118 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[Aug. 1. 1901. 
timber bridge of blue guin piers that had sfc^rl in 
the water for 15 or 2iJ years were found ou lilting to 
be as sound as when put down. This, however, 
has not been the exijerieiice of othi-rs, and the 
fact remains that no one who can afford tealc or 
vengay will build with blue gum. 
The 1,000 acres of planted blue gum and acacia 
above mentioned are in 21 plantations, but beyond 
using these plantations for fuel (lie Forest Depart- 
ment has no demand for their growths Most of 
them are not more than 20 years old, and this may 
be a reason why the capability of the exotics are 
not known and appreciaied. 
Of the blue gum— the Forest authority above 
quoted says that from measuieraents made 
he can state that 25 tons of dry timber per acre per 
annum are sure of being retur ned, — but a proviso 
is added that the growths in most if not all 
the plantations are very uneven and variahle — 
mere spindlings being interspersed with trees of 2 
and 2J feet diameter. 
The 21 plantations are scattered over a wide 
area, — and are in some instances 20 miles apart, so 
that every aspect and soil has been tried. 
Private owners have done a great deal in the way 
of growing blue gums, but no single planter that I 
know of will admit that he is growing the tree for 
timber, all being satisfied with it ior fuel, and 
more particulaily for shelter, for which latter 
purpose it is admirably adapted. 
I was told the other day by the Forest Officer of 
theNilgiris, that the unrestricted growth of blue 
gum was seriously menacing the water supply 
of the district, and thus stultifying the purpose 
for which conservancy was being eairied out. 
That purpose will be understood when I lell you 
that, at present, no less than 369 square miles 
of forest are close reserves, and proposals are now 
under consideration to add 5 or 6 more square 
miles to the area. The proportion thus repre- 
sented in a small district of only 957 squnre miles, 
with 124: square miles of unculturable \v sfe, is 
simply unprecedented. Theonly benefit this officer 
claims for such wholesale reservation is the 
alleged regularity and abundance of the water flow 
in the Cauvery Kiver. But as this river has two 
other confluents, one from Cooig and the other 
from the Annamalais — it is hardly fair for the 
Nilgiri Forest Officer to take all the credit— even 
if the water-supply in the Cauvery Kiver has 
been as he claims it to be. The late scarcity and 
drought in the Southerir Presidency was attributed 
to the deficiency of irrigation water — then how can 
the river flow be what is claimed for it ? 
— Indian Engineering, June 22. 
A. M. I. C. E. 
THE TEA OVERPRODUCTION QUSSTION: 
MR. A. COOKE OF CHOPA NAGPORE 
ON WHAT IS BEST TO BE DOISE ; 
A BOLD SCHEME FOR TEA GROWERS ; 
HIS PAST ADVICE IN RESPECT OF AMKRICA. 
DkAR Sir, — In the pages of ' Indian Gar ilening 
and Planting" I proposed a scheri.e for the use of 
the Cess : at that time (April) there had been such 
strong recommendations for a Cess from the 
majority of those who spoke at public meetings 
that it appeared a certainty. 
But as week followed week and nothing was 
done, I continued my exertions to get a Cess, and 
acting under advice I coofined my endeavours to 
rousing the tea public to vote for the Cess. My 
friends said that we must first catch the Cess 
betore we cook it. It is different in Ceylon. 
You have a Cess, and are open to receive pro- 
posals for the use of it, and so perhaps your 
planters \m1I receive my idea without i-eotlii.g I 
strongly hold the doctrine that an ab.'iolute reduc- 
tion .f yield would be fatal, but that tlie prices of 
tea at the open sales could be raised by wiih- 
drawing the surplus • that is to say it the I uyers 
want J.OOii pounds or mannds, or tons, and 1,100 
are ofieied, prices will be low: but if the sur- 
plus of luO can be withdrawn the buyers will 
have to pay the price we want. 
Some time ago your planters offered to reduce 
the yield by three million ib. and my advice is 
to viake that ihree million, but withdraw it as 
leqnried by the rales luling at t)ie sales. If 
prices are extremely low it might be necessary 
to withdraw 20 % from each sale for three or 
four suece-sive sales, and as prices improved the 
amour t to be withdrawn would become less until 
absolute equilibrium should be established. 
'' Equihbrnim -' means a price which would pay 
lor production and also for selling, the producer 
and buyer would both get their legitimate profits. 
I may note here that a reserve of tea 
would enable us to fill up any temporary 
deficiency which otherwise would force t he buyer 
to p;jy a pi ice that left hinr no margin of profit. 
Any sensible scheme 7nMs< protect the interests 
of ! lie buyer. 
To return to the promised reduction of offerings, 
I proposed that the tea should be made, but the 
cost of maKtng it would have to be repaid to 
those who join the scheme. 
The cos-> of making tea in India, i. e. 
plucking, manufacture, fuel, boxes, freight to 
Calcutta and sale charges, conies to about Kl2i 
permaund of 80 lbs, i e. 2| annas per pound of 
lea. * 
I advised Indian Planters to put on a Cess of 2 
pies per pound which would give a revenue of from 
19 to 20 lakhs of rupees ; tire cost of 10 million 
lbs of tea at 2i annas comes to about 15^ Jakhs, 
and leaves 3^- to 4^ lakhs for expenses of dis- 
tribution, I recommended that percentage of tea 
should be drawn from the sales of each class of tea. 
not only the lowest, but of all classes. Thus ac- 
cording to the ordeis for the amount of tes, to he 
withdrawn, each garden would reserve one out of 
2|i or one out ot 30 or 4o chests of each class of tea. 
'I his reserve could be forwarded orr demand to the 
A.ssociation for disposal, and would be paid for at 
2i annas per pi und out of the Cess. 
The tea thus reserved would be credited to the 
garden at the prices actuai'iy obtained at the sale 
for the unreserved tea. 
The leserved tea would be sent to new markets 
and dis]iosed of. 
If It h given away, there would be no return, hue 
supposing 11 to be so-d at 2J annas, clear of all ex- 
peiises, that sum would be refunded to the gardens. 
By this means a certain proportion would 
refund the cost of the Cess itself. The 
Cess on 1,000 pounds at 2 pies conies to RlO/6/0. 
66 Ib of tea at 2^ annas is also Kl(i/6/0, and 
66 IS about per cent of 1,000, so that 6^ per 
cent of tea reserved and sold at 2^ annas would 
recover the cost of the Cess at 2 pies per pound 
on the whole crop. There is an old saying that 
* Fifteen cents per lb., to which cost of cultivation 
bas to be &clded."-Pp. l',4, 
