234 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [Oct. 2, 1893. 
all above that being inoluded ia the moDtaoe region . 
TbiB district has a rainfoll of from 75 to 200 inches 
in the year, chiefly io May and Jane. A abort liry 
period occurs in the first quarter oj the year, and 
again in August and September. This wet tropical 
region is the home of the bulk of the eademic cpecies 
and has a strocg Malayan afiSnity. The montane 
region above 3,000 feet, up to 8,296 feet on Pedurn- 
talagala, ia wholly in the moint region, and eoutb- 
weat of the centre of the island. The descriptioni 
seem to be particularly clesr, and the typographical 
arrangomemta excellent, eo that the work of the 
student is greatly facilitated. 
No doobt when the work is completed, an index 
and a map will be provided. The volume ia ho indis- 
peneable to all those oonceroed with the F ura of 
Oeylon that we hope saoceedir); volumen will bo 
speedily issued. — Oardeneri' Chronicle, August 8rd. 
THE COCOA MARKET : FALL IN PRICES. 
{From a Correspondent.) 
London reports the absence of American buvers 
and the troubled state of buBiness on that Cou- 
tinent as the cause of the tumble down of oocoa 
rates. Good Ceylon marks were offered before the 
mail left and were returned as there was really 
no market. It is always a bad time of the year this 
for cacao, and our low quotations — 95b — contrasts 
not uofavourab'y with some of our rival's highest 1 
SULPHUR, A REMEDY FOR RED SPIDER. 
A well-known planter writes : — You are wrong 
in supposing (see T.A.) that sulphur is no longer 
used as a remedy for " red spider " in Darjeeling. 
The gentleman you mention as having tried it 
without success, now imports large quantities 
annually to be used as an anti-rust " or " spider." 
[Flowers of sulphur is the great remedy in 
gardens and conservatories in England. We have 
good reason to believe that " Red Spider " can 
never be such a pest in Oeylon as it is in some of 
the Indian tea districts. — En. T.A.'] 
CEYLON TEA IN AMERICA. 
In contrast with M. Rogivne's experience in Russia 
in building up a tea trade equal to a demand for 
200,000 lb. to 300.000 lb, per annum already, may 
be put that of a well-known ex-Ceylon tea planter 
in America who gives a piteous account of how 
" Oeylon tea has ruined " him 1 We need not 
quote names — to say that Philadelphia was his 
headquarters is suflBoient and he got, we fear, very 
little aid indeed from the Oeylon Tea Fund. This 
is bow he writes in a letter before us addressed 
to a friend in London :— 
I am no longer in the business, having failed 
absolutely in the attempt to introduce, unsupported 
Ceylon tea in America. There have been oppor- 
tuni'^ies when Ceylon could have helped me instead 
of letting me drop out of their minds. There is do 
one in this country who has worked harder and faced 
debt and starvation in the interests of Oey4on ai 
I have done, and had I not been naturally musical 
and received an education in the art which stood 
by me, I wonld have been lost in the thankless 
and discouraging attempt to make a stand for Oeylon 
in this country. The little capital I bad was lost 
before I h^d been two years in the business and twice 
I lost my business and started auain. 
Even now I own the oldest br.ind of Ceylon Tea 
in the country and am known to every one in the 
Tea or grocery business in Philadelphia as associated 
entirely with Ceyles Tea. I leotore at my own risk. 
I advertised grocers who would handle it at my own coat 
^nd loss. I stood up for jt, more like a bull alone 
in the Bpanieb arena to be killed, than anything 
else I can think of. I laid the way in Phila for 
the Oeylon Plantt-rd' Tea Co. who Ufi^y are aelliug 
to neirly all my best cuttoniere. When Mr. May 
wanted my good word, he got it in New York when 
at my own fxpeore I made • special vibit to bim. 
He promised to do great things a8 " I was jubt 
the man he wanted." He went to England aod 
kept mei waiting for months in hopes of some re- 
sults. He was two months in New York before be 
wrote to me and when be did, be meant nothing 
and did nothing*. I cuuld bt&nd up today before 
the Retail Grocers' Association and let thtm fay who 
has fought for Ceylon Tea. What has Ceylon tea 
done for me ? Absolately ruined me. It will take me 
years of tesching to repay what I owe on Crylon tea. 
• • • 
There was a time when a Itllle assistance from 
the Oeylon planters would have eatabliabed me in 
Phila, I bad gathered together a loyal circle of 
customer*, but not enough to make a living. I know 
one thing, theie is a face missing in the city whioh 
reflected Ceylon Tea wherever it was seen for five 
solid years. Years that I would rot go through again 
for ten fortunes. It was a reign of terror to me, and it 
is a wonder to me today that I am what I am, of 
sound mind, with prospeota of living onoe again. 
EILA TEA COMPANY. 
GENERAL MEETING. 
The ordinary general meeting of the shareholdeis 
of the Eila Tea Company of Ceylon, Ltd., was held 
tbi3 forenoon at the registered oflSce, Colombo. Mr. 
F. W. Boifl presided. The report and the acsounts 
(given below) were adopted and a dividend of 10 per 
cent declarei, Mr. S'anley Bois who retired ac- 
cording to the articles of Astooiation was re-elected 
as a Director. 
Mr. E. M. Sbattock was elected Auditor. 
BEPOBT. 
Yoar Directors beg to fubmit their report and se- 
counts for the year ending 30tb June U»t, which 
notwithstanding aehort lall cn the estimated crop,* 
a-e of a satisffcctory nature, aod afford encourage- 
ment for the future of the Company. 
Work in the Lew Factory comuii-nced on Ist Nov- 
ember, aod (.ince that date 120,000 lb. Teas of uni- 
formly good quality have been mannfaclured. The 
average nett price for the year shews an advance 
of no less than 12 rents |.er pound over lail season. 
The working profit is equal to 16 per cent on the 
Capital of the Company ; bnt your Directors think 
it expedient to write off R10,000 from the cost of 
the Factory and Michinery. The balance available is 
therefore R22 815-30 ; out of which it is proposed 
to pay a dividend of 10 per cent and carry forward 
B315 30. 
The estimate for the new season ia 190,000 lb. to 
cost 22^ cents per pound in C olombo, exclusive of ex- 
penditure on capital account. It ia proposed to plant 
up further 10.5 acres of fores*, which, with the eiten- 
sioDS recently completed, will make 1.50 acres of young 
In terms of the Articles of Association, Mr. Stanley 
Bois retires from the Dinct'on ; but, beirg eligible, 
ofiers himself for re-election. 
It will also be necessary to appoint an Aur'itor. 
By order of the Directors, 
J. M. Robertson & Co., Agents and Secre'sries. 
Colombo, 15th August, 1893. 
* No doubt Mr. May hoped his Exhibition nesoti- 
at'on was going to lead to great things; but boih 
lie and his lieutenant wonld now respond to 
'Philadelphia' by saying,—" And fee what Oeylon tea 
has done for us !"— Pineo, Arthur, Murray alas ! all in 
the same boat: the man who i< to make Ceylon tea 
pay in America has evidently je to appear.— Ed. T.d. 
