710 
THR  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST.  [April  t,  1897. 
3.  The  severe  prunint;  done  on  a lot  of  estates 
is  no  doubt  accounting  for  lower  prices. 
4.  75  per  cent  of  Ceylon  factories  have  insuffi- 
cient withering  space  : as  this  is  the  most  im- 
portant item  in  manufacture  greater  attention 
should  be  paid  to  it.  The  tea  is  certainly  made 
in  the  Held  to  a large  extent.  An  estate  with 
bad  climate,  jat  and  soil  can  never  compete,  how- 
ever line  the  plucking,  with  an  upcountry  estate. 
5.  Shortness  of  labour  no  doubt  greatly  affects 
}»rices,  as  planters  cannot  keep  up  with  their 
Hushes.  My  conviction  is  that  should  labour  be 
short,  planters  should  let  part  of  the  estate  run 
and  only  pluck  the  Helds  they  can  go  round 
within  8-12  days,  according  to  the  climate. 
7.  Overproduction  and  increased  supply  are 
however  the  main  causes. — -Yours  faithfully, 
PLANTER. 
NXX. 
Dikoya,  Feb.  17. 
1.  There  can  be  but  little  doubt  of  late  years 
most  estates  have  studied  the  question  of  yield 
per  acre,  and  instead  of  vicing  with  each  other 
with  regard  to  iirices,  it  has  Ijeen  more  a ques- 
tion whether  .-V  gets  a better  yiehl  per  acre 
than  R,  and  1 consider  that  this  has  simply 
solved  itself  into  coarser  leaf  having  been  accepted 
as  a resu  1 1. 
2.  The  only  way  manuring  might  have  aH'ected 
prices  is  in  the  case  of  an  insullicieiit  labour 
force  to  cope  with  the  extra  leaf ; but  given  an 
ade(iuate.  labor  force  with  careful  manuring  ; and 
prices,  in  my  opinion,  would  be  improverl. 
3.  The  (|uestion  of  drastic  pruning  should 
not  alfect  the  point  in  ([uestion  at  all  materially, 
as  it  is  a work  that  has  to  be  done  sooner  or 
later,  and  most  estates  would  piobably  arrange 
to  do  only  a small  proportion  of  their  acreage 
in  the  year,  and  in  that  way  prices  for  the  year 
would  not  be  materially  affected. 
t This  question  of  probable  carelessness  in 
Factory  affecting  prices  should  in  a general 
sense,  I think,  he  put  aside,  as  a manager  who 
neglected  the  supervision  of  his  Factory  would 
probably  neglect  the  work  outside  as  well,  and 
in  that  case  would  not  remain  long  where  he  w.as. 
T do  think,  however,  there  is  a good  deal  of 
follow-my-leader  business  about  tea  manufacture 
in  general  which  might  be  remedied  ; but  the 
secret  of  bad  prices  in  f)  cases  out  of  10  is 
imaflirmit  ii:ifhcrini/  accommodation.  How  many 
Paciories  are  really  jiroperly  equipped  in  this 
respect  ? Estates  have  yearly  increased  their 
crops  and  yet  have  the  s.ime  accommodation  as 
they  had  when  they  were  getting  probably  2.7-30 
per  cent  less. 
5.  In  many  cases  shortness  of  l.-ibor  has  meant 
bad  leaf  and  bad  juices,  but  this  state  of  things 
would  probably  noi,  last  \eiy  long  and  so  on 
most  estates  sboulil  not  account  foi-  the  general  fall. 
().  The  whole  thing  will  work  itself  out  in 
my  opinion  ; men  must  pluck  liner  to  improve 
prices;  thos(!  that  do  will  get  attention  in  the 
market,  and  those  who  continue  for  yield  only 
will  probably  get  lower  and  lower  til  they 
rcali.se  that  it  is  not  paying  them. 
It  has  p lid  <d'  late  years  (|Uiurily  as  against 
(pialily  : but  the  time  has  c.omc  when  (|uality  must 
hai’c  its  innings  and  the  sooner  it  is  realised  the 
better  for  Hie  name  of  ('cylnn  lea 
L.  11.  1!. 
No.  XXXI. 
