Sept,  r,  1896.]  THE  TROPICAL 
TEA  CULTURE  IN  ASSAM. 
ANNUAL  REPORT  FOR  1895. 
The  following  report  has  begn  issued  by  the  Assam 
Administration  : — 
As  in  previous  years,  in  the  statement  appended 
to  this  Repoit,  figures  are  given  for  each  sub-division 
separately  in  addition  to  the  totals  for  each  district. 
The  statement  has  been  modified  in  accordance  with 
the  instructions  contained  in  circular  letter  No. 
3070IS.,  dated  the  1st  July  1895,  from  the  Director- 
General  of  Statistics.  Silchar  continues  to  head  the 
list  in  regard  to  the  number  of  tea  gardens  and  the 
area  under  tea  cultivation,  and  the  Dibrugarh  sub- 
division still  shows  the  largest  outturn. 
OAUOKNS  OPENED  AND  CLOSED,  EXTENSIONS,  AND 
REI.INOUISHMENirs. 
The  total  number  of  gardo  is  at  the  close  of 
1895  was  812  against  828  in  1891  showing  a decrease 
of  11  gardens.  Details  are  given  in  the  following  talile; — 
N umber  of  gardens. 
District. 
Cachar 
Sylhet  . . 
Kamrup 
Darrang 
Nowgong  . . 
Sibsagar  . . 
Lakhimpur... 
Total  . . 
f" 
cn 
a 
<x> 
> 
o 
6 
7} 
S • 
d 
s 
o 
p 
u 
ns 
O Q* 
u 
O 
^ O 
S bC 
a 
Q) 
o 
Closed 
ns 
a 
d 
<1 
Total. 
a 
0) 
o 
p 
HH 
1 
5 
3 
— 
8 
— 7 
6 
— 
— 
— 
— 
..  6 
4 
6 
1 
— 
7 
— 3 
2 
4 
1 
— 
5 
— 3 
— 
1 
— 
— 
1 
— 1 
2 
— 
3 
— 
3 
— 1 
— 
1 
1 
— 
2 
— 2 
15 
17 
9 
26 
11 
During  the  year  15  gardens  were  newly  opened 
against  48  in  the  previous  year  ; 17  were  closed 
against  7 in  1894,  and  9 gardens  were  amalgamated 
with  other  gardens,  against  10  in  1894. 
Number  an-d  area  of  Gardens  and  area  of  all 
L V.NDS  HELD  BY  TeA  PLANTERS. 
The  following  statement  compares  the  number  of 
gardens  in  each  district  and  the  area  of  lands  held  for 
purposes  of  tea  cultivation,  and  also  the  total  area 
of  all  lands  held  by  tea-planters  for  the  past  two 
years  ; — 
Total  area  of 
Total  area  of  tea  grants.  Increase  all  lands  held 
in  acres. 
or 
by  tea- 
decrease 
planters  in 
1894. 
1895. 
in  acres. 
1895, in 
acre**. 
283,097 
283,194 
+97 
283,194 
180,399 
131,544 
— 48id55 
200,107 
100 
100 
— 
100 
852 
852 
— 
852 
19,518 
18,798 
— 720 
24,122 
104,716 
92,956 
— 11,760 
105,294 
50,144’^ 
60,404t 
-t-  260 
53., 592 
228,851 
2.30,3,50 
—1,499 
- 241,451 
187,315 
187,.589 
-274 
187,589 
1,054, 992t 
995,7871 
— 59,205 
1,096,301 
* Includes  one  unworked  garden, 
t Revised  figures. 
I Includes  1,286  acres  of  land  not  fit  for  tea  culti- 
vation and  not  included  in  column  10  of  the  statement 
appended  to  the  Report. 
RICULTURIST. 
203 
Number  of  tea 
Increase 
District. 
gardens. 
or 
1894. 
1895. 
decrease. 
