Feb.  I,  1897, 1 
THE  TROPICA.L  AGRICULTURIST 
553 
SCIENCE  AND  TEA  PLANTING. 
The  appointment  of  a scientific  officer  for  the  in- 
vesti(?ation  of  blights  and  Other  enemies  of  the  tea 
plant  has  been  under  the  consideration  of  the  Indian 
Tea  Association  (London)  for  some  time  past.  At  the 
request  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Association  a well- 
known  authority  on  all  matters  connected  with  the 
cultivation  of  the  plant  and  kindred  subjects  has  given 
his  views  at  some  length.  The  opinions  expressed 
are  based  on  practicil  experience,  and  we  have 
pleasure  in  placing  them  before  our  readers. 
The  correspondent  refeii'ed  to  writes  as  follows: — 
I shall  endeavour  to  state  as  briefly  as  I can  my 
opinions  (based  upon  experience,  observation,  and 
study)  upon  the  various  points  to  whi<'h  attention  is 
directed  in  your  letter.  Of  course,  my  remarks  shall 
be  entirely  from  a practical  standpoint. 
OVER-CROPPING. 
Under  the  methods  in  vogue  for  the  last 
eighteen  years  or  so,  I cannot  conceive  any  general 
danger  to  the  tea  plant  from  over-cropping.  On 
the  contrary,  without  resort  to  manuring  as  gene- 
rally understood,  I am  confident  that,  given  labour 
and  ample  judicious  cultivation,  the  produce  from 
the  present  bearing  areas  in  India,  as  a rule,  falls 
very  far  short  of  their  safe  cropping  potentialities, 
or  what  wei'e  in  all  cases  originally  the  natural 
continuous  productive  capabilities  of  the  soil.  I do 
not  venture  to  say  over-cropping  is  impossible,  but 
with  careful,  judicious  pruning,  under  the  present 
ideas  of  pluckmg  for  quality  as  I take  them,  it 
would  not  be  easy,  and  must,  I should  say,  be 
extremely  rare.  The  tea  crop  is  neither  a heavy 
nor  an  exhaustive  one  ; and  more  nitrogen  is  un- 
doubtedly restored  to  the  soil  in  the  shape  of  vege- 
tation turned  in  (or  that  ought  to  be  turned  in)  in 
cultivation,  also  as  derive  1 from  the  atmosphere, 
and  from  the  rainfall,  than  in  more  temperate 
climates.  The  average  crop  of  green  leaves  taken 
annually  is  extremely  light  compared  with  the  weight 
of  agricultural  crops  (exciu'-ive  of  the  proportion  re* 
turned  to  the  soil)  in  this  country.  Recent  methods  are 
supposed  by  some  to  be  more  of  a strain  upon  the  tea 
plant  than  the  old.  But  I am  of  opinion  it  is  otherwise. 
In  cropping  for  quality,  the  cutting  in  pruning  is, 
perhaps,  heavier  over  a majority  of  the  years,  but 
on  the  other  hand,  excessive  cutting  should  be  less 
frequent,  and  never  to  the  same  extent  necessary. 
The  pruning,  therefore,  should  not  be  more  exhausting. 
Plucking  for  quality  necessitates  going  round  the 
gardens  very  frequently,  leaving  the  bushes  with  a 
constant  layer  of  young  shoots  and  leaves  on  (as  well 
as  the  mature  leaves)  to  perform  all  the  functions  of 
the  foliage,  and  is  not  so  trying  as  the  old  method  of 
plucking  at  intervals  twice  or  three  times  as  great, 
commonly  shaving  off  the  flush  to  the  very  buds,  so 
to  speak.  The  shock  to  and  strain  upon  the  bushes 
was  greater  under  the  old  method,  and  the  temptation 
to  overtax  them  more  where,  within  an  equal  labour 
force,  quantity  could  be  more  aimed  at,  the  market 
not  being  so  fastidious  to  anything  but  appearance. 
There  is  no  doubt  that  in  too  many  instances  the 
yield  of  old  concerns,  notwithstanding  considerable  ex- 
tensions, has  not  increased  proportionately,  but  in 
some  cases  may  have  even  fallen  off ; but  this,  I be- 
lieve, is  due  (1),  and  I trust  mainly,  to  the  altered  mode 
of  plucking,  wiiichhas  been  more  and  more  for  quality, 
(2)  to  blights,  (.3)  on  hill  lands,  to  injudicious,  reckless 
cultivation,  and  loss  of  soil  from  “ wash,”  (1)  injudi- 
ciously heavy  pruning,  and,  perhaps,  (5)  not  infre- 
quently to  greater  scarcity  of  labour  than  formerly; 
or  to  some  or  all  these  causes  combined. 
BLIGHTS. 
The  remedy  for  blights,  of  “ selection  of  seed,” 
as  I understand  to  bo  recommended  by  Dr.  Watt, 
is  worthy  of  attention.  Disease-resisting  stock  has 
accomplished  something,  at  least  temporarily,  in  re- 
gard to  the  vine  and  potato  diseases  for  instance, 
after  long  periods  of  years,  but  it  is  problematical 
not  only  to  what  extent,  but  how  long,  this  may 
take  to  benefit  tea.  At  the  best  the  remedy  is  not 
a,  encouraging  one  for  most  proprietors  in  so 
far  ^ it  can  now  be  of  no  benefit  to  the  450,000 
70 
acres  or  so  of  existing  tea  throughout  India ! I am 
alile,  however,  to  testify  to  having  accomplished  some- 
thing by  selecting  the  most  vigorous  and  most  likely 
to  be  disease-resisting  seedlings,  in  the  planting  out 
of  my  Company’s  niidern  extensions. 
