622 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST, 
[April  i,  1893. 
G.  Loos,  Schnell,  Owen  Morgan,  Longmire,  Grigson 
and  P.  W.  Bois. 
On  the  motion  of  Mr.  Dalton,  seoonded  by  Mr. 
S.  Green,  the  report  was  adopted. 
On  the  motion  of  Mr.  Longmire,  seoonded  by  Mr. 
Schnell,  the  dividend  recommended  in  the  report 
was  deolared. 
On  the  motion  of  Mr.  Bois,  seconded  by  Mr. 
Grigson,  Messrs.  C.  E.  H.  Symons  and  F.  0.  Loos 
were  re-elected  as  directors. 
On  the  motion  of  M.  Green,  seconded  by  Mr. 
Morgan,  Mr.  Richmond  was  elected  Auditor  on  the 
usual  fee  of  R100. 
THE  CEYLON  TEA  FUND  ACCOUNTS. 
We  have  received  from  Mr.  A.  Philip,  Secretary 
to  the  Planters’  Association  of  Ceylon,  a copy  of  the 
printed  accounts  of  the  Ceylon  Tea  Fund  for  the 
year  ended  31st  December  last.  The  first  statement 
shows  the  payments  and  receipts  on  account  of  the 
Tea  Kiosk,  the  former  emountiDg  to  R684-40  and 
the  latter  to  R966  67.  The  payments  made  in  Ceylon 
on  aooount.  of  Ceylon  Tea  in  Austiia  are  shown  to 
he  R346-70  ; on  account  of  Ceylon  Tea  in  Germany, 
R3,188T0;  on  account  of  Ceylon  Tea  in  America— 
(Grant  of  Tea  to  the  Ceylon  Planters’  Tea  Company 
of  New  York)  112,365-87  ; on  acoount  o f Ceylon 
Green  Teas  R75P51  ; on  aocount  of  Oeylon  Tea  in 
Vienna  R45879  ; on  aocount  of  Oeylon  Tea  in 
British  Columbia  R17  00 ; on  aooount  of  Oeylon  Tea 
in  California  R7500. 
The  balance  in  New  Oriental  Bank  Corporation, 
Ltd.,  at  31st  December,  1892,  was  R9,205  and  the 
balance  in  Bank  of  Madras  at  31st  December,  1892, 
R8,779. 
Verification  Memo,  of  Abstract  of  Collections  to 
the  Ceylon  Tea  Fund  for  the  six  months  ending 
30th  June,  1892.  R.  c. 
Collected  [vide  Receipt  Book)  in  Jan.,  1892. . 4,587  29 
D0  do  do  Feb.,  1892..  4,204  63 
Do  do  do  March  R2,030'87 
Deduct  Special  Subscription  to 
Chicago  Exhibition  . . „ 87-00 
1,943  87 
Collected  (vide  Receipt  Book)  in  April,  1892. . 775  64 
Do  do  do  May,  1892..  669  59 
Do  do  do  June,  1892..  2,307  73 
14,488  75 
R6, 685-36 
„ 63-34 
6,748  70 
87  00 
Bank  Balance  at  31st  Dec  , 1891, 
as  per  previous  statement  . . 
Bank  Interest 
Add  Chicago  Exhibition  Special  Subscription 
as  above  • • • • • • 
R21,324  45 
Verification  Memo,  of  Abstraot  of  Collections  to  the 
Oeylon  Tea  Fund  for  six  months  ending  31st 
December,  1892. 
R.  o. 
Collected  (vide  Receipt  Book)  in  July,  1892...  6,333  33 
t-)0  do  do  Augt.,  1892...  5 266  69 
do  do  Sept.,  1892...  1,004  13 
Do  do  do  Ool  , 1892...  1,446  84 
[So  do  do  Nov.,  189?...  501  45 
Do  do  do  Dec , 1892...  2,079  78 
16,631  12 
Balance  at  30th  June,  1892,  as  per  previous 
statement  in  New  Oriental  Bank  Corpoia- 
tion,  Limited  •••  •••  . — 
Balance  at  30th  June,  1892,  as  per  previous 
statement  in  Bank  of  MadraB  ...  - 
Ceylon  Tea  Kiosk  (rents  recovered) 
Interest  from  New  Oriental  Bank 
Corporation,  Limited  ...  R ' jj* 
Interest  from  Bank  of  Made  is  ...  35 
9,198  (7 
111  87 
501  67 
59  19 
820,594  62 
PEACH-GROWING  IN  GEORGIA. 
