Aug.  I,  1896.] 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
U5 
sou  had  stated  that  the  grants  of  land  in  private 
hands  equalled  320  square  miles,  and  he  should 
like  to  know  what  further  portion  of  this  could 
be  used  for  tea  cultivation.  lu  Ceylon,  and  in  the 
Nilgiris,  the  area  available  for  hue  teas  was  limited. 
Dr.  J.  A.  Voelcker  thoirght  the  gist  of  the  paper 
was  to  be  found  in  the  concluding  remarks.  What 
they  wanted  to  know  was  what  had  brought  Indian 
tea  to  the  front  greatly  to  the  exclusion  of  that 
from  China  ? It  had  been  suggested  that  this  was 
in  a great  measure  owing  to  the  advance  of  knowledge 
of  scientific  processes  and  the  use  of  improved 
machinery.  'Ihis  might  be  true  with  regard  to 
machinery,  but  upon  the  other  point  he  ventured  to 
differ.  His  belief  was  that  from  beginning  to  end 
both  the  cultivation  and  the  manufacture  of  tea  were 
carried  out  more  by  “rule  of  thumb”  than  ac- 
cording to  any  scientific  method.  There  appeared 
to  be  a want  of  thorough  knowledge  of  what  ac- 
tually did  take  place  in  the  ditferent  processes.  He 
felt  that  the  question  for  the  future  was  not  so 
much  whether  here  or  thcic  one  could  produce  a 
line  quality  of  tea,  or  whether  the  area  of  cultiva- 
tion could  be  extended,  but  it  was  how  large  a 
number  would  in  future  be  able  to  j)roduce  the  finest 
quality  and  in  a scientific  manner.  There  appeared 
to  be  an  absence  of  knowledge  upon  points  of 
cultivation,  for  example,  as  to  what  manure  should 
be  used  and  what  shoirld  be  avoided  in  order  to 
produce  the  best  tea.  With  regard  to  the  manufacture, 
though  there  might  be  excellent  machinery,  there  was 
very  little  known  of  the  processes  which  were  de- 
noted by  the  use  of  such  chemical  terms  as 
“oxidation”  and  “ fermentation.”  These  terms  were 
used  in  a loose  way  w'ithout  any  clear  idea  of  what 
they  meant.  Until  more  was  known  on  such  points 
that  progress  would  not  be  made  which  was  necessary 
to  keep  English  industries  in  India  to  the  front. 
In  Germany,  the  Government  encouraged  greatly 
the  development  of  industries  and  the  spread  of 
knowledge  concerning  them,  but  little  was  done  in 
this  direction  either  in  England  or  in  India.  Not 
very  long  ago  a Tea  Planters’  Association  in  Assam 
decided  to  call  in  the  aid  of  science  to  their  in- 
dustry, and  engaged  the  services  of  a chemist  from 
Engliind.  But  he  was  only  given  a year  and  a 
half  in  which  to  find  out  all  about  tea  cultivation 
and  tea  manufacture,  and  soon  afterwards  the 
association  said  they  had  no  more  funds,  and  his 
services  were  dispensed  with.  It  was  not  in  such 
a way  at  this  that  scientific  investigation  should 
be  carried  out,  and  what  was  really  needed  was 
a patient  woi'king  out  of  all  the  details,  alike 
of  cultivation  and  of  manufacture,  until  the  whole 
was  put-  upon  a thoroughly  scientific  and  prac- 
tical basis. 
Mr.  Christison,  in  reply,  said  he  could  not  con- 
tribute much  to  the  vital  question  of  labour  for 
Assam,  but  he  fully  appreciated  Sir  Steuart  Bayley’s 
advice  to  those  districts  which  had  no  labour  Act 
to  do  without  one.  He  frankly  acknowledged,  and 
felt  thankful  for  it,  that  her  labour  advantages  were 
among  the  strong  points  in  favour  of  the  Darjee- 
ling district,  and  though  the  grievance  referred  to 
did  exist,  they  really  had  no  labour  question  to 
compare  with  that  of  Assam.  Upon  that  wide  and 
perplexing  subject  he  would  not  venture.  If,  how- 
ever, he  might  be  permitted  one  remark,  it  would 
bo,  let  Assam  concerns  recruit  through  a common 
agency,  and  avoid  undue  competition  with  each 
other;  and  he  would  implore  all  districts  to  believe 
that  what  was  for  the  common  weal  in  this  matter 
was  for  the  best  interests  of  individual  concerns  in 
the  long  run.  Therefore,  let  all  pay  their  coolies 
fairly,  but  at  stated  accepted  rates  with  other  con- 
ditions for  their  locality,  aad  avoid  stealing  a march 
upon  each  oilier,  or  entertaining,  mucli  less  enticing 
away,  a neighbour’s  labour  under  any  temptation  or 
pretence  whatever.  The  (juestion  of  Darjeeling 
labour  he  considered  of  too  local  a nature  to  be 
dealt  with  more  fully  than  it  had  been  in  his  paper. 
Still,  it  was  a wide  and  vei-y  intricate,  as  well  as 
a most  important,  question,  snfllciently  studied  by 
but  few,  and  would  alone  require  a series  of  papers 
to  deal  with  it  in  all  its  phases.  There  were  some 
Nepalis  who  had  been  employed  for  20  and  30  years 
in  the  gardens  with  which  he  was  long  connected. 
