250 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. [Oct. 1, 1899. 
HAPUGAHALANDE TEA COMPANY. 
ANNUAL REPORT. 
Acreage :— 
Tea in full bearing . . 235 acrea 
New clearings ... 150 „ 
Jungle (fcc. . . 369 „ Ir 3p 
Total estate ... 754a Ir 3p 
Yonr Directors beg to submit their annual report 
and accounts for the twelve months ending 30th June, 
1899, which they trust maybe considered satisfactory. 
The quantity of tea manufactured for the season 
(including estate a»d bought leaf, but exclusive of 
that manufactured for other estates) was 138'7501b. 
Estimating the unsold tea at a safe valuation, and 
excluding a surplus of R290 91 on previous crop, the 
nett amount realised for this product totals R47,960'02, 
being an average of 34'57 cents per lb. 
After setting aside R2,641'28 for depreciation on 
buildings and machinery, the sum available for dis- 
tribution (including R123'61 brought forward from last 
account) is R23,134'41. From this sum the directors 
recommend payment of a dividend of 12 per cent, 
absorbing R20,400 and leaving R2,734-41 to be carried 
forward. 
In terms of the Articles of Association Mr. Keith 
Rollo retires from the office of director, but being 
eligible, offers himself for re-election. 
The appointment of an auditor for the current 
seaRou will rest with the meeting. 
in the shape of leaf, it is strange that consumers do 
not prefer to have the pure uncoloured leaf as it is 
used by the Chinese themselves. Colouring enables 
the tea-cnrers to hide defects which would otherwise 
be exposed." The crop was 80,000 half-chests, against 
112,000 half-chests last season. In country teas 
(Tienkais Moyunes, and Fychows) transactions were 
not profitable. Most of these teas lost in America, 
and barely paid first cost in England. The crop is 
reckoned at 177,000 half-cheste, against 192,000 half- 
chests in the previous season. In Hysons the com- 
petition to secure the choicest teas for the Central 
Asian markets, via Batoum, forced prices up to an 
unprecedentedly high point, 60 to 65 taels being paid 
for teas which usually fetch from 35 to 45 taels. The 
Central Asian markets promise to become important 
consumers of all kinds of green teas. Much dissatis- 
faction was caused by the arbitrary rejection on the 
part of the United States Customs inspectors of teas 
which %vere " perfectly pure and unadulterated, but 
which failed to come up to the requirements of the 
Government standard." The season opened on May 
18, but business in black tea was restricted till the 
second week in July, when a fair business was done 
in second- crop Keemuns ; and these have been the 
only varieties that have given satisfaction. In com- 
mon teas business was very dragging throughout the 
year, althoueh prices were 15 per cent oyer those of 
last year. In volume it was the smallest for the 
last twenty years, the settlements being 37,000 half- 
chests, against 68,000 half chests the previous season. 
—H. and C. Mail, July 28. 
PRODUCE AND PLANTING, 
The Outlook tor China Teas.— Consular reports 
from the Celestical Empire are not encouraging as 
regards tea. A report from Kiukiang remarks : Tea 
shows (for 1898) an improvement as against previous 
year's statistics, but the total falls short of what it 
used to be in former years, and British merchants are 
not sanguine as to the future. Ningchows until 
of late years were the favourite Russian teas. 
Recently, however, Keemuns seem to compete with 
them for Russian favour especially in the finest grades, 
and this, combined with low exchange, has conse- 
quently driven prices up. This is probably caused by 
the Russian taste following the British, and preferring 
stronger liquory teas, and is leading them to take more 
and more British-grown tea each year. It looks as if 
Russian requirements would prevent any further 
falling-off in production. Export to the United King- 
dom, however is steadily shrinking, and threatens to 
become nominal. The taste of the British public in the 
matter of tea has undergone a marked change of late 
years, says the Consul who is undoubtedly right, and 
consumers have no appreciation of light flavoury teas 
such as China produces. The introduction of machi- 
nery might revive the trade with England and the colo- 
nies, but this seems as far off as ever, the Chinese being 
quite satisfied with the prices paid for their tea pre- 
prepared according to their own methods. 
ChinaGkeen Tea.— After all that has been said against 
the colouring of green tea leaf, the Chinese growers 
and manufacturers do not find much eucouragement in 
abandoning the use of colouring matter for the United 
States market. The British Consul-General at Shang. 
hai, Mr. Brennan, tells us that during 1898 the green 
tea market was subject to unusual depression in conse- 
quence of a duty of 10 cents being imposed in the 
United States ; stocks already in the States were ex- 
empted from this duty, and as large stocks of old 
tea were held, duty-paid teas had no chance till 
the existing supplies were exhausted. The 
Pingsuey teas were the purest and best that have 
been brought to market for thirty years, and 
yet they met with a poor reception in America. This 
is partly attributed to the absence of colouring 
matter, which caused the leaf to be unattractive to 
the eye. " Seeing that the tea is only wanted for 
making w :QfusioD, and not for patting oa the table 
CLUNES ESTATE CO. OF CEYLON, :LD. 
ANNUAL REPORT. 
Clunes Division, Ereacht Division. 
Supt.—T S Luce, Esq. Supt.—C F S Shaw, Esq. 
Acres. Acres. 
Tea in bearing . . 340 Tea in bearing . . 
New clearings ... 60 Tea planted 1896-7 bO 
Forest ,. ..174 „ 2m 92 
Forest & Waste Land 246 
Total .. 564 Total .. 753 
Grand total 1,317 acres. 
The Directors now submit to the Shareholders the 
Accounts and Balance Sheet of the Company for the 
year ending 30th June, 1899. 
The crops secured amounted to 395,486 lb tea, as 
against 395.535 lb last year, being 4,514 short of the 
estimate. The nett average sale price was 34'29 cents 
per lb, the cost laid down in Colombo being 20'29 
cents per lb, both of which figures the Directors con- 
sider may be deemed satisfactory. 
After providing for Depreciation of Buildings and 
Machinery, the result of the year's working shews a 
nett profit of R38, 142-30 equal to 11 J per cent on the 
paid up Capital of the Company. To this must be 
added a balance of B4,413 87 brought forward from 
last year making the total at credit of Profit and 
Loss Account R42,556-17. 
Out of the above profit the Directors recommend 
that R12,500 be transferred to an Extension Fund 
Account to provide for the capital already spent in 
opening clearings, and extending Factory accommo- 
dation, which has hitherto been financed by loans. 
They further recommend that out of the balance 
then available a dividend be paid for the year of 
8 per cent on the pa,id up capital which will absorb 
E26,560, leaving R3,496-17 to be carried forward to 
next year's account. 
The estimate for the 1899-1900 season is 430,000 lb 
tea against an expenditure on Working Account of 
E92,311. 
The estimated expenditure on capital account 
amounts to R5,596, mainly for upkeep of young clear- 
ings, to provide a new sifter for Clunes and improve- 
ments to the cart road to facilitate transport from 
this estate, 
