CHAPTER XXX.

HOW MUCH PROFIT TEA CAN GIVE.

We have already estimated the cost of making and cultivating a plantation of 300 acres. We must now ascertain how much Tea that area will give yearly.

It is a very wide question what produce an acre of Tea will give.

The following is an extract from the “Report of the Commissioners appointed to enquire into the state and prospects of Tea cultivation in Assam and Cachar,” addressed to the Government of Bengal, and dated March, 1868:--

“_Average produce per acre._”

“The returns of actual produce of gardens in 1867 which we have obtained are so few in number that it is impossible to take any general average from them. The produce in these varies from three-and-a-half maunds to one-and-a-half maunds per acre, omitting the more recently formed gardens.

“From information received during our tour we have reason to believe that some gardens produce more than the highest rate per acre here mentioned; but, in the absence of returns of exact acreage and out-turn, we cannot notice these instances.

“Mr. Haworth, in his pamphlet already quoted, speaks of the produce of Cachar gardens as follows:--

“‘I believe that three maunds per acre is fully one-third more than the present average yield of gardens in Cachar, after deducting the area of plant under yielding age.

“‘There is no reason, that I am aware of, why the yield of Tea should not soon be raised to four maunds, and more gradually six maunds per acre, equal to twenty-four maunds of leaf per acre (less than one ton per acre for a green crop, which is still a very small one). Even now there are gardens in Cachar which give an average of from five to six maunds per acre this season. Some of these gardens have really no apparent advantage over their less fortunate neighbours, beyond that of a somewhat better system of cultivation and pruning; and these improvements even are to such a small degree ahead of the general practice, that I feel justified in saying I cannot place a limit on what the increased yield should be under a more rational system of cultivation, and the application of manures on a liberal scale, leaving out of consideration altogether what might reasonably be expected from a good system of drainage in addition.’

“Mr. James Stuart, Manager of the Bengal Tea Company’s gardens in Cachar, has also given two maunds an acre as the general average of Cachar gardens for the past season, including young gardens of two, three, and four years old.

“We do not think it necessary to quote in detail the opinions of all the gentlemen examined by us on the subject of average produce per acre. A garden that can give four maunds per acre is undoubtedly a good one, and we have no doubt there are such, or even better; but we do not think they are so common as to warrant our taking more than three maunds as a safe average.”

Mr. A. C. Campbell, Extra Assistant Commissioner at Burpettah, in his “Notes on Tea Cultivation in Assam,” published in the Journal of the Agricultural and Horticultural Society of India, part 3, vol. xii., page 309, says:--“Good Tea land can be made to yield as high as seven maunds per poora.” I forget exactly how much a poora is, but I believe it is nearly an acre.

In the Report to Government by the Commissioners, quoted above, at page 9, Mr. T. Burland, after estimating the cost of cultivation per acre per mensem at Rs. 9-10-2, adds:--“With the above expenditure per acre it is probable that much more than five maunds of Tea will be obtained from an acre of fair plant.”[78]

All these estimates, however, are based on the cultivation of Tea as carried on hitherto with few exceptions, that is to say, on gardens covered with weeds for many months in the year, and to which no manure has ever been given. With such cultivation, particularly on gardens planted on slopes, I think myself that the yield will not exceed four maunds _at the outside_.

High cultivation and liberal manuring will, I believe, at least double the above, if the plants are of a high class. However, here I give a table on the subject which I have carefully framed.

_Estimate of probable yield per acre on flat land, good soil, in a good Tea climate, and with hybrid plants, if really high cultivation and liberal manuring is carried out._

+----+-------------+-------------------+ |Year|Supposed Year|Estimated yield per| | | | acre in maunds[79]| +----+-------------+-------------------+ | 1st| 1875 | -- | | 2nd| 1876 | -- | | 3rd| 1877 | 1/2 | | 4th| 1878 | 2 | | 5th| 1879[80] | 4 | | 6th| 1880 | 5 | | 7th| 1881 | 6 | | 8th| 1882 | 7 | | 9th| 1883 | 7-1/2 | |10th| 1884[81] | 8 | +----+-------------+-------------------+

I do not think plants reach to perfect maturity under eight or ten years.

