Dec. I, 1885.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



407 



2. 'With each entry the importer to give an endorse- 

 ment or statement of the net contents of each package. 



3. To test the accuracy of tlic cmlorsement or state- 

 ment of the net contents, ten per cent of each break 

 to be turnel out anil woigheil net, bnt in uo case 

 should less than tliree chests be turned out. 



4. If the variation in weight of the test packages 

 be found to exceed one pound the whole parcel to be 

 weighed net. 



Rl'LES 1,1 .\MKSDF,r) rORM. 



1 The packages on arrival to bo weighed to ascertain 

 the gross weight of each package. 



2. With each entry the importer to give a stiitemcnt 

 that the teas in each break have bren bulked in India 

 and the chests of each break contain even nit woi,i;hts. 



3. To tost the accuracy of tliis statement, t"U pi.-r 

 cent of each break to bo turned out and weighed net, 

 but m no ease should less than tliree chests be 

 turned out. 



4. If the variation in weight of the test; packages 

 from each other be fonuil to exceed two po\inds the 

 whole parcel to be weighed gross and tare. For in- 

 stance, if the test packages weigh net 70, 80, 81 lb. 

 rospectively its variation would not exceed *2 lb., luit if 

 one«i)aokage be found to wei-h 7'.i lb. and any other 

 82 lb. or more, thcu the wholi! bri.'ak wouUl bo welglied 

 gross and tare. 



5. That all teas bulked in this country shall 'e 

 weighed gros.s and tare. . 



The declaration of net contents recinii-ed by rule :, is 

 for all purposes ot utility virtually superseded liy rule 3, 

 which determines the actual contents of the packages 

 liable for duty to the Customs and for which the buyers 

 have to pay. 



But while thus of no practical beneficial use or pro- 

 tection to either her Majesty's Ki'venue, importers or 

 dealers, it is found to be a const.ant source of iiicou- 

 venience and disturbance to the .satisfactory working of 

 the system as a whole. 



This arises from the restiiclive influence it is madi- to 

 exercise on the free operation of clauses 3 and 1 — in the 

 requirement that the contents of the 10 per cent test 

 packages shall not only bo of even net weight in them- 

 selves, but shall also be in exact accord with the "en- 

 dorsement or statement of net contents" contained 

 in rule 2. 



'Whether from atmospheric iuHuencc or other causes 

 discrepir.cies, more or less material, are very frequently 

 found between the weights invoiced from the tea 

 gardens and given in thu declaration under rule 2 and 

 those actually ascertained under rules 3 and 4 result- 

 ing in the entile contents of the invoice being turned 

 out to the serious detriment of their condition, ami re- 

 gardless of the fact that the 10 per cent test packages 

 may have fully fulfiUed the condition of uniformity of 

 weight prescribed in rub- 4, 



The proposed amendment in rule 3 is made merely 

 to bring it into harmony with rule 2 as amended. 



As the margin now proposed is still well within the 

 range of variation allowed in the treatment of China 

 teas, we trust this as well as the other amendments will 

 be SHUCtioned. 



Our chi.-t aim, in fact, is to as.similate the two sys- 

 tcms as far as possible in all essential points while 

 retaining the privilege of net weighmeiit for tens 

 bulked in India so as to obviate the necessity in such 

 Ciises of a uniform tare weight. 



For the Indian Tea Districts Association, 



EnNEsT Tye, Secretary. 

 For the AVholesale Tea Dealers' Association, 



R. Skdowicks, Hon. Secretary. 



S031E svjrri.rs of Queensland sugar that have come 

 under my notice lately have created not a little 

 astonishment among Mincing Lane experts in such 

 matters. What has been most noticeable in the 

 specimens noted is their extremely high sweetening 

 power as compared with good West Indian varieties. 

 Certainly, if Queensland can send us sugar like 

 that in question, a very largo trade in this direc- 

 tion may be very certainly anticipated with the 

 United Kingdom, — European Mail. 