17th  Feb. 
igjig — In  leiily  to  yours  of  T2th,  I do  not  think 
jilanters  are  going  in  for  coarser  plucking  now 
on  this  side  of  the  country  than  they  were  a 
j ear  or  two  ago.  Little  manuring  has  been  done 
.so  far. 
Severe  ju  uning  undoubtedly  affects  the  quality 
of  the  tea  made,  at  least  for  some  months  after 
pruning. 
I am  certain  much  better  teas  could  be  made 
in  some  factories,  were  more  attention  paid  to 
the  work  in  both  Held  and  factory.  I believe 
in  careful,  not  fine,  plucking  and  adequate  super- 
vision in  the  factory,  (jiven  the  above  almost 
any  estate  in  Uva  over  3,000  ft.  elevation  should 
show  averages  at  least  Id  per  lb.  above  the 
London  inices  for  the  year,  and  in  the  dry  weather 
June-Sept.,  there  should  be  a much  greater  differ- 
ence. Many  men  scarcely  look  at  the  leaf  in 
the  baskets,  and  certainly  do  not  over  burden  the 
factory  with  their  presence,  and  when  their  teas 
fetch  lower  prices  than  their  neighbours’,  lay  the 
blame  everywhere  but  in  the  right  quarter. 
During  the  busy  months,  March,  April  and 
May,  few  men  hnve  suflicient  labor  to  get  round 
in  8 to  10  days  and  the  teas  made  from  a Hush 
T2-l(i  days  old  are  bound  to  be  inferior.  In- 
creased supply'  is,  however,  in  my  opinion,  the 
main  cause  of  the  lower  prices  ruling  of  late 
year.s. — Yours,  J. 
XXX  If, 
1.  I do  not  consider  that  coarser  plucking  is  res- 
ponsible for  the  falling-olf  in  quality. 
2.  Nor  do  I think  it ’s  attributable  to  manuring. 
3.  Not  low  and  frequent  pruning — to  secure 
quality — is  the  chief  factor  in  the  depreciated  qua- 
lity. 
4.  Careless  work  in  the  factory  and  inadequate 
machinery  will  depreciate  the  value  of  tea  ; but 
tea  is  made  in  the  Held  and  not  only  is  careful 
plucking  necessary,  but,  to  secure  flavour,  the 
trees  must  be  pruned  high  and  jmined  at  long 
intervals.  N.B. — The  line  teas  fi-om  St.  Leonards 
were  procured  in  this  w,ay.  M’hen  working  the 
Kandapola  group  of  estates  and  making  some 
50,000  lb.  of  tea  a month,  I secured  some  of  my 
best  jirices  and  teas,  from  leaf  that,  because 
of  inadequate  accommodation,  had  been  only  a 
quarter  withered 
5 Short  labour  spoils  the  quality  of  leaf  as 
the  iducking  is  not  performed  in  its  proper  rota- 
tion and  the  result  is*  a large  amount  of 
“bhanji  ” leaf  is  formed  (and  cannot  e.asily  be 
got  rid  of  for  months  after)  which  will  ruin  the 
([uality  in  any  tea.  D. 
No.  XXXIII. 
Dimbiila,  Feb.  17. 
1.  I have  no  doubt  that  coarser  plucking  of 
leaf  has  very  much  to  do  with  it,  as  well  as  trying 
to  get  a much  greater  yield  per  acre.  V.A.  says 
this  Held  must  (observe  the  word)  g ve  450  or 
.")UU  lb.  jier  acre. 
2.  No  ! manuring  tea  has  not  done  it.  The  more 
healthy  the  bushes,  the  better  leaf. 
3.  I am  against  severe  pruning  ; medium  is 
what  I do,  cutting  down  once  in  ii  years  or  so. 
Less  severe  pruning  is  done  now  than  formerly. 
4.  No,  more  attention.  Good  tea  is  neither 
made  in  the  Held  nor  in  the  factory  : it’s  the  com- 
bination of  both.  It's  more  easily  siioiled  in  the 
factory  than  in  the  Hehl.  It  must,  be  lemcmbered 
^hat  if  Havour  and  strength  are  not  in  the  loaf 
„o  manufacturing  can  put  it  there,  though  it  can 
],e  very  easily  thrown  awjiy  in  the  factory. 
• 'this  is,  of  course,  besides  the  imiuodiate  result  of 
coarse  loaf  harvested. 
