July  i,  1892.J 
THE  TROPICAL  A&RTOULTUmST. 
can  be  exposed  to  such  an  arrest  of  deve- 
lopment without  loss  of  strength  and  vitality. 
It  is  on  this  account  that,  despite  all  that 
experts  have  told  us  about  the  suitability 
of  Ceylon  soils  for  tea  growing,— and  about 
that  I presunio  there  is  no  doubt,— I con- 
fess I have  no  great  faith  in  the  continuance 
of  the  present  prosperity  of  Ceylon,  and  that 
I dread  the  advent  of  a second  great  collapse, 
though  it  may  not  take  place  either  within  your 
days  or  my  own.”  This  outspoken  opinion,  coming 
as  it  did  upon  the  remarks  made  to  me  by  other 
friends,  is  certainly  disquieting.  It  would  be  useless 
for  me  to  at  tempt  to  recommend  any  chaDge  of 
system  as  the  result  to  the  several  conver- 
sations had  by  me  with  Ceylon  men  on  the 
subjeot.  But  you  are  in  a different  position. 
You  yourselves  have  a planting  experience, 
and  will  be  better  able  to  weigh  what  has  been 
written  by  me  as  the  result  of  those  conversations. 
At  the  same  time  every  outsider  must  know  suffi- 
cient of  natural  laws  to  be  aware  that  they 
can  never  be  violated  without  any  afier-penally 
bping  exacted,  and  it  is  such  a knowledge  which 
induces  me  to  hope  that  you  will  endeavour  to  lead 
the  planters  of  Ceylon  to  give  consideration  to  the 
remarks  made  by  Mr.  Shand  on  his  recent  visit  wiih 
respect  to  the  effects  he  observed  to  too  constant 
plucking.  One  of  your  correspondents’  letters,  wo 
noticed,  rather  sneeringly  referred  to  Mr.  Shand 
as  having  been  absent  from  the  island  for  several 
years.  To  my  mind  that  is  the  greater  reason 
why  his  observations  should  have  the  clearer 
result,  and  we  doubt  exceedingly  if  his  trained 
judgment  would  under  such  circumstances  be 
likely  to  go  much  astray.  Another  friend 
lately  remarked  to  mo:— "Yes,  poor  Shand 
is  getting  it  hot  in  the  Observer,  but  don’t 
you  recollect  how  Sir  William  Gregory  pulled  a 
wasps’  nest  about  his  head  when,  shortly  after 
first  reaching  CeyloD,  he  permitted  himself  to 
express  a doubt  as  to  the  permanency  of  the  coffee 
enterprise.  To  my  mind  Shand’s  advice  and  Sir 
Wm.  Gregory’s  doubt  stand  pretty  much  on  the 
same  lines,  and  if  our  Ceylon  people  aro  wise  they 
will  sparo  Shand  any  more  of  their  invective  and 
recollect  that  Sir  Wm.  Gregory  proved  to  be  right 
after  all,  though  he  was  so  tremendously  abused.” 
SCOTTISH  CEYLON  TEA  CO. 
With  this  letter  you  will  receive  a copy  of  the 
report  of  the  Scottish  Ceylon  Tea  Company.  You 
will  be  pleased  to  hear  of  the  success  whiolr  has 
attended  this  undertaking  throughout  the  year 
reviewed  by  that  report,  the  profits  made  amount- 
ing to  £8,799  14s  lid.  An  interim  dividend  of  5 
per  cent,  free  of  income  tax,  was  paid  during  last 
year,  and  a further  dividend  of  13  per  cent  (also 
free  of  income  tax)  is  now  proposed,  making  a 
total  division  of  13  per  cent  for  the  year.  £1,000 
will  be  added  to  the  Reserve  Fund,  whioh  will 
then  amount  to  £2, COO,  while  £807  Os  6d  will  re- 
main to  be  oarried  forward.  It  is  stated  that  all 
the  estates  belonging  to  the  Company  are  in  excellent 
coalition  , and  promise  well  for  its  future  prosperity. 
The  area  of  all  the  properties  possessed  is  put  down 
at  1,948  acres.  Of  these,  1,498  acres  are  of  tea 
in  full  bearing,  62  acres  are  in  partial  bearing,  14 
acres  only  are  under  coffee  and  other  products, 
while  374  acres  aro  of  forest  and  waste  land. 
The  total  tea  harvested  was  574,481  lb.,  ooffee 
producing  120  cwt,  and  cmchona  13,925,  lb.  Mr. 
R.  W.  Forbes  retires  from  the  Board  of  Directors 
and  offers  himself  for  re  election.  The  report, 
it  is  to  be  observed,  does  not  state  the  average 
prioe  seoured  for  the  tea  obtained  during  the 
year.  This  is  an  omission  which  might  usefully 
iS 
be  altered  on  the  occasion  of  the  next  report. 
