Aug. 1, 1900.] THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST, 
109 
DIMBULA VALLEY (CEYLON^) TEA 
COMPANY, LU. 
ANNUAL REPORT. 
Directors' Kep n-t to be sabmiited to tlie Share- 
holders at the fourth annual ordinary fjeneral 
meeting to hs held at the Cannon Street Hotei, 
on Monday, the 2.5th day of June, 1900, at 12 
"'clock noon. The Directors beg to submit the 
General K-Jiince Slieet and Profit and Less 
Aec;-uiit for the year ending 31st March last. 
AftPr bringing forward £802 12s 9d from last 
accounts and providing for general expen- 
ses, London office expenses, and £500 for de- 
preciation, the net amount at credit of 
Pro lie and Loss Account is £18,894: 5s 8d. 
Dividends aggregating 6 percenl. 
le.ss Income Tax have been paid 
for the 12 months on the Pre- 
ference Shaves amonnsing to .. £3,440 2 0 
An Iu^erim dividend of 4 percent, 
Jep-s lacoms Tax ou the Ordinary 
Shares, has been paid, and 
amounted to .. "... 4,586 12 0 
It is proposed to pay a final divi- 
dond of 6 per cent on the Ordi- 
nary shares making 10 per cent, 
for the year, and which will 
amount to ... .. 6,879 18 1 
It is proDosed to carry to a Re- 
serve Fuud '.. .. 2,000 0 0 
Thus leaving to ba carried forward 
to , next year a balance of ,. 1,987 13 7 
18,894 5 8 
The past season was a normal one in the 
Dioibula District}, the yield from the Company's 
Citates being at the rate of 512 lb. per acre from 
tea in bearing, or a total of 1,079,829 lb. against 
the previous year 930,281 lb. 
The cost of cultivation and placing the crop on 
boaril ship in Colombo was 25'77 cents per lb. as 
against 29 cents for '98-'99 crop. 
The total crop realised (including 110 cwt. coffee) 
£42 558 10s 7d or an averaarefor the tea of 9-49d 
per lb., against £39,127 13s 4d or 10 091 per lb. 
the previous year. Exchange averaged 1/4 15/32 
per rupee, against l/4'29. 
The freight, warehousing and selling in London, 
including Fire and Marine Insurance from the 
field to the prompt date, cost '90 of a penny, and 
too much credit cannot be given to the Agents for 
their care and economical working. 
Theestates areas usual in agood state of cultiva- 
tion, and the thanks jf the Company are due to 
the Manager and his Staff for the ready and will- 
ing manner in v/hicli they have co-operated with 
your Board to this end. 
To be in accordance witli the usual custom of 
Tea Companies, and to facilitate the operations 
oil the estates, the Directors consider it advis- 
able that tlie Finar.cial Year be closed on the 
Slst December annually, instead of 31st March as 
at present. They projjose bringing this alteration 
into elfect forthwith, making the present year one 
of nine months only. 
During tlie year Sir. T 0 Owen was elected a 
Director in the place of the late Mr. C J Rowe. 
Mr. W Forbes Laurie retires by rotation, but 
being eligible, offers himself for re-election. 
Messrs. Singleton, Fabian & Co., the Auditors 
to the Company, retire, and being eligible, offer 
themselves for re-election. 
James Sinclair, Managing Director. 
Bertram F, White, Secretary. 
im June, 1900, 
BOGAWANTALAWA DISTRICT TEA CO. 
ANNUAL EEPOBT. 
Report presented at the Third Ordinary Annual 
General meeting of the Company, held at the 
office of the Company on Wednesday, 27th June. 
The Directors have the pleasure to submit the 
balance sheet and accounts of the Company for 
the year ending 31st March 1900, duly audited. 
The yield of Tea .largely exceeded the estimate 
and the cost of production has again been re- 
duced, but the average price of the Tea sold in 
London compares unfavourably with that of the 
previous year, the maiket having been very dull 
for the last tiiree months. 
The Ceylon expenditure includes £300 13s 7d 
spent on planting 84 acres with Tea and felling and 
clearing a further 13 acres, as well as £420 13s 2d 
the cost of a new Turbine and of altering the 
watercourse in Elbedde. 
The total yield was 1,209,451 lb. Tea plucked ofif 
2,185 acres, of which P 4 acres are only in partial 
bearing, being at the rate of 553 lb. per acre all 
round, costing free on board at Colombo 22'61 
cents or 3'69d per lb. The gross average price of 
the 1,186,433 lb. sold in London was 7 '98 per lb. 
The crops for the current season are estimated at 
1,121,000 lb. tea. 
The gross average at which drafts were nego- 
ciated was 1/4 5-16 per rupee against 1/4 5-32 and 
1/3 919 in the two previous seasons. 
The Directors de.sire to place on record their 
appreciation of the services of their Manager and 
his staff" in Ceylon. 
STATEMENT SHEWING RESULTS OF WORKING TOR 
THE THREE YEARS ENDING 31ST MARCH. 
Ph 
as 
Season, g 
Acres. 
1897-98 2.041 
p 
lb. 
lb. 
0:° 
d. 
^ o 
o 
d. 
8 20 
8-71 
7.98 
^ ft 
DiTi- 
denda 
di O 
994,413 487 4-22 8 20 1/3 9-16 
1898- 99 2,081 1,031,782 49,5 4-12 8 71 1/4 5-33 
1899- 00 2,185 1,209,451 553 3-69 7.98 1/4 S-16 
The Profit for the year 
amounts to . . £15,241 14 0 
To which has to be added 
Interest .. 100 1^ S 
And the Balance 
from last year of £1,061 14 7 
Less Income tax, 
1898-99 ... 435 1 4 
8 
Interest on the Mortgass 
Debentures has been Jiaid, 
less Income Tax 
Dividends on the percent. 
Preference Shares for the 12 
months were paid on the 11th 
October, 1899, and 2nd April, 
1900, less'Sa.x 
An Interim Dividend of 2;^ 
per cent, on the Ordiniiry 
Shares was paid, less Tax, 
on the 10th January, 1900 . . 
Income Tax to April, 1900, 
has been paid , , 
826 13 5 
i 
406 0 0 
5,394 0 0 
2,416 13 i 
466 11 i 
-£15,969 1 i 