That eight maunds per acre as estimated in the table just given _can_ be realised, under the conditions stated, I have no doubt whatever, but I am equally certain that the size of some gardens in India must be much reduced if even five or six maunds are looked for.[82] Not only must they be reduced in size, but they must be highly cultivated, must be manured, and no vacancies allowed. However, I have dwelt on all these points before, and need not repeat here, for unless the reader is convinced before this that a large area and low cultivation won’t pay, it were waste to write more.

I now give a table showing the result for twelve years of a plantation such as I have advised.

TABLE SHOWING THE ESTIMATED RESULTS FOR 12 YEARS OF A 300-ACRE PLANTATION, IN A GOOD TEA CLIMATE, HIGHLY CULTIVATED AND LIBERALLY MANURED.

+----------------------------------++ | YEAR AND RATE OF || | YIELDING IN || | MAUNDS || +----+---------------+-------------++ | 1 | 2 | 3 || | +---------------+-------------++ | |Yield per acre | || | |as per page 170|Supposed year|| |Year| | || +----+---------------+-------------++ | | Mds. | || | 1 | .. | 1875 || | 2 | .. | 1876 || | 3 | 1/2 | 1877 || | 4 | 2 | 1878 || | 5 | 4 | 1879 || | 6 | 5 | 1880 || | 7 | 6 | 1881 || | 8 | 7 | 1882 || | 9 | 7-1/2 | 1883 || | 10 | 8 | 1884 || | 11 | 8 | 1885 || | 12 | 8 | 1886 || | | | || | | | || | | | || | | | || | | | || | | | || | | | || | | | || | | | || | | | || | | | || +----+---------------+-------------++

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------++ YIELD IN MAUNDS OF 300 ACRES || AND ITS VALUE || || -----------------+-----------------+-----------------+---------------+------------++ 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 || -----------------+-----------------+-----------------+---------------+------------++ Rate yield of 100|Rate yield of 100|Rate yield of 100| Total yearly | Value per || acres, planted | acres, planted | acres, planted |yield in maunds| maund || in 1875 | in 1876 | in 1877 | | || -----------------+-----------------+-----------------+---------------+------------++ Mds. | Mds. | Mds. | Mds. | || .. | .. | .. | .. | Rs. 50 || .. | .. | .. | .. | per maund, || 1/2 | .. | .. | 50 | after || 2 | 1/2 | .. | 250 | cost of || 4 | 2 | 1/2 | 650 |manufacture,|| 5 | 4 | 2 | 1,100 | packing, || 6 | 5 | 4 | 1,500 | and || 7 | 6 | 5 | 1,800 | transport || 7-1/2 | 7 | 6 | 2,050 | are || 8 | 7-1/2 | 7 | 2,250 | deducted, || 8 | 8 | 7-1/2 | 2,350 | see pages || 8 | 8 | 8 | 2,400 | 70 & 162 || | | | | || | | | | || | | | | || | | | | || | | | | || | | | | || | | | | || | | | | || | | | | || | | | | || | | | | || -----------------+-----------------+-----------------+---------------+------------++

--------------------------------------------------------++ || YEARLY RESULTS || || ------------+-----------------+-------------+-----------++ 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 || ------------+-----------------+-------------+-----------++ Receipt from|Total expenditure| | || sale of Tea |detailed at pages|Yearly Profit|Yearly Loss|| | 164, 165, 166 | | || ------------+-----------------+-------------+-----------++ Rs. | Rs. | Rs. | Rs. || .. | 22,600 | .. | 22,600 || .. | 23,000 | .. | 23,000 || 2,500 | 37,657[83] | .. | 35,157 || 12,500 | 23,400 | .. | 10,900 || 32,500 | 25,700 | 6,800 | .. || 55,000 | 28,000 | 27,000 | .. || 75,000 | 42,000 | 33,000 | .. || 90,000 | 39,000 | 51,000 | .. || 1,02,500 | 31,000 | 71,500 | .. || 1,12,500 | 31,000 | 81,500 | .. || 1,17,500 | 31,000 | 86,500 | .. || 1,20,000 | 31,000 | 89,000 | .. || | | | || | | | || | | | || | | | || | | | || | | | || | | | || | | | || | | | || | | | || | | | || ------------+-----------------+-------------+-----------++

