Oct. 1, 1898. J THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
261 
DYSPEPTIC'S TEA. 
A lady writes as follows to a Sydney conteni- 
poraiy : — Milk contains all the ingredients need- 
ful for Ininian sustenance, and is of all things 
the easiest of digestion. Xhc unfortunate part of 
it is, however, that so many people dislike milk; 
even those who tolerate it in health seem to 
Iiave a rooted objection to it in the form of 
" sick-diet." One of the best methods I know 
for administering it is by Sir Andrew Clark's 
recipe for " dyspeptic's tea." The simplest way 
to prepare it is as follows : — Fill a breakfast-cup 
wit!i milk, to wliich a small quantity of water 
(hot or cold) has been added, and pour into a 
sauce pan. Put two teaspoonfuls of tea into one 
of tlie tiny strainers (sold for a few pence for 
making single cups of tea), and as soon as the 
milk is boiling pour it through the strainer straight 
into the cup. This makes both a palatable 
and a nourishing drink, and is taken with relish 
by manj' who would not touch plain mik, and 
with whom tea made in the ordinary way does 
not agree. According to Sir Andrew, the boil- 
ing milk precipitates the tannin, and thus the 
the stimulating properties of the tea are secured 
without the deleterious results from which dys- 
peptics are apt to suffer. 
HAPUJAHALANDE TEA COMPANY. 
The fourth annual general meeting of the 
shareho'ders of the Hapugahalande Tea Co., Ltd., 
was held on the 27th Aug. at the offices of the Com- 
pany, Messrs. Lewis Brown & Co., tie 
chair being taken by Mr. W. Milne. The notice 
convening the meeting having been read, 
the minutes of the last general meeting were 
confirmed; and the chairman then moved the adop- 
tion of the report and accounts, which was duly 
seconded and carried unanimously. On the proposal 
of Mr. Robt. Davidson, seconded by Mr. Thos, 
Mackie's attorney, a final dividend of 4 per cent 
was declared and carried nem con : Mr. Cantlay 
was re-elected Director and Mr. John Guthrie 
Auditor of the Co.'s accounts for the season 
1898-99. With a vote of thanks to the Chairman 
the meeting closed. The following is the 
REPORT. 
ACREAGE ; 
A. B. P. 
Tea in full bearing . . . . 235 0 0 
New clearings . . , , 150 0 0 
Jungle, Ac. .. .. 369 1 3 
Total Estate .. 754 1 3 
Your Directors bef< to submit their Annual Keport 
and Accounts for the twelve mouths ending .30th June, 
1898, which they regret show as compared with those 
previously issued a falling ctt' in profit due mainly to 
the fall in valua of Tea and high rate of exchange. 
The quantity of Tea manufactured during the 
season (including estate and bought leaf) was 188,4551b. 
Estimating the unsold Tea at a safe valuation and 
excluding a surplus ot B528 50 on last year's crop, the 
nett amount realised for this product totals R6',057'74, 
which is equal to 32-39 cents per lb. 
Au interim dividend for the season of 5 per cent 
amounting to R8,500 was paid on 1st March last, 
and the sum now available for distribution (including 
R4li6'GG brought forward from last account) after 
setting aside R2.367 09 for depreciation on buildings 
and machinery is Rtj,923'61. Prom this sum the 
Directors recommend payment of a final dividend of 
4 per cent absorbing RG,800'00 and leaving R123'61 to 
be carried forward. 
The opening of Uralindatenne in Tea has steadily 
progressed, 100 acres having been planted during the 
season, bringing the total at date to 150 acres, which 
it is intended to slightly increase before the close ot 
this year. 
To meet the expenditure thus incurred, the Directors 
in preference to issuing debentures or fresh capital, 
propose negotiating a loan, and will take an early 
opportunity of consulting the Shareholders on the 
subject. 
Mr. Keith Rollo has accepted a seat on the Board. 
In terms of the Articles of Association, Mr. Alexander 
Cantlay retires from the office of Director, but being 
eligible offers himself for re-election. 
The appointment of an Auditor for the current 
season will rest with the meeting. 
EXTKAOKDINARY xMEETING. 
An extraordinary general meeting of the 
shareholders of the above Company was held after- 
wards, the chair being taken by Mr. W. Milne. 
The notice convening the meeting having been read, 
the following resolution was put and carried unani- 
mously : "That the Directors be and are thereby 
authorized and empowered to borrow or raise from 
time to time for the purposes of the Company, 
any sum or sums of money not exceeding in all 
£2,000 sterling of lawful money of Great Bri- 
tain at such rate or rates of interest, and gene- 
rally upon such terms and conditions in all 
respects as to repayment or otherwise as they 
may determine or think proper, and to mortgage 
all or any of the Company's estates and pro- 
perties as security for every and all the sum or 
sums of money so to be raised and borrowed and 
the interest thereon. The meeting then closed 
with the usual vote of thanks to the Chairman." 
MR. QUINTIN HOGG ON THE CEYLON 
PLANTERS. 
In an interesting interview between a re- 
presentative of the Financial Nnvs and Mr. 
Quintin Hogg— at one time of Ceylon— we find the 
reporter asking with reference "to the depression 
in the West Indies, whether the planters there 
could not try to produce something else more 
profitable than sugar, and Mr. Hogg replying 
that he had grown sugar and several other 
things in various parts of the world, but he 
did not see what could be done in the West 
Indies. A little coffee could be grown, a little 
cacao perhaps, and some cotton in some parts, 
but, asks Mr. Hogg, who could do it ? and points 
to the enormous amount of capital that will be 
lost if sugar fails. Who, he asks, is goino- to 
make any further effort ? To which the reporter 
rejoined : 
"But when Ceylon planters failed they took 
to tea and made big profits. Surely you could 
change from sugar to something else.'' 
_ "Yes, but it is necessary to bear in mind that 
it costs little to change from coffee to tea. There 
were not big amounts of capital to be abandoned 
You talk of energy. The Ceylon Planter never 
showed anything like the energy of the West 
Indians. We used to grow sugar at £23 to £24 
a ton. We have fought all the way down to £10, 
and we have done it by improved methods and so 
forth. We have not stood still I can assure you." 
" Hov/ about indiarubber as an alternative 
product ? " 
" Well, we tried it in Ceylon and it was a great 
failure. It is a difHcult tree to grow and takes 
some time to establish. The , planters, will not 
throw away money, in wild speculation of this 
