354 
THE TROPICAL 
AGItlCULTURIST. [Nov 1, IDOO. 
RUBBER EXPERIMENTS. 
Paris, Sept.. 23. 
Dear Sir, — Can any of yoni- readers procure 
nie painple of llie plant you call Castilloa elastioa 
in Ceylon? I believe the plant p;ro\vn there is 
Castilloa bunn. Castilloa elaslica is less injured 
by the temperature and there is an interest to 
know exactly what is the species >,'ro\vn. 
About rubber barks, the results obtained vary. 
If the bark has been quicUly dried by pxposnie 
to full sun, the rubber is more abundant than in 
barks slowly dried ; fermentation in that case 
has destroyed parts of the unm. The baik 
quickly dried can after be exposed to nioi>iture 
with less inconvenience than bark slowly drien. 
It is easily proved by bags of bark i)artly musty : 
if well dried first, the damivp;e is not ^reat ; 
but fermented l>arks affected after by 
moisture, are quite unfit for any use. So, ic 
is important if any of yonr readers sent me 
samples — to dry these quickly. Oar Company for 
Extraction of Rubber is founded, and will buy on 
analysis any bark offered. The i)rice will vaiy 
like for baiks of cinchona. — Believe nie, yours most 
truly, A. GODEFl^OY-LEBEUF. 
P. a. — I have introduced this year several i!ew 
rubber products, — such as, Forsteronia. graciii.'^, 
Hancornia speciosa. Euphorbia specicsa— a new 
sort from Guinea, producing gum of inferior 
quality, but in very great quantity. 
[We have just sent Mr. Godefroy-Lebeuf a 
parcel of Para rubber from a Ceylon planter who 
■wants a report after analysis of the same. 
Can any one spare a sample of Castilloa bar 
—Ed. f.A.] 
IMPORTANCE OP LOWCOUNTRY GREEN 
TEAS ; AND THE GLAZING OF TEAS. 
Stagbrook, Peeriria;id, S. India. 
Sir,— I was interested to see by yonr issue 
of the 12th October, that Arapolakanda had 
obtained such anencourgiuf^ average for low- 
grown green teas, though of course, it would 
have been more satisfactory had the sales 
been made direct in America, Canada or Rus- 
sia. However we may take it for granted that 
Colombo buyers, as a rule, are on the safe 
side. This being so, I would remind you that 
lowcounti'y green teas has been a hobby of 
mine for some years, and you will find, that 
while on June 20th, Mr. F. F. Street, in an 
interview, says:—" I certainly do not recom* 
mend the lowcountry planter to make green 
tea, etc., etc." that I not having seen his 
remarks, writing to the Press on 2nd July, 
1900, said : — " I am of opinion that low qroivn 
teas will make the best green teas, and have 
made experiments which tended to prove jny 
theory." If this opinion prove correct, or at 
any rate if " lowcountry " green teas can get 
as favourable prices as higli-grown green 
teas, it will be of great benefit to'all interested 
in the tea industry, for I take it that it is 
much more to the interest of the Planting 
Community to get low-grown black teas on 
the market. 
I hope experiments are being made in 
"glazing" the teas as per my directions is- 
Bued by Messrs. Brown & ('o., Ld. as I am 
certain it jirotects the teas and enables them 
to be kept longer.— I ain, dear sir, yours 
faithfully, 
H. DKU3IM0ND DEANE, 
THE M VTURATA TEA COMPANY, LTD. 
director's report 
submitted to the Shareholders at the Third 
Annual Ordinary General Meeting, held at 
the OfHces of the Con)|)any, 16, Philpot Lane, 
London, E. C, on Wednesday, 3id day of October, 
1900, at 12 noon :— 
The Directors herewith beg fo sq^mit their third 
annual report and balance sheet for the year ending 
3rd June. 1900. Afcer bringing forward £678 10^ 3d 
from )ait year's account, and after payment of 
Debenture Interest and London Charges (Directors' 
fees, &c.), the net amount of Profit and Loss Account 
is £2,164 14s 7d. A dividend of 3 per cent, has been 
paid on the Preference Shares for the half-year 
amounting to £\2'>. A further 3 per cent, was paid 
on the PiefereLce Shaies on .July 1st, making G 
per cent, for the year, amounting to £120. It is 
proposed to pay a dividend of 1(J per cent., less in- 
come tax, on the Ordinary Share Cipital which 
will absorb, £800. Thus leaving to be carried for- 
ward to next year a balance of £1,424 lis 7H. Total 
£2,404 14-3 7d. The past year has again sliowed very 
satisfactory results, and the yearly earuiuga of the 
Company have been substantially increased. The 
Pirertors therefore feel justified in recommending a 
dividend of 10 per cent on the Ordinary Share Capital 
of the Company, as, after payment of this, there still 
remains a considerable sum to carry forward. £1,000 
of the debenture debt has been paid t ff daring the past 
year thus enhancing the value of the Preferred and 
Ordinary Capital. The thanks of the Company are duo 
to the Superintendent for the excellent way in which 
he has worked the estate and more than maintained 
the quality of our tea notwithstanding that the factory 
durini; the greater part of the 5'ear, was in course re- 
c nstruction which made his woik considerably more 
difficult. The last report from the Visiting Agent in 
Ceylon as to the condition of the estate is highly satis- 
factory. The crop for the past year amounted to 
159,054 1b , which sold at a nett average of 8 88d. 
For thecorrent year the crop is estiraaiedat 140,000 b. 
Mr. G. Alderson Smith retires in accordance with 
the Articles of Association, but offers himself f jr re- 
election as a Director. 
FERNLANDS TEA COMPANY, LTD 
ANNUAL EEPORT. 
^ c ge 
FERNLiNDS. 
Tea in full bearing ... 
Tea in partial bearing 
Grass and Jungle 
Total Estate . . 
ETON. 
Tea in full bearing 
Tea in partial beaiiug 
Tea not in bearing 
Coffee in bearing 
Cardamoms 
Grass, Jungle and Scrub 
Total Estate ... 
Grand Total 621 acres. 
The directors submit to the shar holders the ac- 
counts for the season ending 30th June last. 
The tea crop of 150,067 lb, rei lised a net average 
of 48 35 cents per lb. after making a safe estimate 
for proceeds of tea for which closed ac( cunts have 
not yet been leceived from Loudon. Coffee crop was 
as foreshadowed inlast 3 ear's report laiger than that 
of 1898-99 though short of the estimate. 
Alter w itirg off 10 per cent depreciation on build- 
ings End Machiueiy, the balance at credit of piofit 
and loss account is R19,256'16. In March last an in- 
terirn dividend of 2 per cent was declared and paid, 
212 
acres 
7 
)] 
52 
271 
acres. 
150 
acres. 
9 
)i 
5 
i> 
47 
i> 
14 
25 
250 
acres. 
