April  i,  1897.] 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
701 
PLUCKING,  PRUNING  AND 
PREPARATION  OF  TEA- 
Just  as  we  were  printing  off  our  Circular, 
making  inquiries  under  the  above  lieading,  the 
following  letter  came  to  hand  : — 
“ The  Back  Woods,”  Feb.  6,  1897. 
The  Editor  “ Tropical  Agriculturist.  ” 
De.\r  Sir, — As  the  manure  campaign  is  now  over, 
I should  like  to  introduce  another,  and  equally  im- 
portant matter  of  culture,  viz ; Pruning  Tea  Bushes, 
and  to  get  your  and  other  opinions  thereon. 
With  the  usual  system  of  pruning,  that  is  leaving 
a spur  of  two  or  three  inches  of  the  young  wood, 
from  which  the  young  flushing  shoots  spring, 
though  much  can  be  done,  and  is  done  by  careful 
cultivators  to  keep  the  bushes  from  getting  too 
high  or  too  lumpy  by  the  healing  up  of  many  prun- 
ing cuts,  still  there  are  cases,  when  it  becomes  ad- 
visable to  cut  down  into  the  old  wood,  and  from  it, 
to  get  a new  bearing  surface. 
This  is  done, as  a rule,  with  much  greater  modera- 
tion than  it  was  some  years  ago ; but  on  some 
estates,  there  is  still  to  be  seen  the  ruthless  cutting 
down  or  hacking  in  almost  to  the  collar,  and  cu- 
rious enough,  I never  yet  met  with  any  of  those 
who  practise  this  ; whaf  we  sometimes  hear 
called — heroic  cutting  down.  Who  could  give  a 
substantial  and  intelligent  rea.son  for  it.  Some  of 
the  evil  results,  in  my  opinion,  are  these  : — the 
bushes  are  reduced  to  a much  narrower  surface, 
and,  in  most  instances,  they  never  regain  their 
former  condition  ; unless  possibly  in  strong  rich 
virgin  soil,  or  if  heavily  manured  with  bulk,  and 
even  then  doubtful. 
The  shock  to  the  bushes  is  so  great  that  some  of 
them  die  outright — other  parts,  a side  or  .a  quarter, 
more  or  less  as  the  case  may  be.  The  dead  or 
dried  and  stunted  stumps  are — especially  in  the 
lowcountry — the  prey  of  white  ants. 
There  is  greater  waste  of  material  in  the  quantity 
cut  away,  loss  of  time,  and  of  course  of  returns, 
before  the  bush  is  in  bearing  order  again  ; add  to 
this,  that  months  pa.ss  before  the  tea  is  equal  to  its 
former  quality. 
With  the.se  evils  and  others  that  might  be  men- 
tioned, is  it  not  remarkable  that  this  harmful  sys- 
tem finds  favour  with  .some  good  heads,  even  yet. 
Were  tea  not  a more  than  ordinarily  hardy  shrub, 
there  would  have  been  less  to  say  now  about 
over-production. — Yours  faithfully, 
■ ARBOREAL. 
The  questions  in  the  Editor’s  Circular  run  as  fol- 
lows : — 
Would  you  kindly— as  briefly  as  you  please — give 
us  your  opinion  on  the  causes  which  have  brought 
down  the  average  prices  for  Ceylon  teas  of  recent 
years  in  the  London  and  Colombo  markets? 
(1)  Would  you  say  how  far  you  think  Coarser 
Plucking  of  Leaf  may  have  had  to  do  with  ? 
(2)  Or  the  more  prevalent  attention  to  Manur- 
ing Tea? 
(3)  Or  severe  Pruning— cutting  the  bushes  too  far 
down  ? 
(4)  Or  less  attention  to  care  Preparation  in  the 
Factory  ? 
[Some  say  good  tea  is  made  in  the  field  ; but  we 
suppose  careless  or  inadequate  factory  work  may 
spoil  the  most  carefully  ])lucked  leaf  ?] 
(5)  How  fai  Shortness  of  Labour  Supply  has 
affected  your  work  in  field  or  factory  ? 
(6)  Any  other  cause  that  strikes  you — apart  from 
(7)  Overproduction  and  Increased'Supply  in  Com- 
petition at  the  Sales? 
