Jan,  2,  1893.] 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
459 
THE  POSITION  OF  THE  AMERICAN 
CEYLON  TEA  COMPANY. 
This,  we  regret  to  hear  from  intelligence  reaching 
ns  by  a recent  London  mail,  is  by  no  means  so  assured 
as  previous  statements  sent  to  us  seemed  to  indi- 
cate. It  bad  been  quite  understood  that  the 
liberal  grant  made  by  our  Tea  Fund  of  ninety  chests 
of  tea  would  so  establish  the  footing  and  prestige  of 
the  Company  that  no  difficulty  would  b6  experi- 
enced in  raisiug  the  money  required  to  carry  on 
its  affairs.  Mr.  Farr,  of  Messrs.  Watteon  & Farr, 
had,  we  were  given  to  understand,  felt  assurance 
that  this  would  be  the  ease;  but  we  now  hear 
that  before  leaving  England  on  his  return  to  New 
Yoik  that  gentleman  had  signified  that  the  Com- 
pany was  without  any  capital  to  carry  on  its  work, 
Brel  that  unless  early  finencial  aid  were  forthcoming 
it  would  have  to  proceed  to  almost  immediate  liqui- 
dation 1 It  can  only  be  concluded  fiomthis  regret- 
able  statement  that  Mr.  Farr  had  been  much  too 
sanguine  as  to  the  effects  the  grant  made 
here  would  have  upon  the  minds  and  purses  of 
capitalists  in  London  and  New  York.  The 
discovery  of  this  overestimate  by  Mr.  Farr 
appears  to  have  been  made  before  his  departure 
from  London,  and  he  had  written  to  make  it 
known  to  be  his  intention  to  issue  £10,000  of 
new  shares  in  the  Company,  each  £1  of  which 
was  to  be  sold  for  five  shillings  with  no  remain- 
ing liability  to  the  purchasers  of  such  shares. 
If  these  can  be  plaocd  it  would  render  available 
an  immediate  sum  of  £2,500  for  oarrying  on  the 
operations  of  the  Company.  Whether  it  will  be 
possible  to  obtain  this  sum  must  of  course  be 
for  the  present  in  doubt.  Certainly  the  terms 
offered  should  be  aliuriDg  to  those  interested  in 
the  continuance  of  the  work  in  America  from 
which  we  hope  so  much.  At  the  same  time  the  issue 
of  the  shares  at  a discount  of  76  per  cent  is  a very 
liberal  watering  of  the  Company’s  new  capital, 
but  the  peculiar  circumstances  of  the  oase 
would  perhaps  warrant  such  a proceeding,  one, 
we  believe,  not  to  be  unusual  in  the  endeavour  to 
float  schemes  having  a somewhat  speculative 
character.  We  must  say  that  the  intelligence  as 
to  what  is  now  proposed  has  came  upon  us  with 
somewhat  of  a shock  after  all  we  had  heard  re- 
cently of  the  probable  issue  to  the  grant  made  by 
the  Tea  Fund  Committee.  Mr,  Farr  stated  in  his 
letter  that  he  had  cabled  to  Mr.  Grinlinton  the  posi- 
tion of  affairs  ; and  it  remains  to  be  seen  what  Bteps 
oan  be  taken  by  the  latter  gentleman  to  avoid  the 
oollapse  of  the  Company  in  which  from  first  to  last  he 
has  shown  so  great,  so  intelligent,  and  so  patrotio 
an  interest.  For  it  oannot  be  denied  that  the  collapse 
of  this  Company,  and  its  proceeding  to  the  almost 
immediate  liquidation  with  which  it  is  threatened, 
must  strike  a severe  blow  to  the  prospects  of 
Ceylon  tea  in  America,  just  as  we  are  hoping  so 
much  as  the  result  of  the  t fforts  making  for  the  due 
representation  of  our  staple  product  at  the  Chicago 
Exhibition.  We  sincerely  tiust  that  such  a fiasco 
may  be  avoided,  but  those  concerned  will  have 
to  bestir  themselves  to  secure  this.  It  does  not 
seem  to  be  a large  sum  that  Messrs.  Wattson  & 
Farr  state  to  be  required.  Surely  among  our 
planters  and  merchants  £2,500  might  be  sub- 
scribed, and  the  more  readily  because  of  the  very 
liberal  teims  offered  to  Becure  it.  If  the  money 
be  not  fortheeming  we  greatly  fear  the  chances 
of  Ceylon  tea  finding  a ready  market  in  America 
will  be  almost  indefinitely  postponed.  It  has, 
we  know,  to  battle  against  many  antagonistic 
conditions,  and  to  overcome  these  it  is  ne- 
cessary that  all  concerned  in  the  enterprise 
phQuld  put  their  shoulders  to  the  wheel. 
