June i, i8S6.J 



tHE TROPICAL AGKlCULTURlSf, 



5^43 



Wliile on the wants of the community, it has 

 frequently occurred to me that there is a niche 

 unoccupied in the series of Planter's Manuals. We 

 have no " I'lanting Jlolcsworth." To tlie enter- 

 prise of the O/a-i'itc)- press, ^tropica! planters all 

 over the world are much indebted for the handy 

 little volumes which have from time to time ap- 

 peared on the dilTorent products which have en- 

 goj^ed the attention of the Ceylon planters, and 

 from which they have tried to make fortunes and 

 have not as a rule succeeded. These however 

 have been all special, and although they contain 

 much information, which might and ought to 

 lind a place in the "Planting Molesworth," yet 

 what is wanted is a rude niecum, constant com- 

 panion, to which the planter could turn at any 

 time to refresh his memory as to what was a fair 

 day's work for a cooly at the numerous occup- 

 ations he is from time to time called on to per- 

 form. It should of course embrace far more tlian 

 that : prices o( building, cost of wood work, current 

 rates charged by blacksmiths, and other artiliccrs. 

 Indeed from the cooly it might radiate out wide 

 enough until it would embrace within its covers cv»n 

 agents' charges and brokers' actual disbursements ! 

 What a valuable little volume tliat would be and 

 still it need not either be big nor yet dear — and 

 there should be a public to buy it. 



Yet a last want — this suggested by another, a 

 seller of tea seed, who dift'ers with me regarding 

 the course that article is likely to take in the 

 matter of price. Both buyers and sellers he inclines 

 to believe are often working in the dark, and with 

 the view to let in light, and that the pulse of the 

 market miglit be felt by all, he suggests that the 

 Obgcrvcr might have a Tea Seed Price Current. 

 In this price current which was to be a colunni of 

 the daily jiaper all estates which wished to avail 

 themselves of the privilege might for a fixed 

 monthly sum have the advantages of the publicity 

 which would in this way be given. The buying 

 public too would be able to see where to apply and 

 at what riiJrs they might expect to purchase. The 

 tca-sfcd price current would run as follows : — 



Agar's Iiaiid . . Open for orders at E 



Bitten I e . . Heed all booked 



and so on. 



PF.riTECOItN". 



INl)I\N' TE.V COMPANIES. 



Tea. — The report of the M.anaging Agents of the 

 Adulpore Ter-:i Tea Company for the pa.st year shows 

 tliat the outturn was GHO manmls, against .in estimate 

 of 7W raaunds, the average price realised being As. 

 10-4 per lb. The revenue amounted to K3.'),052, and 

 the expenditure to K30,525, leaviug a profit ofK5,127; 

 and after adjustment in the Profit and Loss account 

 the sum of 1<4,()38 is available. A dividend of 4 per 

 cent, has bfpu declared aud R338 carried forward. 

 The estimate for 1888 is for 700 mauuds of tea at a 

 local expenditure of R21,17-5, which includea 85 acres 

 of exteusiiMi i.ot in bearing. 



The rep( rt <>l the directors of tho Ea=;t India Tea 

 Company shr ws that the outturn was 200,190 lb. 

 against an climate of Is4,(l00 lb., the net average 

 price reaUsed lieiog .Vs. lO-.ij per lb. The revenue was 

 R1!K),."93 and the expenditure KIC5,42:i leaving a 

 profit of K24 969; and adding the baliuce brought 

 forward from 1 ist season, the available profit is K3.5,3<)7 

 which admits of a dividend of 3J per cent. Tlie estim- 

 ates for 1880 )iroTide for a crop of 3,800 maunds at an 

 expenditure c! KIRS 0(10. 



The report <if the direetors of the Kalarberra Tea 

 Company 8ho\v<tliat the outturn was 104.134 lb. which 

 realised an avtirage price of A.s. 10-9. The gross re- 

 ceipts were B69,966 and expenditure R5^,574, leaving 

 a profit of Rll,3n2, which reduces the debit at profit 

 »D(i losa to Vi!i,li7. Xhti estimates for ISdQ provide 



for an outturn of 108,000 lb. at a total expenditure of 

 R.52,.iOO. 



