Feb.  X,  1897.] 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
561 
THE  MANURING  OF  TEA  ESTATES. 
This  subject  is  of  so  nmcli  importance  and  we 
were  so  pressed  by  Mr.  John  Hughes  of  Mark 
Lane,  Consulting  Analytical  Chemist  to  the 
Planters’  Association,  to  look  into  the  matter, 
that  we  decided  to  issue  a circular  to  represent- 
ative jdanters  asking  information  on  the  follow- 
ing points  : — 
1.  Has  the  manuring  of  tea  estates  become 
general  in  all,  or  only  in  old,  districts?  or,  if  your 
experience  is  local,  in  your  own  district? 
2.  Is  bulky  manure  chiefly  used  ? 
3.  Is  the  manure  sent  up  by  railway  used  alone 
or  mixed,  and  is  there  much  of  bone-dust  and 
nitrates  as  well  as  of  castor-cake  and  fish  manure 
I ow  used  ? 
4.  Do  you  think  harm  is  being  done  to  any 
extent  by  the  use  of  artificial  manures  in  the 
case  of  tea? 
5.  How  does  the  oldest  manured  tea  compare 
with  unmanured  tea  of  the  same  age? 
Here  are  the  replies  already  come  to  hand  : — 
No.  I. 
Dec.  29. 
Dear  Sir,  — 1.  In  both  old  and  new  districts 
manuring  has  been  resorted  to.  Hut  it  cannot 
quite  be  said  that  manuring  has  become  very 
genet al  in  either. 
2.  I should  say  that  there  never  was  less  bulky 
manure  used  than  at  the  present  time.  Tavalam 
bullocks  are  almost  things  of  the  past,  and  few 
cattle  except  for  carts  and  dairy  purposes  are 
kept  on  estates,  and  many  old  grassfields  have 
been  planted  with  tea.  Places  like  Mariawatte 
get  a lot  of  bulk  from  adjacent  towns.  In  the 
case  of  estates  near  the  Sanitarium,  and  where 
people  do  mostly  congregate,  the  application  of 
what  is  euphemistically  described  as  “ bazaar 
manure”  should  not  be  encouraged. 
3.  Castor-cake  chiefly,  sometimes  mixed  with 
fish  and  a small  quantity  of  bones.  But  bone- 
dust  is  supposed  by  some  jjeople  to  induce  growth 
of  seed. 
4.  I should  say  not,  although  I have  heard 
it  so  stated  in  the  case  of  some  lowcountry 
estates.  My  own  experience  is  that  although 
cattle  or  farmyard  manure  was  the  best  for 
coffee,  it  does  not  fetch  tea  so  much  as  artificial. 
5.  .Favourably.  W . 
No.  II. 
Dikoya,  Dec.  29. 
Dear  Sir, — In  reply  to  your  circular  letter  of 
26th  inst.,  manuring  with  castor-cake  and  bones 
is  pretty  general  in  this  district ; on  some  estates, 
however,  to  a small  extent  only.  I cannot  speak 
for  Bogawantalawa  division, 
My  opinion  is  decidedly  in  favor  of  manuring, 
and  that  much  benefit  has  resulted  to  tea,  both 
as  to  general  appearance  and  yield,  I have  not 
a doubt. 
The  oldest  manured  tea  here  is  giving  200  to 
250  lb.  more  per  acre  than  unmanured  tea  of 
same  age. 
I have  seen  no  harm  done  anywhere  by 
manure.  ' H.  S.  A. 
No.  III. 
Talawakele,  Dec.  29. 
Dear  Sir, — In  response  to  your  circular  of 
Dec,  26th,  I am  a great  advocate  of  manuring 
tea  and  am  of  opinion  that  prices  are  improved 
by  its  ado))tion,  and  the  increase  in  yield  is  \in- 
doubted. 
