838 
the  Tropical  ACRtcuLTURisr. 
[June  i,  1897. 
2.  Manurinf' tea  has  always  ))ro(luced  "ood 
results,  a much  more  sappy  leaf  has  been  m y 
experience  after  the  manure  has  begun  to  act  ; 
I do  not  think  it  destroys  flavor  but  this  it  does  : 
it  produces  a far  richer  outturn,  a tlark  black  tea 
full  of  strength. 
8.  Pruning  : [ have  always  pinned  my  faitli  on 
a medium  pruning,  but  that  once  in  seven 
or  eight  years  you  require  to  cut  down  into  the 
white  wood  is  no  new  discovery  ; but  tlris  does 
not  suggest  a hacking  ilown  as  I nave  noticed  on 
some  places  ; a judicious  low  pruning  can  with 
very  little  care  be  resorted  to  without  injimng  your 
bush,  the  white  wood  takes  longer  to  respond 
to  pruning,  but  wlien  it  once  does,  which 
is  generally  about  the  8rd  month  from  pruning, 
your  bush  presents  quite  a virgin  look  ; 
I adopt  manuring  whilst  I have  this  pruning 
going  on ; the  fiusli  from  these  fields  is,  as  a 
rule,  poor  in  liquor  until  such  time  as  the  new 
shoots  attain  the  size  of  your  ruling  pencil  (1 
do  not  know  how  big  that  is)  but  an  ordinary 
ruling  pencil  ; it  takes  a good  5 to  6 months 
before  you  have  such  wood  ; from  thence  on  to 
10  or  12  months  it  needs  no  pruniog  and  your 
Hushes  are  all  that  can  be  desired. 
4.  I am  of  opinion  we  are  now  far  more 
advanced  in  the  preparation  of  tea  than  we  were 
10  years  ago  when  we  realized  Is.  6d.  average. 
Even  now  we  can  hold  our  own  if  more  care  is 
paid  to  the  quality  of  leaf  we  manufacture.  Tea- 
making begins  in  the  field,  so  said  the  great 
teaman  “ Cameron.” 
5.  Shortness  of  labour  must  and  will  tell  ; 
the  only  remedy  is  to  cope  with  a suHicient 
acreage  to  keep  in  touch  with  your  labor  force 
and  prune  the  lialance,  it  is  no  use  trying  to 
haul  it  all  in  once  in  3 weeks!!  I pity  the 
tea  you  manufacture  from  such  leaf. 
C.T. 
No.  LXXIV. 
Kotagala,  March  G. 
Deau  Sin, — Keplying  to  your  questions  in  the 
issue  of  2nd. 
1.  Coarse  plucking  is  not  sufliciently  general 
to  seriously  affect  the  general  average. 
2.  The  same  remark  I think  applies  to  manur- 
ing, individual  cases  miglit  be  affected  by  either 
treatment  temporarily. 
3.  Severe  pruning  does  allbct  the  quality  of 
the  tea  adversely  for  some  time. 
It  is  necessary  to  jnune  down  some  time  and 
it  is  well  to  let  good  strong  shoots  uj)  after 
this  before  tipping. 
4.  A great  deal  can  be  done  with  care  and 
judgment  in  the  factory,  at  the  same  time 
suHicient  accommodation  and  proper  arrangements 
are  necessary.  It  is  not  so  easy  handling  large 
(luantities  oi'  leaf  in  a single  factory,  as  it  is  to 
deal  with  a reasonable  amount — whatever  the 
accommodation  niay  be. 
o.  The  general  average  may  be  affected  by 
shortness  of  labour  during  April  and  May,  but 
not  I think  at  other  times.  Apart  from  overpro- 
duction and  increased  supply  in  competition  at 
sales,  the  soil  after  a few  years  seems  to  have 
lost  something  that  it  formerly  posse.ssed.  Other 
things  being  equal  I have  noticed  the  tea  from 
3 to  •')  years  old  has  a point  and  quality  in  it 
that  in ’many  cases  go  of!  and  do  not  come 
a"ain.  Eor  one  thing  there  is  less  “ hloora.” 
ol  course  the  richer  and  less  exposed  to  wind 
and  wash  the  soil  is,  the  longiu'  the  tea  well  be 
in  shewing  this  falling-off.  What  is  wanted  i.'j 
an  expert  to  experiment  on  different  estates  in 
Ceylon,  something  in  the  way  Bamber  seems  to 
have  ilone  in  India.  He  must  be  a first-class 
chemist.  W.  H.  M. 
