Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-23

H ANDY, Ceylon-A fungus si'"''
n which appeared upon the leaves
IN of Ceylon coffee plants forty
years ago, and within a decade almost
killed great industry. caused Ceylon
to become famous as a producer OF tea
British planters, facing disaster made
experiments in the early seventies, ano
the result was that before many years
had elapsed great tea estates replaced
the coffee plantations. Today "Ceylon
teaf is familiar to the markets or the
world, and many merchants or the
younger generation are unaware OF the
youth Of the industry.
In the streets of Colombo one sees
packages of tea bound for the water
front in strange-looking carts draWi
by white-humped bullocks branded
with Tamil characters for decorative
effect and for the cure of rheumatism
1t is not until he begins to ascend the
mountains toward the quondam capital
of the Kandyan kings that the visitor
sees tea trees growing and coolie woms
en- and children picking the leaf tips
that make the tea of commerce. Inc
tea industry is picturesque. From the
time the tea tree appears above the SOL
until the dried leaf reaches the lighter
that takes II to a cargo boat IN the
Colombo harbor, 1t exists in an envir-
onment all its own.
Upon the rocky slopes of the foothills,
where there seems to be scant nourlsh-
ment for plant life, the tree tlourishes
and would grow to q height OF fifteen
or twenty feet were 1t not for the prun-
ing that reduces 1t to three feet for the
better development of its productive
power. 1t Is stated by planters that
the peculiar action of the climate upon
the rock that crops UP on the hills
causes 1t to disintegrate and form d
sort of soil upon which the roots OF
the tea plant thrive. 1t is always
April in the Ceylon mountains, IL one
judges by the fickleness of the skies
Swiftly formed clouds precipitate sud
den showers, and the sun shines
through the storm upon scenery that
defies the best efforts of the painter
in words or oils. Cocoanut groves and
banana patches dot every little plain
and valley and the thatched huts OF
Sinhalese or Tamil natives nestle amid
the tropical foliage. Here and there
are tiny terraced rice fields, irrigated
from mountain torrents whose rushing
waters are often heard above the noise
OF the train as il moves slowly up the
steep incline.
As the higher hills are reached th'
rice fields disappear. The regions II
which tea reigns supreme are noun
famous, and occupy approximately one
seventh of the area of the island. Al
though Ceylon is only a few degree:
from the equator, the tea country
boasts cool nights throughout the year
As the altitude increasese the climate
becomes more temperate, and at Hu.
wara Eliya, 600 feet above sea level
the mean temperature Is 81 degree:
Fahrenheit.
Tea planters who reside in the high
lands and now and again motor dowr
to Colombo on business. or to enjoy
social contact with members of a Eu'
ropan colony larger than can be fount
In the country, are prosperous over
lords whose daily life is not unlike thai
Of a southern planter In the United
States in ante-bellum days. They
watch tea quotations as an American
business man watches the fluctuation'
of the stock market, and complain o.
hard times over their whisky and soda
but they live like princes and are 'ad
dressed as master by the armies o
Ceylonese and Indian coolies they EN-
ploy
At o'clock In the morning all OF thu
employees. many OF whom are womer
and children, are assembled near thu
tea factory by the blast of a horn. Dl
vided into gangs and assigned to task
masters or "canganes" those who arr
to work in the fields are sent to theii
tasks. Under the supervision or con
ductor, corresponding to an overseer
the taskmasters are kept on the alert
When the days work is in progress
the owner, or superintendent, returns
for his chota hazari, or little break
fast" at his bungalow. Afterward M
visits the factory and later in the fore
noon he inspects the fields. At IL o'clocl
the planter has "meat breakfast" ant
his afternoon is usually given up L
attending to his correspondence or oth
er office work incidental to the condIc
of the business. At 4 o'clock the horr
or torn-tom musters the coolies from
| the fields. and after the time" of eaef
fs marked in the check-roll they go II
! the '1ines." which correspond to th'
''nuarters' of old-fashioned southern
plantations.
During the first two years or Its lif'
the tea tree undergoes rigorous prun
ing at the hands of experts. AS ther'
are between 5000 and 1000 trees to tht
acre the pruners are an important rae
tor in plantation work. When tins
leaves are ready for plucking the pick
ers. mostly women and children, Invade
the fields. The women are trained tC
select the delicate leaves at ana neal
he true. then who will be held to an
swer for the hunger and corruption II