71 
As  a means  of  providing  work  for  coolies  when 
flush  is  short,  manuring  is  invaluable,  and  if 
the  results  merely  repaid  acfual  expemliture,  I 
should  manure  on  this  account  alone. 
Although  keeiting  a large  herd  of  stall-fed 
cattle  and  pigs  I am  doubtful  if  bulky  manure 
pays  as  against  artificial.  I have  not  observed 
any  supeiiority  to  attach  to  the  use  of  farmyard 
manure.  That  is  to  say  that  fields  manured 
solely  with  artificial  have  done  quite  as  well  as 
any  manured  wiih  bulk,  and  naturally  the  work 
is  quicker  and  cheaper  in  the  case  of  artificial. 
1 am  of  opinion  that  the  use  of  manure,  and 
especially  of  artificial  manure  is  on  the  increase. 
Persons  who  object  to  manuring  “ on  principle  ” 
are  usually  hand-to-mouth  men  who  have  no 
money  to  pay  for  it,  or  who  wish  to  pump  their 
properties. 
As  a rule  the  manure  rrsed  seems  to  be  a mix* 
ture  of  grouml  bones  and  castor  cake  in  the 
pro])ortion  of  the  1 to  4 or  0 parts  respectively.  A 
few  persons  use  nitrates  and  superphosphates  as 
well.  I tfiink  a slight  addition  of  the.se  substances 
distinctly  advantageous. 
I have  seen  no  harm  done  by  excessive  manur- 
ing—ami  a glance  at  the  tea  round  any  set  of 
lines  woirld  show  the  folly  of  imagining  that 
the  growth  of  tea  can  be  injured  by  the  most 
jrotent  of  fertilisers  even  in  exce.ss. 
1 think  it  is  a mistake  to  imagine  that  manure 
need  be  applied  frequently  or  that  tea  suffers 
from  the  discontinuance  of  manuring.  I have 
known  tea  of  very  poor  qu-ality  manured  and 
then  left  for  5 or  6 years  without  the  yield 
dropping  below  what  it  was  before  manuring  was 
adopted. 
As  a rule  manure  of  any  kind  tells  rapidly— 
but  I have  known  upwards  of  a year  elapse  be* 
fore  any  improvement  was  apparent. 
The  moral  of  manure,  as  Capt.  Cuttle  would 
say, — lies  in  the  application. 
A rotation  of  manures  is  in  my  opinion  advis* 
able  where  possible  5 say  in  the  following  or* 
der  : — 
1.  Bulk 
2.  Castor  and  Bones 
(Nitrates  and  Superphosphates) 
3.  Fish 
—Yours  truly  KlLLALOEj 
NO.  IV. 
Hautane  District,  Dec.  29. 
Dear  Sir, — ^Ye  have  not  yet  gone  in  foi 
manuring  regularly  with  ai  tificia'l  hefe  but  intend 
beginning  next  year  with  castor  cake  and  bones 
which  many  seem  using  now  with  good  effecti 
—Yours  truly,  W. 
No.  V. 
llatnatenna,  Dec.  30. 
Dsar  Sir,— 1.  Manuring  of  tea  planted  on 
old  coffee  lauds  or  on  patana  lands  lias,  I think, 
become  general  in  certain  districts. 
2.  Artificial  manures  chielly  used  as  beitm 
less  expensive,  more  easily  applied,  and  "'ivin” 
results  more  rapidly. 
3.  Artificial  manures  arc  generally  used  mixed. 
Castorcake  and  bones  as  well  as  nitrates.  Fish 
manure  is  generally  mixed  with  soil,  refuse, 
grass,  etc. 
4.  I consider  that  the  use  of  artificial 
manure  is  doing  harm  to  the  tea  enterprise. 
Such  manures  as  castor  and  bones  give  a ficti- 
tious value  or  should  I say  a fictitious  energy 
to  the  plants,  which  .sooner  or  later  must  produce 
the  worst  rc.sull.s.  These  manures  arc  only  fit 
