April  i,  1893,]  THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
621 
mited  be  requested  to  arrange  for  transmission  to 
Messr*.  Paddon  & Brock,  Johannesburg,  and  to 
Mesfrs.  J.  W.  Becket  & Oo.  of  Pretoria  respectively 
grants  of  the  Company 's  three  Standard  Teas,  viz.  50 
lb.  each  grade  in  2 lb.  packets.”  (II);  “That  theabove 
mentioned  firms  be  advised  of  these  grants,  the 
objects  for  which  they  are  forwarded  and  the  cost  of 
the  teas  in  the  Ceylon  market.” 
CEYLON  TEA  IN  CONSTANTINOPLE. 
Read  letter  from  Mr.  Millingen. 
CEYLON  TEA  AT  THE  IMPERIAL  INSTITUTE- 
Read  letter  from  the  Colonial  Secretary  with  en- 
closure from  Mr.  F.  R.  Saunders  transmitted  by  the 
Committee  of  the  Planters’  Association  for  the  con- 
sideration of  the  Standing  Committee  of  the  Tea 
Fnnd.  Resolved  : — 11  That  the  Standing  Committee  of 
the  Tea  Fund  will  be  glad  to  afford  any  uo- operation 
in  its  power  in  the  matter  referred  to,  and  will  be 
prepared  to  consider  any  proposals  that  may  be  sub- 
mitted with  regard  to  the  supply  of  good  and  pure 
Ceylon  teas  at  the  lowest  rates  to  contractors  or 
on  any  other  points  likely  to  further  the  objeots  in 
view.” 
CEYLON  TEA  PUND  ACCOUNTS. 
Submitted  balanoe  sheet  of  the  Tea  Fund  for  the 
six  months  ending  31st  December  1892,  also  printed 
statements  of  accounts  for  the  year  ending  31st 
December  1892. 
The  Standing  Committee  of  the  Tea  Fund  then 
adjourned.  A.  Philip, 
Secretary  to  the  Planters’  Association  of  Ceylon, 
NOTES  ON  POPULAR  SCIENCE. 
By  Dr  J.  E.  Taylob,  f.l.s.,  f.g.s.,  &o. 
Editor  op  “ Science  Gossip,”  &c. 
In  the  last  number  of  the  American  haturalist 
there  appears  a paper  by  Dr.  H.  W.  Connon 
“Some  Uses  of  Bacteria.”  These  organisms  are 
in  the  position  of  the  dog  which  got  a bad  name. 
People  think  of  them  as  miscroscopic  foes  whereas, 
generally  speaking,  many  of  them  are  our  best 
friends.  Every  farmer  expects  that  he  w ill  have 
to  keep  a good  breed  of  horses  and  stock,  but 
few  of  them  are  aware  how  they  require  a good 
breed  of  bacteria  as  well.  Indeed  no  farmer  can 
get  on  at  all  unless  he  keeps  a good  stock  of 
bacteria  on  his  farm.  He  is  aware  that  he  cannot 
make  butter  and  cheese  without  cows,  but,  until 
recently,  he  did  not  know  that  even  if  he  possessed 
the  finest  herds  of  kine,  he  would  not  be  able  to 
manufacture  these  articles  of  food  without  bacteria. 
Tillage,  whether  in  the  garden  or  the  field,  would 
be  absolutely  thrown  away  without  their  aid,  for 
it  is  they  which  render  all  sorts  of  nitrogenic 
manure  available.  Bacteria  are  amongst  the 
most  lowly  forms  of  plant  life,  very  nearly  allied 
to  the  microscopic  yeast  fungi. 
