6o 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
[June i, 1881 
with whatever new product may ■ be judged most 
suitable? But a few hundred pounds, and where 
plants are, less will suffice on each estate. As far as 
private mortgagees are concerned, if the agents do 
not care to come forward with the extra advance, 
those who arrange for this somehow, will, depend 
on it, prove their wisdom. Where done, and claims 
treated with consideration and not pressed against 
proprietors, till good times come again, it will prob- 
ably avert loss and bring good cheer to all again. 
In the case of cinchona, the comparatively miserable 
sprinkling of trees put in, in pa^t years, more by 
way of experiment than otherwise, have been and 
are meeting much of the whole expenditure on 
many estates, and as soon as ever trees now planted can 
be profitably cut — quantity per acre as making up for 
size and age — depend on it, they will very generally 
bear. With this in view, and looking at the immense 
market in Africa and Asia all but untapped as 
yet, and where quinine ought to be a household word 
in many districts, I hardly think there is much fear 
of Ceylon and India combined prejudicing present 
prices appreciably for many years to come. As against 
ihese suggestions, in many cases proprietors have 
been forced by their backers, or by personal need 
to dispose of these plants to meet current extremities. 
Is tli is not a suicidal policy truly ? 
That owing to a partial failure in coffee crops 
Ceylon is on a troubled sea at present, is, I think, openly 
admitted now by all, but it is not owing to a want 
of innate capability, and is it not in the power of 
those most interested in the Island, by taking proper 
precautions at once, to render their prospects sure 
again, and yet reap full returns ? — I am, sir, yours 
faithfully, BREAKERS AHEAD. 
Lime — Lime — Tons to the Acre Wanted. — A planter 
writes : — "If we could get plenty of good caustic lime 
cheap, a Schrottky or a Ward would be unnecessary. 
With a railway, we might apply 3 tons an acre in the 
new districts." 
The Ceara Trees (writes Dr. Trimen in a note 
received to-day) are yet full young to tap, but the 
impatience of the planters may force me to premature 
action in the matter. But I scarcely think this ten- 
tative experiment is likely to settle the question as 
to yield, as we have yet to find out the best method 
of procedure, time for operation, and subsequent pre- 
paration of the milk. I will consider the desirability 
of asking any planters to the milking. 
Coffee and Cinchona.— According to statistics pub- 
lished in the Ceylon Observer, there are now 35,000 
acres in the island planted with cinchona, the total 
number of plants being nearly one hundred million, 
vaiued at two millions sterling. About 10, COO acres 
are planted with tea, giving an annual yield of 500,000 
pounds. The relative importance of coffee in Ceylon 
is not what it was ; but yet it is gratifying to hear 
that the prospects for the forthcoming crop are very 
good. — Academy. 
Ceylon Tea in Australia.— A Ceylon Colonist 
lately arrived in Melbourne, writes : — " I have been 
busy on the Ceylon Tea question and will give you 
the result. Several dealers, grocers, and private per- 
sons agree in this. Large merchants cannot push Cey- 
lon tea on the market, in opposition to China 
and Iudian tea. But if an agent or person interested 
in C ylon t<-'a takes the trouble to go with samples 
to the large inland towns, and amongst the country 
people, he can dispose of large quantities of Ceylon 
to. i In small parcels. The retail price of tea is from 
2i. to 3s. 6d. a lb., and if an agent was to offer Cey- 
lon tea in 2, 4. G, 8, or 10 lb. packets at prices 
i , below the quoted rates, he could sell freely ; 
and, us soon as the tea was made known, the deal- 
ers would have to buy in large quantities." 
" THE TE1 AND CINCHONA PLANTATIONS 
CO., LIMITED." 
The full prospectus of this Company referred to by 
our London correspondent in his last letter has reached 
us. It states that 
Morowa, the district in which these Estates are 
situated, with its heat and ample rainfall is parti- 
cularly well adapt ed for the production of Tea. There 
is at present a good local demand, besides large aud in- 
creasing markets in the Australian Colonies as well as 
in Europe. Taking the average value at la. per lb., and 
the yield at 400 lb. per acre, it is estimated that Tea, 
when in full yield, will give a net minimum profit of 
£6 10s. per acre per annum. The Cinchona trees (from 
which Quinine is extracted) of which there are 11,400 
from one to two years old, will cost very little for 
up-keep, being planted amongst the Tea, and when ready 
for barking may be reasonably expected to yield a pro- 
fit of about 8s. per tree — say £4,500, being nearly one- 
third of the entire purchase-money of the whole property. 
From the Cardamoms now planted (the indigenous 
variety grows wild in the Forest lands of these proper- 
ties) a maiden crop will be gathered this year. It is 
stated on good authority (see Appendix) that from one 
acre of the Malabar variety as much as £40 has been 
recently cleared, that a field of one year old plants has 
been valued at £60 to £70 per acre, and four year old 
plants, in full bearing, at £200 per acre. Tea, Cin- 
chona, aud Cardamoms are perennials. Labour is cheap 
and abundant in the district in which the Company pro- 
pose to commence operations. There is a large reserve 
of land on these Estates very suitable for all tbe above- 
named products, the cultivation of which may be extended 
to the following, viz. : — 
Tea . . . 1200 acres, yielding when in full bearing, 
a yearly profit at £6 10s. per acre £7,800 
Cinchona ... 250 acres, do £40 do £10,000 
Cardamoms .. 250 do do £10 do £2,500 
1,700 acres, giving an estimated 
yearly revenue of ... £20,300 
It is estimated that an outlay of £40,000 on extension 
and up-keep will amply suffice to obtain this result being, 
with the purchase-money, a total of £55,000, the pro- 
fits on which, when the Estates come into full yield, will 
give a proximate yearly dividend of 37 per cent. ; but 
by raising money on the issue of debentures the divi- 
dends may be increased up to 50 per cent, on the 
aggregate of calls on Shares. There still remain a 
reserve of about 635 acres available for other purposes, 
and on the Forest Trees, which must be left to shade 
the Cardamom plants, there is reason to believe that 
Vanilla, which is a most profitable article, may be ex- 
tensively and successfully grown. The permanent build- 
ings on the property comprise Store-houses sufficient 
for present requirements, an excellent bungalow for the 
Superintendent, and the usual lines for labourers. The 
leading features of the scheme of this Company are 
Firstly, that it should not depend on any one article of 
produce alone. Secondly, that, from the present culti- 
vation, it should pay the Shareholders a fair rate of 
interest from date of payments on calls, until such time 
as the proposed extended cultivation shall yield sufficient 
to pay the larger dividends anticipated. 
Valuation of the Company's Estates. 
The following estimate of the value of the ''Anning- 
kanda" Estate, was made by Mr. Richard A. Bosanquet, 
of the firm of Messrs. Courthope, Bosanquet & Co., 
Colombo, on the 24tb December, 1879, viz. :— 
"Tea l£ year old, at £40 per acre: Tea, planted in 
1879, at £20 per acre ; Forest land, at " £5 per acre ; 
Chena land, at £2 per acre." 
Based on this valuation, with the addition of only £10 
per acre as increased value of the Tea for the 15 months' 
