In 1872, the tea produced in the small gardens in the Neilgherry Hills amounted to only 80,000 lbs., and four distinct methods of manufacturing it were in vogue. In the following year, the quality of the Neilgherry tea had so much improved that its price ranged from 2s. 4d. to 3s. per lb. and upwards. There can be no doubt that these bills are well adapted for the growth of tea. Though better tea is turned out at higher elevations, larger quantities are obtained lower downi and Kotagherry, Kodanaad, Cunur, aud the numer ous ravines having any aspect but a S.W. one, will be found the inost suitable localities for the formation of tea plantations. Forest land, if possible, should be secured ; the less precipitous it is,the better. And as drought is not unusual at certain sea,sons, care should be taken to pro vide for veater being led to any part of the site selected.
Plants supplied by Government through Dr. WaBich were planted in the Shevaroy Hills about the year 1844, and bad thriven well.
Cuiture.---Neilgherry and Shevaroy tea seed is very liable to rot before it germinates. The bestway to prevent this is to crack the shell of the tea seed, place it immediately in a loose, rather open soil in shallow large flower-pots, apply steam below these pots for an hour every day, and about tbe fifth day the seed will begin to sprout. It is better to propagate tea in this way than to sow the seeds out, as many of them lie for months without striking. In six weeks or two months the young trees may be transplanted.
In the year 1877-78, there were in Bridal' India 130,130 acres of mature planta under cultivation, in 2103 ten plantations. Of those plantations, 786 were in Assam, 221 in Bengal, 1041 in Kangra in the Panjab, and 53 on the Neilglierries, and the yield was estimated approximately at 36,143,045 lbs., the average yield in lbs. per acre of mature plants ranging in the several provinces from 101 to 395 lbs.
The tea plantations in the N.W. Provinces in 1881 were 90 in number, of 8562 acres.
In the Panjab, almost all in Kangra, there were 1422 plantations of 7466 acres, mostly small plots, owned chiefly by natives.
The joint - stock share market quotationa of 14th February 1881 gave the present values of 86 tea companies showing five at par, 16 at a premium. Bu't the £20 share of the original Assam Company was selling for Its. 550-560.
Age.—The tea plant does not yield leaves fit for the manufacture of tea until the third year ; it increases yearly its produce until the eighth or tenth year, at which time it attains its maximum.
From a series of experiments made in the hills and the Debra Doon, full - grown plants yield tea in the proportion of 20 lbs. to the 100 plants. An acre of •land contains from 1600 to 1600 plants ; the yield of tea would therefore be from 300 to 320 lbs.
Manufacture. — In China, manual labour is alone employed in the processes of manufacture, from the green leaf to the commercial article. In India, machinery for preparing the leaves has been invented by Europeans. Mr. Joachimi suggested one to be moved with steam, and in 1866 three inachines for dressing tea leaves were patented in England. A well-appointed Indian factory has a steam-engine of perhaps 20 horse-power, working rollers, driers, equalizers, sifters, etc., and the work is done more regularly, better, in a inore cleanly way than by hand.
Testing.—Teas are repeatedly tested during the stages of manufacture, by pouring boiling water on a few leaves, to observe the colour, aroma, taste, strength, and other properties of the infusion. As many as fifteen drawings can be made from the best leaves before the infusion runs off limpid. In selecting all kinds of tea, the colour, clearness, taste, and strength of the in fusion are the principal criteria • the weight of the parcels, taste and colour of the dry leaf, and its smell when strongly breathed upon, are also noticed.
In China the infusion is sold in public houses in every tOwn, and along public roads and the banks of rivers and canals nor is it unusual for the burdened and weary 'traveller to lay down his load, refresh himself with a cup of warm tea, and then pursue his journey. The wealthy Chinese simply infuse the leaves in an elegant porcelain cup, which has a cover of the same material ; the leaves sink to the bottom of the cup, and generally remain there without incon venience, though occasionally some may float or rise to the surface. To prevent this incon venience, sometimes a thin piece of silver filigree is placed immediately on them. Where economy is necessary to be studied, the teapot is used. Chinese use the best they can afford, generally the young leaves froin old trees ; they put a teas leaves into a cup and pour on them water a littk abort of the boiling point, and drink hot.