502 T^HE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [Jan. 2, 1899. 
the cultivation of tea not in beaniif,', they are 
not in a position to pay a lUvideud on the onlin- 
nry shares. The arnoiiut expended on tea not 
in beariii" in the past season w.is £450, on the 
factory £900 lis 3d, and on new clearin<rs £1,248 
17s lOJ, in all the sum of £2,599 9s Id, which 
has been added to the capital cost of the est.ate. 
The acrea{,'e ot the Company's property is now 
as follows: — 
Tea in bearing.. .. 420 acres 
Tea not in bearing . . 99 » 
New clearings . . . . 80 „ 
Jungle •• l^'- " 
Total . . 750 acres 
The gross averasfe price realised was 6'17d per 
lb as against 6-47d per lb. last season, and the 
rate of exchange was Is 3 27-32d per lb., against 
^^The total crop amounted to 190,818 lb., or 454 
lb. per acre of tea in bearin-,', which includes 37 
ae'res vounc; tea in partial bearing. 
Under clause No. 24 of the Articles of Asso- 
ciation Mr. K. B. Keid retires on this occasion 
from the IJoard, and, being eligible, otters liim- 
B«1f for re-election. 
The Auditors Messrs. Harper Brothers, char- 
tered accountants, also retire from otlice, and offer 
themselves for- re election. 
Wm. Johnston, Secretary. 
London, Nov. 10. 
CHRISTMAS ISLAND. 
WHERE IT IS SUMMER FROM JANUARY TO 
DECEMBER. 
Mr. Charles Andrews, of the Natural His- 
tory Museum, has been lecturing to the Koyal 
Geograpl'i^*^! Society, giving an interesting de- 
Bcrii:tion of a visit recently paid by him to 
Christmas Island, in the India Ocean, the ex- 
penses being borne by Sir John Murray. 
Durin" the year which this exjdorer spent upon 
the solitary islet he must have almost forgotten 
how to crumble -at the changes in teuiperaturo 
^hich it is said, make our countrymen what 
thev are seeing that the thermometer only varied 
iqdec Fahrenheit throughout the whole time, 
rising once towards the end of November to 89 deg., 
and dropping to 70 deg in the middle Fe\>™ary. 
This state of things becomes almost ideal >Nhen 
one learns that south easterly breezes b ow for 
nearly the whole year through, that there is 
plenty of fresh water, and that the island is per- 
fectly healthy. • • n„ 
To begin with, the spot explored was originally 
an atoliriike the Cocos Islands, upon which Dar- 
win based his theory of coral islands, and hes some 
hundreds of miles to the north-east oi these and 
100 south of Java. Christmas Island has a maxi- 
mum length and breadth of tweUe and nine miles 
J^rectively, and roughly contains forty-three 
square miles of surface covered with dense forest. 
For the last eight years or so Mr, Andrew Ross has 
lived on the island, which previously was unmliabi- 
tated by man, and the population when Mr. An- 
drews left was about forty, cliieHy Malays. 
The animals are not many, and perhaps those 
which serve as food are most interesting generally, 
Tn they must be to the inhabitants, Seabirds are 
verv numerous, and two species of frigatebirds form 
tEhief contents of the larder. Of the several 
land crabs the robber-crab (birgus latro) provides 
RdaiDty aisU, wUicb is also substantial seeing 
that the animal is of ten «;ix inches or more acroM 
the carapace. 
A plentiful supply of rice, which with other 
stores is left by Mr. Ross's boats on their way 
fipom Java to the Cocos Isles, provides vegetable 
food, and Mr. Andrews siiys lhat the coolies wlio 
were brought by the engineer to lay ilown the 
road to render available the valuable deposits <A 
jjliosphate of lime looked as if they had never 
had a square meal in their life, anil found (lieni- 
selves ill a land of plenty. 
In pasi^ing it may be said that the solid phos- 
phatic rock represents what was once guano hen 
the island wiu not covered with trees and was 
the resting-place of multitudinous birds. 
The settlers have proved the suitability of the 
place for growing collee, and have planted coco- 
nuts and fruit trees. — Hohie paper. 
SOUTH TRAVANCOKE TEA CO., LD. 
DIRECTORS' RErORT. 
The outturn of tea was 212,0 IG lb , being 32,954 lb. 
below the estimate. The area now uiK^er tea amoan<8 to 
743 acres. The aveiage price reahscd was 5'&5d per 
lb., as against 5°85d obtamed last season, th<i giO'i 
profit £1,304 ISs 3d., as against £1,072 Us lOd last 
year. The net profit amounts to £740 7d., wbirh, 
with the balance brought forwaid from last year, 
makes a total of £941 15a 4(1. Shortness of tea crop, 
unusual drought, high freights, high rate of exchsnge, 
failure of coffee, and lower prices generally have com- 
bined to produce so disappointing a result. Yoit 
directors are of opinion that the capital expended 
in developing the estates since the formation of the 
company will now bear fruit, and that the current 
year will show more satisfactory results. The latest 
crop reports show that for the first .three and a- 
half-months of the current year 90,000 lb. of tea 
were made as against 54,891 lb. during the corres- 
Eonding period of 1897, and so niuch of this as haa 
een sold has realised a Batisfact<Dry price. Mr 
Valentine, who has recently been appointed visitini; 
agent, reports under date September 23rd, that the 
garden and factory are in good order, reflecting 
great credit upon the manager (Mr. Stewart) and 
the assistant (Mr. Macdonald.) Mr. Valentine esti- 
mates the probable outturn for this season at 
350,000 lb. 
At the reqnest of your directors, Mr. Forbes 
Laurie, early in the present year, visited the com- 
pany's tea gardens in South ilravancorc. His report 
on the properties, with the exceptiou of two small 
divisions, was favurable. Negotiations are proceeding 
for the resale of the latter to the vendor on terms 
favourable to the company. During tbe period under 
review, 1897-98. Mr. Alexander resigned the manage- 
ment of the company's properties, and Mr. Stewart 
was appointed manager in bis place. — H. anA C- Mail, 
Deo. 2. 
MR. F. H. WIGGIN AT CHEF.TENHAM. 
The Cheltenham Observer reports that, at 
the recent Ciieltenham fruit and flower show, 
Mr. F H Wiggin, formerly of Sogania, Pussel- 
lawa, won ten prizes as follows : — 
Three buttonholes of chrysanthemums with ferns ot 
grasses for gentlemen — (open) F H Wiggin 2. 
Do for ladies— F H Wiggin 2. 
Bouquet for hand— F &Wiggia 2. 
Collection of culinary apples — F II Wiggin 2. 
Collection of dessert apples — F H Wiggin 1. 
Single dish of culinary apples — F H Wiggin 3. 
Collection of pears, 12 dishes — F H Wiggin 1. 
Twelve pears for weight, of one sort — F H Wiggin. 1. 
Grapes (black) one dish, two bunches, distinct 
varieties— F H Wiggin 1, 
One dish, two bunches, one Tsriety— F E Wiggin it 