The report of the Mauaging Agents of tlio Kamptie 

 Gwallie Tea Company shows that the outturn was 

 10(i,000 lb., which sold at a not average price of .\s. 

 ll-(j per lb. The revenue w.is K7'i.7ll and exi)endi- 

 ture K65,157, leaving a profit of K11,L'57, which reiluces 

 the debit balance at Profit and Loss to K6,.5(iS. Tlio 

 estimites for 1886 provide for a crop of 1,6(IU maunds 

 at a garden outlay of K40.000. 



The report of the directors of the Kunchunporo 

 Tea Company shows that the outturn was ll.'i.lilO 

 lbs. against an estniiate of l(X),0001b. the average 

 price realised being As. 9-3'; per lb. The gross re- 

 ceipts were RiVl.SU and tlie expenditure Ri9, .'l.SII, 

 lea\ing a profit of R.'>.1S4 which reduces the debit 

 balance at Profit and Loss to Il'.l,4(;'i. Tlio estimates 

 for the current season provide for an outturn of 

 KId.lRHI lb. at a total expenditure of R.il.OlKl. 



The report of the Managing Agents of the Second 

 Mutual Tea Company show^s the outturn wasl.ii'.to 

 maunds, JJalising an average price of As. 11-10 per 

 lb. for fine and As. G-7 per lb. for coarse tea. The 

 gross revenue was R87,S07, aud the expenditure 

 R.MI,2:'>.">, leaving a profit of R'2S,.372, and deducting 

 the debit balance front the previous season the amount 

 available is R20,92;->. Dividends aggregating 111 pt r 

 cent, have been declared, aud li|j23^3 carried for- 

 ward. The estimates for IHSli provide for l.S.'iO 

 maunds of te.a at a garden outlay of RfVl,4.SS. 



Dividends have been declared by the Kuttal('"Ui- 

 |)aiiy of It per cent ; Bishnauth 4 per cent ; aud East 

 India Tea 3J per cent. — Fiouccr Cor. 



COFFEE CULTIVATION IN MYSORE. 



B\xr.ALor>E, April 2'2nd. — The Coorg planters have 

 recently memorialijed Mr. Girdlestone, the (!liief 

 Commissioner of the province, for the reduelioii" 

 of assessment on coSee holdings from two In one 

 rupee per acre for coffee in full bearing and to 

 eight annas per acre for all other land included 

 in the coffee estate. The coffee enterprise, in Coorg 

 has suffered greatly in late years by disease, 

 drought and low prices in the home market. Many 

 planters have been utterly ruined, and many driven 

 to sell out for a mere song, and it was hoped the 

 Resident, who professed to have the interest of 

 the planting community at heart, would grant tlio 

 reasonable concession prayed for by the planters. 

 Mr. (iirdlestoiie's reply now iniblished is exlreinely 

 disappointing, and declines to accede to the rcfpiest 

 of the Coorg Planters' Association. The Uosident 

 says during the course of his tour through Coorg 

 he visited many estates, and had the advantage 

 of studying on the spot the varied conditions of 

 the aspect of the soil, the slope, the shave, treatment 

 and age, and in conversing with the proprietors and 

 managers succeeded in acquiring valuable statistical 

 information concerning the industry. The planters 

 pointed out that tlie rate of two rupees per acre 

 on tlie whole cuHurable area of the estate lixed 

 when coffee planting was in its infancy and is 

 heavier than the tax on coffee or tea lands elsewhere 

 for the past twenty years in Coorg aud shows it to be 

 excessive. The Resident replies that the settlement 

 necessarily must be determined by the system as 

 the averages, Government deriving no direct gain 

 from the high prices which have in past times 

 prevailed. Whilst admitting to some extent the state- 

 ment made by the Association that far from the 

 industry proving remunerative it has turned out to 

 the great majority to be the reverse, the Resident feels 

 bound to point out that besides the loss from leaf- 

 disease, borer, rat, drought and the like, there have 

 been other detrimental causes at work, which might 

 have been avoided. The land is often unsuitable! in 

 character and much in excess of one man's power 

 to niauaije. The planted coficc cultivation is 