Cachar 
206 
199 
— 7 
Sylhet 
Kbasi  and  Jaiutia 
127 
133 
— 6 
Hills 
1 
1 
Goalpaia 
3 
3 
Kamrup 
32* 
29* 
— 3 
Darrang 
87 
84 
— 3 
Nowgong 
55t 
54t 
— 1 
Sibsagar 
170 
171 
— 1 
Lakhimpur 
143 
141 
— 3 
Total 
829 
818 
11 
The  large  decrease  in  the  area  of  tea  granis  is 
mainly  due  to  the  decrease  of  48,855  acres  in  Sylhet. 
The  Deputy  Commissioner  explains  that  the  figures 
shewn  in  column  0 of  the  above  statement  were  ob- 
tained from  the  managers  of  tea  estates,  and  are 
not  reliable,  lie  estimates  the  area  of  tea  grants 
in  his  district  at  159,959  acres.  The  decroaso  in 
Kamprup  is  duo  to  the  closure  of  some  gardens, 
while  in  Darrang  it  is  attributed  to  greater  accu- 
racy in  the  figures  now  furnished.  The  total  area  of 
grants  is  the  same  as  the  total  area  of  all  lands 
held  by  planters  in  the  districts  of  Cachar  the 
Khasia  and  Jaiutia  Hills,  Goalpara  and  Lakhimpur. 
The  corresponding  totals  in  respect  of  the  other 
districts  differ  considerably.  Steps  were  taken  during 
the  year  to  ensure  greater  accuracy  in  respect  of 
the  figures  contained  in  this  statement,  and  the 
matter  is  still  nnder  consideration. 
RETURNS  AND  ESTIMATES. 
Some  improvement  has  taken  place  in  the  number 
of  gardens  furnishing  statistics.  Out  of  812  gardens 
statistics  have  been  furnished  in  rtapect  of  717 
gardens,  against  698  in  the  preceding  year  ; estimates 
had  to  be  framed  for  95  gardens,  against  125  in 
1894.  The  Chief  Commissioner’s  thanks  are  due  to 
those  managers  and  agents  who  have  furnished  the 
required  information. 
NUMBER  or  PERSONS  EMPLOYED. 
The  table  below  shows  the  total  number  of  per- 
sons employed  permanently  and  temporarily  on  tea 
gardens  in  each  district; 
Total  number  of  persons  employed 
District. 
during  the  year. 
Permanently.  Temporarily. 
1894. 
1895. 
1894. 
1895. 
Cachar 
. . 64,183 
66,229 
10,616 
6,320 
Sylhet 
. . 72,369 
85,094 
.34,550 
10,951 
Goalpara 
275* 
262 
15’" 
34 
Kamrup 
. . 1,1.51 
2,915 
2,671 
372 
Darrang 
. . 22,386 
45,972 
31,386 
6,404 
Nowgong 
. , 15,331 
18,663 
3,684 
2,656 
Sibsagar 
..  65,117 
77,343 
11,447 
3,554 
7,597 
Lakhimpur 
. , 90,602 
96,864 
5,044 
Total 
..  331,914 
393,342 
97,923 
39,278 
* Revised  figures. 
The  total  number  employed  permanently  shows 
an  increase  of  61,428  persons.  The  decrease  in  the 
number  of  temporary  hands  is  attributed  to  the  new 
method  of  calculation  adopted  in  accordance  with 
the  instructions  contained  in  Circular  No.  53 — 51, 
dated  the  14th  of  November,  1894,  from  the  Govern- 
ment of  India  in  the  Revenue  and  Agricultural 
Department.  It  has  not  been  found  possible  to 
reconcile  the  figures  with  those  in  the  Provincial 
Labour  Immigration  Report.  It  may,  however,  be 
remarked,  as  in  paragraph  5 of  last  year’s  report, 
that  of  the  two  sets  of  figures  those  in  the  Immigra- 
ton  Report  should  be  accepted  as  the  more  correct. 
AREA  UNDER  MATURE  AND  IMMATURE  PLANTS  AND  TOTAL 
AREA  OP  TEA  GRANTS. 
The  following  statement  gives  the  areas  under 
mature  and  immature  plants  and  the  total  area  hold 
by  tea-planters  during  the  last  fifteen  years  : — 
Including  six  unworked  gardens  in  1894  and  fivo 
unworked  gardens  in  1895. 
t Includes  one  unworked  garden. 