-----------------------------------------------------------++ || FINAL RESULTS || || --------------+-----------------+-------------+------------++ 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 || --------------+-----------------+-------------+------------++ Total receipts|Total expenditure| Balance to | Balance to || to end of | to end of |credit end of|debit end of|| each year | each year | each year | each year || --------------+-----------------+-------------+------------++ Rs. | Rs. | Rs. | Rs. || .. | 22,600 | .. | 22,600 || .. | 45,600 | .. | 45,600 || 2,500 | 83,257 | .. | 80,757 || 15,000 | 1,06,657 | .. | 91,657 || 47,500 | 1,32,357 | .. | 84,857 || 1,02,500 | 1,60,357 | .. | 57,857 || 1,77,500 | 2,02,357 | .. | 24,857 || 2,67,500 | 2,41,357 | 26,143 | .. || 3,70,000 | 2,72,357 | 97,643 | .. || 4,82,500 | 3,03,357 | 1,79,143 | .. || 6,00,000 | 3,34,357 | 2,65,643 | .. || 7,20,000 | 3,65,357 | 3,54,643 | .. || | | | || | | | || | | | || | | | || | | | || | | | || | | | || | | | || | | | || | | | || | | | || --------------+-----------------+-------------+------------++

----------------------------------+ | | | | | | REMARKS. | | | ----------------------------------+ | It will be seen from this | table as follows:-- | 1. About Rs. 90,000 of capital | is necessary to make a plantation| as quick as this. If | made more gradually, very | much less would suffice. | 2. There is no yearly profit | until the fifth year. | 3. By the eighth year all the | outlay is recovered. | This table has been prepared | with great care, and the | authority for the figures | assumed has been arrived | at in previous parts. (_See_ | headings of the Cols. for the | pages and note at foot.) | I believe this table represents | truly what Tea, with | all the necessary advantages | detailed in the next | page, can do. | ----------------------------------+

At the following pages will be found the calculations for the figures assumed:--Col. 2, page 170; Col. 8, pages 70 and 162; Col. 10, pages 164, 165, 166.

The necessities for success in Tea are:--

1. A good climate.

2. A good site.

3. Perfect knowledge in Tea cultivation and Tea manufacture on the proprietor’s part or that of his manager.

4. Seed from a high class of plants.

5. Local or cheap imported labour.

6. Facilities for manuring.

7. Cheap transport.

Do not dispense, though, with even _one_ of the seven points named, for the truth is simply, that Tea will pay _very_ well with all the above advantages, but will utterly fail without them.

Such is my advice to intending beginners. To those who have gardens, I say, reduce your areas till of the size you can really cultivate them highly, and procure manure at any cost.

I shall not have written in vain, and Tea enterprise in India will flourish, if the motto of planters in future be--

“A full area, highly cultivated.”

FOOTNOTES:

[78] See my estimate for cultivation at page 84. I there estimate Rs. 100 per acre per annum from the sixth year, so that Mr. Burland six years ago had come to the same opinion about high cultivation that I hold.

[79] Calculating Tea by maunds is convenient, inasmuch as pounds necessitate such lengthy figures for all calculations. The maund here employed is, however, quite an arbitrary measure. It is _not_ the Indian maund, it equals and is represented exactly by 80 lbs. Any number of maunds multiplied by 80 will naturally give the lbs. of Tea.

[80] Up to this point, viz., the fifth year inclusive, the figures given have been much more than realised, and that on a garden with 15 per cent. vacancies. It has been, though, highly cultivated and liberally manured from the first.

[81] From the fifth to the tenth year is assumption, except that I know one garden which, to my certain knowledge, has given _more_ then ten maunds an acre, and this in spite of about 15 per cent. vacancies. The garden is an old one, planted about 18 years ago. It is also a very small one. The soil is _very_ poor, but the plants are of the highest class. It was much neglected till about eight years ago. From that time it has been highly cultivated in every way except in the point of irrigation, for it has not that advantage. It has been _most_ liberally manured.

[82] Note to Third Edition.--With high cultivation on a favourable site and in a really good Tea climate, I now believe 10 maunds per acre will eventually be realised.

[83] With interest, _see_ pages 164 and 165.