September i, 1885.] __'" THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



187 



sum of £1,150 9s Uil. to t^^lic credit of profit ami loss account. 

 It will be seen that *-"Sie average price obtaiueJ for the 

 cotfee was 9s 8J piUlfi'cv/t below that of last year, and with 

 such a small cro'- it is satisfactory to note that expenditure 

 was so nearly n §fet by produce. For crop 1884-85 now being 

 gathered, the jjj period of blossoming was altogetlier favour- 

 able and a f' ii/irly good crop set ou the trees. At the be- 

 ginning of jr'the present year, however, an unusually severe 

 attack of.j, leaf disease passed over the estate, and it was at 

 one tiDr(ae thought that its ravages would prove as fatal as 

 on pfg.-Jviou8 occasions. Contrary to expectations this atiack 

 ha'"., proved far less injurious than could have been hoped 

 ' lor from past experience, an<l the latest reports from the 

 property point to a crop in Spring Valley of not less than 

 5,400. cwt. Timely precautions had been taken to guard 

 against a loss iu the event of a repetition of the small 

 crops of the past two years, and expenditure on coffee was 

 reduced to a minimum, so that eveu with the present low 

 prices, the crop now to come forward will show a fair 

 profit. 



The change which has taken place as regards coffee is 

 very marked, and whether the present vigorous appearance 

 of the estate is due to a season favourable both for the 

 blossoming and the maturing of the fruit or to a mitigation 

 of the destructive nature of leaf-disease it is impossible to 

 say. Coffee has been replaced by tea on the portion of 

 Spring Valley referred to in last report, and which, under 

 the most favourable circumstances could only have been 

 made to yield lair crops by incurring heavy expenditure on 

 manuring. The area at present under tea ou the estate 

 comprises 289 acres, and all the plants are thriving well. 

 The growth of the experimental patches of tea planted iu 

 the autumn 1883 has been so highly satisfactory that, not- 

 withstanding the present favourable appearance of the 

 coffee on the property, your directors fully believe they are 

 warranted in taking the precaution of further extending tea 

 over such area as will prove more profitable under this pro- 

 duct than if left in coffee. - The area in tea will thus be 

 made up to about 400 acres, leaving a fine sheet, over 1,000 

 acres in extent, of coffee in capital heart and growing in a 

 soil highly adapted to its requirements. In addition to 

 the above area about ISO acres of tea have been planted on 

 Oolanakande. With the above areas of tea and coffee, com- 

 manded as they are by the apphauces lately erected for the 

 distribution of manure, favourable influences alone are 

 needed to ensure paying results. It will be seen by the profit 

 and loss account that £724 Ills 7d was realized from the 

 sale of cinchona, a httle under 9 tons being brought to 

 market. About 2| tons of good bark will be harvested this 

 year. In future this product will only be planted iu seper- 

 ate patches, as it is found to be injurious to tea and coffee 

 when planted amongst thera. Mr. Edward Couder, a 

 member of the Board, retires on this occasion, and, being 

 eligible, offers himself for re-election. Messrs. Deloitte, 

 Dever, Griffiths & Co., the Auditors, also offt-r themselves 

 for re-election. 



Spjii^'O Valley Company : Poefit and Loss Account— 

 Ceop 1883-84. 



S 8, d. £ 9. d. 

 To Ceylon Expendltuie :— 



Spring A'alley 12,778 15 3 



j^«s9 profit CD Exchange .,. 2,151 19 3 



Oolanakande— 

 Balauce ou the working of this Estate ,„ 



Expenses- 

 Mr. Brown's Visit to Ceylon 



tondon Expenditure — 



Director's Fees 600 



Eent, Salaries and Petty 



Charges 3V2 11 2 



Audit Fee 15 15 



10,02a 

 227 

 Co 



Interest 



908 

 146 



£11,970 7 5 



By Proceeds of Coffee: — 

 ,Sprinf» Vallev — 

 a,584 cwt. i) (ira. 10 lbs. average 59s 6i per cwt. 10,«64 



,, Refuse Coffee sold in Ceylon 368 



„ Proceeds of Cinchona Bark 731 



,, Balance carrieil down "2^ 



To Balance, Loss on Crop 1883-84 ... 

