S oil. The following extract from Mr. McClelland’s report descriptive of the- first tea
colony the deputation visited near Cuju will explain hoth the appearance of the spot and the-
■character of the soil. On entering the forest in which the plants were- growing he observes-
p. 19.“
The first remarkable thing that presented itself here; was the peculiar irregularity of the
surface ; which- in places was excavated into natural trenches, and in other situations raised
into rounded accumulations at the roots, and trunks of trees, and clumps of banfboos, as in
the annexed figure. The excavations seemed as if they had been formed artificially, and were
from two; to three, and even four feet deep; of very irregular shapes, and seldom communicating
with each other. After many conjectures, I found the size of the excavations bear exact proportion
to the size and height of the nearest adjoining trees* and that they never appeared im*
mediately under the shade of large branches. The cause then-appeared to be the collection of
rain on the foliage of lofty trees ; from which- the water so collected is precipitated in heavy,
volumes on the loose andy light soil, excavating it in the manner described.
The trenches are from one yard-to ten in length, and generally a yard; or two yards wide ;
and their general figures correspond to the form of the interstices bet ween the-branches above.
The tea plants are most numerous along the margins of these natural excavations, as well on
the accumulations of dry soil raised around the-roots of bamboos. The soil is perfectly loose,
and sinks under the-feet with-a certain degree of elasticity, derived from dense meshes of
succulent fibres; prolonged in every direction from various roots. Its colour is light grey,
perfectly dry and dusty; although the surrounding country was still wet, from the effects of
rain that had-fallen for several days immediately prior to our visit;
Even the trenches were dry, and froirr their not communicating with each other, it seemed
quite evident, that the soil and substratum must be highly porous, and different in this respect
from the structure of the surrounding-surface of the country.
Extending examinations farther, I founds the peculiar character of the-soil in regard to
colour, consistency, and inequality of surface disappear, with the tea plant itself, beyond the
extent of a circular space of about 309 yards in diameter.”
Again he says (p. 22.) of another colony at Nigroo; “ surrounded by tea plants we ascend^
ed the mound, the soil of which is light, fine, and of a yellow colour, having no sandy character”
“ We then traced the plants along the summit of the mound for about 50 yards when
they disappeared where the soil became dark. Now descending to the foot of the mound I
found the tea plant disappear where the soil instead of being sandy or clayey became rich;
and stiff.” Again (p; 28.) at Noadwar. “ Having entered the skirts of a forest which
though not under water, was wet and slippery, and- in some cases deeply- covered with
mud ; we suddenly ascended from the dry. bed' of an occasional water course,- and at first
sight discovered a total change of soil and vegetation. From floundering in mud we
now stood on a light, red; dry, and dusty soil; notwithstanding the rain to- which it was
exposed in common with eveFy part of the country at the time.” Still speaking of the soil at
Noadwar, he continues “ the-colour of the surface is dark yellowish brown, but on* being opened'
it appears much brighter, and on sinking to the depth of three-feet, it changes progressively to
a deep, pure, orange-coloured» sand, quite distinct from any of the other soils; or subsoils in this
part of the district; and in this remarkable situation the tea plants are so numerous that they
constitute a third part, probably, of the entire vegetation of the spot. The red soil disappears
gradually within the limit occupied by the tea plants. T observed the level of the waters in the
wells in this neighbourhood; to be about ten feet below the surface of the ground.
From these examples it will be observed that a light, porous, yellow or redish soil, is the kind
which this plant naturally prefers, but situated in the midst of water and inundation on slightly
elevated mounds, supposed by Mr. McClelland to be themselves sometimes inundated. It will
further be observed that the sites, always of-small extent, occupied by the tea plant’were invariably
in forests under the shade of trees, both of which circumstances ought to-be well attended
to in any attempts made to extend its cultivation.