88 
We  now  begin  to  give  the  answers  which  em- 
body a great  variety  of  useful  opinions  and  in- 
formation from  some  of  the  best-known  planters 
in  the  island  : — 
No.  I. 
The  country  generally. 
Answering  your  questions  briefly,  1 do  not 
think  coarser  plucking  is  being  adopted  over  any 
extensive  area,  nor  do  1 think  manuring  has  any 
thing  whatever  to  do  with  lowering  prices. 
Severe  pruning  deteriorates  quality  no  doubt  for 
a time,  but  how  are  we  to  get  a low  jat  bush  to 
flush  at  ah,  at  medium  elevation  (3  to  4,000  feet) 
without,  at  intervals  ot  3 to  4 years,  cutting  down. 
\Ve  all  know  that  fine  leaf  makes  fire  tea, 
and  I certainly  do  not  think  that  less  care 
is  being  given  to  manufacture  now  than  in 
]irevious  years.  What  are  undoubtedly  de 
fective  on  many  estates  are  withering  arrange- 
ments— these  on  many  properties  that  I know 
are  most  faulty  and  quite  inadequate  to  cope  with 
quantity  of  leaf  coming  in.  I am  glad  to  say  there 
are  signs  all  over  the  country  that  this  is  being 
recognized.  I visited  several  estates  lately  where 
the  superintendents  had  leaf  spread  1 foot  deep  in 
the  rooms  of  the  bungalow  ! 
In  my  opinion  we  must  mainly  attribute  to  in- 
creasing supply,  the  lower  prices  of  the  past  2 years. 
When  stocks  run  down  in  London  and  demand  gets 
brisker,  we  shall  not  hear  so  much  of  “poor 
quality  and  little  flavour  !”  R.  A.  B. 
No.  II. 
No.  1. — Planters,  who  have  failed  to  get  good 
or  leading  prices,  may  have  gone  in  for  a system 
of  plucking  to  get  quantity,  and  thus  to  some  ex- 
tent have  helped  to  bring  down  the  average  prices 
for  Ceylon  teas. 
No.  2. — I do  not  think  that  manuring  has  had 
any  influence  whatever  in  reducing  the  rates. 
No.  3. — Heavy  pruning,  I am  inclined  to  say, 
does  interfere  with  the  quality  of  our  teas  for  6 to 
10  months  after  cutting  down  or  until  such  time  as 
the  bushes  get  on  a full  cover  again. 
No.  4. — Managers  are  all  keen  on  getting  the 
best  prices  they  can,  and,  with  the  additional 
experience  which  has  come  with  recent  years, 
they  endeavour  to  make  the  best  of  the  leaf  that 
the'  estate  produces.  I cannot  say  that  I have  ob- 
served or  heard  of  less  attention  being  given  to  care- 
ful manufacture  than  used  to  be  when  the  majority 
of  estates  were  getting  lighter  averages. 
No.  5.  — Shortness  of  Labour  does  to  a great  ex- 
tent interfere  witli  good  and  careful  plucking  as  well 
as  manufactuie;  but  so  far  1 have  never  myself  had 
cause  for  complaint  under  this  heading. 
No.  6. — Increased  production  has  doubtless  more 
to  do  with  the  down!  !!  of  prices  than  all  the  other 
factors  put  together.  It  is  now  s(jme  12  to  15 
years  since  tea  planting  Avas  commenced  on  a 
large  scale  in  this  and  other  coflce  districts,  and 
at  that  time  Ave  Avei'e  under  tlie  impression  that 
about  300  to  350  to  400  rb.  Avould  be  outside  re- 
turns per  acre  per  annum  to  expect.  It  is  true 
some  poor  ohl  liehis  only  give  the  loAver  average, 
Avhereas  the  better  and  manured  fields  yield  double. 
MID  DIMBUOLA. 
No.  III. 
TlllC  FALl.  IN  THE  AVER.VGE  OF  CEYLON  TEAS 
ANU  ITS  GAUGE. 
(1)  May  possibly  affect  individual  aA  crage  ; but  I 
think  the  plucking,  generally  speaking,  is  finer  than 
it  Avas  say  5 years  ago. 
(2)  Not  much,  if  any. 
(3)  Do.  do. 
