26o 
THE  TROPICAL  AGIUCULTURIST. 
[Oct.  I,  1896. 
are  tea  drinkers  and  tea  drinkers — people  that 
are  pleased  with  cheap  tea  know  nothing  of  the 
pleasure'  of  a good  cup  of  tea.  If  you  would  excuse 
a vulgar  comparison  I should  compare  tobacco  and 
tea.  The  man  that  smokes  a lino  delicate  cigar 
could  not  tolerate  the  flavour  and  strength  of 
common  twist,  nor  could  the  great  mass  of  men,  who 
enjoy  thoir  siuoko  of  cotunion  twist,  be  bother.ul 
with  the  delicate  cigar;  they  want  something  that 
will  pinch  the  tongue.  In  the  one  case  the  palate 
is  cultivated,  in  the  other  destroyed.  The  smoker 
of  cominou  twist  has  so  destroyed  his  palate  that 
if  the  tobacco  does  not  bite  his  tongue  ho  does  not 
enjoy  his  smoke.  It  is  the  same  with  tea.  You  can 
take  my  word  for  it;  if  you  give  the  p-ice  your 
grandmothers  gave  you  will  get  the  tea  they  drank. 
A fine  tea  is  one  full  of  flavour,  quality,  strong  and 
juicy,  and  can’t  possibly  be  had  anywhere  under  2s 
fifl  to  3s  per  lb.  ret.ail.  I hope  I have  cleared  the 
air  for  Mr.  James  Barlo.v  and  others. — I am,  &c., 
Glasfjow  l[eralil,  Aug.  8.  Young  Hyson. 
NOT  MADE  IN  ASSAM. 
No.  27  of  the  “ Ariciiltural  Ledger”  is  an 
exceptionally  interesting  one.  It  contains  a re- 
view by  Dr.  George  Watt,  Reporter  on  Economic 
Products,  of  the  recent  correspondence  on  the 
Letpet  tea  and  the  tea  plant  of  Burma.  Die 
number  may  be  said  to  snmniari.se  the  argu- 
ments that  have  been  used  on  one  side  and 
the  other  with  reference  to  the  connection  of 
the  Burma  plant  with  that  grown  and  culti- 
vated in  Assam.  Mr.  C.  W.  A.  Bruce,  writing 
on  the  subject  last  year,  seated  that  “all  the 
extensions  of  the  Assam  gardens  liave  been 
])lanted  witli  Chindwin  seed  for  the  last  ten 
•'ears  at  least.”  Commenting  on  this  Dr.  M[att 
questioned  the  accuracy  of  the  observation, 
unless  Cachar  alone  was  referred  to  by  Mr. 
Bruce.  The  now  tea  garden.s  and  extensions 
of  tlie  past  ton  years  were,  lie  continued  niainly 
in  the  so-called  “Indigenous  Assam”  obtained 
from  the  Assam  tea-seed  gardens.  Dr.  Watt’s 
opinion  was  subsequently  borne  out  by  that  of 
Mr.  J.  Bnckinghani,  Chairman  of  the  A.ssam 
branch  of  the  Indian  Tea  Association,  who  wrote  : 
“Some  Chindwin  sued  may  possibly  have  come 
in  to  Assam  under  the  name  of  Manipur  Tea- 
seed,  but  I think  I am  within  the  mark  in 
saying  that  certainly  under  ten  per  cent,  pro- 
bably” not  more  tlian  live  per  cent,  of  tiie  clear- 
ances have  been  opened  out  in  the  Assam  valley 
with  this  seed.” 
The  weight  of  opinion  would,  therefore,  ap- 
pear to  be  decidedly  against  the  Assistant  Con- 
servator of  Forests  in  Upper  Chindwin  on  this 
iniiiortaut  point,  anti  bis  other  statement  affecting 
Assam,  namely,  th.at  there  is  no  indigenous 
(wild)  ’tea  to'  be  found  in  the  country  west 
of  the  Irrawaddy,  is  also  subject  to  criticism. 
This  of  course,  touches  on  tlie  old  controversy 
•as  to  whether  tea  is  indigenous  to  Assam.  Dr. 
Watt  sums  up  the  matter  by  saying,  “ All 
writers  arc  agreed  that  it  is  indigenous  to  tlie 
tract  of  hilly  country  that  constitutes  the  border 
land  of  Assam  and  Burma  with  China.”  The 
inethods  of  preparation  employed  by  the  natives 
of  tliis  country  may.  Dr.  Watt  thinks,  interest 
as  well  as  amuse  planters  on  this  side  of  the 
Irrawaddy.  At  the  same  time  he  avonld  not 
be  surprised  if  the  .S3'stem  of  steaming  the 
leaves  were  found  adaptable  to  the  Euro- 
pean method  ot  manufacture.  The  follow- 
ini'  description  of  the  81uui  jirocess  is  given 
Mr.  W-  A.  Graham,  who,  when  he  speaks 
of  “Leppet”  tea,  inobably.  means  “Letpet.” 
