^(4 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[June r, 1895. 
of the Colony. We commend to the fullest, the 
good work done, and being done, by the 1 oin 
pa nies and individuals named ; hut how can 
the line he drawn, if once it be Known thai free 
grants are being made to tin.' sellers of I oy 
Ion tea? Will not American dealers freely applj 
for " grants " and get very much annoyed if they 
meet with a refusal ; and is it not sur- 
prising that the Sylhet Tea Company — at 
work now for four years,— has never thought 
of applying for a grant from the Indian 
Tea Funds. Above all, we would remind the 
Delegate and the Committee of Thirty, that in 
Advertising and Exhibiting at State Food Shows, 
they are giving a helping liand to every indi- 
vidual, Firm and Company dealing in pure Cey- 
lon tea in America. That is, to our mind, by 
far the fairest and best way of helping them, 
and we feel sure that the Ceylon Fund can- 
not be devoted to a better purpose than in 
placing before the people in their daily, weekly 
and monthly papers and in their Food Shows, 
the pure and superior teas, they are asked to 
drink in preference to the inferior adulterated 
iiroduct now got for them from China and 
fapan. What is the conclusion of the whole 
matter — how are Americans to he won to our 
teas — how are the present dealers and pioneers 
in our pure Ceylon teas to be encouraged and 
supported? The answer to all these queries 
ana the moral of all reports up r<> date, is 
simply, — Advertise, Auvkktisk, ADVERTISE ! 
THE STANDARD TEA COMPANY OF 
CEYLON. 
ANNUAL REPORT. 
The Directors submit Statement of Accounts to 
31st December, 1894: 
The Profit and Loss Account shows a profit on 
the working of the estates in Ceylon of £10,049 lis 
9d, which, with amount brought forward from last 
year, less interest and home charges, shows a sum 
of £8,862 18s 5d available for division. 
In July, 1894, the Directors, under the powers 
entrusted to them, distributed an interim dividend 
for the six months ending 30th June, 1891, of 2J 
per cent. (5 per cent per annum), absorbing £1,010. 
They now recommend a dividend at the rate of 
10 per cent, (making 12£ per cent, for the year) ab- 
sorbing £4,040; the placing £3,000 to reserve ; and 
the carrying forward to the next year .£812 13s 5d. 
The favourable results in 1894 have been aided by 
Coffee at high prices, and a good Exchange. 
The Coffee produced was 473 cwts., which realised 
about £2,100 
The average Exchange for the Company as drawers 
in Colombo was Is 1 13-32d. against an average of 
Is 3 7-32d. in 1893, making an amount in favour of 
1894 of more than £1,500. The rate was Is 5Jd. in 
1891, when the Company began operations. 
The Tea from the Company's Uda Puselawa pro- 
perties sold during 1894 averaged, in Mincing Lane, 
a higher price than any Ceylon Estate or group of 
Estates producing above 100.000 lb. During 1893 these 
Teas held the same distinguished position in the 
market during the short time they were sold here. 
For this much credit is due to Mr, C. H. Bagot, 
the resident Manager at St. Leonards. He has done 
so well with his manufacture that his services seem 
to deserve this special recognition. In addition to 
keeping the St. Ltonards' mark at the very top of 
the Tea market all through the year, he has had a 
large charge owing to absence of another of the 
Company's managers. 
Since the last General Meeting, Tulloes Estate 
in Uda Puselawa has been bought as announced in 
the Circular to shareholders, 19th December last. 
Every purchase, from time to time, has been some- 
what fully explained to the Shareholders. The di- 
rectors persuade themselves that no Company has been 
more, fully informed on such matters. 
The Company's properties are now of 3,29h acres, 
with 1.310 acres of tea considered in full bearing, viz ; 
in Uda Puselawa — 
St. Leonards 725 J acres. 22m acre* tea bearing. 
Liddesdale 814 „ 140 do. 
Eskdale 238 „ 210 do. 
Girdon 365 „ 74 do, 
Tulloes 450 „ 96 do. 
in Uj> M iskeliya — 
Gouraville & 
UpCruden 703 „ 503 do. 
There are also 241 acres Tea in partial bearing, 
and some (197 acres in addition planted with tea. 
The issue of Shares (the Hh issue, not entitled to 
the dividend now proposed) mentioned in circular 
addressed to the Proprietors 19th December, was 
very quickly taken up. The amount called for viz., 
£6 per share on 2,600 or £15,000, was paid to the 
Company's bankers last month. 
VARIOUS PLANTING NOTES. 
Labour Supply for Plantations. — The 
Madras Mail in supporting the proposal of the 
Mysore Planters' Association for an agency to 
supply labour all over Southern India says: — 
" \\ e are firmly of opinion that if only ft proper 
method were introduced and rigidly adhered to, 
little or no difficulty, after the first two or three 
years, would be experienced in sending up to 
the planting districts all the coolies that are 
required." Iteferenee is then made to the scheme 
which has been put forward in Ceylon for the 
formation of a labour supply Syndicate, it being 
added : — Although this scheme has not received 
any cordial welcome, it has done much to im- 
press on the Ceylon planter the present pressing 
necessity of arranging for a larger supply of 
labour, and another mission to Southern India 
with this object in view is proposed. There 
is an ample supply of coolies in the Districts 
of this Presidency for all the plantations in both 
Ceylon and Southern India, if only the channels 
of supply can be opened. 
Food Supply and Cost of Liyixg in New 
South Wales.— It has been remarked that, as a 
rule, the Australian colonist is the best fed biped 
in the world, and certainly official statistical 
returns go far towards confirming the accuracy 
of the statement. In New South Wales, con- 
sidering the comparatively high rates of wages 
curreiu, we read that food of all finds is fairly 
cheap, especially meat and various kinds of fruit 
during the season ; and articles of diet which, in 
other countries, partake largely of luxuries, are 
consumed in considerable quantities by even the 
poorer classes. The aunual expenditure per in- 
habitant in New South Wales is larger than in 
any European or American country. In the 
United Kingdom it amounts to £29 14s 9d, re- 
presenting the earnings of 127 days', while in New 
South Wales 96 days' earnings are sufficient to 
pay for all the food and beverages consumed, the 
year being reckoned as 300 working days. In 
other words, while in New South Wales the cost 
of food and drink is only 31 - 8 per cent of earn- 
ings, it amounts to 42-2 per cent in the L T nited 
Kingdom. The consumption of tea in the colony 
is exceptionally large, especially in the country 
districts and in the bush, and we hope it will 
soon be all Ceylon tea. Coffee is not so gener- 
ally used, its consumption being only one-eleventh 
that of tea. The cost of rent is high compared 
with most other countries, but it met by the 
comparative high rate of wages, and the low cost 
of meat and other necessaries. 
