Dec.  i,  1892.] 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST, 
429 
to  give  a profit  on  the  expeose  of  cultivating  the  shrub 
flicking  its  leave?,  prtp  .ru  g them  into  teB,  a3  wall  as 
other  txpenses  incident  to  the  cultivation  o £ tiie  shrub 
and  the  preparation  or  the  leaves  for  the  market,  in 
such  a condition  «s  to  compete  favourably  with  teas 
from  Ceylon,  India,  China,  Java,  &c.  1’here  is  at  pre- 
sent growing  in  the  borders,  &o..  ot  the  nu  sery  gardens 
at  Curepipe,  a number  of  plants  that  would  yitld  a 
sufficient  quantity  of  leaves  to  test  their  quality  when 
prepared  into  tee.  So  far,  then,  that  test  could  be  ap- 
plied at  once.  The  wants  are  appliances  to  cure  the 
leaf,  and  a tea  maker  or  curer.  If  these  problems  are 
satisfactorily  solved  there  is  not  the  least  doubt  that  tea 
will  take  a place,  perhaps,  of  no  small  importance, 
among  the  products  of  the  colony.” 
Uganda  and  its  Produce. — Oaptain  Lugard,  at  the 
invitation  of  the  London  Chamber  of  Commerce,  gave 
an  address  ou  Saturday  at  the  Cannon  Street  Hotel 
on  “ Uganda : its  abandonment  or  retention  consi- 
dered from  a commercial  point  of  view.”  He  referred 
to  the  importance  of  the  cultivation  of  tea  and  coffee, 
and  said  tn«t  cotton  had  been  successfully  planted 
in  one  district.  If  they  ci.uld  extend  the  cultivation 
of  cotton,  Lancashire  wou'd  soon  be  independent  of 
other  makets.  The  couutry  had  capabilities  of  com- 
mercial development,  and  w hat  was  really  needed  was 
railway  extension.  England,  he  said,  was  pledged  to 
protect  Uganda  and  to  remain  in  it,  and  a great  dis- 
grace would  rest  upon  this  nation  if  we  abandoned  a 
helpless  people. 
The  Chicory  Dodge. — As  an  instance  of  the  diffi- 
culty surrounding  the  coffee  and  chicory  question,  the 
public  analyst  of  East  Sussex,  in  his  quarterly  report 
alluding  to  the  adulteration  of  coffee,  points  out  that 
in  the  cheap  tins  the  proportion  of  added  mixture 
is  often  from  40  to  60  per  cent  (in  one  instance  70), 
and  some  of  them  really  ought  to  be  labelled  “Chicory 
mixed  with  coffee.”  Even  at  the  low  prioes  paid,  he 
says,  buyers  are  losers  of  the  true  dietetic  value 
belonging  to  pure  coffee. 
The  Trade  .Returns.— The  Board  of  Trade  returns 
for  October  co  not  give  signs  of  improving  traie. 
The  decrease  of  both  of  imports  and  exports  con- 
tinues, and  so  fir  as  they  effeot  the  home  trade  of 
the  country,  they  may  be  regarded  as  confirming  the 
impression  which  pervades  all  the  great  centres  of 
industry  iu  the  kingdom,  that  the  winter  will  be  a 
bad  one.  According  to.the  return  issued  on  Monday,  we 
fiud  that  there  was  a decrease  in  the  imports  for  the 
month  of  £2,L46,971,  and  tor  the  ten  months  of 
£1,468,484.  lhe  export  trade  shows  the  same  results. 
With  the  exception  of  living  animals  and  food  and 
drink  there  is  a decrease  under  every  head,  both  tor 
tho  month  and  ten  months.  With  regard  to  the 
import  ot  dutiable  artioies,  we  notice  a falling  off  in 
the  imports  of  tea  to  the  amount  of  4,561,543  lb.,  and 
in  coffee  of  10,477  owt. — H.and  C.  Mail,  Nov.  11. 
THE  CASTLEREAGH  TEA  CO.,  OF  CEYLON. 
The  first  general  meeting  of  this  Company  was, 
according  to  notice,  held  at  the  Company's  offices, 
Colombo,  at  3 p.m.  today.  Present  : — Messrs. 
V.  A.  Julius,  W.  Moir,  and  J.  H.  Starey  (Directors), 
W.  H.  Bailey,  F.  H.  Wiggin,  G.  C.  Trask,  F.  C. 
Roles,  R.  Reid,  Dr.  J.  B.  irfpence;  and  by  proxy, 
Messrs.  0.  L.  Martin,  A.  H.  Dingwall,  B.  Bremner. 
Mr.  John  H.  Starey  having  been  called  to  the 
chair,  the  notice  of  meeting  was  read  by  the  Acting 
Secretary,  Mr.  A.  C.  Courtney. 
The  Chairman  stated  that  the  business  before  the 
meeting  was  mainly  formal  as  it  was  requisite  by 
the  statute  for  the  Directors  co  retire  within  a year 
of  the  registration  of  the  Company.  Unfortunately 
this  did  not  admit  of  accounts  for  the  full  year  being 
presented,  but  the  full  accounts  of  expenditure  and 
crops  for  13  months  to  31st  Dec.  1892  would  be 
submitted  as  early  as  practicable  iu  1893,  pro- 
bably before  the  end  of  January.  In  view  of 
the  exceptional  season  and  general  shortness  of  tea 
crops  in  Dikoya  the  position  of  the  company  might 
he  regarded  as  satisfactory,  though  far  less  so  than 
was  anticipated  when  the  estimates  were  framed. 