Peach-growing  has  become  an  important  and  profit- 
able industry  in  the  central  counties  of  Georgia.  It  is 
said  by  the  Baltimore  Sun  that  “ Houston  county  alone 
produced  last  year  a fruit  crop  valued  at  1350,000, 
the  most  of  which  sum  was  realized  from  the  sale  of 
peaches.  Some  of  the  orchards  in  the  county  contain 
200.000  trees,  and  a large  number  of  them  contain 
5.000  trees  or  over.  The  Georgia  farmers  who  are 
now  turning  their  attention  to  peach  culture  formerly 
raised  cotton  exclusively,  and  suffered  financially 
from  the  lack  of  diversity  in  their  crops.  Some  of 
the  finest  peaches  grown  in  the  United  States  are 
said  to  be  produced  in  the  country  around  the  city  of 
Augusta.” — Bradstreet's,  Jan.  13. 
«♦ 
HAILSTONES  IN  CAPE  COLONY. 
We  have  frequently  read  of  the  damage  done  by 
hailstones  in  India  and  other  parts  of  the  world, 
but  never  before  of  their  being  driven  by  the 
force  of  wind  through  galvanized  iron  roofing,  even 
though  the  size  of  hen's  eggs!  But  this  is  Btated 
in  the  following  report  in  the  Natal  Mercury : — 
A fearful  thunderstorm  pasted  over  Xalerga  district 
early  in  January.  Trees  were  shorn  of  the  leaves, 
fruit  and  bark,  and  crops  of  wheat,  barley,  oats, 
mealies,  and  pumpkins  were  beaten  into  the  ground. 
Hailstones,  the  size  of  hen’s  eggs,  were  driven  by  the 
wind  through  the  galvanized  iron  roofs.  A loog 
stretch  of  country  was  devastated.  Many  poorer 
farmers  are  penniless,  and  have  no  provisions  until 
fresh  crops  come  on.  Meetings  are  about  to  be  held  to 
petition  Government  for  relief,  otherwise  many  families 
will  suffer  starvation.  The  estimated  loss  in  crops 
alone  is  from  £3,000  to  £4,000, 
» . 
CEYLON  COCONUT  OIL. 
Sinoe  the  beginning  of  the  year  there  has  been  a 
steady  improvement  in  the  position  of  Ceylon  or  conut 
oil.  Prior  to  that  the  market  had  been  unsettled,  al- 
though the  improved  position  of  competing  products 
should  have  had  stimulating  influence.  During  the 
months  of  August  to  November  inclusive  last  year, 
Ceylon  oil  was  Bold  for  shipment  at,  probably,  the 
lowest  price  ever  touohed,  namely  fonr  and  three- 
quarters  cents  per  pound.  The  extremely  low  price 
brought  Oeylon  oil  prominently  to  the  attention  of 
soap  makers,  and  particularly  those  who  had  never, 
therefore,  used  it ; at  that  time  the  upward  movement 
in  animal  greases,  which  has  since  assumed  remark- 
able proportions,  was  beginning  to  be  seriously  felt 
by  users.  The  result  was  that  in  a short  time  the 
consumption  of  Oeylon  coconut  oil  in  the  United  States 
almost  doubled  that  of  the  corresponding  period  a 
year  ago. 
The  European  soap  makers,  who  for  a number  of 
years  have  been  pressing  their  own  coconut  oil  from 
the  copra,  were  last  year  much  larger  consumers 
of  fLat  raw  material  than  even  before.  As  a con- 
st qnence,  unusual. y large  quantities  of  copra  were 
exported  from  Oeylon  to  Europe  so  greatly  decreasing 
the  supply  iu  the  primary  market  as  to  oause  a 
very  decided  reduction  in  the  output  of  oil  there. 
This  shortage  began  to  be  felt  in  American  markets 
about  the  beginning  of  October,  though  as  the  oil 
previously  purclwed  for  American  account,  at  low 
prices,  had  been  coming  along,  it  had  no  really 
appreciable  effect  on  the  local  market  until  a com- 
paratively recent  da'e.  Iu  Oeylon,  however,  prices 
have  advanced  sinoe  October  1st  fully  five  pounds 
sterling,  per  ton. 
At  the  present  time  the  market,  spot  and  future, 
is  in  a very  strong  position  and  advancing  almost 
daily.  The  last  quotation  here,  on  stock  to  arrive 
was  close  to  six  oents  for  February-May  shipments 
from  the  coast,  and  even  at  that  price  the  oil  is 
offered  in  very  small  blocksi  There  is  little  reason 
to  believe  that  the  large  advanoe  in  ooeonut  oil 
would  have  been  possible,  but  for  the  great  sear- 
