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and Almorab.
The great green tea district being situated two degrees further north, the extremes of temperature are somewhat greater. It will be observed, however, that while the hottest month in the Himalayas is June, in China the highest temperature occurs in July and August: this is owing to the rainy season taking place earlier in China than it does in India.
In China rain falls in heavy and copious showers in the end of April, and these rains continue at intervals in May and June. The first gathering of tea-leaves, those from which the Pekoe is made, is scarcely over before the air becomes charged with moisture, rain falls, and the bushes being thus placed in such favourable circum- stances for vegetation, are soon covered again with young leaves, from which the main crop of the season is obtained.
No one, acquainted with vegetable physiology, can doubt the advantages of such weather in the cultivation of tea for mercantile purposes. And these advantages, to a certain extent at least, seem to be extended to the Himalayas, although the regular rainy season is later than in China. I have already shown from Dr. Jameson's table, that spring showers are frequent in Kumaon, although rare in the plains of India; still, however, I think it would be prudent to adapt the gathering of leaves to the climate, that is, to take a moderate portion from the bushes before the rains, and the main crop after they have commenced.
3. On the Vegetation of China and the Himalayas.—One of the surest guides from which to draw conclusions, on a subject of this nature, is found in the indigenous vegetable productions of the countries. Dr. Royle, who was the first to recommend the culti- vation of tea in the Himalayas, drew his conclusions, in the absence of that positive information from China which we possess now, not only from the great similarity in temperature between China and these hills, but also from the resemblance in vegetable productions. In both countries, This resemblance is certainly very striking.
except in the low valleys of the Himalayas (and these we are not considering), tropical forms are rarely met with. If we take trees and shrubs, for example, we find such genera, as Pinus, Cypress, Berberis, Quercus, Viburnam, Indigofera, Andromeda, Lonicera, Deutzia, Rubus, Myrica, Spiræa, llex, and many others common to both countries.
Amongst herbaceous plants we have Gentiana, Aquilegia, Ane- mone, Rumex, Primula, Lilium, Leoutodon, Ranunculus, &c., equally distributed in the Himalayas and in China; and even in aquatics the same resemblance may be traced, as in Nelumbium, Caladium, &c. And further than this, we do not find plants belonging to the same genera only, but in many instances the identical species are found in
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both countries. The Indigofera, common in the Himalayas, abounda also on the tea hills of China, and so does Berberis Nepaulencis, Lonicera diversifolia, Myrica sapida,* and many others.
Were it necessary, I might now show that there is a most striking resemblance between the geology of the two countries, as well as in their vegetable productions. In both the black and green tea coun- tries which I have alluded to, clay-slate is most abundant.
But enough has been advanced to prove how well many parts of the Himalayas are adapted for the cultivation of tea; besides, the flou- rishing condition of many of the plantations is, after all, the best proof, and puts the matter beyond all doubt.
4. Concluding Suggestions. Having shown that tea can be grown in the Himalayas, and that it would produce a valuable and remunerative crop, the next great object appears to be the produc- tion of superior tea, by means of fine varieties and improved culti- vation. It was well known that a variety of the tea-plant existed in the southern parts of China, from which inferior teas only were made. That being more easily procured than the fine northern varieties, from which the great mass of the best teas are made, was the variety originally sent to India. From it all those in the Go- vernment plantations have sprung.
It was to remedy this, and to obtain the best varieties from those districts which furnish the trees of commerce, that induced the Honourable Court of Directors to send me to China in 1848. Another object was to obtain some good manufacturers and imple- ments from the same districts. As the result of this mission, nearly twenty thousand plants from the best black and green tea countries of Central China have been introduced to the Himalayas. Six first- rate manufacturers, two lead-men, and a large supply of implements from the celebrated Hwuy-chow districts were also brought round and safely located on the Government plantations in the hills.
A great step has thus been gained towards the objects in view. Much, however, remains still to be done. The new China plants ought to be carefully propagated and distributed over all the plantations; some of them ought also to be given to the zemindars, and more of these fire varieties might be yearly imported from China.
The Chinese manufacturers who were obtained some years since
The Chinese have a fine variety of this fruit which ought by all means to be introduced to the Himalayas. It is as large as an Orleans plum, and as superior to the Indian one as the apple is to the crab. It would be a great luxury to the poor. GRAFTED PLANTS must be procured.
The variety of the Bamboo, common about temples on the tea hills of China, would also be of much value in India, where there is nothing to be compared to them.
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