We  feel  it  can  hardly  havo  been  in'entionnl,  because 
it  is  believed  the  teas  of  the  Scottish  Ceylon  Tea 
Company  have  always  sold  well  in  the  market  here. 
A company  that  cr.n  pay  in  the  third  year  of  its 
existence  only  a dividend  of  18  per  cent,  and  that 
free  of  income  tax,  will,  it  is  certain,  be  looked 
upon  by  ali  investors  here  as  a very  successful  one 
LADY  TEA  MERCHANTS. 
Tbe  Daily  Telegraph  must  be  responsible  for  tha 
accuracy  cf  the  information  conveyed  by  the  follow- 
ing extract  from  its  issue  of  the  10th  inst.  If  the 
statement  be  correct,  the  ladies  are  to  be  congratu- 
lated upon  the  novel  start  made  by  them.  It 
tas  not  been  possiblo  for  mo  to  learn  who  these 
enterprising  ladies  may  be.  Of  course  we  ail 
know  ladies  have  long  been  actively  oanvassing  as 
agents,  to  push  Ceylon  teas,  and  they  have  doubtless 
done  much  towards  spreading  a knowledge  of,  and 
liking  for,  them  in  many  domistio  oiroles.  The 
paragraph  referred  to  reads  as  under:— 
Among  tho  latest  evidences  of  women’s  enterprise 
is  tbe  formation  of  a firm  of  lady  tea  merchants. 
Seven  dames  have  joined  in  partnership,  bought  a 
tea  estate  in  Ceylon,  and  set  up  in  business  to  sell 
their  product,  the  whole  business  being  carried  through 
by  female  hands.  They  have  lidy  blenders,  lady 
packers,  and  lady  agents,  in  town  and  country.  Not 
only  does  this  film  sell  the  essentially  feminine  lux- 
ury from  their  own  estate,  but  they  will,  if  required, 
provide  China  and  Japan  teas,  and  make  blends  to 
suit  all  tsrtes.  There  is  but  one  sou  of  Adam  in  this 
commercial  Eden,  where  afternoon  tea  is  the  principle 
article  of  faith,  and  to  him  is  allotted  the  drudgery 
of  tbe  position  of  mauager.  The  greatest  difficulty 
for  tbe  ladies  is  that  of  packing:  this  they  are  fast 
conquering  under  skilled  mala  instructors.  Blending 
and  tasting  are  favourite  branches  of  the  business  with 
the  fair  proprietresses,  and  an  inducement  is  off-red 
to  customers  of  the  sterner  sex  by  the  fact  that 
favourite  blends  are  called  “ The  Ladies'  Own.” 
DAYS  FOR  BALE  OF  TEA. 
The  Times  has  announced  that  the  selling 
brokers  of  tea  have  ai ranged  that  until  August 
next  Mondays  and  Wednesdays  shall  be  devoted 
entirely  to  tho  sale  of  Indian  teas,  while 
Tuesdays  and  Thursdays  shall  be  exclusively  given 
up  to  those  of  Ceylon  teas.  It  may  be  noted 
hero  that  there  exists  a muoh  firmer  tone  this 
week  for  real’y  good  Ceylon  teas,  and  that  prices 
have  advanced  fully  |d  to  Id  tho  lb.  The  stooks 
of  inferior  teas  are  kept  low  and  there  is  little 
demand  for  qualities  under  6d  per  lb.,  while  for 
India  and  Ceylon  of  the  better  sorts  of  common 
kinds  there  is  a strong  demand.  Very  little  com. 
mon  China  remains  in  stock,  and  advices  from 
tbe  Chinese  ports  render  it  very  doubtful  if  these 
will  be  replenished  at  all  this  year.  Prioes  there 
are  ruling  fully  25  per  cent  below  those  paid  last 
year,  and  even  with  this  reduction  it  is  question- 
able if  the  agents  will  buy  for  exportation  to  the 
London  market. 
THE  CINCHONA  ASSOCIATION 
(LIMITED). 
The  formation  of  a syndicate  to  control  the  world's 
output  of  cincliona-bark  appears  to  be  nearer  reali- 
sation at  this  movement  than  it  has  been  before.  We 
do  not  mean  to  say  that  the  negotiations  now  in 
progress  are  certain  to  succeed.  A definite  and  ela- 
borate scheme,  however,  has  been  propounded  to  some 
of  the  leading  firms  in  the  cinchona  trade  by  a gentle- 
man (acting  presumably  on  behalf  of  others)  who  has 
been  associated  with  quinine  and  cinchona  for  many 
years.  The  scheme  involves  the  formation  of  two 
companies— " The  Trading  Founders  (Limited),'’  es- 
