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 | ½ |
| 4th | 1878 | 2 |
| 5th | 1879[80] | 4 |
| 6th | 1880 | 5 |
| 7th | 1881 | 6 |
| 8th | 1882 | 7 |
| 9th | 1883 | 7½ |
| 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 | Yield in maunds of 300 acres and its Value | Yearly Results | Final Results | Remarks. | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | |
| Year | Yield per acre as per page 170 | Supposed year | Rate yield of 100 acres, planted in 1875 | Rate yield of 100 acres, planted in 1876 | Rate yield of 100 acres, planted in 1877 | Total yearly yield in maunds | Value per maund | Receipt from sale of Tea | Total expenditure detailed at pages 164, 165, 166 | Yearly Profit | Yearly Loss | Total receipts to end of each year | Total expenditure to end of each year | Balance to credit end of each year | Balance to debit end of each year | |
| Mds. | Mds. | Mds. | Mds. | Mds. | Rs. 50 per maund, after cost of manufacture, packing, and transport are deducted, see pages 70 & 162 | Rs. | Rs. | Rs. | Rs. | Rs. | Rs. | Rs. | Rs. | 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.) 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. I believe this table represents truly what Tea, with all the necessary advantages detailed in the next page, can do. | ||
| 1 | .. | 1875 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 22,600 | .. | 22,600 | .. | 22,600 | .. | 22,600 | ||
| 2 | .. | 1876 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 23,000 | .. | 23,000 | .. | 45,600 | .. | 45,600 | ||
| 3 | ½ | 1877 | ½ | .. | .. | 50 | 2,500 | 37,657[83] | .. | 35,157 | 2,500 | 83,257 | .. | 80,757 | ||
| 4 | 2 | 1878 | 2 | ½ | .. | 250 | 12,500 | 23,400 | .. | 10,900 | 15,000 | 1,06,657 | .. | 91,657 | ||
| 5 | 4 | 1879 | 4 | 2 | ½ | 650 | 32,500 | 25,700 | 6,800 | .. | 47,500 | 1,32,357 | .. | 84,857 | ||
| 6 | 5 | 1880 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 1,100 | 55,000 | 28,000 | 27,000 | .. | 1,02,500 | 1,60,357 | .. | 57,857 | ||
| 7 | 6 | 1881 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 1,500 | 75,000 | 42,000 | 33,000 | .. | 1,77,500 | 2,02,357 | .. | 24,857 | ||
| 8 | 7 | 1882 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1,800 | 90,000 | 39,000 | 51,000 | .. | 2,67,500 | 2,41,357 | 26,143 | .. | ||
| 9 | 7½ | 1883 | 7½ | 7 | 6 | 2,050 | 1,02,500 | 31,000 | 71,500 | .. | 3,70,000 | 2,72,357 | 97,643 | .. | ||
| 10 | 8 | 1884 | 8 | 7½ | 7 | 2,250 | 1,12,500 | 31,000 | 81,500 | .. | 4,82,500 | 3,03,357 | 1,79,143 | .. | ||
| 11 | 8 | 1885 | 8 | 8 | 7½ | 2,350 | 1,17,500 | 31,000 | 86,500 | .. | 6,00,000 | 3,34,357 | 2,65,643 | .. | ||
| 12 | 8 | 1886 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 2,400 | 1,20,000 | 31,000 | 89,000 | .. | 7,20,000 | 3,65,357 | 3,54,643 | .. | ||
| Year and Rate of yielding in maunds | Yield in maunds of 300 acres and its Value | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| Year | Yield per acre as per page 170 | Supposed year | Rate yield of 100 acres, planted in 1875 | Rate yield of 100 acres, planted in 1876 | Rate yield of 100 acres, planted in 1877 | Total yearly yield in maunds | Value per maund |
| Mds. | Mds. | Mds. | Mds. | Mds. | Rs. 50 per maund, after cost of manufacture, packing, and transport are deducted, see pages 70 & 162 | ||
| 1 | .. | 1875 | .. | .. | .. | .. | |
| 2 | .. | 1876 | .. | .. | .. | .. | |
| 3 | ½ | 1877 | ½ | .. | .. | 50 | |
| 4 | 2 | 1878 | 2 | ½ | .. | 250 | |
| 5 | 4 | 1879 | 4 | 2 | ½ | 650 | |
| 6 | 5 | 1880 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 1,100 | |
| 7 | 6 | 1881 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 1,500 | |
| 8 | 7 | 1882 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1,800 | |
| 9 | 7½ | 1883 | 7½ | 7 | 6 | 2,050 | |
| 10 | 8 | 1884 | 8 | 7½ | 7 | 2,250 | |
| 11 | 8 | 1885 | 8 | 8 | 7½ | 2,350 | |
| 12 | 8 | 1886 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 2,400 | |
| Yearly Results | Final Results | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
| Receipt from sale of Tea | Total expenditure detailed at pages 164, 165, 166 | Yearly Profit | Yearly Loss | Total receipts to end of each year | Total expenditure to end of each year | Balance to credit end of each year | Balance to debit end of each year |
| Rs. | Rs. | Rs. | Rs. | Rs. | Rs. | Rs. | Rs. |
| .. | 22,600 | .. | 22,600 | .. | 22,600 | .. | 22,600 |
| .. | 23,000 | .. | 23,000 | .. | 45,600 | .. | 45,600 |
| 2,500 | 37,657[83] | .. | 35,157 | 2,500 | 83,257 | .. | 80,757 |
| 12,500 | 23,400 | .. | 10,900 | 15,000 | 1,06,657 | .. | 91,657 |
| 32,500 | 25,700 | 6,800 | .. | 47,500 | 1,32,357 | .. | 84,857 |
| 55,000 | 28,000 | 27,000 | .. | 1,02,500 | 1,60,357 | .. | 57,857 |
| 75,000 | 42,000 | 33,000 | .. | 1,77,500 | 2,02,357 | .. | 24,857 |
| 90,000 | 39,000 | 51,000 | .. | 2,67,500 | 2,41,357 | 26,143 | .. |
| 1,02,500 | 31,000 | 71,500 | .. | 3,70,000 | 2,72,357 | 97,643 | .. |
| 1,12,500 | 31,000 | 81,500 | .. | 4,82,500 | 3,03,357 | 1,79,143 | .. |
| 1,17,500 | 31,000 | 86,500 | .. | 6,00,000 | 3,34,357 | 2,65,643 | .. |
| 1,20,000 | 31,000 | 89,000 | .. | 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.)
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.
I believe this table represents truly what Tea, with all the necessary advantages detailed in the next page, can do.
The necessities for success in Tea are:—
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.”