Sept, j, 18 ^ 7 .] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
167 
allotted to tea estates at iiresent is 1,672,000 acres 
and so far as the Chairman can gatlier there does 
not seem to be any prospect of the waste land 
being brought under cultivation by the indigenous 
population. Alluding to the labour difficulty be 
argued that facilities must not be given witereby 
coolies would be enticed from the gardens, and 
that immigrative population brought in to culti- 
vate these large tracts must be imported from 
other provinces, and not be drawn from tea. 
Government must take protective measures 
against famine, and look to a wide distribution 
of the population of congested districts, and 
Assam jjrovides a large field for cultivation, and 
would a<ld considerably to the revenue of that 
province. Subsequently reference was made to 
the interest the new Chief Commissioner is taking 
in the development of the Province, Mr’. Cotton 
has journeyed through the whole Province, in- 
cluding Cachar and Sylhet, and if the many 
railways, tramways and communications are 
carried out in the way he desires, they would 
soon see the Province one of the most important 
and flourishing in Her Majesty’s Dominions. Mr. 
Cotton has brought forward most prominently 
the necessity of branches of the Association being 
located in all distircts, viz., Sylhet, Cachar and 
Assam, and that they ought to be in direct and 
constant communication with the Tea Association 
in Calcutta. In regard to the labour question, 
Mr. Cotton has given on behalf of the Assam 
Administration his full support to the scheme for 
the establishment of a Central Recruiting 
Agency, and expressed the hope that all in- 
terested would combine to make it a success; 
111 regard to the American Market Fund 
and Foreign Tea Committee it was stated that 
the results of the continued efforts being 
made in America by Mr. Blecliynden, in con- 
junction with Mr. Mackenzie on behalf of 
Ceylon, could not but be viewed with satisfaction 
and it is added that it is desirable that every 
one interested should contribute their share 
towards the general interest, at the rate of four 
annas per acre on the area under cultivation, 
and lialf an anna per maund on the production. 
It is not laid down that the whole of the Fund 
will be spent in America as the American and For- 
eign Tea Committee would be prepared to support 
eff'iitsto extendnewmarketsinliussia, South Africa, 
and other places. In addition to these there is 
liardly another country which has not participated 
in some degree in the introduction of tea, and 
there are signs from all quarters of increasing 
consumption, to meet which, together with the 
further expansion at home, the a-^ditional pro- 
duction from India and Ceylon should not prove 
excessive. Thankfulness was expressed for the 
cordial co-ojieration of Ceylon in carrying on the 
good work in connection with the Indian repre- 
sentative in America, and the Chairman had no 
doubt that their united efforts will be crowned 
with success 
Mr. Blecliynden attributed the slow progress 
of consumption there to the unwillingness of 
large firms to deal with Indians composed of small 
breaks, and, therefore, favour the facilities in 
handling long lines of China and Japan tea, but the 
Americans would, no doubt be able to adopt 
a remedy, and bulk themselves as is done at home. 
After a reference to the price of tea in Russia 
making the price prohibitive to the masses it was 
stated that it does not appear that we should fear 
so much from any change China and Japan may 
make in their mode of manufacture by the use 
pf machinery, nor by the reduction of import) 
duty at home, but from the unnatural state of 
our currency giving our Eastern competitiors a 
most important puli over us at present. 
It is computed that the total acreage now 
under tea, both in India and Ceylon, is not far 
short of 800,000 acres, two-thirds of which is in 
India. With regard to the reduction in duty on 
tea at home it is stated that it has had the 
desired effect, and there is no reason to doubt 
that a further reduction will not result even 
more favourably to India, and they must get every 
assistance to be relieved of the additional out- 
turn, which must be expected from the increased 
area coming into full bearing. With regard to the 
bulking of teas it was stated that there should be a 
clear understanding come to, and although he had 
read a recent notice that the London Docks had 
plenty of space, and would give any further accom- 
modation required for the increased importations 
to bulk a larger proportion of tea 
in London, they should ask the Com- 
mittee of the London Association to look care- 
fully into the matter, so that gardens might know 
what was best to done under the altered 
position recently suggested. In regard to handling 
of packages at the Tea Warehouse and Jetties, 
it was satisfactory so far to know that the 
Special Committee appointed to inquire into the 
treatment the tea had to undergo while in the 
liands of those they entrusted with their care, 
had had good effect, and he would only suggest 
to the next General Committee, not to relax 
their vigilance in seeing that the tea received 
every care in handling. After allusion to the 
necessity for an improved tea chest and the 
appointment of an agricultural chemist, it being 
stated that if the tea bush receives proper treat- 
ment here can be no reason to doubt but that 
the plant will be long-lived, mention w'as made 
of the value of prizes for individual research. Re- 
ference was next made to the prospect of a 
Flanters Ward in the general hospital and the 
necessity tor a Pasteur institute. From the annual 
report we quote as follows : — 
At the time the last report was written, the 
General Committee had just issued a circular 
calling for further contributions on the same basis 
as in the year 1895. In that year the sum of 
R92,545 was contributed, representing a production 
of nearly 80 millions of pounds of tea, and including 
liberal contributions from the two Planters’ Associa- 
tions in Travancore, which have always evinced a 
practical interest in the efforts made to exploit the 
American market. The result of last year’s circidac 
has been still more successful, as the amount suD- 
scribed was Rl,03,674 8-0, or an increase of about 
R 1 1,000 upon the previous year. This included,, 
as in the previous year, contributions from Travan- 
core, and the increase was due to a special effort 
made by the Committee to Induce gardens, which had 
hitherto held aloof to subscribe. The Committee 
do not feel that it is necessary to remark at any 
great length on the features of American campaign aa 
carried on during the past year, as the American and 
Foreign Tea Committee in London issued an interim. 
Report in February last, accompanied with copious 
extracts from Mr. Blechynden’s Report for the year 
1896, both of which have been widely circulated, 
and are also included in the Appendix. It will 
suffice to say that Mr. Blechynden, the representa- 
tive of the Association, has continued to work vigor- 
ously in conjunction with Mr. Mackenzie, repre- 
senting Ceylon, although their efforts this year 
have been carried on upon somewhat different lines, 
which are fully touched upon iu Mr. Blechynden’s 
Report. Advertising has been resorted to on a much 
more extensivs scale than ever before and the 
system of giving subsidies, or grants-in-aid, was alsg 
established on a regular basis early in the yeapj 
