Sept, i, 1893.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
175 
exact quantity required by a customer is measured 
and put into the churn in which it is conveyed 
to its destination and which is secured by means 
of a Yala lock of which duplicate keys are kept, one 
at the dairy and the other at the hospital or asylum. 
When the milk is taken from the cows in the after- 
noon it is passed from the graduated tank through 
the refrigerator, the result of which is that it keeps 
better and is not so liable to give way when it 
has to be taken a long distance to the customer ; 
and when the milk is eent out in the afternoon 
a wet canvas jacket is put over the churn which 
is thus kept nice and cool. The ref'ig-rator con. 
sists of a tank with a series of tubes fitted below. 
The milk passes from the tank to the vessel in 
which it is to be removed over these tubes 
which are so oonstruoted that not a drop of milk 
is spilt as it trickles over them. Through thesa tubei 
an iipourreot of water is continually passing and eo 
the milk is cooled, Hitheno the milk supplied 
to the hospitals has been tested by means of 
the lactometer, but now we believe this 
practice is being discontinued. It setms that the 
Uctometer is not altogetlier reliable, because it has 
been found that the specific gravity of milk varies 
with the temperature, and that in the case of milk 
thut baa been taken any distance, unless it is at 
once brought down to some standard tempt rature, 
the lactometer test is of no value. According to 
the lactometer the standard specific gravity is 
1030 or 60 degrees, but milk that has beau 
skimmed will show a higher spaoifio gravity than 
pure milk with the cream. Where we believe the 
lactometer is of most vsluo ia in testing two 
samples of pure milk. With the milk which ia 
over after the hospitals have been supplied, butter 
ia mad'3 and of splendid quality indeed, judging 
by the specimen which one of our representa- 
tives was shown today. This butter is tor 
sale to private individuals and we should 
think there would be a good demand for it. 
From the separator the croim is put into cce of the 
Speedwell crystal churns and there manufactured. 
This churn is a very efficient apparatus and con- 
sists simply o( a glass jar with lid thoroughly 
secured placed on a swinging frame which is made 
to revolve by turning a crank. Now supposing the 
butter in stock shows signs of giving way it need 
not be allowed to run to waste ; but made into 
what is known in India as ghee which is very 
extensively used amongst the Hindus we heliava 
as a concomitant of rice, Thi^ is very easily accom 
plished,all that is required being to tubjact the but- 
ter to heat for a length of time uniil it has become 
thoroughly clarified and then allow it to cool when it 
is ready for t ale. 
Of the 45 cows there are four or fiva 
uncalved, the number of calves at pre- 
sent being about 30, and all doing well. 
We have previously given a general description 
of the building in which the cattle are housed but we 
may mention that it consists of 70 stalls, 
35 on each side ; the space allowed for each cow 
which has its name displayed on a board at its stall 
being 4 ft. The sanitary arrangements can only 
be described as admirable. The stalls are strewed 
with coir duet which abporbs all liquid matter an 1 
a man ia kept constantly on the premise? for the 
purpose of keeping them dean. Manure ia at once 
removed outside and afterwards taken to the 
adjoining fields. The place is frequently scoured 
With water and presents a remarkably tidy appear- 
ance. No offensive matter being allowed to lie 
about, there are no b!id smells, and from a sEni- 
tary point oi vi^w there seems nothing left to 
be desired, A drain passes along the stalls and 
all that goes into it is at once oarcied outside 
1 into a tank. Mr. Eodrigo, who was formerly one 
of the assistant masters in the Agricultural School, 
has been appointed manager of the dairy. He 
has been specially trained at the School for 
this work and Mr. Drieberg gives him a 
high character as a very willing worker. Of 
j course the administrative part of the work 
j devolves upon Mr. Drieberg and the duty could 
i not be in better hands. 
I The idea of etdrting the Dairy originated we 
believe with His Escellency the Governor who 
j had been impressed with the sueoeas of similar 
I institutions in the West Indies, and we trust 
' that he may witness complete sucoees in Oeylon, 
SUGGESTIVE RE AD lis G FOR CEYLON 
TEA PLANTERS, 
JOKAI (ASSAM) TEA, 
{Financial News.) 
DIVIDEND MAINTAINED NOT fflTHBTANDINS A BAD SEASON. 
At the thirteenth ordinary general meeting of the 
shareholders of the Jokai (Assam; Tea Company, 
Limited, the Chairman, Mr. J. Berry White said : 
Gentlemen, — The report and accounts which we 
present to you today would, in most concerns, be 
considered very satisfactory ones, but I am bound 
to say that we feel more or less disappointed that 
the results are not better than they have proved, 
At the end of October I felt almost certain that 
the gross receipts could not be under 150,000 not- 
withstanding the short out-tm-n. We were working 
under many advantages, with the lowest rate of 
exchange and the lowest rates of freight ever known; 
whilst, on the other hand, we had at that time 
sold nearly a moiety of the crop at the highest 
average price to which we had ever attained. My 
expe^jtations were, however, cruelly upset. The 
early closing of the season— nearly a month before 
the normal time — reduced the yield to fully oi.e- 
eighth under the estimates, and after the commence- 
ment of the New Year the market value of the 
high-class teas, which we produce, fell quite 25 per 
cent. This falling off in the quantity of the crop wis 
almost universal throughout all the tei districts of 
India, excepting in the Dooars, but it was probably 
more felt in Upper Assam thaa in other portions 
of the oonntry. Notwithstanding the adverse 
climatic influences, I have no doubt that we would 
have made the full quantity had it not been that 
we gave orders that tine plucking shoold be pursued 
in those divisions which hitherto had given more 
consideration to quantity than quality. The short- 
ness of the crop enhanced by over 20 per cent, 
the cost of production, which amounted to 10-65d 
per lb. against a little over 8d for the average 
of the previous five years. Still, if the cost 
of production was an extreme one, so was the 
selling value, as we realised Is l-19d per lb. 
beiug the ao nal highest average attained for ten 
years. The profit per lb. was »lto above the avtr- 
age, beiug more thaa 2Jd. Our gross profit on the 
eeason's working was a little less than £30,000, 
which, after pajing the osusl dividend of 10 per 
I ceut, &o , leaves a balance of £3,926. I had hoped 
1 that we shoaiil have been able to baxe eddeJ 
mateiially from the profits on the sale of the crop 
I to the reserve fund ; but, for the re»f0; s which I 
' havf given jou, this is impossible. But the premium 
OQ the issue ot the cap:til ne'^esBarry to puj for the 
W\ ton estotej has put us in possession o. £9,041 for 
this purpose, and the whole of th)s we, c£ course, 
1 pla:e to reserve, briiitjing that fund up to £39,041. 
The estimates of expenditure for next sear have 
been very carefully arrived at, and I have every 
lope tlia* the crop estimated for .vjll rot ooiy 
b : attained, but that il will exce" d thre" milliou 
I lb. Tie (stimrte?? coH of proc'uotinn (8id) i?, 
I I admii, a lu::h one. I am connected with two 
! other properties, which produce their ttas for 
i under 6a per lb., but then tbe produce from these 
