430 
THE TEOPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. [Dec. 1, 19C0. 
la answer to this I would state my belief that 
it is better for the general success of trade in 
any article of commerce, that there should be a 
certain amount of stability as against .sudden 
rushes up and down. Such stability, would I 
believe, be promoted by the policy I suggest. 
Again, I think it is doubtful whether a unit 
ruling much higher than the present one could 
be a lasting benefit to the cinchona planter. I 
do not believe tliat the present price of quinine 
will have any atTect on its consumption, but if it 
went much higher this might occur. 
Again, a considerable rise in the price of 
quinine and bark might lead to a renewed im- 
portation of large quantities of forest bark from 
South America and thus again slump the market, 
or it might lead to chemical production of 
quinine from that all-producing coal tar at re- 
munerative prices. 
I believe that it will be best foi the Cinchona 
Planter to be content with the 2id unit and the 
Quinine Manufacturer with the Is (id an ounce ana 
it is with this object in view that I have written. 
Even these figures seem lacking in humanity, 
when so many thousands of fever-stricken are 
crying out for cheap quinine, but I have per- 
sonally suffered too much by cheap quinine, not 
to feel that even a medicine should be distributed 
through the world at some profit to the pro- 
ducer.— Yours very truly, 
J. VON ROSENBERG. 
Manale, near Devikolam, 7th November 1900. 
PLANTING NOTES. 
The Bombay Tea Company, Limited.— This 
Company, which is not an Indian company, as 
its name implies, but a retail trading conqjauy 
having branches in most of the Northern towns, 
has declared an interim dividend of (5 per cent 
per anuum, on both preference and ordinary 
shares, being the same as previously. Dividend 
warriiits were sent out on Friday, Oct. 26th, 190J. 
—Grocers^ Journal, Oct. 27. 
Thk T^A Pl,anter. — The Bevue des Cultures 
Coloniales for August 5th has an article on 
tea, giving, an outline of an elaborate paper 
by Mr. Jules Koch that appeared in Eng- 
ler's BotaniscLe Jahrhuch (Botanical Ainitial). 
On the Genus Tea and China Tea,' The 
article, it seems, is very carefully drawn tip, 
in its original (Wilhelui Engehnann, Editor' 
Leipzig). 
GouBAMi Fish for Ceylon.— We direct 
the attention of pisciculturists, and especially 
the members of the local Pishing Clrb, to 
Mr. D. O'Connor's letter elsewhere. We saw 
no better way of finding out whether Mr. 
O'Connor's services were locally required 
than by the publication of his offer. The 
gourami is a very valuable tank fish and 
Mr. O'Connor has established a reputation as 
a zooloogist and collector and for liis success 
in carrying specimens of different kinds 
from Queensland to England and vice versa. 
It may be a question whether the (Jeylon 
Government should not be appr<^ached with 
reference to the introduction of gourami 
into some of the village tanks ? "CD." will 
be interested in Mr. O'Connor's letter. — Part 
failure should not prevent a fresh W'u^U 
THE t,ANKA PLANTATIONS CO, LTD. 
ANNUAL KEl'ORT. 
Kei)ort presented at the Twentieth Ordinary 
General Meeting; of the Lanka Plantations Com- 
pany, Liniitecl, held at the Ohice of the Company, 
on Wednesday, the 14th November, 1900, at 
twelve o'clock noon jirecisely. 
1. I'iij Directors now submit their Report forthe 
twelve montlis ending 30tli June last, together 
witli the lialance Kheet and A'jcoiints of the 
Company made up to that dat? ami duly audited, 
2. The coffee croj) shipped to Lon Ion amounted 
to 17J:Cwt. 3 qr*. 131b., and realised £5738s5d, Last 
year, the crop ship|ied was 722 cwt. , and rcalit'ed 
£2,843 I s 2d The aorea;;e under co'lee alone was 
noniii, ally 120 acres, and of tliif, 70 acres cireto be 
planted with tea this season, and the )-eniair<ler'next, 
3. The total crop of cocoa gathered on Yattawatta 
a.nounted to 1,099 cwt., and realised £4, 1218s 5d. 
against 1,655 cwt. last year, which reali.seil £5,5 9 
18s 10 I. The cost of foni teen acres new land, and the 
net e.xpendilui c on dealings not yet, in bciirin^.', aie 
charged to rapital account. Onji became estate SGjlb. ' 
Cardamoms were gathered, realising £32 8s 4d. 
4. Tiie tea received from the Com|)any's estates 
au)ounted to 947,194 lb., and has been .sold at 
an average of 6'98 per lb. net, realising £27,566 
4s 7d. Last year the Company received 769 578 lb. 
which was sold at an average of 7 44 per lb. net, 
and realised £23,862 4s 4d. The season was favour- 
able, and the older fields are responding to the 
manure that has been applied to them, 
5. The average late at which drafts were 
negotiated on account of the season's crops was 
1/4J, per rupee against l/4 9-32iids last year, 
6. ThefoUowing statement shows the approxim- 
ate acreageand state of cttltivation of the Company's 
estates on the 30th June last, as per recent surveys 
d g <u S ^ [D 
Estate. i =e' « ^ £ 2 g § ^ 
6 ^ 6 66"^^ ^ ^ 
AmpiUiakandej__20 444 ... 4 256 70 794 
Fruit [fill .... 227 10 . . 237 
Eordyce, Garbawn, 
Gouagalla, and 
Paramatta 798 „ 5 . . 135 938 
Eappahannock . . ... 322 . . 31 30 90 473 
Rillamulle 195 .... 343 22 560 
Thotulagalla ..100 281 .... 64 111 556 
Yattawatte 7a; 95 309 82 1,237 
120 2,267 751 1351,012 510 4,795 
7. The net profits for the past year amounted 
to £7,511 Os 2d, to which must be added the sum 
of £952 Is 6d tiie balance brought forward from the 
year 1898-99, making together £8,463 Is 8d. 
8. Having already paid a half-year's interim 
dividend on the Six per Cent. Pi eference Shares 
to the 31st December, 1899, amounting to 
£426 6s Od, the Directors recommend iiayraeut of 
the Dividend on these shares lo 3Utli June last, 
requiring (less property tax) £422 I2i 6J, and 
havuig deducted in anticipation £999 4s 5d, being 
one-tenth of the sums charged to Suspense Account 
during the ten years ending 30lh June, 190u, they 
farther recommend a divident ot Bs per .-h re, e ng 
4 per cent (free of income tax) on the U Uinary 
Shares^, amounting to £6 000, canying f i ward a 
balance of £6"4 IBs 9d to the next accoiuit. 
9. Mr.sEdward Pettit, the Diiector retiring on this 
occasion, being eligible, offers himseiffo.- re-election. 
Mr, John Smith the Auditor also retires ainJ 
