen away to the extent of 6| million 
pounds, and one naturally enquires whether the 
removal of this weight of tea from the London 
market has had the effect of hardening prices 
both at home and locally to the extent of about 
one penny per lb. ? I do not say that it has liad 
this effect, I merely ask the question. As we are 
aware the Thirty Committee have decided to 
expend 11150,000 is further subsidizing 5 millions 
of green teas at 3 cents a lb. during the early 
months of 1904, with the expiry of this vote our 
money ends, and so does t!ie green tea bonus. 
I do not know that any of the Thirty Com- 
mittee were particularly keen about voting th.is 
subsidy, which to a very sreat extent comes out 
of the pock(;ts of the producers of black tea, aud 
no one was more reluctant than those who felt, 
that unless the black tea producers were satisfied 
it was to their ad vantage to pay this bonus they 
were being very unfairly taxed. A question, and 
a very pertinent oue, has been raised as to whether 
the green tea buyer is about to pay more money 
for this class of tea, and whether the black tea 
