356 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTUKIST. [Sox, 1, im. 
9 
PUNDALUOYA. 
We understand that tlie agents of North 
Pimdaluoya liave approved of the choice of this 
estate, and that it lias consequently been deli- 
nitely chosen, 
Maturata and Hewahkta. 
A quorum not bein^ obtaineil at the Committee 
meeting called for this purpose, a list was liow- 
ever circulated to all the estates with tlie 
result that the Loolecondura Group coMsisting of 
Loolecondura, Waltoya, Naraugheuaand Codaj,'alla 
received the unanimous vote of Upper and Lower 
Hewaheta wiih two exceptions, one in favour of 
Hope estate and one Great Valley. The members 
living in Old Maturata do not think the Loole- 
condura Group in any way rejiresents them and 
want an estate excra in Uld Maturata and name 
Gonapaltiya. The voting; comes out :— Loolecon- 
dura Group 20, Gonapaltiya 9, Hope 1, Great 
Valley 1. 
DUCKVVARl (CEYLON) TEA PLANTA- 
TION COMPANY, LIMITED. 
BEPOHT BY THK DIRECTORS TO THE EIGHTH 
ORDINARY OKNERAL MKIiTING OF THE 
COMPANY. 
Th« Directors beg to submit the Accounts for the 
year ending Jane 80th, 1898. 
The balance of Profit and Loss Account, after 
writing off Ten Per Cent depriciation on value of 
Machinery and Buildings, is .. £1,811 14 11 
which the Directors propose 
Bhould be applied as follows :— 
(1) In payment of Seven 
Per Cent Dividend on Pre- 
ference Shares . . £840 0 
(2) In payment of Pivo 
P«r Cent Dividend on 
Ordinary Shares .. 400 0 0 
Leaving fCOl 14 11 
to be carried forward to next year. 
The returns of crop have been 229,670 lb. tea, 
and 12,655 lb, cardamoms. 
For next season the yield is estimated at 250,000 lb. 
tea, and 10,000 lb. cardamoms. 
The Directors, in furtherance of their policy of 
high cultivation, have expended the sum of £471, 7s 
IJd in manuring, daring the year. 
A general survey of the Company's Estates has 
been made, and their boundaries clearly defined. 
The total acreage is 1,698 acres, 3 roods, 27 poles, 
of which 921 acres, 17 poles are under cultivation. 
Daring the year £118 2s have been required for 
iron roofing lines, and £92 13s 4d in completion of 
the new engine and boiler, which sums have been 
placed to the debit of Machinery and Buildings 
Account. 
With the consent of the Trustees for the Deben- 
ture Holders, £600 of the proceeds of the Mary- 
land sale have been utilized in payment of six 
Debenture bonds of £100 each. 
Mr. Hull retires from tho Direction by rotation, 
and, being eligible, offers himself for re-election. 
The Auditors, Messrs, Brown, Fleming and Mur- 
ray, also retire, and offer themselves for re- 
apointment. 
P. G, Spence, Chairman. 
R. Cross Aitken, Secretary. 
17, Philpot Lane,-London, B. C, September, 1898. 
ASfsOClATED TEA ESTATES OF 
CEYLON. LIMITED. 
The following is from the Directors' report for the 
twelvemonths ended June 30 :— Tlie are* of the com- 
pany's estates, as per the conveyauces, was 2,759 acrei 
and at June :^0, 1897, the extent under tea w«( 1,836 
a'lres, bat there has been abandoned on Horegode 
Estate 20 acres, and on a re-surrey the planted area 
of Silver E^indy was found to have been over-otaled 
t > the extent of 18 acres. New plauting has been done 
on Silver Kandy, Chesterford, and Djragalla, to the 
extent of 91 acres, m iking a net planted area ef 1.889 
acres. Further cxterisious of about 25 acres are in 
frogresa, being the uncompleted portions of ex- 
tensions previously sanctimed. In addition to 
the planting out in ne^r clearingi a large extent 
of supplying to vacancies has been done, principaUy 
on ChcHtcrford. Some of tlia immatare tea takeo 
over by the company had been very unvaccesifully 
planted, and has had to be supplied several time* 
over. The Nurseries were put out iritb a high-claits 
jhat of seed, and have proved very Haccessful, leav- 
ing on hand a large supply of seedlings after nttit- 
fying immediate requirements. The yield has beeo 
as follows :— Silver Kandy, 89,468 lb ; Cbe*iei-ford, 
344,757 lb; Horagoda. .59,341 lb ; Doragalla, 311,403 lb| 
total, 707,969 lb. This, although libowing an increaee 
of 22,228 lb. over the previous twelve montbu, ie 
57,031 lb. leFs than the aggregate of the saparinlend- 
ents' estimates, each of the estates having yielded 
more or less under the estimate furnished for it. 
The deficiency in yield is attributable to the char- 
acter of the wealher experienced, and it would 
Erobably have been more serions had there not 
een so much young tea coming into bearing to 
help the out-iurn. Of the crop, the entire prodaoe 
of two estates was sold iu Colombo, and of two others, 
partly in Colombo and partly in Loudon. The por- 
tion sold in Ceylon, 544,680 lb, r<;ahsed an average o( 
S4'69 cents, and the 163,289 lb in London, an averk^e 
of 9'90d, making together, after allowance for ship- 
ping charges to London, a grosd average of 7'lld per 
pound. This compares with 7'28d per pound for the 
previous year. Considering that the general averkge 
of all Ceylon tea sold in London public auctione 
fell from 8 04d to 7-76d in the respective periods, this 
company's price may be considered satisfactory. The 
decline on the aggregate average was caused by one 
estate, Doragalla. as the others showed advaaee*. 
obtained partly by improved mannfactore and partly 
by more advantageeus sale. The saperintendeot of 
Doragalla Estate resigned his position at the end of 
April, and the directors consider that his successor 
will probably be more successful in the mange- 
inent. The Chesterford and Madaltenne 
Estates were amalgamated as from October, 
with a satisfactory result as to economical ftnd 
efficient working. The new factory for the combined 
estates started working in Febrnary, and it is in 
every way as perfect as modern experience can make 
it. The repairs and alterations at Silver Kandy and 
Doragalla factories have been completed, and there 
remains to be provided ouly some additional withering 
accommodation at the latter to make all the com- 
pany's factories as complete as cnnld be desired. 
The estimates for the twelve months ending June 
.TO, 1899, are for a crop of 783,7501b, an increase of 
75.7811b over the yield for the previous year, and the 
directors consider that the figures are reasonable, 
and likely to be realised. The visiting agent's reports 
on all the estates show that matters generally are 
now in very satisfactory shape, both as to manufac- 
ture and cultivation. With the exception of two 
estates, which are deficient to a slight extent the 
labour force is good and ample. The revenue account 
shows a net profit of £4,694 10s 9d., to which falls to 
be added the balance of £164 13s 7d brought forward 
from last season, iraking a total of £4 859 4s 4d. Out 
of this the rlirectors paid £3,050, being interim divi- 
dends at the rate of 3 per cent, on the preference 
and 2^ per cent, on the ordinary share capital, leav- 
ing a 'balance of £1,809 4s, 4d., out of whict) tbo 
