8s8 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [June 2, 1890. 
by 2d., it > san appreciable boon yon confer on the con. 
Burner. It wonld be a very great satisfaction if advan- 
tage can be taken of this reduction by those who are 
so interested to insist upon receiving their full share 
of this relief which will be given from the publio 
pnrse, and that they should through better organisation 
see whether it is not possible to buy this article of 
primary necessity, and so important to the whole of 
the working classes, upon better terms. I will frankly 
say before parting from thin subject that I am opposed 
to the total abolition of the tea duty. There is no 
doubt that tea is the one article through which 
those who neither smoke nor drink contribute to the 
revenue ; and therefore I oonsider it right that the tea 
duty shonld be maintained, and I should be sorry if 
•we cut off altogether any of the sources of our revenue. 
As regards abolition, 1 can well imagine that differences 
of opinion exist but I think that under the circum- 
stances of the case, looking to the way in which the 
surplus has been oreated, and to others to which I shall 
ask the attention of the Committee later on, I think 
that justice has demanded the application of this por- 
ton of the surplus in the manner which I have in- 
dicated." 
THE 
CEYLON TOBACCO 
(LIMITED.) 
COMPANY. 
'Annual General Meeting. 
The annual general meeting of the shareholders i n 
the Ceylon Tobacco Company, Limited was held 
within the registered office of the Company, No. 42, 
King Street, Kandy, on Saturday, the 3rd May, at 
2 n.m. when the following shareholders were prpsent : 
—Messrs. W. Pole Fletcher, H. K. Rutherford (repre- 
sented by Mr. L. P. Fisher), Wm. Mills, G. A. Talbot, 
Hugh Fraser. T. 0. Huxley, C. S. Armstrong. T. C. 
Owen, J. Hill, A. Schappe (representing Gorman 
interest), Hon. Mr: Thos. North Christie, Mr. A. 
Philip; bv proxy. Messrs. A. G. K. Borron, Norman W. 
Oripve. Joseph Fraser, D. R. Marshall, H. D. Deane, 
J M. Murdoch, James Tennent Emerson, William 
Hunter Reid, Alexander Tait, W. L. Murray-Menzips, 
Wm. Milne, S. M. Burrows, Mesdames Florence E. 
Ragot, Susan Frances Talbot, Mary C. M. Hill, and 
Edith Dick. 
The notice calling the meeting having been read, 
the Directors' Report was read by the Secretary of the 
Company, Mr. Philip. 
Tts adoption was moved by the Hon. Thos. North 
Christie, Chairman of the Board of Directors, was 
BPconded by Mr. Wm. Mills, and carried unanimously. 
Mr. G. A. Talbot moved that the following gentle- 
men he appointed Directors :— Hon. T. N. Christie, 
Messrs. .T a s. Hill, T. C. Owen and 0. S. Armstrong, 
Mr. T. C Huxley seconded the motion and it was 
unanimously carried. 
Repoet op the Dihectobs op the Ceylon Tobacco 
Company, Limited. 
To be presented to the Shareholders at the Annual 
General Meeting of the Company, to be held within 
the Registered Office of the Company, No. 42, King 
Street, Kandv, on Saturday the 3rd day of May 1890, at 
2 o'clock in the afternoon. 
The Company was incorporated under the Joint Stock 
Company's Ordinance No. 4 of 1861, on the 28th of 
April. 1889, before which date it was not possible for the 
Directors to act on behalf of the Company. Hopes had 
been entertained that it might have bpen possible to 
hnve eo-nmenced operations earlv in 1889, but theun- 
aunVlahW late date of the Companv's incorporation and 
othor circumstances decided the Board that it was not 
desirable to attempt to put. any land under tobacco until 
the current vear. Early in Septemhpr of last vear your 
Directors, in conjunction with the Cevlnn Tea Planta- 
tions Conipanv, availed themselves of the presence in 
Cevlon of an experienced Sumatra and Borneo planter 
Mr H Innis, and obtained from him a general report 
on the prospects of tobacco-growing here, and also bv 
kind permission of those interested, remarks on some of 
the clearings in the vicinity of Kandy and on the tobacco 
there produced. The following is a quotation from Mr. 
