August i, 1890.] 
THE TROPICAL AORICOLTURIST. 
81 
ASSAM AND CEATON AND THEIK TEA 
CEOFS. 
Assam-proper aud Ceylon will this year be very 
nearly matched in the tea crops likely to be 
harvested within their bounds; and it should bo 
extremely interesting to watch henceforward the 
development of each country under tea production 
and export. AVe are apt to regard “Assam" as if 
it really represented the great Indian tea enterprise 
altogether ; but of 115 million lb. expected to bo 
harvested in 1890 91 for all India, less than half — 
or 48,295,344 lb. — is put down for “Assam” proper. 
Now against this Ceylon may ship 47 millions in 
the present year — or possibly more '? .Already up 
to 19th June, the return is of 22 millions, — say 
24 millions to 3rd July, — and the larger shipments 
have uniformly been in the latter half of the year. 
The Indian Tea Association as we have indicated 
treat “ Assam ’’ separately from “ Cachar and 
Sylhet," the current tea crop of the latter being 
given at 33,385,650 lb. ; but unfortunately they do 
not give us the acreages of cultivated land on 
which their estimates are based ; and when we 
turn to the official records we invariably find 
that “ Assam ” includes “ Sylhet and Cachar." 
One official return, for instance, gives the area under 
tea in Assam in 1889 as 227,249 acres 196,689 acres 
mature and 30,560 acres young tea. Another Indian 
Bluebook return makes the total for 1888-89 as 
216,676 acres, but this extent, we find on going over 
the detailed statements is made up as follows : — 
Acres. 
Cachar equal to 55,401 
Sylhet „ 44,145 
Goalpara 
Kamrup 
Dairang 
Nowgong 
Acres. 
Sibsagur equal to 47,377 
Lakhimpur „ 32,144 
Naga Hills ,, 
Kbasa and 
Jaintia Hills „ 30 
367 
6,227 I 
20,012 1 
10,973 I Garo Hills 
Total acres 216,676 
Deducting 99,546 acres for Cachar and Sylhet, we 
have only 117,130 acres for “Assam-proper” to re- 
present the estimated current crop of 48,295,3441b. 
and this shows an average outturn of over 400 lb. per 
acre. In the case of Cachar and Sylhet, the crop 
estimated is equal to 340 lb. an acre, and that 
without making allowance in either case for imma- 
ture tea. Ceylon on the other hand will gather her 
47 to 48 million lb. from a considerably larger area 
nominally ; for even leaving out all tea planted within 
the past three years, we cannot reduce the area below 
160,000 to 160,000 acres. Of course the Assam tea 
fields are on the whole much older than ours, 
and if we suppose that 105,000 acres represent the 
mature tea yielding 48 million lb., we may get a 
fair idea of the difference in yield. The explanation 
of course, is that Assam was all planted on virgin 
land (forest or otherwise), whereas the greater 
proportion of Ceylon tea is found on old coffee 
plantations varying from those that scarcely 
yielded any coffee crops to others so long heavily 
cropped with the fragrant berry that 200 lb. of made 
tea per acre is a liberal estimate of their 
yield in this new era. Although therefore, 
Ceylon may steadily compete with “ Assam " 
(in the limited sense) in her total crops, it 
must be borne in mind that our harvesting will be 
from a considerably wider area in tea. The total 
extent in tea in Assam districts, Cachar and Sylhet, 
— whether 216,676 or more likely 227,249 (in- 
cluding 30,560 acres young tea)— is singularly 
close to the present return for Ceylon of 219,487 
acres ; but the difference is that the former is 
to give nearly 81J million lb. tea this season 
against not moro tlian 48 millions for Ceylon, 
CKOCODILE AND LIZARD LEATHER. 
! It has been said — and, doubtless, with full truth 
— that there is nothing in creat'd nature which 
does not servo, or cannot be made to serve, some 
useful purpose to man. We confess that with regard 
to the crocodiles, or, as they are often popularly 
but incorrectly termed, alligators, which swarm in 
our inland waters, we have often found it difficult 
to recognize the part they have been destined to 
play in nature’s economy. As scavengers they 
certainly exercise a useful function ; but their 
wonderful fecundity carries them beyond the 
sufficient fulfilment of this object, and the 
enormous numbers of them, which may almost 
be said in some parts, such as the neighbourhood of 
Mullaiitivu, to thicken the waters of our lakes, pools 
and tanks, constitute an undoubted nuisance . as 
well as a considerable danger to many of the 
native community. Some time ago we made 
reference to the demand which had sprung 
up in all European countries for the skins 
of these saurians ; and having then drawn 
attention to the possibility of Ceylon usefully 
meeting that demand, we should have hesitated 
to have again advanced the subject, were it not 
for a further “ craze ” arising in those countries 
which might, we should say, be met with advantage 
from this colony. 
We allude to the very extensive adaptation 
of lizard and even snake skins, in many 
articles of personal adornment. The category 
of these is almost an endless one ; but we may 
specially instance such items as ladies’ waist-belts 
and watch-bracelets, purses, whip handles, cigar 
and cigarette oases. In fact, a walk now through 
the principal streets of London or Paris reveals in 
their shop windows a vast variety of instances of the 
application of the skins of these reptiles to such 
and similar articles. We may be sure that these 
would not be exhiDited in the profusion that may 
be witnessed were it not that they meet with a 
ready sale indicating a strong appreciation on the 
part of the public. Now Ceylon abounds only too 
profusely, not only with the crocodiles first referred 
to but with a great variety of many-colored lizards, 
and with the inducement now offering of a proo 
Stable market for their skins, why should not some 
of our native people undertake the collection and 
shipment of these? 
We shall probably be told that the art of 
proper preparation is at present unknown in 
the island. But every civilized Government makes 
it one of its chief duties to stimulate new in- 
dustries ; and in tropical countries, in which the 
local authorities stand almost in loco parentis 
towards the natives, this duty assumes a special 
weight. We have but to read the reports of the 
consular agents of European countries to realize 
how important a part they are called upon to 
perform in suggesting new openings for trade or 
fresh industries likely to benefit the nationalities 
they represent. Ceylon, of course, has no such 
official representatives abroad. The duties therefore 
that are cast upon those to whom we have referred 
must naturally in our own and similar cases devolve 
upon the resident authorities. We can conceive of 
scarcely any case calling more strongly for the 
preliminary aid the authorities alone can afford the 
people than the one we are now dealing with. We 
have among us what, while unavailed of, is both a posi- 
tive nuisance and a danger. It is possible to diminish 
this, and at the same time by doing so to place 
within the reach of a pojpulation not too well sup- 
plied with the means of earning a livelihood what 
promises to be an easily learned and profitable 
industry. Wbat greater inducement could there be 
