$EPT. 1, 1902.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTl/lilsf. lOG 
There are otlier passages in the proceeclin£;s tliafc 
J'ou oufht to copy aud empliasize. — Yours, etc , 
FA IK PLAY. 
[We regret not having given the proceediugs 
in full. Mr. A. K. Muir, who is a keen man of 
husiness — as we saw in Galciitta — made a capital 
Chairman ; but lie was inclined to be a little 
too sanguine— for instance, at the " Consolidated " 
meeting, he said : — 
" There is no doubt, Gentlemen, that the tea in- 
dustry has, for the last two years, been passing 
through very trying times, but the present position 
is not by any means so gloomy as might ba iini^gined 
from the market quotation of tea shares. Without 
being unduly optimistic, I think there are some indi- 
cations that the tea-growing industry will, before 
very long, again enjoy a period of prosperity. The 
remarks recently made by the Chancellor of the 
Excheq ier may fairly be taken aa equivalent to a 
promise of the early removal of the additional 2d 
per lb. on the duty on tea, which has been a 
serious burden on the industry, as it has undoubtedly 
been borne almost entirely by the producers. The 
consumption of Indian aud Oeylon tea has been 
going on increasing satisfactorily, and if it continues 
at the same rate should before long overtake and 
pass the production. . . , The export of tea from 
China has been steadily declining. [Not so, for the 
present season. — Ed, CO.] In Japan there 
has been a marked advance in the price of 
labour, so much so that it has become impossible 
in many districts to grow tea at a profit. 
In these districts, I am informed, the tea 
bushes have in many cases been pulled up and 
mulberry trees have been planted in their place. The 
exports from Japan have fallen off over 10,000,000 lb. 
and it will be difficult for them to make their ex- 
ports np to the old figures. For the past few years 
both the Chinese and the Japanese have tried to 
off-set the advance in labour and the lower prices in 
the United States by putting less labour on their tea. 
I refer now to the rolling. The result has been that 
the quality has fallen off very considerably." 
Later on, he stated : — 
"As regards finding other fresh outlets, I may 
remind you that the Australian markets are now 
free and that the American tax will be removed next 
year. Progress in America h:is, so far, been dis- 
appointing, and Indian and Ceylon producers are 
beginning to realise that if they are to make headway 
there they must set themselves to turn out the class of 
tea which the Americans want. There is a market for 
over 60,000,000 lb. of green tea in America, which 
sells at from 7d to Is 6d per lb., the average price 
of green tea in America being about 8Jd to 9d per 
lb. These teas are made in Cnina and Japan, and it 
seems reasonable to suppose that if we are to pro- 
duce an article suited to the American taste we 
must study the methods of Cl.iua and Japan. With 
his object in view the Anglo-American Direct lea 
Trading Company, Limited, have during the past 
year had a representative in Japan, studying the 
system of manufacture adopted there. A factory has 
been erected iu Colombo aud equipped with the neces- 
sary machinery for making green teas in the Chinese 
and Japanese fashion. This factory is capable o£ 
turning out about 3,000,000 lb. of green tea per annum. 
About one-fourth of this quantity is at present being 
manufactured there, and il: it proves that 3,000,000 lb. 
can readily be sold in the United States and Canada 
the output will be increased accordingly." 
Mr. Win. Mackenzie made some remarks worth 
quoting : — 
Mr W Mackenzie, after referring to some items .'n 
the accounts, aud the necessity for economical work, 
said he hoped commissions on results would continue 
to be paid to estate managers. Personally, ho 
thought tho reserve fund, which now stands at £C5,000, 
hoi}ld be applied in wiping out such uominal asseta 
aa debenture expenses and preliminary expenses, and 
in reducing block account, to which he noticed in- 
terest continues to be charger). He also thought it 
would not be fair to use present valuations as a test 
per acre. We went in at a high value, and things hava 
fallen a bit, and therefore we cannot be too mathe- 
matical, but must consider the circumstances, and 
what is good for practical protection. 
At the meeting of the "Amalgamated," the 
Chairman said : — 
As mentioned in the report, the Calcutta and 
Colombo agents have, in view of the disappointing 
results of last season's working, voluntarily agreed 
to give up to the company for the benefit of revenue 
account the whole of their commissions for the year. 
The London agents have also agreed to give up one- 
half of their commissions, and the accounts have been 
framed on that basis. As regards the future, you will 
no doubt also appreciate the offer made by the Cal- 
cutta and Colombo agents to accept lowdr remunera- 
tion than they are entitled to under their agreement 
while the depression in tea continues. The planted 
area of the company's properties is now 13,49i acres. 
The estimated yield of tea for the current season ia 
3,175,280 lb. As stated in the report the increase 
expected is mainly from the company's young estates 
in Assam, which are now coming into bearing, and 
which, having been planted with a high-class jat of 
tea, should help to improve the average price of the 
company's produce. . . . The company's coconut 
estates in Ceylon, aggregating about 1,000 acres, 
continue to make satisfactory progress, aud the growth 
of the palms generally is reported, according to 
latest advices, to be excellent. While this is so, 
these properties cannot be expected to contribute to 
the profits of tho company for two or three years 
owing to the long period this product takes to 
mature. 
Mr. Alex. Mann, the Company's Visiting Agent, 
maiie an important statement, tlie closing sentence 
especially being noticeable: — 
This company has the great advantage of having 
most of its properties in the two best tea dis- 
tricts in India, viz , in Assam and Darjeeling, and 
it is rather unfortunate that these are the two dis- 
tricts that have suffered more than others last year 
in quality of manufacture. 
It may be pointed out that there is practically no 
more land suitable for tea to be had in the Darjeeling 
district, so the over-supply too often beard of in con^ 
nection with tea generally should not apply to tea3 
from this hill district. 
—Ed. CO.] 
CACAO-AND ITS FERMENTATION. 
July 22, 
Dear Sir,— Your appeal to Cacao planters to 
give their experience in the way of fermenting 
and washing (in connection with Mr. Renton's 
valuable information) will, I am afraid, not be 
responded to. Is it shyness or egotism? — the 
latter I think. If it is the latter, it is a mistake ; 
for I dare assert that the produce of the in- 
dividual planter will not receive much attention 
in the market if the country is thought to produce 
an inferior article. 
Much is to be learnt about fermentation, that 
mysterious operation. Id wants a specialist, and 
it has to diil'er for every variety. 
Coincidence — this is wiiat I wrote on June 16th 
to my London agents ;— " Our cacao is not appre- 
ciated in Germany on account of its sour smell, 
it is said, which is due to the washing. To obtain 
the red colour outside, appreciated by London 
buyers, it is necessary to wash after a day's 
fermentation, dry slowly, give another night's 
fermentation, dry slowly. This way of fer- 
