464 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [Jan. i, 1895. 
INDIAN PATENTS. 
Calcutta, the 6th December 1894. 
Applications in respect of the undermentioned 
inventions have been fifed, during the week ending 
1st December 1894, under the provisions of Act V 
Of 1888, in the Office of the Secretary appointed under 
the Inventions and Designs Act, 1888 : — 
Machine for Decorticating Ramie, etc. — No. 336 
Of 1894.— Alfred Dieudonne" Estienne", of 79, Rue de 
l'Oliver, Marseilles, France, Chief Engineer of the 
ineasageries de France, for improvement* in Machines 
for decorticating ramie and other plants. 
Specifications of the undermentioned inventions 
have been filed under the provisions of Act Y of 
1888 :— 
Improvements in the Process of Withering or 
Limping Tea Leaf.— No. 150 of 1894.— Samuel 
Cleland Davidson, of " Sirocco " Engineering Works, 
Belfast, Ireland, Merchant, for improvements in the 
process of withering or limping tea leaf in the course 
of its manufacture into black tea, and in apparatus 
therefor. (Filed 23rd November 1894.)— Indian 
Engineer. 
CEYLON TEA FUND. 
Minutes of proceedings of a meeting of the Standing 
Committee of the "Ceylon Tea Fund" held at 
Kandy on Thursday the 20th day of December 1894 
at quarter to five o'clock (4-45 p.m.) in the afternoon. 
Present : — Messrs. A. Melville White (Chairman, 
Planters' Association of Ceylon), A. Philip (Secretary 
to the Planters' Association of Ceylon, Kandy), A. L. 
Cross (Nuwara Eliya and Kandy), James Westland 
(Chairman, Northern Districts Planters' Association), 
R. S. Duff Tytler (Honorary Secretary, Pussellawa 
Association). 
The notice calling the meeting was read. 
The minutes of proceedings of a meeting of the 
Committee held at Kandy on Friday the 14th day of 
September 1894 were submitted for confirmation. 
Resolved : — " That they be and they hereby are con- 
firmed." 
Read letter from Mr. H. E. W. Cooper. 
Read letter from Mr. W. Herbert Jones. 
CEYLON TEA IN SAN FRANCISCO. 
Read letter from Messrs. Leechman & Co. 
. Read letter from Mr. John Leechman. Resolved : 
" That these letters be brought before the 'Thirty 
Committee.' " 
Read letter from Mr. T. A. Cockburn. Resolved : 
" That the letters of application be referred to the 
Thirty Committee." 
I Read letter from Mr. J. R. Foster with enclosures. 
Resolved : — " That the Standing Committee of the 
Ceylon Tea Fund is unable to entertain any further 
application from Mr. Foster." 
Read letter from the Ceylon Tea Company Limited. 
CEYLON TEA IN SWITZERLAND. 
Read letter from Mr. Alfred Ames. 
Read letters from Ceylon Tea Company Limited. 
WINDING UP OP THE CEYLON TEA FUND. 
Resolved (I) : — " That all subscriptions due on leaf 
gathered up to 30th June 1894 and any assets other 
than those referred to in resolution II be paid to 
the Secretary of the ' Thirty Committee ' after the 
81st December 1894." 
ill. That all the right title and interest of the 
Standing Committee of the Ceylon Tea Fund 
in the Ceylon Tea Kiosk in Colombo and in the 
lease of the said Kiosk to the Ceylon Tea Com- 
Eany Limited and the Syndicate Boat Company 
e and the same hereby are handed over to the 
Planters' Association of Ceylon to be retained by 
ihein in accordance with the terms of lease of the site 
'granted by Government. 
III. That the Balance in hand of the funds at the 
disposal of the iStanding Committee of the Ceylon Tea 
Fund at 31st December 1894 be and the same hereby 
is handed over t,d the 'Thirty Committee' for the pur- 
pose' of pushing the sale of and advertising Ceylon 
Tea in foreign countries ; along with any liabilities 
which may be outstanding at stated date for the 
discharge of the same. 