'.'1  ■-  word  ]>y  the  way,  is  said  to  be  a corrup- 
tion of  “ Let-tit-pet,”  meaning  one  Iiand,  the 
fanciful  name  given  to  tlie  preparation  from 
some  legend  a.s.sooiated  with  its  introduction  into 
the  Shan  country.  3Ir.  Graham  tells  us  tliat  the 
•‘leaves,  while  still  green,  are  boiled  in  large, 
narrow-necked  pots  made  for  tlie  pnriiose.  When 
tliorongh!_y  boiled  the  contents  of  the  pots  are 
turned  into  large  pits  dug  in  the  ground.  The.se 
pits  arc  .s([iiare,  and  about  six  feet  deep  ; the 
sides  and  bottom  are  lined  with  thin  walls  of 
plantain  leaves,  wiiicli  keep  ilie  tea  pure  from  con- 
tact witii  the  earth.  Tiie  pit  being  full  of  boiled 
tea  and  t!ie  jiiice.s  from  the  (lots,  a top 
made  of  plantain  leaves  is  placed  over  it, 
and  earth  is  piled  above  it,  big  stones  and 
other  Iioaiy  weigiits  being  linally  placed  on 
top.”  For  .some  months  the  tea  remains  in  these 
pits,  being  thus  [ireserved.  Then  when  the 
trading  season  comes  on  the  pits  are  o])ened, 
and  the  tea  is  sold  to  traders  who  convey  it 
by  Inillock  caravan  to  the  market  at  Mandalay. 
The  tea  loses  weight  in  transport,  lint  this 
ciriimstance  is  compen.sated  for  in  a very  simple 
wa>'.  On  nearing  tiie  market  the  traders  tlirow 
tlie  baskets  for  a day  or  two  into  the  nearest 
stream.  The  article  regains  its  lost  dampne.ss, 
and  the  weight  is  the  same^as  when  it  was  originally 
(uircliased.  Mr.  Graham  adds  that  in  Upper 
Burma  and  tlie  Shan  States  this  tea  is  largelj' 
consumed  as  a drink,  hut  that  in  Lower  Burma 
it  is  eaten.  “ Leppett,”  he  saj’.s,  is  a tradi- 
tional food  among  the  Biinnans,  playing  an  im- 
portant part  in  ceremonies  connected  with  birth, 
marriage  and  death. 
Mr.  J.  C.  Mnrraj',  Deputy  Conservator  of 
Forests,  Mu  Division,  .says  the  practice  is  to  steep 
the  leaves  in  boiling  water  for  a sliort  time  only. 
The  leaves  arc  tlion  taken  out,  and,  cufter  being 
rolled  by  hand  on  mats,  are  allowed  to  cool. 
“ Tlie  next  process  is  to  ram  the  leaves  down 
riglit  into  the  internode  of  wabo  bamboo,  a wooden 
ramrod  being  used  for  the  purpose.  A stopper 
is  tlien  made  of  jack  or  gnava  leaves,  and  the 
bamboos  with  the  letpet  are  stoppered  up.”  Ashes 
are  put  in  at  the  top  of  the  bamboo  in  order 
to  prevent  insects  getting  to  the  letpet.  The 
people  in  tliese  parts  are,  it  appears,  very 
badly  off,  and  cannot  afford  to  keep  the  letpet,  but 
sell  it  for  wliat  it  will  fetch — which  no  doubt 
accounts  for  tlie  fact  that  letpet  from  the  Shan 
Hills  east  of  the  Irrawaddy  sells  for  double  the 
jirice  of  the  Maingthon  letpet.  The  villagers  at- 
tribute the  superior  price  of  tlie  one  article  to 
the  fact  that  the  Shans  east  of  tlie  Irrawadily 
steam  the  leaves  while  those  on  the  western  bank 
boil  them.  The  latter  have,  of  course,  a tradi- 
tional reason  for  employing  the  boiling  process. 
Aliont  tliroe  centuries  and  a half  ago  a Shan 
woman  who  had  married  a native  of  tlie  trans- 
Irrawaddy  district,  was  about  to  acconiiiany 
her  husband  to  his  home  wiien  some  neigh- 
bours observed  that  she  was  carrying  off  <a 
luimuer  of  tea  seeds.  It  was  seen  that  if  tea 
culture  were  introduced  on  the  western  side  of 
the  river  the  Shan  industry  would  have  to  face 
an  undesirable  competition.  The  woman  was, 
tiierefore,  only  allowed  to  take  the  seeds  awaj’ 
on  giving  a promise  that  any  tea  made  on  the 
western  side  should  not  be  steamed,  Imt  boiled. 
She  took  an  oath  to  this  effect,  ami  called  down 
curses  upon  the  liead  of  anyone  who  broke  the 
undertaking.  The  people  on  tlie  west  bank, 
therefore,  boil  the  leaves  to  tills  day,  under  the 
inqiression  that  if  steaming  is  re.sorted  to  it  will 
be  the  worse  for  them,  d’lieso  arc  only  a few  of  tlie 
many  interesting  features  of  Dr.  'Watt’s  latest 
paper. — Englishman.  Se]it.  1. 
