May  I,  1897.J 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
767 
PLUCKING,  PRUNING  AND 
PREPARATION  OF  TEA. 
{Gontinuul  from  pacjc  712.) 
No.  XXX vir. 
Dikoya,  Feb.  18. 
I think  all  teas  after  a certain  age  lose  tiavoiir, 
and,  unless  there  are  young  clearings  coining 
on,  the  old  flavour  wliich  younger  estates  have, 
cannot  be  maintained,  except  in  very  “ stand- 
out ” estates. 
1.  In  this  district  labour  is  plentiful  as  a 
rule.  I don’t  think  jiluckingis  coarse,  but  medium. 
2.  I do  not  think  mamirincj  injures  flavour — 
the  fact  that  tiie  bushes  are  vigorous  ought  to 
give  the  reverse  result. 
.3.  This  is  rarely  resorted  to  ; one  case  I know, 
■when  this  was  done,  gave  very  benelicial  results, 
botli  as  regards  yield,  and  at  the  same  time 
quality  was  maintained. 
4.  I do  not  consider  attention  to  manufacture 
has  been  less  careful — but  the  reverse. 
Plucking  is  very  important,  and  coarse  and 
hard  leaf  should  be  carefully  kept  out  of  factory  ; 
but  plenty  of  withering  room  is  one  of  the 
great  points  oh  good  manufacture. 
.■).  VVe  hav'e  been  very  well  off  for  labour 
all  the  year. 
6.  I consider  the  last  line  of  your  ([uery, 
underlined,  is  the  chief  cause  of  bad  prices  ; they 
know  we  can’t  keep  teas,  and  must  sell,  and  won’t 
bid  more  than  they  can  help.  L. 
No.  XXX  VI 1 1. 
Baiidarawela,  Feb.  19. 
1.  There  is,  I think,  no  doubt  but  coarser 
plucking  has  had  a good  deal  to  do  witli  fall 
in  prices,  the  craze  in  some  instances  being  for 
a large  yield  per  acre;  this  combined  with  sirp- 
ply  exceeding  ilemand,  is  to  my  mind  greatly  res- 
ponsible for  the  fall  in  price. 
2.  I do  not  think  manuring  has  anything 
to  do  with  it.  A number  of  estates  that  never 
saw  manure  in  any  shape  or  form  shows  no  stand- 
out prices  against  those  we  know  that  ai'e  manured. 
3.  All  teas  foi  some  months  after  pruning  are 
thin  poor  liquor,  whether  the  pruning  has  ,been 
severe  or  otherwise.  I have  not  noticed  any 
worse  results  from  heavy  pruning  in  this  direc- 
tion, than  when  medium  pruning  was  resorted  to. 
Where  pruning  is  very  light  my  experience  is 
the  bush  throws  out  an  abnormal  quantity  of 
bangy  leaf,  from  which  good  tea  cannot  be  made. 
4.  My  experience  is  that  preparation  in  the  fac- 
tory receives  as  much  attention  as  it  ever  did.  No 
doubt,  careless  or  inadequate  factory  work  would 
spoil  the  most  carefully  plucked  leaf;  this  I con- 
sider seldom  happens  where  withering  jiccommo- 
dation  and  machinery  is  sufficient  for  require- 
ments. 
5.  Shortness  of  labour  has  not,  as  far  as  I 
know,  affected  factory  work  in  any  way,  as  all 
the  factories  I know  of  are  well  equipped  with 
machinery  of  the  latest  and  most  apjiroved  type, 
1 have  no  hesitation  in  saying  Laboui  dilficul- 
ties  have  to  a great  extent  affected  quality  of  leaf. 
Sunday  plucking  in  the  busy  months  has  to  be 
resorted  to  the  quality  of  Sunday  work,  no  mat- 
ter how  close  the  supervision  may  be,  is  not,  as  a 
rule,  of  a very  high  order. 
6.  Over-production  and  an  absence  of  fresh 
markets  for  the  increased  supply  is  largely  respon- 
sible for  fall  in  prices  ; in  a rising  market  we  never 
hear  of  inferior  quality.  B. 
98 
No.  XXXIX. 
