November i, 1883.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



379 



INDIA:— CROP AND WEATHER REPORT. 

 Fob the Week endino the Std October 1SS3. 



General Remarks— Rain in fair quantity fell during the 

 past week throughout the Madias Presidency and Mysore 

 which has revived the dry crojjs ; hut more is still needed 

 iu some parts. In the Bomhay Presidency excessive ram 

 has caused injury in three districts of the Deccan, while m 

 others more rain would be beneficial. In Guzerat the crops 

 are in good condition, but in Sind the river continues low. 

 Some damage has also been done by heavy rain in Berar, 

 but prospects there and in Hyderabad remain favoui'able. 

 Good rain has fallen in Marwar, and Ughter showers m 

 other parts of Eajputana and the Central India States. 

 The crops in both Kajputana and Central India promise 

 fair, but rain is needed in Ulwar. 



In Burma and Assam rice prospects are on the whole 

 good, though iu the former province the deficient rainfall 

 of the season has injured the crop in thi-ee distiicts. 

 Floods have also caused some destruction. 



In Bengal, the Central Provinces, North-Westem Pro- 

 vince.s and Oudh, and the Punjab there has been little or 

 no rain during the week under report, and the late rice . 

 crop of Bengal is in a precarious state. 



Harvesting of the kharif is going on in most parts of 

 India, and ploughing and sowing for the rabi are also in 

 general progress, though r<'tarded in Bengal and Northern 

 India by the early cessation of the rains, The outturn of 

 the kharif is not yet known, but wiU probably be below 

 average, e.specially in North-Western India. 



The condition of cattle has improved, but mild cattle- 

 disease still prevails. 



Except for prevalence of autumnal fever the public health 

 is fair. 



Prices show a tendency to rise in Bengal owing to the 

 unseasonable weather. Elsewhere they are either stationary 

 or falling. 



Madras. — Prospects good. 



Assam (Sylhet.) — State and prospect of crops good. Public 

 health also good. 



Mysore and ('oorg. — Rain has faUen generally all over the 

 Provinces. Standing crops improved. Prospects favourable. 

 Pnblic health good. No material change in prices. 



"LONDON TEA COMPANIES." 

 Under this heading, Mr. Ernest Tye of 14, St. Mary 

 Axe, London, has published a table, arranged iu order 

 of ai'ea of cultivation, giring the results of the work- 

 ing of the principal Indian (though he calls them Lon- 

 don) Tea Companies during 1882. We reprint the 

 table in the next column, and meantime we indicate 

 ft few of the chief results. There are fifteen CompanioB 

 detaUed, with a total capital of £1,823,273 ; the total 

 area cultivated being 32,(567 acres ; total crop 10,088,083 

 lb. ; average cost of tea Is per lb.; average value Is Id ; 

 average dixidend 3i per cent. No fewer than five Com- 

 panies with a total capital of £847,86.3, yielded no divid- 

 end to their shareholders for the past ye.ar ; these ai-e 

 the Land Motgage Bank, Upper and Lower Assam Com- 

 panies, Muugledye and Luckimpore Companies. But to 

 counterbalance these, we have 8, 9 and 10 per cent 

 dividends, resptctivily, from the Jorehaut, Brahmaputra 

 and the " Assam " Companies, The Eorelli Company 

 also yielded 8 per cent ; while two more earned 6, two 

 earned 5, and two earned 2 per cent. The lowest cost 

 of tea was "tenpence" for the Dejoo and Borelli Com- 

 panies — the former, however, only giving 2 per cent 

 dividend. The highest average price obtained was for 

 the " Scottish Assam" Company's teas is Sjd, but those 

 cost Is 3d and the diviileiid was only 2 per cent. The 

 highest average yield of tea was 534 lb. per acre from 

 1,466 acres of the Doom Diioma Company making 783,154 

 lb. coating 10|d, selling at Is (averages), the dividend 



being 5 per cent on a capital of £113,500. These figures 

 will give Ceylon tea planters some idea the working of 

 the gi-eat Indian Tea Companies. Wo feel sure that a 

 better and steadier return is to he got for capital invested 

 in tea in Ceylon. 



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* N.B. — These five Companies, with a total capital of 

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 the past year. 



PiUEEER IN Hapxitale. — Mr. Westlaud is good 

 enough to inform us : — I have resumed tapping for 

 rubber. When at Rosebury last week, I saw four 

 cakes weighing J lb. each of wet rubber ; when they 

 are dry, shall send them to you for inspections. I 

 have ordered a cutter and cups from (iilliat and 

 shall let you know remit. Meantime, Wall's pr cker 

 is being used, and the wound heals up very quickly 

 We have much yet to learn about rubber before 

 freely ventilating eur experiences. [But the ven- 

 tilation helps other experimenters, and in the 

 multitude of operators there is safety. — Ed.] 