THE DUTCH tiOVEHNMENT AND COLONIES 



The Netheiii.ands Tiunixo CoMr.\N'v. 



From the August number of the licviic Colaiiiulc 

 Interimtionale we translate the followiii" : — 



During 188i the Company received from the 

 Dutch Government the following produce, which was 

 sold publicly by the Company on account of the 

 State : — 



f. 

 927,800 bales of eoffea which realized o.'?,.517,OG2 4G 

 12ll.nn3 bars of Bauka tin ) 



:«.!):« „ „ Billiton „ j " 4,2bl,yi.l-,2 



2,9,■^9 packages of cinchona bark „ 347,818-51 



Total. ../■3:^,15ii,812-()!) 

 On its own account, the Company sold /'.j.ao'.^liOti^ 

 worth of produce, comprising eotfee, liillitou tin, cin- 

 chona, tobacco, tea, copal gum, tigs, rum, arrack, 

 margarine, petroleum, and gold from Surinam. It 

 disposed of this produce for 3, (17.3')9-47 florins in 

 the Dutch markets, and l,8p2,247-0r) florins in the 

 English markets. It also exported, on account of 

 third parties, the following produce : — 



To Netherlands India to a value of 3,(;iil,os;i iloriiis 

 „ British „ 9.1,:;9IJ „ 



,, China and Japan ,, .sil,.')9:i 



It likewise exported, also on account of thinl parties, 

 a sum of 2,199,9.53-78 florins in specie. 



With regard to tlie operations of the agency 

 (fiictorij) of the Company at Batavia, tlie report 

 gives the following details : — 



The Company cultivated on its own account 1 

 colt'ee and 4 sugar plantations ; it assisted in the 

 cultivation of 1 coffee plantation, 1 sugar estate, 

 and 1 sawmill ; the contracts of the Coniiiany com- 

 prise 25 sugar factories, (j coffee plantations, 1 cin- 

 cliona estate, 1 indigo do., 1 arrack distillery, 1 

 sawmill, 1 tea estate, 1 birdsnest concern : of these, 

 13 sugar factories, 4 coffee plantations and one 

 arrack distillery are hypothecated to the Company. 

 T;-.o poor production of the coffee plantations has 

 been the cause of somewhat serious losses in the 

 working, and the estimated value of these plantations 

 has had to be considerably reduced. The working 

 of the sugar factories has also given rise to losses, 

 in spite of the largeness of the crops, in con- 

 sei|uenoe of the fall of the produce ; the estimated 

 value has been kejit at a low figure, iu spite of 

 the extension of one of the factories, necessit- 

 ating a considerable sum. The next crop pro- 

 mises to exceed that of 1884. The dissolution 

 of the connection of the Company with a rice 

 plantation and a sawmill has been equally 

 unfavorable in both cases. Altogether the agricult- 

 ural business has caused a loss, in round num. 

 hers, of 1,100,OOJ florins. The various concerns 

 produced: — 1,019,937 piculs of sugar (the picul 

 equals 01-71! kilos, or 133-33 English lb.), 27,330 

 piculs of coffee, 135 piculs of indigo, 113,151 

 pounds of tea (the .\msterdam pound equals 0-49109 

 kilo, or 2h English lb.), (V.ll.J casks or arrack, 

 i),482 pounds of birdsnests, and 2li() piculs of cin- 

 chona bark. The sugar crop of 1884 was sold in 

 I'.urope at prices nnremunerative on the whole. 

 The new crop is selling better. The Company has 

 done all in its power to assist the companies and 

 houses threatened by the agricultural and financial 

 crisis, even those in which it had no dii-ect interest. 

 The financial operation.", 'fil the Company in 

 Netherlands India have been greatly extended ; a sum 

 of 7,700,000 florins was advanced on the security 

 of merchandise, of produce and of titles ; a sum 

 of (), 400,000 florins was received in deposit by the 

 agency of its branches. The total result of the 

 operations of the agency was, in round numbers : — 