 ,, Balance carried to Balance Sheet 



P,y Balauce from last year ... 



222 17 7 

 1,150 <.l 11 



£1,673 7 



. 1,673 7 a 



£l,ii73 7 



£11,970 7 3 



Report of Uva Coffee Company. 

 A Balance Sheet, showing the financial position of the 

 Company on 31st May, 1885, and Profit and Loss Account 

 for Season 1883-84, are now presented to shareholders. Crop 

 1883-84, estimated at 5,000 cwts., resulted iu a total of 4,908 

 cwt. 1 cjr. 10 lb. The value of this coffee was £13,794 9s Id, 

 or equal to a net average of 56s 3d per cwt. Refuse coft'ee 

 sold in Ceylon and proceeds of cinchona bark brought the 

 total receipts from sales of produce up to £15,215 8s 7d. 

 The Ceylon expenditure includes £709 7s 2d spent ou tea, 

 making the result of the year's working a loss of £1,299 Is 

 lOd. After writing oft' this sum from the balance of £2,408 

 8s 4d brought forward from last year, there remains to the 

 credit of Profit and Loss Account the sum of £1,109 Cs Gd. 

 The report issued last year held out hopes that a small profit 

 would have resulted from the working of the year now under 

 review, but the prices obtained for the latter parcels of crop 

 fell off so greatly that, as will be seen by the accounts, the 

 average price is 13s 5d per cwt. below that of the previous 

 year, which fully accounts for the loss sustained. Owing to 

 "the appliances for the distribution of bulky manure being in 

 full working order very exten,sive manuring operations were 

 carried out during season 1883-84, at a small increase of ex- 

 penditure, on all the Company's estates, especially on such 

 areas as are intended to be permanently retained in cofltee. 

 From information just received, the Directors are glad to 

 be able to report that the effect of these operations, coupled 

 with favourable weather, has enabled the trees to mature 

 their fruit iu a most unexpected manner, and the coming 

 crop which was at one time estimated at 4,400 cwt. is now 

 expected to yield at least 5,600 cwt. 



In view of the low prices ruling last year, and with the 

 prospect that only a small crop might be secured for season 

 1884-85, the Board took the precaution of reducing expend- 

 iture on coffee to a minimum, so as to ensure no loss result- 

 ing from that year. With the unexpected increase iu the 

 out-turu of the crop a very fair margin of profit may now be 

 looked for. In January last a severe attack of leaf disea.se 

 swept over the estates, causing much anxiety as to tlie effect 

 it might have ou the crop ou the trees. It however, r,ipidly 

 passed away and the trees h:ive steadily continued to re- 

 cover, and by last reports the properties were stited to be iu 

 vigorous condition. All those portions of the Company's 

 estates where leaf disease had weakened the coffee trees 

 beyond hope of recovery have been planted with tea, and 

 up to the end of last year 362 acres were under this cult- 

 ivation, and, as far as can be judged at the present time, 

 the growth of the tea plants is perfectly satisfactory. 

 There are, however, further areas of the properties which 

 it is thought would be more profitable under tea than coffee, 

 the Board have, therefore, given instructions to plant up 

 these areas, so that by the end of the year there will be a 

 total of about 650 acres under tea. With the above acrenfia 

 of tea and the area retained in coffee being in first-rate con- 

 dition and capable of being readily and cheaply mnnured, 

 the directors have every reason to look for good paying re« 

 turns from the properties at no distant date. Cinchona 

 bark to the extent of 6i tons was harvested during season 

 1833-84. and the value, as shown by the profit and lo39 

 account, was £818 28 4d. It is expected that about 10 ton9 

 of bark will be harvested this season, the amount to be 

 realized by the sale will not, however, be proportionately 

 increased, the bark market behig somewhat lower tbau last 

 year. The further planting of Cinchona is being confined 

 to patches especially devoted to its growth, as Cinchona is 

 fouud to be hurtful to both tea and coffee bushes when 

 grown among them. c.u r. i 



Mr. Henry Hart Potts, a member of the Board, retires 

 ou thw occasion, and being eligible, offers himself for re^ 

 tilection. Messrs, Deloitte, Dever, OriSiHis & Co., tli« 

 Auditors) »1'0 off** tbemselvee fof fe-electiou, 