No.  LXXV. 
Kalutara,  March  10. 
UiiAitSiit, — I find  I have  omitted  to  reply  to 
your  enquiries  of  12th  ulto. , rc  decline  in  price 
of  Ceylon  teas.  The  subject  is  a very  big  order 
and  I really  cannot  find  the  time  to  treat  it 
as  my  experience  would  show  me  it  deserves. 
Taking  your  headings,  however,  as  they  stand: 
(1)  Off  Hat  land  you  cannot  in  the  lowcountry 
or  elsewhere  expect  much  quality  in  the  teas. 
In  such  cases  I would  go  for  a big  yield.  On 
a hilly  place  I would  try  and  combine  quality 
with  quantity.  You  can’t  lay  down  a fixed  rule,  or 
generalise  from  the  question  you  ask. 
(2)  I don’t  believe  in  these  light  artificial 
manures,  they  are  “ killing  the  goose,”  but  pro- 
prietors expect  bigger  and  bigger  yields  and  we, 
as  managers,  are  expected  to  give  them. 
(3)  I’runing,  as  a rule,  is  certainly  too  heavy 
in  the  island,  but  there  are  many  exceptions. 
(4)  'I'o  a certain  extent.  Men  used  to  do  the 
factory  work  themselves.  Now  many  take  it 
for  granted  they  had  nothing  more  to  learn,  and 
leave  too  much  to  tea  maker.s.  Yes,  you  can 
only  make  “ the  best  of  a bad  jat”  with  badly 
plucked  leif— but  it  is  equally  easy  to  spoil  good 
leaf  by  injudicious  manipulation  in  the  factory. 
(.■>)  Personally  on  this  estate,  I can’t  get  the 
leaf  I want,  because  we  are  largely  dependent 
on  Sinhalese  labor,  and  they  hang  back  unless 
they  can  pluck  laige  averages.  Thus,  when  we 
are  shortluinded  with  Tamils,  the  Sinhalese  will 
wait  until  they  know  they  can  pluck  30  lb.  or 
40  lb.  olfa  certain  field  aiul  then  they  come  and 
pluck  it,  resulting  in  coaise  leaf  etc.,',  etc.  The 
remedy— is  more  Tamil  laoor  when  we  can  get  it. 
To  sum  up— an  exhausting  climate  on  a poor 
soil,  and  further  exhausting  bushes  (which  have 
not  the  rest  of  a winter  as  in  India)  by  applica- 
tion of  stimulating  manures  will,  I greatly  fear, 
land  us  in  serious  difficulties  sooner  or  later. 
Under  its  present  conditions  I am  no  believer  in 
the  cont  inuance  of  the  enterprise  and  I was  one  of 
the  earliest  engaged  in  it.  MANAGER. 
LXXVI. 
High  District,  March. 
Dkau  Sir, — 1.  I don’t  think  coarser  plucking 
has  had  much  to  do  with  it.  Some  lowcountry 
Managers  brag  about  their  big  yields,  but  they  are 
a small  proportion. 
2.  I iiave  very  little  experience  of  manuring, 
some  of  my  neighbours  manure— with  prices  much 
the  same  as  before  manure  was  ajijdicd. 
3.  Good  tea  is  never  made  after  severe  pruning 
ami  the  longer  the  bushes  run  from  pruning  the 
better  the  tea. 
4.  Pluckers  require  a lot  of  attention,  so  do 
teamakers  and  factory  hands : if  neglected,  prices 
will  fall. 
5.  Shortness  of  labour  has  a lot  to  answer  for. 
This  estate  has  always  been  fairly  well-supplied 
with  coolies. 
G.  A much  larger  acreage  now  in  bearing  under 
2,000  feet,  which,  as  a rule,  gives  quantity,  and  not 
(juality. 
7.  Too  many  cricket,  tennis,  and  race  meetings; 
also  an  oversujq)ly  of  horses,  which  must  be  exer* 
9i«cd.  p,  A. 
