388 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTUKIBT. [Dex:. 1, 1898. 
The following approximate particulars o£ the Es- 
tates now held hy the Company will be interepting 
to the Shareholders : — 
Name of Estate. 
Wattegodde . . 
Hoonoocotna. . 
Tallagalla 
EUagalla 
Rutland 
Wai'riflgalla . . 
Sorana 
In Cultivation. 
Ceylon 
Full 
Partial 
Recently 
District. 
Bearing. Beariiig 
Planted. 
Dimbula 
. 800 
Nil 
Nil 
Kotmale 
. 5.53 
64 
25 
Kalutara 
. 380 
ins 
Matale 
. 217 
11 
H«waheta 
27 
10 
Nilambe 
. 400 
I'J 
Kalutara 
. 178 
H-, 
236 

.■)41 
Reserve 
Forest 
Suitable 
Waste, 
Total 
for Tea. 
Water, Acreage. 
A'C. 
Dimbnla 
.. Nil 
95 
895 
Kotmale 
1.32 
702 
Kalutara 
. lOi; 
:i5 
0'.>2 
Matale 
. L^i 
201 
445 
Hewaheta 
1.51i 
59 
CGH 
Nilambe 
. 50 
624* 
1,261 
Kalutai a 
. 127 
95 
721 
502 
1,211 
5,439 
Wattegodde . . 
Hoonoocotna. . 
Tallagalla . . 
EUagalla 
Rutland 
Warriagalla . . 
Sorana 
* of which 93 acres are planted with Cardamoms and 
40 with Cocoa. 
From the foregoing it will be seen that 541 acres 
of Tea have been planted during the past few year.", 
and during the current season it is propo.sed to open 
up 70 acres more, chiefly on Tallagalla and Sorana. 
When this tea comes into full 'learinj; the position 
of the company should be greatly iniproved. 
The expenditure on Factory and Extension ac- 
count during the past season for the jjurposes men- 
tioned in the last report amount'^d to £7,428 1C-. 3d , 
a great part of which has been provided out of the 
additional capital recently created, such provision 
having been duly authorised by the Siiarehoklers 
at the meeting on ist December. Tliis expenditure 
includes one-third of that incurred on Sorana as ex- 
plained above, and also the purchase of a small plot 
of land adjoining Rutland. 
' A rather heavy outlay will be necessary during 
the coujing season for buildings and machinery on 
Wattegodde, Hoonoocotna and Warriagalla, and for 
the extension of cultivation above referred lo; also 
a further acreage is being planted wiih Cardamoms 
on Warriagalla where the land is suitable and the 
cultivation very remuneiative on a siuall scale; 
and It is proposed to plant a small portion of the 
Tallagalla and Sorana Esraies wiih Para rubber. 
The total of such e^;peniliture on capital account 
is estimated at aliout 1{70,000, say rather le.ss 
than £5,000. Tlie General iManagers hope that the 
above will nearly complete the outlay re'iuired 
for buildings and machinery for a long time to 
come. 
It is proposed to raise the v.ecessary funds for 
the above Capital Expenditure by a small issue 
of five per cent. Debentures at par and any 
Shareholders desirous of subscribing to such 
Debentures are invited to communicate with ihe 
General Managers. 
Arbuthnot, Latham & Co,, 
General Managers. 
SI, Great St. Helens, E, C, 
26th Sejjteniber, 1898. 
ASSOCIATED TEA ESTATES OF 
CEYLON, J.l.MJTED. 
{.Special Repoit for Troji'ir'd Atjri' aUwinL") 
There was a large gathering of eliareholdere 
of this Company a*: tlie third ordinary general 
n)eeting, held on Sejitember 20di in the board room 
at the oilice, I'J and 11 Lime .Si., London The 
Chairman, Sir Alexander Wilson, lJrc.'^ide<l, and 
he was su|())nrted liy Messrs. S. It. Eaiie and 
John Mc Ewan (IJire-tois. ) 
The Secretary (a representative of Me^isrs. M&c- 
Meekin & Co., secretaries and managing agents) 
liaving read the notice convening the meeting. 
The CiiAlK.MAN said : J propose lo take up the 
various matters which call for comment from me 
iu tlie seijuence of the report tj tUe uhaieholJerR, 
which, you will observe, follows the work of the 
Company in a natural pr-ogression from (lie un- 
planted lands to the (inal disposal of the (iroduce. 
No adilitinn has been ntade to the buxl area 
since the Company was formed, but you will notice 
that 91 acres of 
NKW JKA 
have been put out. This is more tlian was 
contemplated at the dale of the last general 
meetinj;, but the circumstiuiceB f<»r extend- 
ing were favourable, and the extensions have 
been successfully and economically complete<l, 
with the cxeeplion of about 2o acrex. Be- 
yond that, it is not the intention of (lie direc- 
tors to proceed in the meantime. It is unfortu- 
nate that the work of our predecessors had been 
badly done, and that we have, in consequence, 
had to incur capital expen<ii!ure in fiilin;^ up the 
vacancies, besides losing somewhat i-f the incieascd 
yield which we sliould now have hi en gelling in. 
At the time the Jompany v.as formed we hadi 
deducting the 38 a„M-es, writteii-ofT in the report 
1,370 acres of matured tea, while now we 
have 1,702 acres, and 187 of young tea -a m;Ueiial 
increase. 'I'he yield is disappoini ing, but that 
is an experience we share with the majority of 
the tea Companies in Ceylon as well ;is those in 
India (hear, hear.) I complained of the abnormal 
weather conditions when presiding over the an- 
Tiual general meeting twclvu months ago, and I 
have again to speak in a similar .'•train thi.s year. 
You have doubtless ob-erved how we are ex- 
periencing a locally m-irkcd lack of moisture 
in the London district, the rain-fall hn- the 
year up to date ha^'ing been the lowest since 
1813. riiat is ordy a local feature in the 
general deviation f.-om normal weather condi- 
tions by which so many pai ts of the world have 
suffered tor .several years back. It is not the 
actual shortening either in su:rs!iine or in rainfs^ll 
that is the cause of complaint, but f' 
distribatioa of both as C impared wiih 
ence. Let me explain how tbis afleeis 
OUR Tr:A i .STATE.S. 
During the two period.s of twelve months 
each endiiig at June 3 »tli which we have dealt 
with the rainfall averaged : — 
At Silver Kandy 106 inches 
I'oragf.lla 118 ,, 
Chestertord 147 ., 
HoiTrgofla IS') 
any one of which is amply suffic-ient for good tea 
cultivati'>n if properly apportioned over the year. 
But in Ceylon the tea is pruned at irrecrular 
intervals, and not, as in India, in the w-inter 
season, when, by the ordinary course of natnie 
it ceases to make ne-,v growth Now, taking our 
1,700 acres of tea in full bearing there is always 
