THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [Dec. 1, 1899. 
TEA PLANTERS FROM THE " SriCY ISLE." 
Bxit, as a matter ot fact, the averages, 
''quoted in the public price lists of tea sales, 
'indicate that the teas exported from factories 
,'*"which are under the sole inanngeuient of Wy- 
,naad men, realise better privies than the breaks 
-jShipped to London from places " bossed" by ex- 
>:Ceylon tea planters. As auinstanee,one propertyin 
particular, which enjoys the advantage oi being 
■under the control ot its resident proprietor, and 
" Which disposes of a great deal of its coarser grades 
'^of teas locally to native merchants at .5 as. a pound, 
^(a figure that such tea would probably not realise 
j,'iri Mincing Lane) rarely exceeds C^d per ]50un(!. 
•A leading Ceylon planter, well conversant with 
^'the Wynaad, recently expressed the opinion 
^thab "improved manufacture" would insure 
fiWynaad teas fetching at least 2 annas a pound 
i in excess of recent prices. There would a)ip3ar to 
she a prospect of a further influx of Ceylon plant- 
' era shortly, andit is to be hoped that these gentle- 
*'iiien will be competent to introduce a more pro- 
*-ijfiitable standard of manufacture — .should they in- 
j.'Vest locally. 
J,' While the Mysore Planters' Association appears 
"lo deplore the gradual depreciation of Nalknad 
coffee, and its susceptibility to leaf disease, it is 
noteworthy that ■nliere the Coorg bush has been 
tiled in South Sylhet, and in the Straits Settlc- 
tments, it has not as yet shown signs of the blight 
^^n those localities. 
Interest in the profitable cultivation of rubber 
^rees in the Wynaad .seems to be increasing, but 
jljexcepting where information is available from 
Ceylon newspapers, very little appears to be known 
of the peculiarities of either the Castilloa or Para 
varieties. 
-■■ Local buyers are now offering to take the grow- 
ning pepper crops at E220 per candy, whereas 
-jlast year's sales did not exceed K180. 
Tlie Honourable Mr. G Acworth recently passed 
."through the Wynaad, and apjiears to have been 
very favo\irably impressed with the appearance 
of the tea properties owned by a leading West 
■ Coast &nn.— Madras Mail, Oct. 28. 
-Iv ^ 
ri'jTHE KINTYRE TEA ESTATES COMPANY, 
^\ - LIMITED. 
^- ' The following is from the report of the direc- 
_.^tors, to be submitted at the general meeting,' to 
^ 'te held on Wednesday, Oct. 25th, at 12-30 o'clock, 
f^'&b the offices of the Ceylon Association in London, 
and 62, Grace church S;,reet, E.G. :— 
" The estimated tea crop for the season was 
1.460,000 lb., but this has been largely exceeded, the 
^'total secured amounting to 498,532 lb., or upwards of 
'■'^0,000 lb. more than were harvested during season 
■ ■•1897-98. The average cost of production was estimated 
at 26'81 cents, but a considerable saving on this 
figure was effected, the actual average cost being 
24'66 cents. The direotora think these rf suits very 
Bati.sEactory, and they show careful and economical 
• working. The not protifc on the sales of the com- 
.j.pany's produce amounts to £5,770 4s 4d, and after 
. 'paying directors' fees, income-tax, and the usual 
commission to estate superintendent?, there remains 
a balance at profit ajjd loas account of £5,143 Is 3d. The 
boardhavc authorisrd the payment, half-yearly as usual, 
i''Of the preference dividends, absorbing £1,000; they 
'■'•ha.ve set aaido £500 for wear and tear of buildings 
'and machinery; and they now rcconimeod thej)ay- 
ment of a dividcnti of 8 per cent, for the year on 
the ordin:'.ry shu.res, which will absorl) <;:!,G0.) and 
leave £121 lis lid to bo carried to next acoomit. 
