Feb.  t,  1897.] 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
565 
No.  XVI. 
Kadu^'annawa,  Jan.  2. 
Dear  Sir, — In  reply  to  your  ([ueries  ra 
manuring  of  tea, — 
1.  Becoming  general  in  olil  districts  and  on 
can  experimental  scale  at  least  in  new  distiicts. 
On  old  coli'ee  land  it  is  indispensable. 
2.  Arlilicial  manures  chielly  used,  except  where 
road-side  cattle  slieds  and  town  refuse  are  avail- 
able. 
3.  Castorcake  and  bonedust  in  proportions 
of  4 or  5 to  1 the  most  general  application, 
and  occasionally  nitrate  of  potash  anti  lish 
manure. 
4.  No  harm  from  eU'ects  of  manure,  hut  inevit- 
able loss  of  soil  from  repeated  applications  in  steep 
land. 
o.  Manured  tea  compares  favourably  with  un- 
manured and  yiehls  better  returns. 
“ OUTLOOK.” 
No.  XVII. 
Hatton,  1st  Jan. 
Dear  Sir, — M.any  thanks  for  your  circular 
of  the  26th  December  rc  Manuring  of  estates. 
1 can’t  speak  for  other  districts  ; only  that  I 
hear  manuring  is  more  general  than  it  was  two 
or  three  years  ago  : 
1.  Manuring  is  more  general  in  all  old  districts. 
Manuring  has  been  prett}' general  in  this  district. 
Castorcake  and  bonedust— 5 cake  to  1 bonedust. 
2.  Bulk  m.annre  is  very  little  used  unless  on 
a few  estates  close  to  caddies,  such  as  Hatton 
and  Dikoya.  The  Large  number  of  cattle  that  is 
required  to  manure  an  esl.ate  s.ay  of  2U0  acres 
prohibits  bulk  manuring. 
3.  Tlie  manure  sent  bj'  rail  is  mostly  used 
alone  ; castorcake  and  bonedust  and  a little, 
nitrate  of  potash. 
4.  I do  think  that  castorcake  and  bone  dust 
hurt  the  flavor  of  the  tea  ; this  I am  sure  of. 
5.  Manured  tea  in  old  land  certainly  com- 
pares favourably  with  unmanured  tea,  and  I am 
positive  manure  pays  well  on  old  estates  where 
the  tea  is  backward.  As  1 have  already  said 
castorcake  and  bom;s  do  affect  the  flavor  of 
the  tea  to  such  an  extent  that  it  affects  prices 
considerably  ; but  against  this  you  get  a greatly 
increased  yield,  say  of  200  lb.  per  acre,  for  at  least 
two  years.  But,  Mr.  Editor,  what  is  the  good 
of  all  this  manuring  when  many  estates  that 
have  manured  regular,  can’t  pluck  their  leaf  year 
after  year  for  want  of  labour  ? It  would  thus  be 
far  better  if  some  estates  were  satisfied  witli 
the  450  lb.  ))er  acre  in  place  of  600  lb.  and 
not  plucking  it.  This  is  a very  large  question 
which  I don’t  feel  inclined  to  enter  into  just 
now.  In  fact,  as  I w'ant  to  keep  my  dearly-bought 
experience  to  myself  unless  I get  a large  fee 
from  the  Creeper  “ Association.’' 
In  conclusion,  I challenge  any  of  my 
brother  planters  to  say  if  their  prices  have  in- 
creased since  they  commenced  regular  manuring 
with  castor-cake  and  liones  ? I am,  however,  con- 
vinced half  of  them  know  nothing  about  the 
subject  ! This  is  a bold  assertion  from 
A NOVICE. 
No.  XVIII. 
Upper  Maskelij'a,  Jan.  1st  1897. 
(1)  I believe  the  manuring  of  tea  estates  has 
become  general  and  in  all  districts — new  as  well 
as  old — but  my  experience  is  confined  to  this 
district  where  lu.anuring  has  become  general. 
(2)  Very  little  bulky  manure  is  used  here 
with  the  exception  of  line  sweepings  and  a little 
stable  manure. 
