( 45 ) TABLE No. 18—Annual Distribution by Countries of the Quantities of the Export Trade in Green Tea (shown as Percentages Country. of the Total Annual Exports thereof). 1913. 1914. 1915. 1916. 1917. 1918. 1919. 1920. 1921. United Kingdom British Colonies :- Foreign Countries:- Others (each usually 12.7 12.7 11.2 10.4 2.0 7.9 16.7 47.2 63.5 51.3 37.2 41.2 41.1 34.6 19.0 7.7 16.2 29.3 34.9 28.2 * Newfoundland, 1.3; France, 7.7; Mozambique, 9.5; Other Foreign Countries in Africa, 2·4; Portugal, 2·2; and Others, ⚫5. In The world demand is put at 735 million pounds, and the total supply from Ceylon, Java, India, Africa, Persia, Sumatra, Outlook. China, &c., is estimated at 640 million pounds. June, 1920, the unloading on the market of Government stocks created a heavy surplus supply, and prices fell far below cost of production, but improved conditions began to prevail in 1921. The possibilities of extending the cultivation of tea are limited by the fact that little land in the older planting districts of Ceylon is available for further opening in tea. Land is, however, available in the Districts of Uva, Sabaragamuwa, Kurunegala, and Kegalla, and in other parts of the lower hill-country. Expert advice on land suitable for opening in tea is available. Tea Seed. A considerable business is done by certain Ceylon estates in supplying tea seed to others, the importation of seed from India being now prohibited owing to the danger of blister blight. The plants selected to be seed bearers are allowed to grow into large trees, being neither plucked nor pruned, and develop flowers and fruit in the natural way. The seed supplied is planted "at stake," or is put out to germinate in the nurseries of the purchasing estate, the plants being transplanted as "stumps " into the field when sufficiently matured. The selling price of a maund of tea seed of 80-82 lb. is about Rs, 80 to Rs. 100, Fungus diseases of tea do not occasion any considerable damage. Of these, root diseases cause the greatest trouble and give rise to the loss of numbers of bushes from time to time, They are, however, well known, and control measures are applied immediately any occurrence of disease is noticed. Leaf diseases exist, but do not cause any appreciable loss of crop, although red rust is prevalent in some districts where bushes are not Disease. ( 46 ) in a vigorous growth. Insect pests are more troublesome, the Tea Tortrix being common in the Hatton area and periodically causing damage. Its life-history is well known and remedial and control measures have been worked out, and further investigations are still in hand. Shothole Borer is widespread, and does a certain amount of damage when good cultivation and manuring have not been carried out. Investigations into this pest have been carried on for some years and are being continued. On the whole, none of the diseases of tea is likely to affect the industry adversely if proper precautions are taken, Sub-section 2.-Rubber. The The rubber industry in Ceylon, like tea, is highly organized. cultivated acreage in the Island is about 400,000 acres, and the export value in 1921 was about 52 millions of rupees. Acreage. The Para rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis) was introduced into the East by the Government of India in 1876, and the original Introduction. plants received in Ceylon from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, were planted out at Henaratgoda Botanic Gardens, 17 miles from Colombo. The original plantation can still be seen in these Gardens, and from these trees a large proportion of the rubber in the East is descended. Some of these trees have attained to a large size, and one of them has given extraordinarily high yields, Rubber is the coagulated latex of the tree, obtained by tapping the trunk. The latex running from the end of the cutusually a half spiral-is collected, removed to the factory, treated with acetic acid to cause coagulation, dried, crêped by machinery, or coagulated in sheets and smoked. It will be noted that tea is exported in a form ready for consumption, while the rubber exported has to be made into rubber goods before being put on the market. Latex. The rubber tree flourishes at low elevations, generally below 2,000 feet, and it requires a well-distributed rainfall of not Elevation and less than 80 inches per annum. These conditions Rainfall. mark out the districts of Kalutara, the Kelani Valley, and Sabaragamuwa as the leading rubber districts, though it is also grown with success in Kandy, Matale, Galle, and other districts.* Rubber is, generally, propagated from seed, usually selected from heavy yielding trees, which, at the time the seed is taken, are not in tapping. This seed can then be planted out in prepared holes "at stake." Two to three seeds are usually planted at each stake. Seed is also sown in nurseries, and, when the nursery plants are eighteen months to two years old, they are removed, have their tops cut off, and are planted Planting. * Details of the distribution will be found in Appendix II., 2. |