January 2009
This page is dedicated to John Weatherstone
John has written two books
The Pioneers
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"Tea- A Journey in Time" |
Early British Coffee and Tea Planters and Their Way of Life. 1825-1900
Author: John Weatherstone Published by Quiller Press Ltd. 46. Lillie Road London SW6 1TN First published 1986 reprint 1991 Recco Retail Price 28 pounds sterling |
Pioneering and Trials in the Jungle by John Weatherstone ISBN - 978-1899163854.
Published by JJG Publishing, Sparrow hall, Fakenham, Norfolk NR21 0DP Price £28.00
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` All Royalties are being donated to the British Association for Cemeteries in South Asia (BACSA) |
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These are magnificent coffee table books, with wonderful illustrations and photographs which, unlike so many books of this genre, is very readable. The journey takes the reader from tea camellia in China of the 17th Century through to the 21st Century and the tea bag. The focus of the story is India & Sri Lanka and sets down brilliantly the pioneers of the industry and the hardships endured in establishing the plantations we see today. A very good read -Editor *******************************
John received a lot of encouragement and support from the Williamson Magor Group and below are some facts about Hunwal T.E. followed by other Estates mentioned in his second book-- all photos by courtesy of Williamson Magor
Sanjay Batra Manager Hunwal T.E.
Ransomes Single Tine Sub-Soiler with seed drill attachment See below on plinth
Ransomes 'Crawler Tractor' This model built from 1952 onwards. Both this and the Sub-Soiler were in use on Hunwal until 1959.
Inside these five bays are the withering troughs, the factory is just out of the picture to the left
A 75 year old Rain Tree. Pithecolobium saman, stands at the entrance to the Manager's Bungalow built in 1928 and with vivid red flowering Ixora singaporensis, right, provides an attractive setting
a 2007 picture of Hunwal management with Manager Sanjay Batra (in hat)
Managerial staff L to R : Field Operations: Vivek Seth (Deputy Manager), Amal C. Bora (Senior Assistant), Sanjay Batra (Manager), Hitesh Maadan (Welfare and in the factory) The tea is 36 years old and the shade trees are Acacia lenticularis of the same age ******************************************************************* Some of Williamson Magor's other Estates 60 years is the life of a tea bush
Vegetative Propagation. Clonal single leaf cuttings in Polysleeves are kept under high Agro Mesh netting which allows 60 to 70 % sunlight through
Cuttings once they grow up to 5-6 leaves are removed from the Agro Mesh area and kept outside for sun hardening to establish into ready plants. Once the plants are 30-40cms tall, they are taken into the field for extension planting, replanting, or infilling of vacancies in the mature tea
Mature tea fields generally contain between 12,000 and 13,000 bushes per hectare
Once tea areas cross 60 years in age and gradually begin to lose commercial viability, the bushes are uprooted by a tractor-mounted winch. In the past elephants were used to uproot old tea bushes, which are distributed to workers families free of cost as statutory issue firewood.
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Bogapani Estate. The labour force rise well before dawn to take their "Chota hazri" early morning tea and biscuits |
Line Chowkidars (watchmen) who are given the following days 'kamjari' (work allocation) the previous evening, visit the worker's lines/dwelling area at dawn the next day and announce loudly where the labour is to be deployed
Estate Schooland hospital --medical staff 8 , 2 Doctors
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Giri Sodhi, Visiting Agent for WM Estates
Celebrating the Tribal 'Jhomur' dance on Margherita Estate in Upper Assam
Mijicajan Estate. Pluckers with their leaf at the divisional weighment shed.
A young English Assistant in Assam during the early 1900's said this about his over bearing Manager and leaf weighing; He drives out in his turn-turn round the work and at each section grumbles and nags. Then the leaf weighing, which he regularly attends, becomes the nastiest bit of the day's work when it should be the most pleasantest , for is it not the end of the 'bela'? Not a woman brings in leaf fit to be seen , poor devils, it is not for want of 'hazri' cutting and 'gallikaroing' Then a round of the tea house and the man there --God help him
Estate School and hospital --medical staff 6 and one Doctor
All above photos by courtesy of Williamson Magor **********************************************
A part of Colombo Harbour. A sketch depicting the old landing jetty pre 1950's, with booking office above, beyond that, across the road, is the Grand Oriental Hotel (GOH): to the right of the jetty are the the customs sheds: the
Available from JJG Publishing, Sparrow Hall, Hindringham, Fakenham, Norfolk UK NR21 0DP E-Mail [email protected] Sponsored by Williamson Magor & Co Ltd Calcutta
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