Oct.  i,  1892.] 
237 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST.- 
On  the  14th  January  last  an  interim  dividend  of  2§  per 
cent,  was  paid  on  the  capital  of  the  company,  and  the 
directors  recommend  that  a further  dividend  of  3J 
per  cent,  be  now  declared,  making  6 per  cent,  for 
the  year,  and  leaving  £2,655  14s.  8d.  to  be  carried 
forward  to  next  account. 
crop  1891-2. 
The  estimated  coffee  crop  for  this  season  is  not 
satisfactory,  and  it  is  thought  that  it  will  not  exceed 
1,300  cwt.  From  the  experience  of  several  past 
vears  it  seems  that  good  coffee  crops  can  only  be 
looked  for  in  alternate  seasons,  and  must  not  be  relied 
upon  in  two  consecutive  years ; the  above  crop  is  no 
exception  to  the  rule,  the  directors  therefore  con- 
sider it  prndent  to  carry  forward  a substantial 
balance  at  the  credit  of  profit  and  loss  to  help  the 
revenue  of  season  1891-2,  and  if  their  moderate 
expectations  of  the  coffee  crop  of  that  season  are 
realized,  they  hope  to  be  in  a position  to  continue 
a fair  rate  of  dividend. 
The  area  under  coffee  is  maintaining  its  vigour 
well,  and  appearances  are  in  favour  of  a good  average 
crop  for  season  1892-3 ; there  is,  moreover,  every 
reason  to  expect  a fair  yield  for  that  season,  as  the 
small  crop  now  being  gathered  will  in  no  way  tax 
the  strength  of  the  trees,  thus  leaving  them  very 
capable  of  maturing  any  crop  that  may  set. 
The  directors  are  glad  to  report  that  the  area 
under  tea  continues  to  improve,  and  the  crop  for 
season  1891-92  is  estimated  at  190,000  lb.  from 
Spring  Valley,  and  25,000  lb.  from  Oolanakande 
Estate. 
The  condition  of  the  coffee  is  such  that  the  direc- 
tors have  not  thought  it  necessary  to  replace  any  of 
it  with  tea,  so  that  the  area  remains  as  follows : — 
f | | A 
Planted  Nov.-Dee.,  1884,  on  Spring  Valley  . . 271 
„ May,  1885,  on  Oolanakande  . . 143 
,,  Nov.-Dee.,  1885,  on  Spring  Valley  ..  230 
„ May,  1886,  on  Oolanakande  . . 7 
,,  Nov. -Dec.,  1888,  on  Spring  Valley  . . 20 
„ Nov.-Dee.,  1890,  on  Spring  Valley  . . 96 
Total  area  under  tea  . . 767 
Total  area  under  coffee  . . 872 
— H.  and  O.  Mail,  Aug.  5. 
CEYLON  TOBACCO  COMPANY,  LIMITED. 
Mr.  A.  Philip  as  liquidator  of  this  Company  has 
issued  a memorandum  in  which  he  states 
“that  the  properties  named  at  the  foot  of  this  memo, 
have  been  sold  ; but  there  has  been  considerable 
delay  in  obtaining  the  purchase  money  in  full  from 
different  causes,  that  it  would  serve  no  useful  pur- 
poses to  enter  into  in  detail,  as  Shareholders  will  of 
course  bear  in  mind  that  the  acquisition  of  the 
allotments  forming  the  estates  of  the  Company 
itself  were  not  all  completed  at  the  date  of  going 
into  liquidation,  while  many  matters  required 
adjustment,  tact,  and  patience.  For  similar  reasons 
the  Liquidator  feels  that  it  would  not  be 
prudent  to  divide  money  as  collected,  while  the 
Ratwatte  estate  is  unsold  and  funds  are  required  for 
its  upkeep  and  cultivation,  without  which  the  property 
would  have  to  be  abandoned,  thereby  causing,  it  is 
believed,  unnecessary  loss  to  the  Shareholders.  The 
Liquidator  is  disposed  to  recommend  the  formation, 
without  delay,  among  the  old  Shareholders  and  others 
of  a new  Company  to  be  styled  possibly  the  Ukkuwelle 
Tea  and  Cacao  Company,  Limited,  to  take  over  from 
the  Tobacco  Company  the  Ratwatte  estate,  as  he  has 
reason  to  believe  that  the  concern  should  pay  well  and 
afford  a good  opportunity  to  the  Shareholders  of  work- 
ing successfully  on  a fresh  basis  one  of  their  own  proper- 
ties to  ther  profit,  and  as  a satisfactory  means  of  assist- 
ing in  closing  the  present  liquidation.  As  regards  the 
remaining  lands  the  property  of  the  Company,  the 
Liquidator  is  strongly  of  opinion  that  they  should  be 
belli  until  such  time  as  tbe  money  spent  ou  their  pur. 
