Nov. I, 1897.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
325 
THE :MA:NUrjNG OF TEA. 
There is, perhaps, no direction in which money 
can be mote e.asily \tastfd in connection wiiii 
the cultivation of troj ical products, than in the 
purchase and applicatioti of manures. Not only 
should the fertiliser purcha.'^ed be tested by the 
analyst ; but ab-o the .soil to whicli manure is 
to be a 1 plied. 'J'he jdanter should know uhat 
is required for bis tea-fields, o.s well as i he exact 
value of what he is buying and its suitableness to 
his own particular case. This is the more es- 
pecially nece.ssary in Ceylon because of the great 
diversity of toils in our tea-idanting distiicts. 
Not only does one district differ from another ; 
but it may be that adjacent plantations require 
very different treatment. Euttbeie is tlie great 
temptation among planters to follow some one 
particular lead ; or there is the feeling that for 
Ceylon tea bushes, “ bones and castor cake or 
fish manure” cannot fail to do good. Possibly 
not ; but it is equally certain that a previous 
examination of the soil might supply information 
which would lead to con.siderahle economy or 
to a great deal more lasting benefit from the 
application of fertilizers. A plantei will tell yon, 
" I liave experience to guide me — look at the 
“great improvement in that field I manured 
“ last year as compared with its neighbour : I 
“cannot do wrong in following its lead all over 
“the plantation.” Now one of the greatest 
temporary changes we ever saw on a tiopical 
upcountry Held aro.se from its having been all 
holed ready for manure whiili ne\er came from 
Colombo,— so after a few weeks or months, the 
holes were filled in again, and the apparent benefit 
in the fiesh show of vegetation some months after 
could scarcely have been greater if an expensive 
manure had been applied ; hut the good was but 
a fleeting one, and v. e merely mention this to 
show how unsafe it is for the pleaiter to go by 
mere appearance. Fortunately, so far as the 
testing of manures sold in the Colombo or Indian 
markets goes, a good deal more use has, of 
recent year.s, been made of the scientific analyst, 
and gnar.''nteed analyses are now generally 
furnished with any considerable (quantity' of 
manure puichased. What is wanted now is 
that the same care should be taken to have 
the soil examined, and as far as possible to 
adapt the manm-e to the needs of the field. 
But scientific men are the first to confess that 
guidance by analysis alone is not suflicient. 
Experiment and observation have also their part 
to play ; only, vve have long felt that certain 
clear directions were w.auiing in connection with 
manures of recogni.scd value, to enable our tea 
planters to make for themselves the needful 
experiments according to the rules recognised by 
the best cultivators. 
Such clear directions, and a great deal of 
valuable information, have just been broueht 
togetlier in a Report drawn up by Mr. Cochran 
with reference to certain standard manuies for 
which Me.ssr.s. Fteudenberg & Co. are agents in 
Colombo. This Report, with the clearest i)Ossible 
directions as to the needful experiments iu fields, 
acres, or half acres — counting by bushes — or even 
smaller plots of trees, is given by Mr. Cochran, 
so that the planter can make bis own e.xperiment 
with a variety of mixtures named, and compare 
them alongside of similar experiments with the 
hitherto more commonly recognised fertilizers for 
our lea fields. The expen.‘-e of such experiments 
need be comparatively little. W'e are much 
pleased that this opportunity is made so readily 
available through the pamphlet about to be 
published and circulated very widely. We need 
not, therefore, quote from it ; but u e would urge 
every proprietor and manager in the island to 
take Its teacbit}g into consideration and to 
endeavour to make some, at least, of the 
experiments defined. In this way we should have 
the whole question of manuring put on a scientific 
basis — a result that could not tail to be vastly 
beneficial to the whole planting coininunity. 
THE AMERICAN TEA MARKET. 
To the Editor of The Home and Colonial Mail. 
SiE, — Your correspondent “ Noreih ” advocates the 
formatiou of a synaicate to take over the crop ol two 
or inree estates at a fair average price, and with the 
aid of an expert to prepare tea for the American 
market. 
He thinks it is useless to contend in America for 
an adequate share of the market for our teas on their 
merits, but says that ho is of opinion that the old- 
fashioued panned and soft liquoring teas are more 
of the kind to “ catch on ” in America. 
I do not think that your correspondent is correct 
in saying that this market was gamed by maKing a 
p ecial lea to suit its requirements. My impression 
ss that the mai'ket only took very gradually and 
inwiilingly to Indian tea. 
I do not agree with “ Noreih ” as to the policy 
of making green tea to suit the United States market. 
Such an attempt to make something retembling 
Japan or China tea would be sure to end in failure, 
and would result in having on hand a tea unsuited 
to any other market, if the United States people 
declined to by it, as they probably would. 1 know 
of one such attempt to make a light imfermented 
tea, which was said to be just what was wanted, 
but, strs.ngely enough, no one cared to buy the 
parcel of 60 chests. 
We have infinite varieties of black tea, soft or rough, 
weak or strong, from different districts to choose from, 
and in time no doubt the Yankees will take to our tea, 
if we continue to offer them our machine-made sorts in 
place of other kinds prepared by the use of hands and 
feet. 
The actual imports of Indian and Ceylon teas during 
the year ISyti were 9,681,040 lb. while the imports for 
the first six months of the present season, ending June 
30, 1897, are 6,949,608 lb. or about 66 per cent, iucrease 
over last year’s imports to same date. These figures 
have been pniblished by accepted authorities, and are 
taken from a letter dated New York, September 2, 
1697, addressed to the editor of the Journal of Com- 
merce by Mr. Richaid Blechynden. 
They show that progress is being made iu the United 
States. — Y^ours truly, Anglo-Indian. — H. S C. 3Iail, 
Sept., 17. 
CEYLON TEA SHARES AND PROPERTY 
IN THE LONDON MARKET; 
GOOD ADVICE TO CEYLON PLANTERS. 
A (!oncspoiidciit, much interested in our teas 
anti tiie pio.siieiity of Ceylon, writes from 
Loudon by a recent mail ; — 
“ Ibe uncertainty of exchange Ls playing havoc 
with tlie tea share market and has curtailed busi- 
ne.ss, for people are doubtful of the eliect upon 
dividends. N\ ben the market gets into the pre- 
sent state it is veiy difficult to realize as so few 
Ceylon Companies are quoted on the Stock Ex- 
change, aiui bu.siness thereby entails a great 
amount of conespomlence to bring buyers and 
sellers together. 1 think however the stringency 
will be only temporary, for tea is slowly mov« 
iiig to higher values. 
