850 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [June 1, 1894. 
CEYLON TEA PLANTATIONS CO., LTD. 
The ordirary peneral meeting of the Cejion Tea 
FlantatioDS OoicpsDy, Limited, was held yesterday at 
WinohfiDter House, Old Broad Strpet, E.G.— Mr. H.K. 
Batherford presided, and iu moving th'' adoption of 
the report, said altbouifh the depreseioH of trade bad 
nodoubtedly had a lowering effect on the price of their 
produce, thny were able to present a Htaterorut of 
their affairs showing results superior to those of any 
previous year in the Company's hintory. As tliey had 
now been in existence seven years, he proposed to 
compare the early boginniDgs of the Comp&ny with its 
present position. The origiral pa'd-ap capitHl wis 
£75,090 and it was now £248,460. They started 
w;th 1,593 acres of cultivated land, sticding them 
in some £H8 per acre, and they now hail 8,318 
aojtes under tea, at £29 per acre. Their firet crop 
from all aources, was 598,779 lb. of tei, and 
last /««r it was ,igh% times that amount, or 
4,966,928 lb. The first year'* profits were £13,257 
and iu the year nnder review they were £44,481. 
They had paid diiidendi amfuntina to £144,073, 
had written off depreciation £20,445, set as'do as 
reserve from surplus profit £35,000. and carried 
forward to next year £1,995, making in all a total 
profit on the seven years working of£201,514. The 
ten bad been produced duriuc the year at a 
redaced expenditure of £12,014. That was one ol 
the most gratifying features in (he acconnts as 
it showed the lowest point had not been touched 
in the ooHt of production in previous years. The 
Eroceeds from all «onrce8 amounted to £127,240, 
eing £1,920 "ver those of the previous year »nd 
the uett profits were £44,481. or £6,121 in exo' ssof 
1892. That profit represented 23 per cent, on their 
ordinary share capital, after allowing for 7 per 
cent, on the preferffnce shares. The board pro- 
posed to declare a final dividead of 8 per cent, on 
the ir>iinary shnrm", making 15 per cent, for the 
year. — Mr. H. Tud scci'inded the motion, which was 
agreed to. (See also page 851.) 
^ 
1 OFFEK AND TEA IN THE NILGIBIS. 
The Chairman of the Nilgiri Pianters' Aseocia- 
tioQ at the annual meeiir g on May 16lh, reported: — 
" The season, as regards coffee has been a some- 
what unsatisfact' ry one, unseasonable early rains 
being the chief cause of failure. Foi tea the season 
baa been a fairly good one." 
Mr. Hcdgson read a teport of the interview of 
the deputation of the Planters' Association with 
H. B. the Governor; and we quote as follows- — 
" Compulsory Registration of Maistries was pro- 
mised careful consideration. I may say here that in 
addition to defining the maistry as a man who 
receives 50/- to supply labor, we also stipulated 
that the introduction of registration should, if brought 
into 1 iw, be introduced simultaneously in all planting 
districts ; this of course for our matual protection. 
" A Definition of the word advance, meaning ad- 
vances to coolies after they arrive on the estate 
was proposed by a member of Government but was 
made without prejudice. 1 think this definition will 
meet our requirements under this head, as it will 
protect us with coolies who take advances on the 
Estate, by making such advances distinct from 
advances of wages, which latter would not come 
under the Act, and are only recoverable in a Civil 
Court." 
« 
LEMONGRASS AS TEA. 
Although in different oouDtries the leaves of 
Tatious plants have, to some extent, served the 
purposes of tea, their use never became popular ; 
even in India the poor claasea sometimes infuse 
the leaves of the lextongrasa (Andtopogon), and 
use it as tea. A new plant has reoently been 
introduced as a tea substitute. In the islands of 
Mauritius and Reunion the leaves of the orchid 
Angrteonm fragrane were dried and used as tea 
by the natives and from time to time oame to 
the notice of travellers and others, who have 
toEtified to the fine flavour of the tea eo made. — 
Invention, April 21. 
THE DUTY ON COFFEE. 
A correspondent who tigof himself " Not a Tee- 
totaler," writes to ne suggestini; that the dbt; oo 
ocffee rbonld be removed, iu order that the tempta> 
tioD to adult'Tste that fragrant beverage with 
chicory may be diminished. Seeing tbat the revenue 
derived from coffee is decreasiuf; no rapidly that 
it c»n ha-dly he Iouk before it will cea'e to be 
worth collecting, the snggestioo may otrtaiuly be 
commended to .tbe fterioua cooi-ideratioD of the 
Chancellor of tbe Exchequer. There are tbouB»ni)s 
of people who declare that coffee ii all tbe better 
for BU admixture of tbe root to often found with it, 
but nearly all of them are grocer*. Tbe ootnoinnity 
at large knows better, and tbo«e who Lave tried 
both beverages are aware that the coffee which makes 
men feel better and more contented with tbeir lot in 
life is the unadulterated coffee. If Sir William Harcoait 
can do anything to brirg aacb coffee within reach of 
the very poorest, the very pooreit will take a more 
radiant view of life and be thankful to him without 
reference to tbeir political opinion.— /)ai7y Graphic, 
April 21. 
♦ 
CEYLON TEA AND SMALL BREAKS. 
Messrs. " I. A. Bucker & Bencraft " in tbeir 
Weekly Tea Circular, thus refer to this subject : — 
There is some discussion taking place about the 
best means of relieving the trade from the pres- 
sure caused by the simultaneous issue of catalogues 
for 25,000 packages for one day's sale. Attention 
has been called to the inconvenience of selling small 
breaks after a long and wearying sale of large breaks, 
and proposals are mooted for raising tbe limits iti 
the direction taken by tbe Indian Tea Importers, 
who have agreed to 20 chests, 30 half-chests and 50 
boxes. It is felt that Ceylon can scarcely g , as far 
as that, but 18 chests, 24 half-chests and 30 boxes might 
advantageously be made the limits for the present. 
As it is obviously the interest of the seller to stndy 
the convenience of the buyer, the ideal plan woald 
of course be for the Ceylon Planters' Association 
and Ceylon Tea Importers to instruct their brokers 
when printing their catalogues on Wednesdays, to 
:-sue two catalogues divided as fairly as possible 
between the Tuesday and Thursday of the follow- 
ing week. "When there is a large quantity in one 
week, this would amount to 12,000 packages, let us 
say on each day, a broker printing 4,000 packages 
would sell 2,000 on Tuesday and 2,000 on Thursday! 
The dealers would have ample time to value the 
samples, and the sales would be over, small breaks 
and all, in three hours on each day instead of six 
on one day. It is objected to this arrangement 
that certain planters would never agree to it, and 
that account sales of the Thursday's sale couM not 
be made up and rendered in time for Friday's rnail. 
One or two alterna'ive schemes is that small break 
sales should commence at 2 p.m. in other room 
while the Tuesday's sale of large breaks is going on! 
But it is obviously possible that if the sale was 
heavy, the small breaks might be sold before the 
large breaks, and every one knows how much better 
a small break sells, if the prices of the preceding large 
breaks have stamped tOe invoice as " fine " or 
" finest.'' The third proposal is to sell the large 
breaks on Tuesday and the small breaks on 
Thursday. If the size of the small breaks is 
raised this would have much the same result 
as the first plan, as far as account sales went 
but it would have the correeponding advantage of 
dividing the sale more evenly. It is evident that 
something must be done to prevent what may be 
called the " physical " decline of the market 