The  directors  had  that  day  received  from  the 
superintendent  of  the  estate  a letter  confirmatory 
of  the  reduced  estimates  he  had  submitted 
about  August  last,  and  on  this  basis  a rough 
estimate  of  results  had  been  computed.  There 
was  necessarily  at  this  time  much  room  for 
doubt  as  to  the  ultimate  results,  but  if  the  crop 
of  110,0001b.  tea  should  be  realized,  if  the  present 
price  of  about  57  cents  should  be  obtained  for  the 
portion  of  the  crop  yet  to  be  sold,  the  directors 
hoped  to  be  in  the  position  to  recommend  a dividend 
in  January  of  like  amount  to  the  interim  dividend  paid 
in  August,  viz.,  4 per  cent.  The  estate  as  is  well-known, 
is  not  at  maturity  and  the  weather  has  been  very 
unfavorable  for  quantity  and  quality.  Referring  to 
the  prospects  of  coffee  crop : — the  season  is  very 
late,  and  as  usual  with  crop  only  on  suckers  it  is 
difficult  to  estimate.  The  statement  with  reference 
to  prospects  of  dividend  was  based  upon  the 
expectation  of  a crop  of  200  bus.— Before  proceeding 
to  the  election  of  directors  the  chairman  would 
be  pleased  to  answer  any  questions. 
It  was  then  proposed  by  Mr.  W.  H.  Bailey  and 
seconded  by  Dr.  J.  B.  Spence  : —That  Messrs.  Starey, 
Moir  and  J ulius  be  re-elected  Directors ; which  was 
carried  unanimously. 
The  Chairman  stated  that  this  concluded  the  busi- 
ness of  the  meeting  and  while  heartily  thanking  the 
gentlemen  present  for  their  attendance  and  for  re- 
electing the  present  Board  said,  that  it  seemed  de- 
sirable not  to  change  the  directors  before  the  first 
year’s  accounts  could  be  submitted.  There  would 
tie  another  meeting  in  a short  time  when  he  would 
be  quite  willing  to  retire. 
A vote  of  thanks  duly  acknowledged  terminated 
the  proceedings. 
AN  EX-CEYLON  PLANTER  IN  AUSTRALIA, 
A REMARKABLE  CONTRAST — CLOSE  OF  THE  SHEARING 
SEASON— A FINE  SIGHT — SHEARING  VERSUS  GATHERING 
COFFEE— AMUSEMENTS  OF  THE  WOOL  SHEARERS — RACES 
AND  BETTING— AUSTRALIAN  POLO  — " WALERS  ” IN 
CEYLON. 
The  Barrier,  N.  S.  W.,  Oct.  26th,  1892. 
The  contrast  of  the  present  surroundings  with  those 
six  months  ago  is  remarkable,  it  is  not  only  the  change 
from  cold  winter’s  snow  to  budding  spring  as  in 
Europe,  but  it  is  the  wilderness  blossoming  as  the 
rose,  the  dry  dust  wastes  transformed  into  grassy 
swards  spangled  with  wild  flowers  over  whicn  the 
stock  roam  happy  and  glad.  Not  only  does  this  mean 
more  money  to  the  owner,  but  it  gladdens  the  eye. 
The  whole  aspect,  formerly  so  dreary,  so  dispiriting, 
now  becomes  an  actual  “ tmng  ot  beauty,”  but  alas ! 
not  a " joy  tor  ever.”  if  it  would  only  last.  Many  an 
‘ it  ” comes  in  our  thoughts  in  this  life.  If  Ceylon 
had  this  climate  what  a paradise  1 The  chief  fault  of 
Ceylon  is  the  relaxing  tendency  of  the  climate  and 
consequent  waste  01  tissue  and  drain  of  secretions 
formed  and  supported  by  blood  supply.  There  is  no 
tonic  like  bitter  cold,  and  those  who  live  in  countries 
where  bitter  cold  is  experienced  at  one  time  of  the  year 
are  indeed  fortunate,  as  they  do  not  require  a "changes.” 
Our  bitter  cold  is  a.i  over  now.  Spring  is  lar  ad- 
vanced. Shearing  is  a thing  of  the  past,  and  the  once 
busy  scene  of  operations  is  deserted  save  by  the  half 
wild  eats  and  cue  few  miserable  " killing  sheep  ” 
doomed  to  Slaughter.  The  shearers  and  rouseaDoots 
all  received  their  cheques  and  departed  red-hot  tor  a 
big  spree,  and  their  money,  uo  douut,  is  long  ago  spent. 
Matters  are  very  quiet  uuw.  Tue  sneep  nave  to  be 
distrinuteu  properly  in  their  different  paudocks.  Here 
and  there  a " woolly  one  ” turns  up  wiio  eluded  the 
musterers ; but  there  are  very  lew,  and  it  speaks  much 
of  the  care  with  which  these  enormous  paddocks  are 
gone  over,  that  out  of  close  on  50,UUU  (tmy  tnousand) 
sheep  so  very  few  were  missed.  All  the  wool-bales 
are  not  off  yet,  but  only  a lew  remain,  it  was  a fiiia 
sight  one  day  during  shearing  When  work  was  stopped 
tor  want  ot  ram  to  see  the  boss,  boss  ot  the  sued, 
wooi-ciasser,  and  a visitor,  start  qff  iu  the  big 