(3)  The  manure  .sent  up  by  railway  is  usually 
mixed  in  Colombo— the  favourite  ] roportion 
being  3 of  castorcake  to  1 of  bonedust. 
Fish  manure  is  used  a good  deal.  An  excellent 
mixture  is,  castorcake  40  per  cent.,  lish  40  per 
cent.,  and  bonedust  20  per  cent.  The  great  ob- 
jection to  fish  manure  is  that  it  contains  a large 
pro|)ortion  of  sand  and  is  not  ground  fine  enough 
to  admit  of  its  being  thoroughly  mixed  with 
Ollier  manures.  Fish  manure  should  only  heap- 
plied  to  tho.se  ])arts  ot  estates  whete  there  is 
no  possibility  of  its  contaminating  the  streanls  front 
which  the  coolies  draw',  their  waiter; 
I have  noi  heard  of  nitrates  being  Used  in 
this  district,  and  should  not  care  to  use  siich 
s'imnlating  manures,  except  by  the  ailvice  of 
an  Agi'icultural  Chemist. 
(4)  No  harm  wh-a,tever  is  being  done  by  the 
use  of  artificial  manures.  Quite  the  reverse. 
(5)  Unmauured  tea  is  quite  out  of  it  in  com- 
parison with  manured  fields  of  the  same  age. 
Manure  not  only  gives  a large  increase  of  leaf; 
but  it  increa.'ses  the  size  of  the  bush  and  gives 
an  abundance  of  strong  healthy  brown  wood 
for  ])runing.  NORTH. 
No.  XIX. 
UvA  Side. 
No.  1.  Being  a comparatively  new  district, 
manuring  has  not  been  generally  carried  on  here. 
No.  2.  1 have  used  cattle  manuie  chiefly. 
No.  4.  When  ai  tificial  manure  is  used  without 
due  analyses  of  soil  being  previously  procured 
to  discover  the  chief  chemical  ingredients  re- 
quired, I think  it  likely  that  harm  may  be 
done  and  the  (juality  of  the  manufactured  tea 
adversely  affected. 
No.  5.  I have  no  actual  figures  to  go  upon, 
as  the  fields  liave  not  been  kept  separate,  but 
tlie  manured  bushes  flush  better  and  longer 
ahan  those  not  manured.  G.  H.  G. 
No.  XX. 
Jan.  2nd.  1897. 
De.ar  Mr.  Editor, — We  w'onld  all  manure 
if  we  could,  but  wdiere  is  the  labour?  Not  only 
individual  estates,  bub  whole  districts  are  cr^’ing 
out  for  more  coolies.  W'e  are  rubbing  on  nowq 
but  what  shall  w’e  do  in  April  and  Alay  ? What 
is  the  use  of  increasing  the  yielding  capabilities 
of  our  tea,  if  we  cannot  pluck  the  extra  leaf  ? 
Now'  for  your  questions  : — 
I.  I don’t  think  the  manuring  of  tea  is  (/cue 
in  any  district.  It  is  more  so  in  the  new  dis- 
tricts, because  they  are  better  provided  with 
cart  road  transport  —an  estate  w'itliout  a cart« 
road  to  the  boundary,  or  nearly  so,  cannot  in« 
dulge  ill  manure,  not  only  is  the  cost  of  tran.s- 
])ort  prohibitory,  but  labour  is  nob  available. 
Tavalaui  cattle  in  olden  times  carried  our 
manure,  but  they  have  long  ago  disappeared 
from  all  the  old  ilistiicts. 
II.  VTny  few  cattle  are  kept  now-a-days,  no 
coolies  can  be  spared  to  tend,  or  cut  bedding 
for  tliem,  so  w'e  have  no  bulky  manure  to  apply. 
III.  The  iirincipal  manures  used  by  estates 
connected  with  a cart-road  are  castorcake, 
bonemeal,  and  fish. 
IV.  I have  used  all  sorts  of  manure  during 
the  last  6 years,  and  unhesitatingly  s<ay  that 
it  has  been  of  the  greatest  possible  beaeiit, 