A bungalow was b.iilfc for the siipcrintondfnt on Avr 
estate, aud the txpcuditiirc the rein, witli liumt ittm 
for the factory, &c., amounting in all to £tS8 l4s 
Id, has been charged to capital account. Ths aver- 
age yield oi tea, in full bearing was 5701b per acre, 
aud the gross a%'erage price realised in Loudon was 
7.90d per ib. The sum oi Mi 12a lOJ has been 
written off the coast advp.uce?, as the Ceylon agents 
advise Ihut the amount is not likely to be recovered. 
The superintendents have certified that the rf-main. 
der of the coast advances n'iP.y be considered good 
and recoverable. The estimates for the current sea- 
son point to a. crop of 46O,O00ib of tea, to cost 26 
cent per lb, and by ttie latest advices good progress 
had been m?,.de on each estate towards realising 
ohe above quantity.— <& C. 3Iail, Oct. 20. 
HOENSEY TEA ESTATES COMPANY, LTD. 
The following is from the third annual report, 
1898 99 :-- 
The directors beg to submit the repoit and audited 
accounts for the year closing June 30 last. The 
crop has weighed out 172,l;59lb, against last year 
14t',22Glb, giving an increase cf 25, 9131b. The directors 
have during the last year sold most of the crop 
in Colombo, aud the result has been satisfactory. 
The Loudon sales have amounted to only 
21, 7351b, end the balance of the crop sold 
on the other side realised an average of 
45.40 cents, equivalent to a London price of 8id 
per lb. The cost of production, including manure, 
has been 31.12 cents, against last year 36 ceots, 
or, in sterling, 5d per lb Colombo, against 5;d per 
lb. Turning to the accounts, it is to be noted that 
the profit on working account is almost double that 
of last year, the result of better prices and a larger 
crop ; expenditure being very little in excess of the 
previous year. During the twelve months the coast 
advance account has been reduced by ■&154 14s Od, 
leaving the very moderate amount of ±'178 16a lid 
outstanding. After paying all fixed charges, and 
preference dividend for the twelve months, and pro- 
viding for the £126 3s 2d carried forward to debit 
last year, there is a balance at credit of profit and 
loss of £561 12s 4d- The directors propose to write 
off £310 from preliminary expenses account, pay a 
2 per cent- dividend on the ordinary shares, taking 
£240, and to carry forward £11 12s 4d to credit of 
next year. — Ibid. 
PPtODUCE AND PLANTING. 
Tea Acreage in Teavancoke. — In consequence of 
the misleading character of the figures with reference 
to the area of te?.. in Travancore published by the Gov- 
ernment authorities for the period of 1897-98, which 
were so excessive as almost to cause a scare in 
Mincing Lane last year, considerable interest has of 
late been shown in the matter. We underst.aud that 
there are about eight thousand acres of three years 
old tea, and about the same quantity of two years 
old, in addition to which Kanan Devan Hills Pro-' 
duce Company has put out some six thousand acres, 
which will no doubt lead to an increase in the crop 
from this district at no far distant time. The total 
crops have been as follows :— 1893, 1,931,000 lb.; 1894 
2,022,0001b.; 1895, 2,214,000 lb.; 1896, 2,226,0001b.; 
1897, 2,5.32,000 lb.; 1898, 2,610,000 lb. The crop during 
the current season will probably reach three million lb. 
The Tea Bdyees' Association. — This Association, 
the outcome of the dispute over tke pound draft 
questions, has amalgamated with the Wholesale Tea 
Dealers' Association, or perhaps it is more correct 
to say that the latter has merged into the former. 
Rubber Cur.TivATioN.— 'According to the views of 
Senor Horta, who has recently issued a pamphlet on 
" Rubber in Gnatemala," the climate most appropriate 
for the growth of the rubber tree is that of the TieiTa 
Caliente, or hot coast lands, at an altitude not exceed- 
ing 1,500 feet, and the trees should not be planted in 
the fuu, although the contrary opinion is held, and 
ha-; been expressed by some authorities. — 1/. C. Mail. 
