Feb. ij 1895.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
THE DUNKELD ESTATE COMPANY, 
LIMITED. 
ANNUAL MEETING. 
The annual meeting of this Company was held 
on 2nd Eeb. at the office of the Agents and 
Secretaries Messrs. Whittall & Co. when the 
following report was submitted : — 
Report of the Directors, for presentation to the 
annual ordinary meeting of the shareholders, to 
be held on Saturday, 2nd February 1895, at 
12.30 p.m. 
Directors :— C. A. Leechman, Esq., Chas. Young, 
Esq., and G. W. Carlyon, Esq. Estate Inspector : — 
Chas. Young, Esq. Estate Superintendent : — Eric. 
S. Anderson, Esq. 
ACREAGE. 
Tea in full bearing . . 334 acres. 
Tea in partial bearing . . 49 do 
In cultivation, . . 383 acres. 
Jungle, ifcc. . . 53 do 
Total Estate . . 430 acres. 
The Directors have pleasure in submitting to the 
Shareholders the accounts of the Company for the 
past year. 
The crop secured amounted to 103,517 lb. tdaj 
being 21,483 lb. under the estimate and 14,127 lb. 
less than the yield in 1893. The net average sale 
price was over 57 cents per lb., or about 5£ cents 
better than in the previous year ; whilst the cost 
per pound laid down Colombo, including expenditure 
on young clearings, was 32| cents. This also includes 
cost of manuring, the effects of which have not yet 
been fully felt. 
The short yield ia entirely attributable to an 
abnormal season, the first four months of the year 
having been continually dry, whilst throughout the 
rest of the year mist and rain prevailed. 
The not profit tor the year, alter making ample 
provision for depreciation of buildings and machinery, 
and including a small balance from 1893, amounts 
to R20,185 , 3G, or over 13i per cent on the capital 
of the Company. 
An interim dividend of 5 per cent was declared 
on both July last, absorbing K7,50O, thus leaving a 
balance of K12,685 - 3u now to be dealt with. 
The Directors recommend the payment of a final 
dividend of 7 per cent, making 12 per cent for the 
year ; and that the sum of K1.500 be added to the 
Extension Fund, which will then amount to 117,500, 
the balance of R685 J 36 being carried forward to the 
new year. 
The crop for this year is estimated at 125,000 lb. 
tea, on an expenditure of R38jl94. 
During last year Mr. \Y. 11. (>. Duncan and Mr. 
A. Thomson having resigned their seats on the board, 
Mr. Charles ifdupg and Mr. G, W. Carlyon were 
nominated to fill Llie vacancies. In terms of the 
Articles of Association, Mr. C. A. Leechman retires 
by rotation from the office of Director, but is 
eligible for re-election. 
The appointment of an Auditor for the current year 
will rest With the meeting. — !3y Order of the Direc- 
tors, — Wmri'.u.L iSc Co., Agents <(' Ntcixlarics. 
.Mr. G, \Y Carlyon presided, the Report and 
accounts were adopted and a final dividend of 
7 per cent was declared making 12 per cent 
for the year. 
A DURE EQB GREEN 1>L'C. 
Dr. Triinen is not so sanguine about the 
"lady-bird" cure, but he considers the experi- 
ment worth making. We quote as follbSvs ; 
"It is quite worth while trying the Australian 
lady-birds against scale-bugs here, but I do not 
feel very sanguine as to results. There are many 
1 ifs ' to be determined, It must be remembered 
that Icerya wa„ known to be an Australian insect 
and there was a reason for getting its known enemy 
thence. Our climatic conditions here are very differ- 
ent from those of Australia and California or Florida. 
But the experiment is interesting and should it 
prove successful we shall all feel grateful to Mr. 
Koebele for his aid." 
NYASS ALAND COFFEE. _ ,,,, 
It will be a matter for the young colony of Shire 
Highland coffee growers to congratulate themselves 
upon when they hear of the very high prices that 
their Nyassaland coffee is fetching/ The' 1894 crop 
is excellent. We see it quoted in Mincing Lanei as 
"Central African Plantation: London cleared,' '-and 
etching as high as 101s to 107s. By the last, ac- 
counts the promise for the coming season was all 
that could be desired, though the rains were anxiously 
awaited. Locusts have done a good deal of damage! 
but chiefly to very young trees. On the whole they 
do not take Wildly to coffee. The most favoiixable 
circumstance connected with the industry is 1 the 
abundance of labour, and as the natives find that 
they are honourably paid and vigorously protected 
from slavers and kidnappers when working for the 
white men, no doubt they will continue to flock to 
the Highlands from afar in stili increasing numbers. — 
African Revieic, Jan. 12. 
i » n -. CoteiJ 
COFFEE LANDS 1^ COOEG. 
The area of. assessed coffee lands held in I Coorg 
during. 1893-94 by European and Native owners re- 
spectively was as follows : — 
No. Acres.' 1 ' 
European estates 429 30,347 
Native estates 6,523 48,194 
SVIII Wt\mw > nl 
Total R6.952 "78,541 . 
The average extent of a European estate is thus about 
70'73 acres, as against only 7'38 acres in the ease^of 
Native estates. The coffee crop during : 1893-94' was 
3,873 tons, or 829J tons more than in 1892-93, and 
469 tons more than the average for the last five 
years. The quantity exported from the province in 
1893- 94 was 3,873 tons, as compared with 3,170 tons 
in 1892-93 ; and the average local selling price, about 
Pv.1,400 a ton, showed an improvement of B100 a ton. 
— Madras Times, Jan. 31. 
+ ! L.jsd'l '»•■' 
THE TEA MARKET 
Is passing through a course of optimism and there 
are undoubtedly elements to warrant the more 
favourable position which set in during last month. 
Prices have been steadily advancing, but so far 
more on the lower grades. There is now consum- 
able tea to be had andai 5Ad per lb, though com- 
monest China is to be got under that figure, but for 
home consumption it is of too low a quality. Aa 
previously stated in these columns, the supplies of 
1894- 95 would not be more than the requirements. 
New outlets are opening up. especially throughout 
the immense region of Siberia, and it 'in a measure 
accounts for the indifference displayed by the Chinese 
to the falling off in shipments "to this country, for 
it would appear that in future Russia will take the 
bulk of the northorn grown tea. At current prioes 
the range is on a moderate basis, and no harm to 
trade could result at an all-round advance, as 
supplies must be on a lessening scale for the next four 
months. — L. <U C. £,i/>ress. 
Hoxey-iu:\v. it' substance found on leaves of various 
plants, has been discovered, by F. Y. Ra'ura'er to 
consist of cane sugar, a little " inverted sugar, and 
much unfermontable dextrin, together witli ash and 
nitrogenous substances When bees eat the dew their 
honey contains an abnormal amount of dextrin.— . 
Chemist and Druggist, 
* 
