The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-09-01
TEA In INDIA.

BRITISH EFFORTS TO COMPETE WITH CHINA.
The Mark Lane Express, Aug. 10, has the
following article: This great and growing
Importance of the tea trade has led the gov
eminent of India to ask TOR certain statis-
tics. somewhat similar to our agricultural
returns, relating to the tea culture. The
planters have been invited to state also what
obstacles exist in their localities to the fullest
development of this branch of production,
and what, if any, measures in their opinion
would properly be adopted by government
for their benefit. This inquiry, as may be
supposed. has resulted in the acquisition of
a very considerable amount OF valuable and
otherwise inaccessible information, and We
learn for the first. time that the extent
of land held for the purpose amounts
to SOL $50 acres and the area
actually under tea culture is 70,34l acres,
Those which are called mature plants cover
sc, g72 acres of this space, and the immature
1889 acres. Although this classification,
the best that can be adopted, is thought too
uncertain for practical purposes, one deduc-
ton NAV, it is thought, be confidently drawn
from it. 1t is almost certain that all the
plants classed as immature are under seven
wears old: in other words, that they nave
been planted since 1866. So that we may as
sumo that at least one-fiith of the present
tea cultivation has been commenced since
the period of depression of the industry;
and there can be no more satisfactory proof
than this of its complete recovery. The
whole yield of the province OF Bengal, al
though somewhat conjecturai, may be
taken at l50O0,0O0 pounds. The yield
of immature plants can be fairly reckoned
at so lba. per acre, which would give 1862
$40 lbs, and the Weld of the mature AZ 237
lbs. which would give 1900, 6l7 lbs. --.-
At the head ofthe divisions comes Assam,
where the first experiments were made, and
where the tea now grows in five districts
Seebsagar, burning, Luckimpur, Nowgong,
and Kamrap. The total area taken up for
tea planting is stated to he 364, 800 acres, and
the amount cultivated, exclusive of certain
gardens of Luckimpur, TO be
&c, 1913 acres, or a little more than per cent.
The area under mature plant is re-
turned at 1880 acres; that I'M
der immature at 1865. The produce OF
both classes during the year 1872 was 6,l53,-
764 pounds, of which 1,500,000 pounds were
produced by the Assam company. Next to
Assam comes Dacca, with two tea growing
Districts Sllhet and Cachar. Then Kuch
Behar, with two tea districts-DaIjeeling
and Goalpora. In the Chittagong division
there is only ore tea growing dlstrict-Chit-
TAGGING itself. At Chota Nagrur the tea
cultivation is very unimportant, though
there are gardens in two districts-HaZari-
Daugh and Lohardugga.
The 0lfnculIleS THAT nave dIlS6u UutluE
the rise and progress of this cultivation have
been chiefly owing to the paucity, in fact
the absolute want of labor in the first in
stance. Tea planting, it seems, requires a
larger supply in proportion to the area Gull
tiyated than most kinds of agricultural in
dustry
The population in almost all the districts
suited for tea is very scanty, and the pro-
portion even of this available for hard work
is small; consequently, early in the history
of tea planting tbs local labor obtainable in
Assam and Cachar was found insufficient,
and attempts were made 20 import laborers
from more populous districts. But the sur
plus food produced in the tea districts is
very little, and food for the imported labor
ers had consequently to be imported also.
The means of communication are very inn
perfect, and when large numbers of coolies
We're thus imported the supply of food did
not keep pace with the increase of months.
The consequence was that tens of thousands
died from diseases brought on by want of
proper food, whilst others-we so epfeebied-
that their labor failed 70 repay the employer
the cost of importing them. The govern,
ment, at the present time, -hile dealing
with the waste lands at their disposal, and
for which they have many applicants, will
be required to give the most careful at
tention to this question oflabor. how it is to
be obtained and how fed; otherwise more
liberal distribution of land would only ag-
gravate the difficulties of the planters.