chase  is  realized;  and  farther  it  will  be  necessary  to 
spend  money  in  completing  aeveral  of  the  blocks  un- 
less the  Shareholders  are  prepared  to  lose  every  cent 
of  the  money  advanced  on  the  intended  purchase  of 
these  lands.  It  is  possible  that  the  proposed  company 
or  another  syndicate  might  take  over  all  the  lands  re- 
ferred to.  Such  offer,  if  made,  would  certainly  be  en- 
tertained, but  in  the  interests  of  the  Liquidation  no 
scheme  should  be  unduly  pressed,  as  in  theoninion  of 
the  Liquidator  time  is  still  required  to  satisfactorily 
deal  with  the  lands  in  question.  The  tobacco  leaf  un- 
sold remains  safely  stored  ; and  in  view  of  reoent 
legislation  increasing  the  duty  on  imported  tobacco,  the 
Liquidator  is  sanguine  that  better  prices  will  rule 
shortly. 
As  regards  a dividend,  the  liquidator  proposes  to 
declare  the  first  as  Boon  as  practicable  after  the  trans- 
action re  the  Arampolla  Estate  is  closed  and  the 
purchase  money  paid.  The  liquidator  continues  to 
press  for  this,  and  hopes  to  be  able  to  sign  the  transfer 
on  an  early  day.  Meantime  the  shareholders  may 
restassurred  that  their  interests  are  being  carefully 
watched.” 
Appended  to  the  memorandum  is  a statement  show- 
ing the  property  belonging  to  the  Tobacco  Com- 
pany, the  sale  of  which  has  been  completed  or  nego- 
tiated for. 
Property. 
Price 
Realized. 
Remarks. 
Wattapollowa  Land 
R o. 
2,5  L0  00 
Transaction  closed  on 
Matale  Estate 
30,000  00 
25th  April  1892. 
Transaction  c osed  on 
Arampolla  Estate.. 
30,000  00 
26th  July  1892. 
Transaction  UDclosed 
Digonnelan  o*  . . 
2,600  00 
at  date.  R5,000  paid 
on  account  12th  April 
1892  ; transfer  still  to 
be  oompleted. 
Transaction  unclosed 
Kill&kapolla  Land.. 
3,100  00 
at  date.  Purchase 
money  R2,600  paid 
5th  August  1892  ; 
transfer  only  to  be 
completed. 
Transaction  unclosed 
Tobacco  Leaf 
4,539  83 
at  date.  R310  ten  per 
oent.  deposit  received 
5th  August  1892  ; 
transfer  still  to  be 
completed. 
Amount  recovered  to 
date. 
— ♦ 
THE  ORIGINAL  HOME  OF  THE 
SUGARCANE. 
Dr.  Edmund  Von  Lippman,  an  eminent  Ger- 
man chemist,  and  an  authority  on  sugar,  gives 
the  following  brief  sketch  of  the  history  and 
development  of  sugar  culture  and  manufacture 
in  a lecture,  a synopsis  of  which  appeared  in 
the  Deutsche  Zuckerindustrie  : — 
The  original  home  of  the  sugar  cane  must  be 
looked  for  in  the  coast  region  extending  from  Bengal 
to  Assam,  at  the  northern  extremity  of  the  Bay 
of  Bengal.  It  is  remarkable  that  there  is  no  such 
thing  as  wild  sugar  cane,  whilst  four-fifths  of  other 
formerly  wild,  but  now  cultivated  plants,  are  still 
in  existence  in  a wild  state.  Not  the  slightest  chrono- 
logical indication  as  regards  the  time  when  it 
was  first  known  is  to  be  found  in  Indian  annals. 
A Chinese  compilation  of  the  third  century  states 
that  the  province  of  Bengal  sent  sugar  cane  as  a 
tribute  to  China,  from  which  we  may  conclude  that 
at  that  time  solid  sugar  was  not  known.  The  first 
indication  of  sugar  itself  is  found  between  the  third 
and  sixth  century  in  India,  while  the  Chinese  were 
not  acquainted  with  its  manufacture  until  about  the 
year  640.  In  the  ninth  century  clarified  sugar  was 
prepared  by  drying  raw  sugar  in  the  sun.  The  com- 
panions of  Alexander  the  Great  speak  of  a sort 
of  honey  which  they  met  with  on  their  way  to 
Asia,  which  grew  there  without  bees.  At  the  com- 
mencement of  the  sixth  century  there  was  sugar 
