ins and tea on the sides of the hills. From
some cause, however, either the thinness of population or _the want
of a remunerative crop_,[15] large tracts of this fertile district
have been allowed to go out of cultivation. Everywhere I observed
ruinous and jungle-covered terraces, which told of the more extended
cultivation of former years.

Amongst some hills near the upper portion of this district, two
small tea plantations have been formed under the patronage and
superintendence of Captain Ramsey, Senior Assistant Commissioner of
Kumaon. Each of them cover three or four acres of land, and had been
planted about a year before the time of my visit. In this short
space of time the plants had grown into nice strong bushes, and were
in the highest state of health. I never saw, even in the most
favoured districts in China, any plantations looking better than
these. This result, Captain Ramsay informed me, had been attained in
the following simple manner:--All the land attached to the two
villages with which the tea farms are connected, is exempted from
the revenue tax, a sum amounting only to 525 Rs. per annum. In lieu
of this, the assamees (cultivators) of both villages assist with
manure, and at the transplanting season, as well as ploughing and
preparing fresh land. In addition to this, one chowdree and four
prisoners are constantly employed upon the plantations. The chief
reason of the success of these plantations, next to that of the land
being well suited for tea cultivation, may, no doubt, be traced to a
good system of management; that is, the young plants have been
carefully transplanted at the proper season of the year, when the
air was charged with moisture, and they have not been destroyed by
excessive irrigation afterwards. The other zemindaree plantation at
Lohba might have been now in full bearing had the same system been
followed.

From the description thus given, it will be observed that I consider
the Kutoor plantations in a most flourishing condition. And I have
no doubt they will continue to flourish, and soon convince the
zemindars of the value of tea cultivation, providing three things,
intimately connected with the success of the crop are strongly
impressed upon their minds; viz., the unsuitableness of low wet
lands for tea cultivation; the folly of irrigatin