C limate and E xposure. Under this head-1 find it most difficult to elicit precise-
information from the authorities before me, owing to the contradictory nature of the
details* originating, not in the - want of care on the part of the writers for they have
examined the subject with much attention, but owing to the vast extent of surface
over which, the tea plant is produced, and the remote situations of the countries in which.
it is cultivated. It is now grown with success in Java under the equator, and is said
to be cultivated as far north as the 40° of northern latitude, it is also cultivated on the banks of
the Rio Janeiro in 22| S. latitude. In Siam and Cochin-China between the 10th and 16th
parallels of N, latitude, it is produced in considerable quantity ; while in China, judging from
the enormous quantities exported, and the still greater consumed among themselves, it is clear
it must occupy very excensiv-e tracts- of country, and be subject, to very great varieties of
climate, both as relates to temperature and humidity, and in my opinion, goes far to prove that it
may be cultivated with success in almost any tropical climate, combining humidity with a moderate
range of temperature. It. is true we are told that unless the climate partakes more of the temperate
than tropical character, that the tea produced will be deficient in some of its most esteemed
qualities, the fine Aroma &c.., but these I suspect it owes more to soil and skilful
preparation of the leaves when gathered, than to the character of the climate under which they
have been produced. Peculiarities of soil, on which plants are grown, exert much influence on
the qualities of the products of vegetation, some plants growing in a very humid or marshy soil,
are in tensely acrid, the common garden celery for example, but which when raised on a rich dry soil
become mild and esculent. Other plants present the opposite phenomenon, that of losing their
acrid or aromatic properties, when removed from a dry to a wet soil. To quote examples of the
effect of soil in modifying the qualities of vegetable products would be to waste time, as every
one s experience and reading must have furnished him cases in point, and that too, under circum-
stances in all other respects the same. In like manner there is every reason to believe that, the
different qualities of tea are owing, not so much to1 differences of climate, as of soil, the
sickly or vigorous condition of the plant when gathered, and the more or less perfect course of
preparation, to which it has been subjected.
In throwing out these remarks. I da not. mean to infer that the plant might, under proper
cultivation, be made to produce tea of good quality under any climate in which it can be made to^
grow, but with the view of encouraging trials in such climates as the Indian Peninsula supplies,
and discouraging the idea that, because we have not a climate within these limits, with a range
of temperature extending from 30° to 80° of Fahrenheit’s scale, that therefore it would be in
v.ain to attempt its culture. This I do, because the regulation of the climate not being within our
power, to suppose it opposed; to our efforts, is at once to-declare all.attempts-at introduction futile^
but the selection, and modification., by.artificial means, of-the qualities of the soil, being an every
day occurrence in agriculture,- holds out good reason-to-hope for success if opposed by that only.-
To show however that in so far as temperature is concerned, we are not unprovided wilh
localities enjoying a climate if not the best, yet far from unsuitable for the culture of this shrub, L
extract from Mr. Griffiths’ report some tables showing the mean temperature of Canton and
jichya from which it will be perceived that both Malabar and Mysore are not very different,
while the former, as well as the south-west coast of Ceylon, enjoys a climate but little, if at all less-
humid, than is experienced in the vicinity of Canton.
‘ 1 extract from Mr. Royle’s work the following table of the means of the several Month’s
at Canton, which was furnished by Mr. Reeves to Dr. Lindley.
Maxima;
Minima.
Means...,
Jan. Feb. . Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sep. Oct. N op. Dec.
74 78 82 86 88 90 94 90 88 85 80 70
29 38 44 55 64' 74 .79 75 70 57 | 40 45
51-5 58 63 70-5 76 82 86-5 82-5* 79' 71’ 60 57-5'
Mean annual temperature 69—7*
y ears.”*
Mean. » Maxima. 4 Mean, i
Minima. 4
Means,
of a table, the H Result of Observations made' at Canton, during a series of
Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sep. Oct. Nov. Dec.
57 58 71 76 78 84" ' 88 86 84 76 68 63
45 45 60 69 73 . 79 84 83 79 70 61 52
51- 51-5 65-5 72 -5 75-5' 81-5 86 84-5 81-5 73 ■645 57-5
Mean annual temperature 70—4.
* D av is vol. ii. p . 38 L