IV. That Standing Committee of the Ceylon Tea 
Fund tenders its resignation to the Planters' Asso- 
ciation a« from 31st December 1894 and presents a 
report of its work during the past seven years. 
V. That copies of Resolutions I and III be forwarded 
to the Secretary of the " Thirty Committee," and 
copies of Resolutions II and IV to the Secretary . 
Planters' Association of Ceylon. 
REPORT OP STANDING COMMITTEE OP THE CEYLON 
TEA FUND. 
Resolved (I) " That the draft report read be ap- 
proved and adopted (II) that the Chairman and 
Secretary be asked to complete the appendices as 
soon after December 31st 1894 as possible. III. That 
the complete, report be printed, the expense of 
which shall be borne by the Tea Fund. 
Resolved : — " That a hearty vote of thanks be ac- 
corded to the Chairman and to the Secretary for 
their onerous labours in connection with the Ceylon 
Tea Fund. 
The Standing Committee of the Ceylon Tea Fund 
then adjourned. 
A. Philip, Secretary to the Planters' Association 
of Ceylon. 
•« ♦ 
IN BRITISH CENTRAL AFRICA. 
AN EX-CEYLON SPEVKYOB O.N HIS EXPEUIEXCES. 
We are indebted to the Sur\ eyor-^neral for 
permission to quote from the following interesting 
letter addressed to him by Mr. T. H. Lloyd : — 
Blantyre, B.C.A., 25th Oct.", 1894. 
" No doubt, you will be surprised to receive a 
letter from me after three years. I was on the 
point of writing you when I" heard of your well- 
earned appointment as S.-G., which I saw in the 
Ceylon Observer. 
" I drifted up this way 2J years ago. and was ap- 
pointed Govt. Surveyor, which I held up to three or 
four months ago, when Government funds falling 
short I was shelved for a time and not drawing 
pay, although still styled 'Govt. Surveyor,' I dia 
private work, and am now laying out the town of 
Blantyre, I then took a partner on, an A.M.LC.E., 
and we have our hands full to overflowing. Three 
days ago I was offered the Government Surveyor- 
ship again, and am now debating as to whether I 
shall take it or not, as I hardly see how it can 
be done in partnership. 
The country is fairly settled, but on one occasion 
I had to lay aside my peaceful occupation for war. 
It was during the time of the looting of the Mlangi 
Mission, I was under fire for nine hours without food 
or water and got a bullet through my coat. 
A Ceylon man has just arrived to have a look 
at the country, Mr. Carson. I did not know him in 
Ceylon but it was pleasant to talk about the dear 
old Island. I have never met a Ceylon man abroad 
who had not a warm corner in his heart for Ceylon 
and the people in it. Henry Brown late of Matale and 
Mr. Whyte, late of Kandy, are here, also a Mr. 
Imlah, whose father was an old Ceylon planter. 
Mr. Whyte has made a great name for himself on 
natural history and botanical work, and is now at 
home, but is expected out shortly again. It's wonder- 
ful how he has stood the climate, as he is no longer 
young, but works hard all day. 
This is a splendid country for coffee. I am send- 
ing the Editor Observer some photos of coffee and 
of the place in general. * I have gone in for the 
"art," (although I have little time for finishing 
them up, or opportunity either). This is a 
splendid country for coffee. Curing at this 
elevation is somewhat difficult although the 
samples gone home this year are fairly good. To- 
bacco even at this elevation 3,000 feet and over, 
grows well and I am sure would do better lower- 
down where irrigation would be easy. No accurate 
return of the rainfall has been kept for any length 
of time, but I persuaded H.M.S. Commissioner when 
I came to order up a lot for distribution to the 
* Not yet arrived, but will b« very welcome ivhen 
they com*. — Ed. T.A, 
