190 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[Sept. 1, 1899. 
ANGLd-iDEYLON AND GENERAL ESTATES 
COMPANY, LIMITED. 
Keport of the Board of Directors, presented to 
the, Stockholders at the thirteenth annual ordi- 
nary general meeting, held at 20, Eastcheap, 
London, E.G., on Tuesday, July 18th. 
The Directors herewith submit their Report, 
and the Accounts, for the year ending the 31st 
March, 1899. 
The net profit, witli the Ijalance of profit carried 
forvVard from the previous year, as shewn in the 
audited accounts annexed hereto, amounts, after 
payment of the Debenture Interest, to £18,6.50 
7s lOd, and the Directors recommend the pay- 
ment thereout of a Dividend of 4 per cent, on 
the Consolidated Stock of the Company. This 
Dividend will, if assented to by the meeting, be 
payable on the 1st August, 1899, at the London 
OfHce of the Company's Bankers. 
In Mauritius the prices for Sugar in the course 
of the year under review sank, owing to the 
collapse of the Indian Market, to the lowest 
point ever known. Fortunately, however, the 
crop was remarkably abundant, and the cost of 
production per ton of Sugar was from this and 
other causes considerably reduced. 
Towards the end of the financial year the Indian 
Market revived to some extent, in consequence 
of the confidence inspired by tlie legislation of 
the Indian Government, by which the foreign 
bounties were countervailed ; the Money Market 
in Port Louis became easier, and serious diffi- 
culties in the Island were .averted. 141,619 tons 
of canes were handled on all the estates in wliich 
the Company is interested, producing a crop of 
13,526 tons of Sugar as against the very short 
crop of 8,916 tons in the year 1897-1898. 
It is hoped that a condition of greater stability 
will prevail in the Indian Sugar Market, favour- 
able to Mauritius interests, as an effect of the 
legislation to which reference has just been 
made. 
In Ceylon the crop of Tea from the Company's 
Estates fell very short of the estimate owing to 
the persistent drought and cold wind experienced 
throughout the tea growing districts ; and it 
amounted to 1,566,812 lb., only as against 1.584,2-^6 
lb. plucked from a less area in the previous 
year. From the same causes the Cocoa crop 
was reduced from 2,100 cwts. to 274 ewts., being 
less than one-seventh of its predecessor. The 
drought caused considerable damage on the Cocoa 
Estates, and the mortality among the young 
coconut trees was large ; the Cocoa trees in bear- 
ing, however, are now reported to be looking 
•well, and the Spring crop just harvested is stated 
to be satisfactory. 
The prevalence of higher rates of exchange, as 
shewn below, further reduced tlie Company's 
profits in Ceylon, which were accordingly much 
below those of the year 1897-1898. 
The gross price of the Company's Tea was 8. .59 
pence per lb. in London as against 8.17 pence in 
the previous year, and tlie gross price of the 
Company's Cocoa averaged 70/1 per cwt., as 
against 71/- per cwt. previously. 
The result of the working of the Estates in Ceylon 
and Mauritius respectively is given in the Profit 
and Loss Account, calculated at the average rate 
of exchange of 1/4^, as against l/3g in the year 
1897-1898. . 
The Chairman visited the Company's properties 
in Ceylon, the Straits and Mauritius, during the 
year, and the Board is confident tliat improved 
results will accrue from this inspection. 
The condition of the Estates, both in Ceylon 
and Mauritius, is Reported to be excellent, and 
the prospects for the current year to be en- 
couraging. A statement of the acreages is given 
in the schedule annexed hereto. 
Mr. Quintin Hogg, under the provisions of the 
Articles of Association, retires from the Board, 
and being eligible, offers himself for re-election. 
The Auditors, Messrs. Welton, Jones & Co., 
also retire from office, and have expressed their 
readiness to act if re-elected. 
♦ 
TEA P.LIGHTS— AND PLANT DISEASE.* 
Jvist as we Avere about to publish a brief 
I'eview of Mr. Massee's important little book 
on "plant diseases," there comes to hand a 
special circular by Mr. Willis on "Tea 
Blights " and how to deal with them, wliich 
we fully reproduce in our Daily and T. A. It 
will be very interesting now to compare what 
Mr. Massee and Mr. Willis say not only in 
description of the fungus pests affecting tea, 
but also as to "preventive means." Our 
tea planters are unusually fortunate in hav- 
ing the opinions of two such good autho- 
rities given simultaneouslj'^. We now pro- 
ceed with our review of the book before us. 
Mr. George Massee, f.i^.s.. Principal Assist- 
ant (Cryptogams), Royal Herbariun .-^ Kew, 
is recognised to be at the head ■'■f h,'^ own 
DepartuKMit in reference to diseases laused 
by parasites of vegetable origin, and from 
India and Ceylon, again and again, have 
i-eferenres been made to him in regard to 
fungoid or other pests affecting tea, cacao 
or other products. His text-book of Plant 
Diseases will, therefore, be widely consulted ; 
and as it is thrown into the form of a handy 
book of reference and is, moreover, freely 
illustrated with descriptions and advice put 
into plain language, it is just the little book 
— costing under five rupees in CJeylon — that 
ought to be in the hands of responsible planters. 
The preface opens as follows: — 
The aimsof this book is to enable those directly oc- 
cupied ia the cnltivation of plants, and with but a 
limited period of time available for study, to determine 
the nature of diseases caused by parasites of vegetable 
origin; to apply in the moat approved manner those 
cunitivc and prevantive methods which experience has 
shown to be most successful in combating the parti- 
cular form of disease under consideration ; and finally, 
to inolu je in the daily routine of vpork precautionary 
measures which, without being costly, frequently pre- 
vent a slif^ht disease from assuming the proportions of 
an epidemic 
An instructive introduction may be gauged 
from the following summary : — 
Amount nud kind of knowledge required by practical 
men — FHmiliarity with namesand habits of pirasites — 
Preventive measures — Cures - Kule-of-thun b Jn .thoda 
of doubtful value. 
And uo less suggestive are the headings for 
the chapter on "Fungi": — 
Nature of fungi — Saprophytes — Parasites — Mode of 
growth of fungi — Reproduction of fungi — How parasitic 
fungi infect their victims- — ffow thesporeg of fungi are 
dispersed — Modes of dissemination of disease that can 
be prevented — Danger connected with pruning — Selec- 
tion of shade trees. 
There are chapters on "Lichens," "Algae," 
" Myxogastres," and "Bacteria." Of more 
general interest is what is said of ' Fungi- 
cides ": — 
Nature of Fungicides — Solutions — Powders — Borde- 
aux mixture— Ammoniacal solution of copper carbonate 
— Potassium sulphide solution — Iron sulphite solution — 
* A Text-bouk of Plaiit Diseases cau.<;ed by crypto- 
gamic parasites by George Massee, f.l.p-, Principal 
Assistant (Cryptogams), Royal Herbarium, Kew. 
London, Bnekworth & Co. New York : the Mac- 
millan Company, 1899. ... 
