Aug. 2, 1897.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
log 
on his part ; that employers with married assistants, 
and even managers, are placed at a disadvantage ; 
and that the directors of companies would scarcely 
be acting within their province if they constituted 
themselves the censors or guardians of their em- 
ployes’ morals. 
We have only indicated some of the subjects, all 
of which had many more Ulr. Crole deals with in 
detail. Though it has been far from our wish to 
criticise more than is imperative, and we have done 
so on all material points, we are well aware that 
we have not done justice to many excellencies. Our 
desire is that all study the volumes for themselves. 
It ha.s often been forced upon us that, with very 
few exceptions, practical planters belong to either 
of two classes — (1) Those who do not feel equal to 
writing at all, or will not take the trouble to give 
tbe public the benefit of their experience ; (2) those 
who believe they know everything, but for this very 
reason do not see the force of divulging their secrets 
to make others as wise as themselves. We can to a 
certain extent sympathise with both classes. Owing 
to the occasional vagueness of expression in one so 
gifted with a facile pen, we have not been enabled 
entirely to divest ourself of the suspicion that Mr. 
Crole naturally reserves a good deal for his oppor- 
tunities when consulted professionally. As so few 
will write about tea, we do not forget that those 
interested in the industry are placed under all the 
greater obligation to the author for the attention he 
has devoted to, and the interest infused into all 
branches of his subject. 
In conclusion, we congratulate Mr. Crole upon the 
successful issue of his labours, as a whole, and 
again most cordially recommend his book to the 
general planting public, trusting it may find its way 
into many hands. — II. and C. Mail, May 21. 
JAPAN TEA. 
The delicate flavour and aroma which the Japanese 
tea-drinkers make so much of in the so-called “ new 
tea ” will not probably strike foreigners as anything 
specially palatable. As soon as the new leaf is on 
the market, all tea shops display a notice with two 
Chinese ideographs representing ■“ New Tea,” written 
in conspicuous style. The labour and care involved 
in raising and preparing tea are really beyond the 
appreciation of outsiders, to whom the leaves come 
packed in boxes carefully sealed and labelled and 
ready for use. The quality of tea depends not only 
upon the nature of the leaf itself but also upon the 
time of picking. For instance, leaves picked at 
night-time, wet with dew, will make tea of superior 
quality, while those plucked in the day time make an 
ordinary tea. Prom the end of April, the famous tea 
plantation of Uji near Kyoto, presents an interesting 
and busy scene as the picking season sets in. This 
place enjoys an unrivalled reputation in this country 
as producing tea of the best quality, the nature of 
the soil and the climatic conditions there hfeing 
specially adapted for its cultivation. A village in 
Uji, called Ikeno-o, claims the unique honour of 
producing tea for the consumption of the Imperial 
Family. It is said that the nature of the soil is not 
the sole consideration for the production of tea of 
superior quality. When the new leaves began to 
sprout, tea growers plant posts in four corners of the 
garden, and at the height of about eighteen feet they 
stretch bamboo poles, over which they lay a straw 
covering specially provided for the purpose. This is 
done partly to protect the shrubs from being frost- 
bitten and partly from a curious idea that drops of 
rain dripping through the straw impart some additional 
flavour to the tea-leaves. Hence the name “Gioku-ro” 
(Pearly Dew), given to the leaf of the best quality in 
this country . — Japan Times, May 14. 
According to the Osaka Mainichi, the prospects of 
the tea crop in the vicinity of Kyoto (the favourite Uji 
tea) are good. The gathering of the tea for export to 
America is already finished and the leaf is now in pro- 
cess of manufacture. The picking tea for home 
consumption was to commence on the 10th inat. The 
crop was bad last year owing to damage caused by 
frost and worms, but the case is very different this 
ye.ar, the prospeet being bright in every respect. The 
budding was delayed a week this year, but it seems 
that this does not affect the success of the crop. As 
the crop failed last year, old stocks in the market are 
small, and consequently there will be an increase of 
10 yen per 100 kin in the quotations compared with the 
corresponding period of last year. 
A deputation from the Japan Tea Guilds, consisting 
of Messrs. K. Ito (Kyoto), S. Mihashi (Shizuoka). S. 
Miyama (Miye), and S. Saka (Tokyo), has had an in- 
terview with Mr. Oishi, Vice-Minister of Agriculture 
and Commerce, ou the subject of the new tariff pro- 
posed in the United States. They point out that the 
price of tea in Japan is 20 ijen per 100 kin, and a duty 
of 10 cents per pound will just double the price; to 
this must be added freight, insurance, commission, and 
other charges, which will bring the selling price in the 
American market up to 65 i/eii per 100 kin. This, they 
imagine, will put an end to the sale of Japanese tea in 
America ; but they overlook th a fact that the Americans 
must have too, whatever the price m.ay be, and prices 
of all teas ahke will go up, v/hether from .Japan, 
China, or India, so tliat the increase of duty reaiiy 
concerns Japan very little indeed , — Japan Times, 
May 15. 
The Yokohama Tea Traders’ Association issued 
oht following instructions to the tea-producers in 
Gifu Ken 011 the 15th instant; — (1.) That it is 
necessary, as the result of the American Regulations 
prohibiting t’ne importation of tea that all tea should 
be of superior quality. (2.) That the manufacture 
of green tea should be abandoned if possible, but 
if not, to improve the quality of that kind. (3.) 
That any leaf that is in any degree rotten should 
not be used. 
We learn from the Tomiuri that the following 
advice to the Yokohama Tea-dealers guild was 
issued by the Bluuicipal Office, on the 11th 
14th inst: — The law prohibiting the importation of 
bad tea to America, lately passed, might prove 
advantageous to the Japanese tea-dealer, in the 
sense that it warms against the export of bad tea 
and consequently would tend to raise the demand 
for genuine Japanese tea among the Americans. If, 
on the contrary, there should be shipped even one 
chest of tea against the law, the result is not only 
the loss of that particular chest, but obstacles will 
be thrown in the way of Japaness exports in general. 
It is, therefore, absolutely necessary now the tea 
season is on, that tea-dealers should take great care 
in the manufacture of tea and thus maintain the 
reputation of the Japanese product. 
The total quantity of new tea arrived from various 
qu3jrters and now in Yokohama is said to be about 
400,000 cutties . — .Japan Times, May 18. 
The quantity of tea leaves turned out from tea- 
farms in Uji districts is said to averiige XOQkwamme 
per tan, the profit being about 15 yen if sold in the 
r.iw state and about 25 yen if sold in manufactured 
state. The quotation of the tea farms is about GO yen 
per tan in Soraku and Tsuzuki districts, but in the 
vicinity of Kohata, the centre of the favourite 
“ Gyokuro ” (Pearly Daw), the average price rises to 
five or six hundred yen, the highest being 800 yen and 
the lowest 200 yen. — Japan Times, May 19. 
The following are some further items about 
tea industry in Uji : — A factory genenally contains 
firing-furnaces ranging from 15 to 20 but sometimes 
as many as 80. One man manufactures one kwamwe 
(a little over 8J lb. Av. of tea out of five kwamine of 
raw leaves. The wages of t’nese labourers are 30 
sen per day with board. It takes a female tea- 
gatherer a day and a half to pick enough leaves for 
a male tea-firer to manufacture in a day. The daily 
wages of female labourers are 15 sen, average. Ad- 
vances are made to these females as early as January, 
and wheq the season cornea elderly women bring a 