Sir  John  Lubbock,  in  a recent  lecture  on  the 
“ Habits  of  Ants,”  said  that  the  question  naturally 
arose  whether  ants  were  moral  and  accountable 
beings.  They  had  their  desires,  their  passions — 
even  their  caprices.  The  young  were  absolutely 
helpless.  Their  communities  were  sometimes  so 
numerous  that  perhaps  London  and  Pekin  were 
almost  the  only  cities  which  could  compare  with 
them.  Moreover,  their  nests  were  no  mere  collec- 
tion of  independent  individuals,  nor  even  temporary 
associations  like  the  flocks  of  migratory  birds, 
but  were  organised  communities  labouring  with 
the  utmost  harmony  for  the  common  good.  The 
remarkable  analogies  which  to  our  human  societies 
they  presented  in  so  many  ways  rendered  them 
peculiarly  interesting  to  us,  and  we  could  not 
but  wish  to  know  more  of  their  character — how 
the  world  appeared  to  them,  and  to  what  extent 
they  were  conscious  and  reasonable  beings.  Various 
observers  had  recorded  in  the  case  of  ants  instances 
of  attachment  and  affection.  He  had  never,  in 
the  whole  course  of  his  observation,  noticed  a 
quarrel  between  two  ants  belonging  to  the  same 
nest.  Within  the  limits  of  the  community,  all 
was  harmony.  On  the  other  hand,  it  must  be 
confessed  that  ants  not  belonging  to  the  same 
nest  were  always  enemies,  even  if  belonging  to 
the  same  species.  Sir  John  went  on  to  give  details 
of  a number  of  interesting  experiments  and  observ- 
ations, which,  he  contended,  might  be  able  to 
prove  the  possession  by  ants  of  almost  human 
intelligence.  One  result  which  he  adduced  was 
that  even  in  the  largest  nests  the  ants  all  recognised 
their  companions.  He  had  invariably  found  that 
if  a strange  ant,  even  of  the  same  species,  was 
introduced  into  a nest  she  was  sure  to  be  attacked 
and  driven  out.  He  had  also  made  some  experi- 
ments on  the  power  possessed  by  ants  of  remem- 
bering their  friends,  and  he  had  found  that  after 
a year’s  separation  they  did  so. — Australasian. 
♦ 
HORREKELLY  ESTATE  COMPANY,  LTD. 
The  following  is  the  report  of  the  directors  of 
this  company  for  the  year  ending  31st  December, 
1892  which  was  presented  at  a meeting  this 
afternoon  : — 
1.  The  accounts  now  submitted  for  1892  shew  that 
tbe  profit  on  the  year’s  working,  after  writing  off 
R1,903T8  for  depreciation  of  Plant  and  Machinery  at 
the  usual  rate,  amounts  to  Rll, 753  49,  whioh  with 
the  balance  of  R2.457-38  brought  forward  from  1891, 
makes  a total  of  R14, 210-87  available  for  distribution. 
2.  The  Directors  recommend  that  a dividend  at  the  rate 
of  four  per  cent,  be  declared  on  the  paid  up  capital 
of  the  Company,  thereby  absorbing  R14,053  60  and 
leaving  R 157  27  as  a balance  to  be  carried  forward  to  1893 . 
3.  It  will  be  noticed  that  there  has  been  a great  fail- 
ing off  in  tbe  yield  of  coppersh  during  the  year,  which 
maybe  attributed  to  the  abnormally  dry  season  expe- 
rienced in  1892,  the  rainfall  on  the  estate  in  that 
year  having  been  only  45  62  inches,  against  100  86 
inches  in  1891.  4.  In  1893  the  first  results  of  the 
systematic  course  of  manuring,  which  was  commenced 
in  1891,  should  become  apparent,  and  the  Directors 
will  then  be  able  to  decide  as  to  its  permanent  adop- 
tion. Those  portions  of  the  estate  already  treated 
under  this  course  show  marked  improvement,  and 
enoourage  the  expectation  that  the  plan  adopted  will 
be  a success. 
5.  The  working  of  the  seasons  1890,  1891  and  1892 
compares  as  follows  (the  item  of  interest  being  ex- 
cluded) : — 
1890. 
1891. 
1892. 
R. 
29,492-09 
33,567-28 
30,576-' 
Candies 
941 
995 
738 
Ballots 
21,850 
41,804 
44,821 
R. 
39-94 
41-08 
40-59 
R. 
616 
3-65 
3-02 
Expenditure  on 
Estate  and  i 
Colombo  Office 
Quantity  of 
Copra  pro- 
duced 
Quantity  of 
Coir  Fibre 
made  .. 
Average  price 
obtained  for 
Copra,  per 
candy 
Average  price 
obtained  for 
Coir  fihfp,  per 
cwt. 
6.  Two  Directors — Messrs.  F.  C.  Loos  and  C.  E. 
H.  Symons — retire  and  are  eligible  for  re-election. 
The  shareholders  have  to  appoint  an  Auditor  for  1893. 
The  meeting  was  held  at  No.  22,  Baillie  Street. 
There  were  present  Messrs.  E.  Dalton  (in  the 
chair),  S.  Green,  R.  L.  M,  Brown  (Secretary),  F- 
