Sept. i, 1893.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
189 
the abolitiuD of the discrimiDaticg tax od Ventzucla') 
coffee. It fans been found that the tax has madero 
differeuca wtatever with the Venezaelan producer, as 
hie coffee is readily taken in Eatope, while the Atneii- 
can consumer loses a favourite brand. 
A correepondent of an American journal writes: — 
"In the State of Oaxaca, recently opened up by the 
completion of the Mexican Southern railway to the 
city of Oaxaca, there is an unwonted stir at the 
present moment. Americans and Englishmen are 
coing extensively into coffee there, and some idea of 
the profits now beiog made in this culture may bo 
had when it ia learned, as I am credibly informed, 
that ccff( e there costs 10 cents a pound 1o raise 
pick, and send to the city of Oaxaca, and i$ 
selling in ibat place at 27 to 28 cents, giving a not 
pre fit which shoull tempt the most cautious. Good 
nitive coffee, onroaated, sells iu this city to 'ay at 
retail at 36 lo 38 oent°. A rran with $25,000, or a 
small company with from that sum to §50,000, could 
start iuto coffee today and in a few years be payiug 
heavy dividends. Throughout all the coffee-producing 
statrs of tte republic there is a steady investment in 
lands appropriate to that culture. Brazil has given 
Mexico her golden opportunity, and it ii being ayailed 
of by enti'rprising men here. Mexican coffee has 
won its way in the United States and in Europe 
and is no longer treated with indi£f«rence in the trade. 
Its market it assured for all time. It has no longer 
to niaeqaerade ag Mooha or take other names, but 
now stands on its own merits." — Jilo Nevjs. 
COCOA CULTIVATION IN SAN DOMINGO. 
The production of cocoi is gradually but surely in- 
creasing iu the Republic of San Domingo, and more 
eltentioQ is given to selection and clafsitication than 
formerly. Thanks to the perseverance and good 
example of a young Russian gentltmaa (a resident in 
the iriterior. and the representitive there of a 
substantial London firm), who has taken the trouble 
to go r iuud lo the cocoa pro iuciug districts', and with 
samples before him, shown to the country people the 
exact condition in vvhioh cocoa should be shipped to 
bring a good price in the Europtan marke's, a great 
deal of care ia now being taken by planters to bring 
their produce to as high a pitch of perfection aa 
possible, and although there is dtiil room for improve- 
ment (according to our consul), a very creaitable 
effort has been made, with the result thit a carefully 
seleotad grade has been sold iu London at £3 8s per 
cwt. — Circular Rejjort. 
WANARAJAH TEA COMPANY. 
General Meeting; 
The first ordinary general mealing of the Wana- 
rajah Tea Oompnny of Ceylon was held on the 5th 
August at No. 4 Queen Street, Fort. The chair 
was occupied by Mr. Joseph 0. Dunbar and the 
others present were Messrs. Wm. Taylor, J. W. 
Vanderstraaten, D. Noble, J.Buchan, W. E. Divie=, 
11. L. M. Brown, M. Btemtr. E. B. Creasy and J. F. 
Baker as represeutina the agents and secretaiii-S. 
Messrs. T. W. HalC and F. H. M. C rte were 
represented by their attorneys and Messrs. G. G. 
Anderson, Alexander Skene, W. M. Sutter and 
Robert Porter by proxy. 
The direotors' report which was as follows v/ac 
taken as road : — 
The Directors have the pleasure to submit to 
the shareholders their Balance Sheet and Profit 
and Loss account for the year euding 30th June, 1893. 
The accounts show a profit on the working ex 
penditure of U7.871'53 ; and after writing off' the 
preliminary expenses in full, leave a balance of 
Rl,l70'89 to be carried to credit of next profit and 
Joss account. 
The Shareholders are aware that when these 
estates were taken over by the Company there had 
been very little spent on them for some years, 
and they were consequently in a rather neglected 
state : buildings very much out of repair, waste 
land and revines grown up and enci'oaching on the 
cultivated area. This has during the year been for 
the most part rectified : all the coffee land has teen 
planted up with tea, and ravines, banks, and waste 
laud put into cultivation either with tea, timber 
trees, or grass. 
The acreage taken over by the Company was : — 
Coffee ... ... .. 350 
Tea . . . , . . 541 
Waste . . . . ... 29 
Forest . . . . . . 214 
Total ... 1,134 
At end of this month it will te as follows : — 
Acres. 
Tea .. ... .. 964 
Fuel Timber, and Grass (about) . . 61 
Forest .. ... ..99 
Encroachment by Newton Estate . . 10 
Total ... 1,134 
The estate hiving been re-surveyed, an enoroach- 
mcLt of about 10 acres of very old standing by 
Nfcwlon Euate was difcovered, and the proprietors 
of that estate have offered to pay R1,000 as com- 
pensation o 1 transfer of the land, and this offer the 
Directors have decided to accept. A very substantial 
Factory ia in course of erection, and will probably be 
reidy for work early in Oc'obfr. The Directors con- 
sidered it good policy, in view of the rapidly extend- 
ing plucking area, to build iu advance of present 
requirements both as regards accommodation at d 
motive power. The S^ore is 120 ft. by 40 ft., with 
3 floors; and the turbine is calculated to develop 40 
horse-power. — By order cf the Directors, 
Bake a & Hall, 
Acjents and Secretaries. 
The Chairman, in moving the adoption of the 
report, said it would be seen that the acreage in tea 
had been considerably extended. He thought that 
by the end of the month the land under tea would 
be increased by 420 aores. In addition, about (JO 
acres of scrub and abandoned land on each side 
of the oart road had been cleared and planted in 
timber whioh would add very much to the 
appearance of the estate. The Direotors he said 
were deierminei to push on the tea cultivation ag 
rapidly as possible, because little or nothing could 
be expected from coffee. Another matter he wished 
to mention was that he had received a letter from 
a shareholder who Esemed to be under the 
impression that the factory was far too large, for 
their requirements. That was a matter whioh 
the Direotors as practical men had considered, and 
they thought it better that they should at the 
beginning build the factory and make a good job 
of it, as well as finiEh the watercourse. Of course, 
they did not intend to put in as much machinery 
just now as they might perhaps require afterwards, 
but in putting up the full extent of building, 
although it ran away with a good deal of their 
capital early in their career, the Directors thought 
t' oy were doing the best they could for the Com- 
pany. Passing on to other items he stated that 
a great many of the shares had been puid up in 
full, but there was still a sum of about R14,000 
to come in of the third call. On the cppo- 
site side of the account it was shown that 
R240,000 ot the original capital had been spent as 
follows :— On land 1.228,000, on buildings (ori- 
ginal value) ElOjOOO, and on machinery which 
was practically iln maoliinery at Manickwatte 
Rii.OoO. The iuin of R15.379 had been spent in 
ib92-y3 on new buidi,^ , ii ,l oh i- ^.^uirp, and 
R34 832 on exlcrsion, tea, timte.-, and t'f^sa, and 
upk ep of laud iiot in bearing. The expenditure 
on machinery i'l 1892-93 was R7.4S5 being the cost 
of piping 01 new factory turbine and a new eirocco 