BED  SPIDER. 
In  rog.ard  to  red  spider  I have  had  at  least  fifteen 
years  of  sad  experience  in  battling  against  it.  The 
soil  of  the  gardens  I managed  seemed  predisposed 
to  this  blight  and  favourable  to  its  propagation,  and  I 
could  not  muigine  any  gardens  to  be  wor.se  with  it  than 
they  were  for  years.  Prom  1830  to  1883  this  pest  was 
in  fact  a dreadful  scourge  ; but  it  has  been  practically 
overcome  by  sulphur.  I learn  that  Dr.  Watt  has  no 
belief  in  the  cure  of  blight  by  any  application  in  that 
way,  but  aft  sr  having  applied  sulphur  in  quantities  of 
from  three  to  twenty  tons  annually  since  1880,  tho 
effectual  cure  of  red  spider,  at  a moderate  cost  per 
acre,  is  with  me  no  longer  a matter  of  opinion,  but 
something  that  has  in  my  own  experience  been  suc- 
cessfully achieved.  It  has  also  to  be  taken  into 
account  that  the  sulphur  not  only  proves  a remedy  for 
the  red  spider,  but  for  many  soils,  a valuable  manure. 
The  accompanying  printed  article  will  be  found  to 
explain  the  simple  mode  of  application  of  the  sulphur, 
and  give  further  information  in  some  detail,  (The 
article  referred  to,  entitled  “Sulphur  as  a Cure  for 
Red  Spider  in  Tea,”  appeared  in  our  issue  of  August 
30,  1895.) 
OTHER  BLIGHTS. 
I am  not,  however,  so  hopeful  of  the  eradication 
of  mosquito  blight  by  any  similar  application,  because 
(1)  the  insect  is  winged  and  migratorj',  and  (2)  the 
lilight  is  at  its  worst,  and  the  remedy  would  have 
to  be  applied,  at  the  season  of  the  ye.ar  when  quality 
should  be  at  its  best.  The  study  of  the  life  history 
of  this  insect  by  several  scientists  does  not  seem 
to  have  afforded  any  clue  as  to  a remedy.  Some 
hold  the  opinion  that  the  prevention  of  jungle  fires 
by  the  Forest  Department  led  to  the  increase  of  tha 
pest  on  the  gardens  in  the  Terai.  Be  this  as  it  may, 
it  is  not  impossible  that,  like  some  other  crop 
pests,  it  might  be  effectually  treated  in  some  inter- 
mediary stage  in  its  haunts  away  from  the  tea  plant. 
I have  no  experience  of  the  white  ant,  beyond 
what  little  I have  seen  of  its  ravages  when  on  visits 
to  Assam  and  Cach.ar. 
There  are  many  other  parasites  and  blights,  but 
those  I am  familiar  with  do  little  harm,  are  amenable 
to  treatment  and  easily  kept  in  subjection,  or  do 
not  spread.  One  of  these  more  frequently  alluded  to 
of  late,  a white-thread  fungus,  I have  seen  a little  of, 
and  noticed  making  its  appearance  in  different 
parts  of  the  Dooars  during  my  last  trip  to  that 
district  in  1893.  I am  inclined  to  attribute  this  pest 
to  defective  preparation  of  tho  ground  prior  to  plant- 
ing, dampness  of  soil,  or  excess  of  trade. 
Undoubtedly  a great  safeguard  against  tho  ravages 
of  parasites  and  blights  is  to  maintain  the  plants  in 
a healthy  and  vigorous  condition.  Still  I believe  that, 
wherever  there  is  a large  area  under  any  crop, 
irrespective  of  the  exhaustion  of  the  plants,  blights 
in  some  measure  are  sure  to  follow  in  time.  But  it 
stxnds  to  reason  that  with  ill-conditioned  plants— 
from  whatever  cause — blights  must  prove  the  more 
disastrous. 
MANURING. 
The  subject  of  manuring  is  a wide  one, 
and  an  essay,  if  not  a volume,  w’ould  be  required 
to  do  any  justice  to  it.  Material  is  of  en  not  avail- 
able; and  the  fertilising  properties  of  manures  are 
difficult  to  preserve  and  apply  in  India.  The  transit 
of  local  supplies  is  in  most  cases  too  costly  to  be 
thought  of.  Besides,  frequent  labour  is  not  available 
to  any  extent  for  manuring.  In  most  instances  all 
that  is  practicable  over  wide  are.is  is  “ green  manur- 
ing,” and,  as  material  and  hibour  admit,  top-dre.ssing 
with  leaf  mould,  such  soil  as  is  avail vble,  or  leaves 
and  twigs.  Upon  soil  of  fair  quality,  yielding  crops 
of  the  average  present  day  amount,  I am”not  of 
opinion  that  for  the  permanent  rude  growth  and 
health  of  the  plants  more  is  necessary,  ButbeyoniJ 
Bus  the  great  desideratum  w’ould  be  to  be  enabled 
to  mafturp  fQi-  This  can  never  be  aooom- 
