554 
THE TROPICAL AGEICULTUEIST. [Feb. 1, 1900. 
otherwise. Therefore the planters themselves can 
well perform a part in prevenlicg the ruin of a 
" threatened industry" by instructing their rnanafjers 
to see that only their very best lands are sown with 
indigo-^that lands cropped for two seasons in succes- 
sion are left fallow for a year— in short, that all land 
not capable of giving a yield per acre of 10 to 12 seers 
(2U to 2'i lb.) under normal weather condiLions i.s to bo 
avoided. If this is done it is practically certain that a 
great step will have been taken in assuring the con- 
tinuance of the industry with some profit to those 
engaged in it, for such indigo a.s is produced ought 
to be, on an average of years, moderate in cost, able 
to stand up against chemical competitors, and the 
market could not well be glutted by supplies. _ 
Such careful selection of laud as has been indicated 
will of necessity leave at the factories a larger area 
available for tlie cultivation of other crops. If we 
were to assume even that indigo growiugwere abso- 
lutely killed by chemical discoveries and were to 
cease to exist at some future date, then, obviously, 
those now engaged in that industry would be called 
upon to grow other crops on their land, and would 
be obliged to find out what crops would pay them 
best. In this connexion their attention may well be 
directed to articles which appeared in "The Times" 
of September 2, 8, 12, 19, 21 on the subject of growing 
sugar canes, and which are full of valuable informa- 
tion. Canes are already jproduced in nearly all parts 
of India, and in the aggregate the production must 
be very large. 
A new kind of cane is mentioned as growing iu 
some of the West India Islands, which yields 23 per 
cent of saccharose, and modern machinery is said to 
extract 90 per cent thereof. From such cane svigar 
should cost less than per ton. 
By way of concluding these remarks a final sugges- 
tion is made to Indian Indigo planters. Experiment at 
your factories on growing sugar canes, for the pro- 
duct from which there is an ample market at your 
own doors. Remember that the conditions of India 
iu these days in respect to communications and other- 
wise are very much more favourable to the successful 
working of such an industry than in the days when 
sugar waT largely exported from the country ; also 
that modern sugar machinery is more efficacious in 
treating the canes ; and if it can be clearly demons- 
trated that canes of the beat kind can be grown 
successfully in Behar, and that a formerly existing 
industry can be estcxblished and extended, taking 
the place of indigo in that quarter if the worst should 
befall it, then assuredly the necessary modern factory 
will not fail to be established to deal with the canes. 
— Bonihaij Gazette, Jan . 23. 
TEA IN CEYLON. 
AGKA OUVAH ESTATES COMPANY, LIMITED, 
directors' report for 1899. 
Acreage, 
Agba Ouvah. 
Tea in full bearing 
Tea not in bearing .. 
Grass and Jungle 
Total Estate. . 331 acres, 
Fankerton. 
Tea in full bearing . . 165 acres. 
Timber clearing .. 10 ,, 
Grass, Patana and Scrub ... 18 
Total Estate.. 193 acres. 
Grand total .524 acres. 
The total tea crop amounted to 293,9081b. (or 
13,708 lb, in excess of the estimate) as against 
271,241 lb. in 1898. 
After deducting the cost of manufacturing 131,174 1b, 
tea for other estates, the cost of delivering the Com- 
pany's tea in Colombo was 2r)'18 cents perlb., which 
included a sum of Pi,2, 581-29 expended in additions to 
machinery and the building of a new watercourse, 
to which reference was made in the Directors' last 
jreport. The e,YC£9go Bett prize realised for the teai 
was 4:8'90 cents per lb., against 53"82 cents perlb. in 
1898. In common with other estates at the same 
elevation, prices in 1859 shevr'ed a considerable fall, 
which was attributable to the larger demand and 
increased prices given for commom teas. The gross 
income from manufticturing tea for other estates was 
RI5,279 66. 
As the amount at credit of the Deprecation Account 
amounted at 31sfc December, 1898, to over 68 per cent 
of the original cost of buildings and machinery, and as 
the cost of all alterations and additions is now charged 
to Working Account, the Directors have decided to 
pass only 2-k percent, on original cost to the Deprecia- 
tion Account for the past year. 
After making this provision the amount at credit of 
Profit and Loss Account for the year's working is 
R71, 53614, equal tol9 08 per cent, on the Capital of the 
Company. To the above has to be added the balance 
brought forward from 1898 of Rl6,258-44, making the 
total balance at credit of Profit and Loss Account 
R87, 794-58. An Interim Dividend of 7 per cent, was 
declared and paid on I6th August last absorbing 
R26,250, and the Director now recommend the pay- 
ment of a final dividend of 13 per cent, making 20 
per cent for the year, and that a sum of KlO.OOO be 
transfeired to a Reserve Fund for the equalization of 
dividends and the balance R2, 794-58 be carried for- 
ward to the current year's account. 
The estimate for this year is 290,0001b. Tea on an 
expenditure of R77,078-78, which includes an amount 
of R7,752 to be expended on m\nuring. It is also 
estimated that about 100,000 lb. will be manufactured 
for other estates, which will leave a fair profit to the 
Company. 
During the year under review Mr. Jas. Poison was 
appointed by the remaining Directors to fill the 
vacancy caused by the retirement of Mr. J G Wardrop 
on his leaving the Island; the latter was re-appointed 
in the place of i^lr. W H Figg, who resigned. 
In terms of the Articles of Aseociation Mr. J G 
Wardrop retires by rotation from the office of 
Director, but is eligible for re-election. 
GLASGOW ESTATES CO., LTD. 
ANJ^ITAL REPORT. 
Direotors :— Mes.sr.s. G H Alston, G C Walker, 
J G Wardrop. 
Estate Inspector: — Mr. G M Ballardie. 
Estate Superintendent :— Mr. R W Kerr. 
ACREAGE. 
Tea in full bearing 550 acres. 
Do. partial bearing 62 
Do. not in bearing . . . . 38 ,, 
Grass ... 2 „ 
Jungle, &c. 62 ,, 
Total Estate ... 714 „ 
The Directors have now the pleastire to submit 
their Annual Report and the Accounts of the Com- 
pany for the past yf ar. 
The crop secured amounted to 335,708 lb. Tea (or 
20,708 1b. in excess of the estimate) which cost de- 
livered in Colombo 23-50 cents per *lb. The nett 
average price obtained was 47-29 cents per lb against 
49 71 cents in 1898, the fall being attributable to the 
partial neglect of good teas owing to the strong de- 
mand at high prices for the commoner kinds. 
After making ample allowance for depreciation of 
Buildings and Machinery, the amount at credit of 
Profit and Loss Account for the year's working is 
R68,7-89-86, equal to 21-17 per cent on the capital of 
the Company, to which must be added the balance 
of Rl,482 16 brought forward from the previous year. 
There is thus an available balance of R70.272-02. 
which the Directors recommend should be dealt with 
as follows :— That a sum of R5,C00 be transferred to 
Extension Fund, making this fund R65,000 ; that a 
sum of K5,000 be transferred to a Reserve Fund 
for the equalization of Dividends: that a final 
dividend of 13 per cent be paid for 1889, making 
with the interim dividend of 5 per cent paid on 
Itith August Jast,, a total of 18 per cent for tb« 
