128 
THE TROICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[August 1, 1898 
with representatives of the Cliaiiiber of Commerce 
and Manap;ers of Companies unanimously re- 
commend that the "Thirty Committee" should 
approach Government for sanction to tlie neces- 
sary dishurwements at the rate of a thousand 
pounds sterliiif,' per annum in secnrin^j tlie services 
of an analytical Aj,nicultural Ciie:iiist for the 
purpose of investigating Oylon Tea and in finding 
out all information as to various chemical changes 
which oc(; ir in the process of Tea Cultivation and 
Manufacture with an analysis of soils, the Sub- 
Committee l)eing of opinion that this step is of 
paramount importance at this critical time in 
order to safe guard the position Ceylon Tea has 
liehl in tiie pasi and to ascertain how strength 
and ilavour can he maintained- 
Resolved that the recommendation of the Com- 
mittee of the I'lanters' Association be adopted by 
the "Thirty Committee"; ("2) that the sanction 
of the Governor in Executive Council be o1)taine(t 
to this ajjpropriation ; (3) that a .Sub-Commitiee 
consisting of Messrs. W. H. Figg, E. M. Sliattock, 
W. D. Ciibbon, E. Turner. Jolm H. Starey, H. V, 
Maselield, George Greig, Hon. Mr. J. N. Campbell' 
Messrs. V. G. A. Lane, and A. I'liilip, to make the 
necessary arrangements. 
TKA SALKS IN COLOMHO. 
Read letter from Secretary Ceylon Association 
in London transmitting copy of a letter received 
from Mr. A. Lampard in regard to tea sales ia 
Colombo. 
Resolved that the letter be .sent to the news- 
papers for publication. 
The " Thirty Committee" then adjourned. 
A. PHILIP. 
Secretary to the "Thirty Committee." 
PLANTING NOTES. 
The Imperial Tea Duty.— A well-known tea 
planter, who has been looking into tiie matter, 
expresses a doubt as to the wisd.im of touching 
the tea duty. He writes :— " I question the neces- 
sity of agitating for a reduction of duty on tea 
in England as being in any way advantageous 
to the producer. The price per lb. in England 
is well within the purchasing power of the 
labourers, and if the duty is entirely removed, it 
lets every body in to sell tea without any hold 
on jihem as to purity, Ac." 
The Bogawantalawa District Tea Com- 
pany's First Report (which we give in our 
daily and T. A.), is an interesting one, and shews a 
splendid margin between the cost of its mil- 
lion (nearly) lb. of tea f.o.b. Colombo, namely 
cents or 4-22 per lb., and the gross average 
price in London 8-20d per lb. Nevertheless, in 
view of Mortgage and Preference liabilities, the 
ordinary shareholders only get 6 per cent. The 
Company owns 2,533 acres. 1,901 of tea in 
bearing," 140 partial, and 144 not in bearing 
The Lantana Bug.— We are glad to learn 
from Mr. Green, wliat we did not understand 
before that in his opinion the tea plant is not a 
really congenial food-plant for orthezia msigms. 
It is more likely to prove troublesome on coffee 
if it got a hold. But so long as boundaries are 
kept cl'^ar and clean and lantana cut down and 
burnt or kept back from cultivated helds, the 
risk of mischief is greatly diminished. So tar, 
there is no authentic case of the bug touching 
tea, save what came under Mr. Greens own 
notice. 
A Rkcorij in Coffee !— Messrs. I. A. llucker 
& Bencraft report of our old staple on 
June 33id :— 
Spot collucs have seldom been more irregular in 
price, and a coasiderable and rapid fall has taken 
place, which may ha aatsesaed at la to 4s per cwt. 
At this decline there is far more disposition to 
dcil on the part of buyers, and several of the large 
importers are not in the mnrket at unythmg like 
the full decline. The fact that contracts are passioK 
at 378 for some good ordinary coiiees ii a record, 
'AH-i to H'Ji being the lowest price ever known before 
for a generation, and it is not so very long ago 
that these descriptions were bought in <}uaatity at 
8Us, as being a cheap a .d attractive price. 
An Entkrprisi.vg Seedsman — An Australian 
exchange writes : — " Messrs. J. ]'. Willams & 
Brothers of Heneratgoda offer to supply pl.ants 
of artocarpns incisa (breadfruit) by the Waidian 
care of 50 plants for the sum of 1!10. One can- 
not help cmiiparin^ what it mnsi have cost the 
British Government to send Bligli twice to the 
South Sea Islands and back to the ^Ve^t Indies, 
100 j'ears agu— probably returning with not more 
than 500 plants atter an absence of years— with the 
facilities of the present day, when we are able to 
send a telegram to Ceylon and have the same 
description of plants ]>acked in line wardian cases, 
and all to cost probaiily one-hundredth part 
of the sum spent in the ' Bounty' aflair.'" 
Minor Products in Trinidad.— Mr. Hart 
summed up his lecture in a way that conveys 
lessons to Ceylon : — 
1st. — I have shown that it is idle to expect Minor 
Industries to be introduced, as it were by word of 
command. 
2nd. — I hope to have convinced you of the urgent 
need for educating the people in the principles of 
agriculture and practical husbandry. 
3rd.— I hope I have convinced yon that tradition 
must be conquered, that people must bo taught new 
methods, and that a crop that is worth growing at all 
is worth growing well, and that email profits must not 
be despised. 
4th. — I hope I have shown you that there are no 
greater obstacles here, than have already been met 
and overcome elsewhere, and that the Minor may be 
made a Major, with a full commission as a Field Offi- 
cer, if only the culture of the field is properly watched 
and controlled. For evidence of this, I recommend 
you to persue the table of Jamaica exports which I 
have prepared for your inspection. 
Tea Planting Prospects.— The Economist, in 
lately noticing a total fall in value of certain se- 
lected Indian and Ceylon sterling Tea Companies, 
in the year ending May last, amountinjj to£737,96.3 
or the e(iuivalent of luf per cent, ofleied the fol- 
lowing remarks : — 
Current quotations still show on the average a con- 
siderable premium on the nominal value of the capital 
paid up, as the dividends, in spite of the reduction, give 
a fair return on the investment. It remains to be seen 
whether even the present rates of distribution can be 
maintained in future years. The companies may fairly 
hope for an improvement in the climatic conditions, 
but most of the other difficulties have still to be con- 
tented with. The currency question remains to be set- 
tled, and fears have been expressed that its adjustment 
may open the way for renewed competition from Chi- 
nese tea-giowers. To that anticipation, however, prob- 
ably not much weight need be attached. It seems im- 
probable, however, that the industry can for a coasider- 
able period to coma, be worked on the same highly- 
profitable basis as formerly, since no improvement in 
prices is likely to occur until the demand overtakes the 
supply ; and while there is a check to the introduction 
of capital for the opening up of new estates, the exist- 
ing companies are in many cases extending areas, as 
they can t)y such means largely increase their produc- 
tion at a comparatively small increase in working costs. 