Innis's Report : — " Having visited the tobacco clearings 
and sheds at *****,*** * and **#**, I am quite of 
opinion that tobacco can be successfullv grown in 
Ceylon. The clearing I saw on the ***** estate 
was equal to any. and better than most, I have seen 
in Sumatra, the soil being superior to most. The soil 
at the * * * * estate is well suited to the cultivation, 
and the general lay of land good. There is no reason 
why that and similar land should not with proper 
manipulation produce wrapper tobacco equal to the 
staple of Sumatra. The tohacco now in the sheds, 
though chiefly grown from Havanah seed, was of better 
quality than I expected to see. and is as good if not 
better as that from most districts in Sumatra. The 
general principles of the cultivation and preparation 
are evidently understood, but in some minor matters 
(which however are very important, if a reallv good 
leaf is to be procured) some alterations and improve- 
ments are necessary. Exclusive of lands taken over- 
under an agreement with Mr. Fritz M"ver, 534 acres of 
land have been purchased at a cost of Runees seventeen 
thousand two hundred and eightv three (R17.283 ) and 
a considerable further acreage has been arranged for. 
Towards the end of 1889 the Directors were approached 
by Mr. Schappe, the attorney of "Mr. Mever, with a 
view towards an amalgamation of interests ; and even, 
tually an agreement was entered into under which 
this Company took ever all Mr. Meyer's lands &c, on 
terms that the Directors consider to be such as will 
greatly benefit the Companv. In terms of this agree- 
ment, 1,423 acres of land, buildings, implements, &c. 
to the value of about R48,000,will he taken over, pay- 
ment being made entirelv in paid up-shares of the 
Company. The services of Mr. J.K. Ineleton as Manager 
were also agreed for, and that experienced tobacco plan- 
ter has for the past three months been in charee of the 
Oompany's operations on the Arampolla property in the 
Kurunegala District, where a most successful crop was 
grown last year, the quality of which Mr. Schappe con- 
siders verv good. It. is hoped that about 200 acres will 
he planted during the next 2 months, while on the 
Matale Estate 100 acres are now being prepared. The 
Directors estimate that, with a suitable season, 120.000 
lb of tobacco should be secured, costing, landed in 
Colombo, about 30 cents per lb. If this anticipa- 
tion is realized, it will add tobacco to the list of 
products which Ceylon is able to produce more 
cheaply than almost any other country. The utiliza- 
tion of the land after the tohacco crop has been 
taken off it.'has had the careful consideration of the 
Directors, who have decided that the establishment 
of suitable permanent products on the Company's 
estates will tend greatlv to economy in working, regu- 
lar profit, and the stahility of the Company. In pur- 
suance of this decision, one hundred and fifty (150) 
acres of coconuts in Kurunegala and one hundred (lOOA 
acres of tea in Matale will he planted before the 
close of this year. The Directors have appointed Mr. 
Guthrie, Auditor for past year. 
Dabjeeling.— Most people are beginning to 
wonder if it ever will rain here again. Through- 
out the district it is the same question from Silli- 
gorie to KalimpoDg, The fact is last year's rains 
were very short, as regards inches fallen, and to 
add to that the rains closed unusually early. The 
result, of course, is that tea is suffering a good 
deal, and red spider blight is very bad on a large 
number of gardens — I might say all — both in the 
Terai and hills From what I hear of the new tea 
gardens over Dumsnng way, the owners have 
evidently made a very happy hit in taking up the 
land, as it is admirably adapted for tea. and 
consequently, the bushes grow both rapidlv and 
vigorously. The chief drawback at present is want, 
of roads; hut this, of course, is always the case in 
newly opened-up country, and rights itself in the 
long run.— Indian Planters' Gazette, March 25th. 