Mattie,  Feb.  18. 
f am  of  opinion  that  the  fall  in  price  of 
Ceylon  teas  may  be  attributed  to  the  supply 
beiim  in  excess  Of  demand,  and  tliat  growers 
have"  found  it  pays  tliem  better  to  meet  the 
demanil  for  ordiria’\\  teas  tlian  to  pioduce  the 
finest  teas  for  whicli  so  little  has  been  paid  in 
the  London  and  the  Colombo  markets. 
1.  Planters  iiave  tried  to  meet  the  require- 
ments of  tlie  buyers,  judging  th-ese  requirements 
by  the  prices  they  offered  for  the  teas._ 
2.  I am  of  opinion  tliat  manuring  improves 
the  quality  as  well  as  the  yield  of  tiie  tea, 
judging  by  the  appearance  of  the  leaf,  both 
before  Ond'  after  it  is  maiiufactureil,  and  there- 
fore do  not  think  that  manure  has  anything  to 
do  with  the  fall  in  price.  Though  not  an  ex- 
pert in  tea  tasting,  I believe  our  ordinary  teas 
are  of  as  good  value  now  as  they  were  in  1892, 
only  that  "he  buyers  won’t  give  the  price,  as 
the’  stocks  are  larger,  and  they  have  no  fear  of 
the  supply  not  being  equal  to  the  demand. 
3.  Notliing  whatever  to  do  with  the  fall  in 
price.  S.o’ere  pruning  lias  frequently  been  found 
very  beneficial  to  the  Iim  lurslies. 
4.  Sometimes,  want  of  sufficient  withering 
accommodation  has  been  the  cause  of  our  teas 
not  being  ([uite  so  good  as  they  would  h.ave 
been,  liad  more  wit’.iering  sjiace  been  available, 
but  on  the  whole,  I do  not  think  less  care  is 
bestowed  on  the  manufacture  of  our  teas. 
Enlarged  and  better  equipped  factories  enable 
the  Superintendents  to  exercise  greater  care,  and 
produce  with  less  trouble  and  certainly  greater 
cleanliness,  the  teas  of  the  present  day,  when 
compared  with  that  of  the  [last. 
To  your  withiii-braekets  query,  I reply  that 
the  most  careful  attention  in  the  factory,  with 
the  (inest  machinery  av.ailable,  be  the  individual 
in  charge  teimaker  or  European  Manager,  good 
tea  cannot  be  made  from  poor  or  coarse  leaf; 
therefore  the  lirst  step  in  the  manufacture  is 
careful  plucking,  and  if  the  leaf  be  g ;od,  the 
climate  and  elevation  suitable,  the  manufacture  of 
gooii  tea  in  most  factories  is  assured. 
5.  Frequently  short  labor  supply  has  prevented 
my  getting  round  the  estate  with  my  pluckers 
in  time  to  pluck  the  flush  at  the  stage  I should 
have  likeil  to  have  it;  the  consequence  is,  the 
leaf  was  larger  and  did  not  give  the  same  per- 
centage of  the  liner  teas.  1 have  no  doubt  had 
I had  more  coolies,  I would  have  gone  more 
lar'i’ely  into  the  manuring  question  with  the 
pro'iji'ietors,  and  almost  doubled  the  yield,  but 
what  is  the  use  of  producing  leaf  if  you  have 
to  abandon  the  plucking  of  fields  as  have  been 
done  in  this  district  for  want  of  labor,  on  more 
occasions  than  one?  For  the  present,  I think, 
you  have  enough  of  the 
TRUTH. 
No.  XL 
Teldeniya,  Feb.  19. 
I should  liave  answered  your  first  letter  on 
vi'inurin.q  dated  26th  December,  and  now  I have 
yours  of  l'2th  inst.  My  views  are— 
1st.  Manuring  : I would  not  advocate  it. 
2nd.  My  experience  in  manuring  tea  is  only 
conlined  to  the  last  0 months  of  1896. 
3ril.  The  liehl  I manured  never  gave  more 
than  260  lb.  per  acre  before  manuring.  Although 
wood  woik  is  being  done  in  America  and 
Russia,  the  supply  is  increasing  much  faster  than 
the  demand. 
