Feb. 1, 1899.1 THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST 
549 
coffee cron last year, the amount obtained being 
£1,093 Us '2d, although the expenditure was no more 
than that of former years. This has raised tlie debit 
to profit and Iobs account to £2,C3i. It is with a 
view of reducing this debit balance and the large 
amount now due for the building of the factory and 
the opening out of the tea planting that the direc- 
tors are anxious to issue tbe remainder of the pre- 
ference shares. We have no dertnite plan yet to lay 
before the shareholders, but it is eviaens that either 
these shai-es will have to be taken up, or, as it has 
been suggested, the preference shares at 10 per cent, 
be altered to 6 per cent, cumulative preference shares. 
This plan is especially advisable because we are now 
getting into smooth water, for besides the coffee, 
cinchona, and the pepper we have on the pro- 
perty, we should have every year au increasing 
supply of tea. The fir.3t bill of lading for 3,970 lb 
is now to hand, and the production of 
tea for -October amounts to 5,1(59 lb. The 
results up to the present are very satisfactory, and 
that when we meet in a year's time we trust wa 
shall have a good report to show. The directors 
have sold the present crop of coffee, estimated at 
35 to 40'tons to arrive, and have also sold the pepper 
crop, chiefly from the Peringodde Estate, estimated 
at 15 to 20 tons, so that with this and the ship- 
ments of tea we shall have a much better result 
to show for the current year. 
The motion was seconded by Mr. Sanderson, who 
Baid that the company was giving the proposal to 
alter the character of the shares their very serious 
consideration. They proposed to alter the ordinary 
preference shares to 6 per cent cnmolative shares. 
An action of this kind would put their company on 
a much better financial position. Before any definite 
steps were taken the shareholders would be called 
together. 
The Chairman then moved the re-election of Mr, 
Chas. M. Miller as a director. This motion was 
seconded by Mr. R M Inman, and carried unanimously. 
The auditors, iVlessrs. Lovelock, H W S Whiffin, 
and Dickinson, were then re-elected. 
Mr. Hauderson then moved a vote of thanks to the 
manager and staff in India for the way in which 
they had done their work dnring the past season. 
They had had great difficulties to contend with in 
building the new factory, and he thought that they 
thoroughly deserved a hearty vote of thanks for tha 
efficient way in which they met these difficulties. 
This was seconded by Mr. R M Inman, and unani- 
mously adopted. 
The meeting concluded with a vote of thanks to the 
chairman. — 11, andC, Mail, Dec, 23. 
THE OTTERY TEA COMPANY OF 
OF CEYLON, LIMITED. 
The annual general meeting of the Ottery 
Tea Company of Ceylon Ltd., was held at noon 
yesterday at the offices of the agents and Secretaries, 
Messrs. Lee Hedges and Co., B.iillie Street. 
There were present Messrs. R H S Scott (in the 
chair), Messrs. \V B Kingsbury, J A Julius, 
E M Sliattock, and Lt.-Coi. McCoinb, by his 
attorney Mr. L M Sliattock. 
The report submitted by the directors was as 
follows :— 
The Directors have now the pleasure to submit 
to the shareholders their report and accounts for 
the year ended September .SOth, 1893. 
Owing partly to unfavourable climatic conditions, 
and also to a somewhat finer system of plucking which 
was udoptod towards the end of the season, tbe crop 
has been considerably short of the estimated yield, 
the amount of Tea secured being only io2,97S pounds 
against the original estimate of 170,000 pounds The 
tea has cost without manure cents 25'05, aud has 
realiaeti f, nelt average price cents 42 iO, 
During the year, a sum of £125 has been paid in 
further reduction of the mortgage, aud this, together 
with the amounts previously paid, and the profit 
which has been derived from the favourable rate of 
exchange at which the mortgage has been reduced, 
has been transferred to a Reseive Account. From this 
account a sum of R2,500 has been spent on manure, and 
it is proposed to provide from the same source a 
further sum of Rl,000 during the present Session. 
After making provision for the interest OJI mortgage, 
&c., the balance of profit available amounts to 
R22,951'G8. Of this sum R1,S64 08 was absorbed by 
the payment of £125 in further reduction of the 
mortgage, and an Interim dividend of 3 per cent to 
March 31st has been paid, leaving a balance avail- 
able of R12,147'60. From this it is proposed to pay 
a final dividend of 4 per cent, absorbing Rll,926, 
and to carry the balance R227'60 to next account. 
At an extraordinary general meeting held on the 
24th June, 1898, it was decided that the Directors be 
authorised to enter into an agreement with the mort- 
gagee to make the balance principal secured by the 
mortgage payable at twelve month's notice on either 
side, instead of by annual instalments of i'SOO, and 
this was accordingly done. 
In terms of the Articles of Association Mr. A. R. 
Wiggin resigns his seat on the Directorate, but being 
eligible offers himself for re-election. 
An Auditor will also have to be appointed for sea- 
son 1898-99. 
It was proposed by the Chairman and secon- 
ded by Lt. Col. McComb that the report and 
balance sheet be adopted. — Carried. 
THK DIVIDEND. 
Mr. E M SiiATTOCK proijosed and Mr. W B 
Kingsbury seconded tliat a final dividend of 4 
per cent be paid as soon as possible. — Carried. 
THE DIRECTOE. 
On the proposition of Mr. E M Shattock seconded 
by Lieutenant-Colonel McComb, Mr. Wiggin was 
re-elected a director of tbe company. 
THE AUDITOR. 
It was proposed by Lieutenant-Colonel McComb, 
seconded by Mr. E M Shattock, and carried, that 
Mr. J D p'orbes be re-appointed auditor. 
THANKS. 
A vote of thanks to the chair brought the meet- 
ing to a close. 
THE NEED OF FUMIGATING 
INTRODUCED FRUIT. 
We direct special attention to the letter of 
Mr. John F. Jowitt on the risk we run of intro- 
ducing one or more pests with importations of 
Australian fruit. Ceylon has so long been a 
terror to her neighbours from the fear of the 
terrible coflfee fungus, that it may seem a little 
strange we should wish to guard ourselves againsc 
insect or other enemies. But we think Mr. 
Jowitt gives very good reasons why precautions 
should be taken and in the number of the 
Agrictiltuml Gazette of New South Wales which 
we had the pleasure of laying before Mr. E. E. 
Green from whom Mr. Jowitt had a perusal, 
we learn how to guard against the introduction 
of any pest with fruit by adopting certain prac- 
tical instructions for fumigation. It. will be for 
the Planters' Association and Chamber of Com- 
merce to see to it, that the Government is moved 
to cause the needful fumigating chamber to be 
provided at the Customs premises. The instruc- 
tions referred to by Mr. Jowitt are as follows : — 
FUMIOATION OF FRUIT WITH UVDUOCYANIC ACID. 
The following notes on some experiments conducted 
with the object of aacertaiuing whether it wasposjibl? 