Many  lived  and  died  upon  the  tea  gardens,  but 
they  were  not  a long-lived  people  more  than  Europeans 
on  Darjeeling  gardens,  he  grieved  to  say.  Though, 
as  he  had  said,  coolies  were  not  really  under  con- 
tracts to  the  gardens,  and  were  free  to  leave  at 
least  at  the  close  of  any  season,  the  majority — 
especially  women— settled  down  for  years.  There 
was  a considerable  proportion— greater  or  less  on 
different  gardens — more  or  less  shifting,  who  came 
in  from  Nepal  (a  few  also  from  Sikkim  and  the 
Government  farms)  and  returned  thither  iu  a year 
or  two,  or  were  induced  within  shorter  time  to 
leave — and  these  were  chiefly  men — for  Government 
service  as  stated,  contract  work,  and  a few  from 
the  hills  (more  from  the  Terai)  for  the  Dooars  and 
even  more  remote  tea  districts.  It  was  not  unusual 
for  coolies,  but  more  particularly  headmen,  to  take 
leave  to  visit  Nepal,  returning  to  their  duties  on 
the  gardens,  and  many  visited  their  homes  to  recruit 
coolies  at  the  same  time.  He  hoped  Sir  Charles 
Elliott  would  pardon  his  differing  from  him  in  re- 
gard to  some  minor  details.  He  was  the  more 
reluctant  to  do  so  knowing  Sir  Charles  Elliott’s 
great  ability,  and  that  there  never  was  a more  con- 
scientious and  painstaking  Governor,  or  one  more 
desirous  to  be  fair  to  every  industry  and  enterprise. 
He  had  said,  with  reference  to  Darjeeling,  that 
Government  recruited  in  the  same  market  as  the  tea 
planter  did,  but  he  (Mr.  Christison)  begged  most 
respectfully  to  submit  that  that  was  just  what  was 
not  done.  The  planter  recruited  his  labour,  at  some 
expense  and  risk,  from  Nepal;  Government  within 
the  districts  in  the  bazaars  and  markets  frequented 
by  the  garden  coolies.  He  had  suggested  that  Govern- 
ment ought  to  recruit  for  the  military  police  and 
expeditions  direct  from  Nepal,  as  was  done  now  for 
the  Goorkha  Regiments,  as  he  presumed  under  treaty 
with  that  State,  or,  failing  that,  elsewhere  in  India, 
or  from  the  vast  native  G overnment  colonies  within 
the  district.  He  was  fully  satisfied  of  the  anxiety 
of  the  Lieutenant-Governors  and  the  districts  officiais 
not  to  take  garden  labour,  and  to  return  auy  that 
had  been  taken ; but  it  was  difficult  for  them  to 
obtain  accurate  Information  on  all  points,  and  re- 
cruiters, and  especially  petty  recruiters,  had  their 
own  reputation  for  zeal  to  maintain.  He  could  give 
many  instances  of  how  the  well-intentioned  rules 
for  the  return  of  coolies  were  frustrated,  by  coolies 
being  returned  at  the  depot  at  Darjeeling,  merely 
to  rejoin  the  recruits  a station  or  two  down  tho 
railway  line  aird  the  like,  only  fully  understood  by 
those  possessing  a perfect  knowledge  of  these  ad- 
venturous hill-tribes.  The  experience  of  the  two 
coitcerns  mentioned  by  Sir  Charles  Elliott  really 
proved  the  depletion  of  men  referred  to.  In  one  in- 
stance tho  proportion  of  men  fell  from  42‘(5  per  cent,  to 
17j  per  cent.,  and  in  the  other  so  straightened  was  the 
Tukvar  Co.  for  men  coolies,  that  it  was  actually 
forced  to  increase  their  wages  by  twenty  per  cent. 
He  was  in  accord  with  the  views  expressed  by 
Dr.  Voelcker,  as  to  there  being  as  yet  little  known 
of  tho  chemistry  of  tea  manufacture.  For  instance, 
what  was  really  known  as  to  the  action  of  light 
in  witheriug  ? or  the  chemical  changes  that  took 
place  in  the  various  stages  of  the  so-called  “ oxida- 
tion ” and  other  processes  described  ? It  was  re- 
grettable that  Mr.  Bamber’s  services  were  not  con- 
tinued. That  gentleman  displayed  much  industry, 
and  no  ordinary  powers  of  observation,  and  accom- 
plished a great  deal  iu  a short  time.  Mr.  Bamber 
had  only  time  to  visit  two  out  of  the  many  In- 
dian tea  districts.  Still,  ho  made  a valuable  and 
most  comprehensive  contribution  to  the  literature  of 
tea,  which,  as  far  as  he  was  aware,  was  tho  standard 
work  on  the  chemistry  of  manufacture,  if  not  of  the 
entire  subject  at  tho  pj'esent  time.  It  was  dilhcult 
often  to  get  science  and  practice  to  go  hand  iu 
hand.  The  Indian  Tea  Association,  aided  by  Govern- 
ment, ought,  as  recommended  by  Dr.  Voelcker,  to 
employ  a competent  agriculturist  as  chemist  to  con- 
tinue the  investigations  in  conjunction  with  prac- 
tical planters,  and  not  for  one  or  two  years  only, 
but  for  20  years.  In  reply  to  Mr.  Ferguson,  the  pro- 
portions of  the  Darjeeling  tea  crop  from  the  hills  was  a 
little  short  of  eight  millions,  and  tho  majority  of  that 
