July 2, 1894. J 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 
3i 
the aroma. Perhaps some Nilgiri planter found this 
out ages ago, and in thfi endeavour to develop the 
aroma the planters burn their tea. 
" M> ntion is then nude of the cold wa'er system- 
I wish it had been stated whether this is Mr. Bam- 
ber'« " spray of cold water " on the rolled leaf. I 
remember that in 1881 a planter watered all his rolled 
leaf — not a " spray " bot buckets full. I think the 
idea ii very old. I don't know its origiml disco- 
verer. I have m >de very good tea from slight'y 
over-withered leaf by mixing in a pailful of water 
through three niaunds of rolled leaf ; there ia abo 
a " Oold System" of manufacture: it is a very 
gooi system but you want really good, fine leaf. 
1 was asking a p'anter once whether he bad heird 
of a certain firm who spent 12 lakhs in starling a 
p'ait of Oold System Machinery, aid he siid, ' Ye» : 
and flthough it filled tlere was a good deal in 
it." I don't think the Cold System will make coarsi 
acrid tea."- S. of India Observer. 
IS COFFEE DRINKING ON THE INCREASE? 
Certainly there is nothing in the Customs returns 
to indicate that coffee is increasing in favour, but 
the number of coffee drinking resorts is certainly on 
the increase. People sip coffee and at some cafes 
they know how to make it. With tea it is otherwise. 
The abomination served out and called tea in nine 
out of every ten of the shops or bars where it is sold 
is totally unlike anything but medicine, and unless 
more care is taken in tho use of tea in the pot a 
reaction will set in It is not surprising that medicine 
men condemn tea-drinking as it is known at present. 
The only wonder is that the consumer does not 
protect himself again t the stuff he is served with 
and abandon tea drinking. In many private houses 
it is much the same as at the public places. Planters 
take trouble, dealers blend judiciously, and grocers 
supply tea of good flavour, merely that some ignorant 
and careless user of tea may make a stew of it, and 
spread the idea that tea is a form of in itant poison 
rather than a refreshing and invigorating drink. — 
H. and C. Mail. 
COFFEE AND TEA: THE EASTERN PRO- 
DUCE AND ESTATES COMPANY. 
The following is an extended report of the 
principal speakers' remarks at the annual meetiug 
recently held in London : — 
The Chairman said : Gentlemen, iu rising to pro- 
pose i he adoption of the report 1 really have very 
little to say, but I think it is right to claim your 
congratulations upon what the directors consider is 
the best report we have yet presented to yon ; 
indeed, there is almost a monotony about our busi- 
ness, for so far each year has been better than 
the previous one and has shown a great improve- 
ment in the position of the company. We hope 
that this may continue and that, as years go on, 
our profits w.ll sh^w as large an increase as they 
have in the past year. If you will look at the 
report before you, you will see that our net profit after 
satisfying interest on debentures, during the year 
own under notice is nealy double what it was in 
the previous year, and that is in the face of a 
f«ll in the price of tea to 8d. per pound. I must 
confess that if, six years ago, we, your board, had 
been told thit the price would fall from some- 
thing like Is. to 8^d., we should almost have de- 
spaired of ever doing any good, mu h ie s of bring- 
ing about the resultn that we aru i ow able to p a-e 
bofcre you. The e have b en obtained through the 
preat care which h^s been eieroised on the other 
side, and I may lei yon that our only instructions 
to our managers there aie, " qmntity if you will, 
bnt above all things qirlity." (Applause.) I must fay 
that in that we have been well supported by our 
raeu there. We are r pre lented, you know, by a 
Very able man in Mr. Staioy, >n> iu tin se days, when 
the idea prevails that iu the Eist every thing is so 
pro perous, it may net be out of place to say that the 
olficials of this company deserve >our warmest thanks. 
They work we'l, intelligently and z akusly. (Ap- 
plau e )I think it is due that that should dome from 
this side of the tahle, so tfa' you may join u a iu, a'sd 
they may read of, this appreciation of their efforts. 
