THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [Jan. i. 1894. 
fther lengthened negotiations, the North and Sooth 
Sylhet Tea Companies were formed in September, 
1«82. The memorandum of Aaaociation, and all 
the clauaes of the Articles of Association were 
carefully considered and approved by Mr. Thomas 
Coats, Mr. Buchaoan, the chairman, and others. 
Mr. Buchanan left some time ago, on a visit 
to the United States and Canada, to push the 
sale of the teas of the North and South 
Sylhet Companies in these markets. He is now 
on his way from Vancouver to Ceylon, to assist 
Fidaly Mair & Co. in fiadiDg suitable land for our new 
estates. One of our most experienced Tea Estate 
managers from the Baliaerii Valley, and one of our 
principal sseistaDta from tbe Calcutta office have also 
been sent to Ceylon, and the chairman sails early in 
November to joia tbem — so that everythioi; may be 
done to secure the best possible Beleotion of land, and 
economy in tbe arrangements for the formation of the 
new plantations. 
We give these full explanations ae ;oa have inti- 
mated your intention to " publish our correepondenee" 
to tbe shareholders. We are sure our shareholders 
will join with us in thinking tbat Mr. 
Buohanaa should be consolted as to the replies 
to be given to your letter complaining of 10 clao&ea in 
tbe Articles ot Association, for which be la so largely 
responsible. 
Before Mr. Boohananleft for the United States, the 
Directors unanimously agreed to his soggestion that, 
in fatnre, the Balance Sheets and Profit and Loss 
Account B should be printed, and copies seat to the 
shareholders. This was not done because you bad 
spoken so offensively on that and other subjects at 
the two meetings of shareholders which you attended 
but oat of deference to tbe expressed wish of some 
of 'he original shareholders, wbo thought tbe time 
had now come wben we might print and circulate oar 
acoo nots with safety and with advantage to the 
■b»r eholders. 
We do not suppose for one momeDt tbat the 
opposition ot Sir Archibald Orr-Ewing will be 
allowed to interfere with, or delay, the pro- 
posed eztenBioQ of planting operations in Ceylon 
and AsBam ; and so all interested in tea have 
to lay it to their aooount that a large addi- 
tion to tbe outturn both in India and here, must 
be taken into estimates, in looking to the 
future ot our staple. 
_ « 
PLANTING IN NORTH TRAVANCORE; 
Mr. F, B. WatsoD, proprietor of Glen Mary, 
in the Peermaad division of Travancore, 
has a favourable aooount to give of 
the progress of tea planting in that dis- 
trict. The outturn this year will be about a 
million lb. of tea ; but a great deal planted is 
not yet in full bearing. All the forest land is 
in private hands ; but there are large reserves to 
go on, on most of the estates. Experiments have 
begun on pateua land— the soil of which is very 
good — and Mr. Imray, who will be remembered 
as a Ceylon planter, has two-year old tea on 
grass-land which looks very promising, The yield 
on the older estates is up to GOO lb. per 
acre; but on some of the lower and flatter por- 
tions of tbe southern district?, a yield of from 
'800 to 1,200 lb, of made tea per acre has been 
obtained. Travanoore is evidently bound as a 
whole to become no inconsiderable tea district, 
and as soon as factories oau be conveniently 
arranged and fully equipped, improvement in the 
quality ot the tea may be looked for. So far, 
26 to 27 cents per lb. is spoken off as the rate 
at which tea is placed f.o.b. at Cocbin or Al- 
lepey. At the latter port, Mr. Geo. Anderson, a 
well-known Ceylon plaster in daya of old, does 
Bnt altboogh tea is making Fuch a stir over 
the way, coffee is by no means ignored, and 
there are still fields and estates that yield pay- 
ing crops, while some of tbe proprietors Epeak 
of Opening isolated clearings with plants irons 
Mysore seed. The latest project of railway ia 
one to run through the State to Tuticorin, 
and there is a talk of improving one of 
the ports ; but it would be far better for 
Travancore to be counted and treated as an out- 
lying district ol Ceylon and we can see no 
reason why 'under a special arrangement with 
the native Adminiiitration) Travanoore produea 
in tea and cinchona, should not be as free 
to the Colombo market as the produce of any 
outlying district within the island. 
One ominous piece of news is hioted at. Through 
tbe completion of the great Periyaar Irrigation 
Works and their beneficial influence on tbe 
Madura and Tinnevelly districts, it in anticipated 
tbat a large number of coolies will find so mach 
work at home as to render tbem less inclined to 
emigrate to Ceylon. But increased food in India 
means increased population, end any difficulty ol 
tbe kind would, we feel sure, be temporary. 
♦ 
AMERICA FOR iNDIAN TEAS. 
Tbe Indian Plantert' Gcuette, we notice, is strongly 
neoeseity for combined attion and voluntary tax- 
ation in order to push and popularise tea in 
America. It says: — 
Admitting tbat (be Americans are not soch a tea- 
drinking people as their Eoglisb brethren, it mutt be 
remembered tbat this is largely due to the rabbiih 
which they get from Japan and China, and it is certain 
tbat OBce ihey are broogbt to tbe knowledge ol good, 
wholesome lodiaa tea, tbey will take to it as they 
have done to coffee. This is no bap.hazard asseition; 
bnt the deliberate couvictiun of many AmerieiD« 
whoKe opinions are worth studying. 
It then proceeds : — 
Something mnat be done to find a new market to 
relieve tbe enormous oat-put of the present and 
tbe progressive itcrease of tbe future, and North 
America is tbe Land of Promise for the Indian 
tea producer. 
Discussing bow this happy land ie to be exploited 
it says : — 
To do this effeotaally. there must be a liberal, far. 
reaching eyetem of advertising and agency, and this 
will entail a large regular ezpenditare. We woald 
BUggest tbat a fund for this purpose mhoald be raised 
by a volantary cess on every tea garden. Now there 
are, roughly speaking, 340,425 acres of tea under 
cultivation in India. Suppose tbat an aFsesameot of 
i annas an acre were made, this would yield the i^nm 
of H85106, which would forma capiial basis for working 
up and puabiog lodian tea in tbe United .States and 
Canada, as well as in other places offering a favourable 
market. Union.is strength, and unless combined action 
is taken there can be no serious campaign in North 
America. We would cuggest that a Committee should 
be lormed, in conjunction with the Indian Tea Asso- 
ciation, for the purpose of formulatiog a scheme for 
this voluntary taxation in which, ot courec, it is abso- 
ntely necessary that every garden ahonld take part. 
The best way to commence would be to call a meeting 
of all interested in tea to consider tbe scheme. If 
nothing else comes of sncb a meeting, it woald certainly 
produce discussion on the subject, which will lead up 
to some combined action similar to what Ceylon planters 
are taking to force their teas on the American taste. 
We must adopt a policy different from that of Ceyktn, 
so as to enlist the grocers on onr side, making it worth 
their while to give our teas the preference. We feel 
so strongly on the point that we fear we should be 
wanting io onr duty if we do not provoke m India 
tbat eriteiprise ana energy which Ceylon is manifest- 
ing, to our detriment, in cutting • place for bei tew 19 
^nericfta and otber wftt):eta, 