This  is  one  of  those  companies  in  favour  of  which, 
in  common  with  the  Spinning  and  Weaving  Com- 
pany, the  editors  of  the  Tropical  Agriculturist  felt 
bound  to  depart  from  the  rule  they  had  laid  down  fer 
themselves,  not  to  take  shares  in  concerns  which 
it  might  become  their  duty  freely  to  critioize. 
We  (the  senior  editor)  hold  five  shares  in  the 
American  Tea  Company,  fully  paid  up,  from  which 
we  never  expected  and  do  not  now  expect  any 
return  beyond  that  we  should  share  with 
other  estate  owners  from  extended  demand 
for  Ceylon  tea.  There  was  quite  a rush  of  with- 
drawals by  planters  and  others  from  the  Company 
when  it  became  an  American  corporation  ; chiefly, 
we  believe,  from  the  unfounded  dread  that  liability 
would  not  be  limited.  Although  limited  liability 
was  secured,  there  was  no  further  encouragement 
offered,  that  we  are  aware  of,  by  the  planters  taking 
sharos,  and  we  suppose  Mr.  Grinlinton,  who  paid  for 
all  shares  thrown  up,  is  by  far  the  chief  shareholder 
in  Ceylon.  We  feel  sure  he  will  do  what  he  can  to 
prevent  the  collapse  of  the  Company  at  this 
juncture,  not  for  the  sake  of  his  own  personal 
interests,  but  for  those  of  the  Ceylon  tea  enterpriza 
in  America,  A deliveranee  from  Mr.  Grinlinton  on 
the  subject  will  be  welcome. 
THOMSON’S  PATENT  TEA  PLUCKERS. 
Mr.  E.  B.  Creasy  writes: — 
“ In  your  issue  of  September  last  a correspondent 
signing  ‘ M.’  asked  for  results  of  Thompson’s  Patent 
Tea  Pluckers.  Will  you  kindly  send  him  a copy 
of  enclosed  and  I send  a second  copy  for  your 
notice  ? I think  the  results  so  far  show  that  a very 
large  economy  can  be  gained  by  the  use  of  the 
pluckers.” 
The  best  thing  we  can  do  is  to  reprint  the  account 
sent  ue : — 
Copy  of  a letter  received  from  J.  Ashington  Thomp- 
son, the  Inventor  of  the  Patent  Tea  Pluckers. 
Salgunga  Tea  Estate,  P.  O.  Kumbir, 
Cachar,  3rd  August,  1892. 
E.  B.  Creasy,  Esq.,  Colombo,  Ceylon. 
Dear  Sir, — I see  I last  wrote  you  on  the  3rd  May 
and  since  then  have  received  yours  of  the  14th  id.  and 
4th  June  the  contents  of  which  have  my  attention.  I 
have  also  to  thank  you  for  copy  of  your  pamphlet. 
My  pluckers  have  not  done  badly  so  far  but  a great 
many  planters  have  not  had  the  patience  to  try  them 
long  enough.  It  takes  a whole  season’s  working  to 
prove  their  capabilities,  for  it  is  not  till  the  latter  half 
of  the  year  that  they  prove  their  superiority  over  hand 
plucking,  and  the  second  year’s  working  gives  better 
results  than  the  first.  At  the  first  start  off  they  do  not 
give  as  good  or  as  much  leaf  as  hand  picking,  but  in 
the  second  half  of  the  season  when  the  bushes  are 
formed , they  soon  make  up  for  lost  time  and  in 
the  end  my  pluckers  show  a decided  gain  and  leave 
much  better  bushes  for  next  season  than  is  to  be  got 
by  hand  picking. 
I would  impress  on  you  and  would  wish  you  to 
impress  strongly  on  all  purchasers  of  my  Pluckers 
that  less  than  12  months  working  is  no  test  of  their 
capabilities.  It  takes  nearly  6 months  to  train  the 
coolies  to  work  them  properly,  and  it  takes  nearly  as 
long  for  the  bushes  to  spread  and  show  a large  even 
surface  which  is  indispensable  to  the  successful  work- 
ing of  my  Pluckers.  I would  also  remind  you  that  the 
baskets  are  very  important.  The  Tea  Pluckers  should 
be  used  as  shown  in  the  Photo  I sent  you. 
I now  forward  for  your  information  copy  of  a letter 
to  Messrs.  T.  E.  Thomson  & Co.  received  from  a 
planter  in  Sylhet.  He  is  one  of  the  men  who  has 
persevered  with  my  pluckers  and  is  now  reaping  his 
reward.  His  neighbours  just  tried  them  for  a month 
and  threw  them  aside.  16  lb.  leaf  an  hour  is  about 
160  lb,  a day.  The  average  plucking,  in  Cachar  aud 
Sylhet  is  about  301b.  leaf  aday. — I am,  yours  faithfully, 
(Signed)  J.  Ashington  Thompson. 
The  letter  referred  to  above  Sonaishiha,  Pathar- 
kaudi  P,  O,  Syhlet  District,  20th  June,  1892, 