(Hear, hear.) If you will turn to the accounts f t a 
moment I will not trouble you by going through 
each item, but I will take the assets, and first 
briefly refer to them. You will see that, under the 
head of outlay on tea extensions and acquisition 
of laud, there is an addition of £3,733, owing to the 
purchase of some new land for cocoa and some tea 
extensions. A little lower yoa will fuel that iu our 
estates reserve account and realisation and recoveries 
there is a reduction of £5,427, and on the other hai d, 
down lower, there in the item 'of coast advar c< s oa*- 
s'arding, £2,312 18s 3d, which r erbaj s you may like to 
know are advances ma'e f r procuritg latour. 
Another item I won'd direct jonr attention to is 
produce on hand, £20,609 ; I may tell you that that 
has nearly all been rcalifed at good prices Bince the 
date of theee accounts. Tbe larfje item of sundry 
debtors — £22,220— consists of amoun's due Irrm bio- 
kers and others, and is all money of a good and liqnid 
character. Investment?, representing £11,869 16'. 
are entirely iu India three per cents, standing at a pr'cu 
lower thin that at present ruling, and we con-ider 
that is a gro l investment for the rronreut. Ycu ma;, 
perhaps, ask why the cash on depts't was so 
1- rge on December 31st as £22.940. Ir" ycupok on tie 
other fide you will see we ha> e to dispen e £20,000 if 
this report is a lopte I do not think tbere is anything 
for her which I need al nde to, except that we notify 
here that "the directors have the satisfaction to inform 
tbe shareholders that they bave sacceede I in renewing 
tbe debenture! of the compmv for a furttier period 
of three years. (Applause.) 1 h°se debentures would 
have matured on December 31st text. You are all 
aware that debentures are in a very few bends, and 
are powerfully held, and that the il< be n'ure-hold« rs 
are also larguly interested in the concern as share- 
holder?, We hope that at some future dite they 
rr.ay meet us, as they have met us in the preteut in- 
stance, not only in the renewal of those d-beutures, 
but pessibly in some aineliora'ion of the terms of 
interes', seeing bow good tho security is. (tliar, 
hear ) I can only s»y we feel satisfied that, realis- 
ing as they do that we are all in the same toat, 
they will tee that evi ry saving they can give to 
the company is a savin? also to the debei.tu'e- 
holders themselves. I will ask Mr. Cameron, our 
managing director, to second this resolution, and I 
have tbe more pleasure in doing so becausp. if 
there is one of his children, or it may be his only 
child, in which he takes a deep and sincere interest 
it is the Eastern Produce and Estates Company. 
(Applause) I will now formally move — "That the 
report of the directors dated April 12th, 1S94, he re- 
C' ived and adopted, and that a dividend at the rate 
of 5 per cent per annum on tbe cipital paid on the 
preferred ihares, aud at the rate of 3 rer ceut per 
annum on the or d nary share", for the year ending 
December 31st, 1893, be declared and made payable on 
May 2ud." When Mr, Cameron h'is seom'ed that I 
shall be happy to answer any question that may be 
pat. (Applause. 
Mr. KiLPH A. Cameron, the managing dir. ctor, in 
seconding the r< solution, said : In response to the 
suggestion of the chairman, I have a few remarks 'o 
make cu points wh ch I think deferyiog of attention, 
and first of all I would speak regarding the landed 
property, which of course we must all admit is tbe 
most important, in fi.et tbe atl-impor'aot item in 
iu our account?, bee use evcy hinu hinges en the 
character of that as.-tt If jou take into aocount that, 
alter adding all we have spout on improvements and 
extei skns in the last six year', end after deducting re»- 
lisations and the debentures sii kiug-fuud, the amount 
of the Uuded property aocount now stands at £15,0t)O 
leas than it did in 1888, whilst I feel I am well within 
the mark in Bay tug that the estates have doubled iu value 
within, that time— I think you wilt all admit that this is 
