Feb. ], 1899.1 THE TEOPICAL 
AGRICULTUEIST 
581 
AGE A OUVAH ESTATES COMPANY, LD. 
the annual eepokt. 
acrp:agh. 
31st December, 1898. 
Agka Ouvah. Fankerton. 
Tea in full bearing 302 
,, uot in bearing 20 
Grass and Jungle 9 
Tea in fnll bearing 165 
Timber clea,rin.% 10 
Grass, Patana & Scrub 18 
193 
Total Estate 331 Total Estate 
Grand Total 524 acres. 
The Directors have now to present to the Share- 
holders the accounts of the Company for the past 
year. 
The Crops secured amounted to 271,211 lb. Tea, 
as against 269,087 lb iu 1897. This total is aboiit 
9 0001b. below the estimate, and the shortfall is 
accounted for by the unfavourable weather prevail- 
ing during the last few months of the year. 
After deducting the cost of manufacturing 77,9.53 lb. 
Tea from other estates the cost of delivering the 
Company's tea in Colombo was 25-17 cents par lb. 
The average nett price for the tea was 53 82 cents 
per lb. against 55 05 cents per lb. in 1897. The 
gross amount of income from manufacturing tea for 
other estates was R8,961-61. It is satisfactory to 
note that the Coast Advances outstanding have been 
reduced by ;nearly E2,000. 
After making the usual ample provision for depre- 
ciation of buildings and machinery the amount at 
credit of profit and loss account for the year's working 
is RG7, 719 23, equal to 18 06 per cent on the capital 
of the Company. To the above has to be added a 
balance of RIG, 039 21 brought forward from 1897, 
making the total balance at credit of profit and loss 
account R83,758'4-l. An interim divlderd of 7 per 
cent was declared and paid on iBth August las^, 
absorbing R26,2.50, and the directors now recommend 
the payment of a final dividend of 11 per cent, 
making 18 per cent for the yen-, and that the bal- 
ance of R16,258-'14 be carried forward to the current 
year's account. 
The estimate for this year is 280,200 lb. Tea on 
an expenditure on the Estate of R85,53l-26, which 
outlay includes the cost of manufacturmg 150,000 lb. 
Tea expected from other estates for that purpose, 
and also additions to the Machinery and the cost of 
watpreourse referred to below. 
The Directors are glad to announce that they have 
arranged with the proprietors of a neighbouring 
estate for the use of water from a stream passing 
through that estate ; the expense of diverting the 
stream will be small, and a considerable saving in 
fuel is anticipated. _ . -rrr xt 
In terras of the Articles of Association Mr. W. H. 
Figg retires by rotation from the office of IMrector, 
but is eligible for re-election. 
The appointment of an Auditor for the current 
year will rest with the meeting. 
TEA CHESTS. 
A NEW AND UP-TO-DATE PACKAGE. 
Erer since the soft sheen of the coftee leaf gave 
place to the hareh and dark green leaf of the tea 
bush the Ceylon tea planter has been exercised in his 
mind as to how and vrhere to fiud hn tea chests. As a 
matter of fact, the bulk of the for«it trees were lying 
about, as it w«re the coff»e clearings before the 
newer product came into being ; gradually from llul 
aud Slellia and Mallabodda to Cakuna, mango wood 
and other baser kinds* has the tea pUrter been uaing 
np bin supply. It is odd to think that the last reserves 
of virgin foresi, spread in countless acres at his 
feet, as it were, is yet fat out of his reach. 
It cannot pay to transport the timber along 
jungle paths from the heart of the vast low 
country jungles, and so it came about that 
the Ceyion planter was obliged in time to 
depend upon other countries for the supply of h's 
t«a chesti. The wild peach tree of Japan (momi 
wood of commerce) has been for many years h's 
beat friend, but the Japanese have lately become 
alive to the fact that their supplies are limited. The 
annexation of Formosa necessitated the importavion 
ot thousands of standards of this soft aud aromatic 
timber, and so the planter received due warning by 
increased priosa and irregular supply that this re- 
ierve, too, was becoming a closed one to him. Swe- 
den and Norway were now drawn upon very largely, 
but with perhaps two exceptions, the great sawmilis 
of this vast peninsula did not rise to the occasion. 
It asemsd now as if most of tho supplies were 
eihanated, and the planter in many cases dropped 
back upon native chestf, but the conti-aotors could 
uot grow their timber, and had to rely upon inferior 
growths, the result of which was and is that, for 
some time past, there has been a cry of " cheesy 
teas," an appalling and lamentable effect of some 
oiliness in the wood. Then it was that " veneer " 
of three-ply was thought of for tea-chests. A new 
packages of this description has recently been intro- 
duced. This package is called " The Colindia." The 
wood is cut from Canadian maple, in Conada ; the 
cement which binds the ply together is a secret com- 
position. The thickness of the material makes tl e 
box equal to an inch plank in resistance. It is ex- 
tremely light, and the shocks lie very compactly in 
their outer case. The sides are made strong, rigid 
and waterproof at tha corners by a continuous steel 
fastener (patented), which is held together by clenched 
nails. The bottom is very strongly attached, as the 
nails are driven into an oak batten, v.'hich is, in 
turn, clenched on. The tea cannot come into con- 
tact with any wood, the lead lining being welded 
and whole. The tare — a most iniportart matter — is 
claimed to be perfectly even. The lid is easily re- 
moved, and the lightness and compactnesis in pack- 
ing saves a power of freight. Twelve comp'ete 
" Colindias," with two extra ends, rails, and inslruc- 
tious complete are sent in every outer chest, which, 
when empty, is ready for shipping back again. A 
planter of many years standing assures us that this 
package is likely to be a great success, and we are 
glad to add our testimony to v.-hat is, ia our opinion, 
its great suitability aa a good tea carrier. — H. and C, 
Mail, Jan. 13. 
THE FUTURE OF CEYLON TEA CROP. 
"W.D. B." undoubtedly gives good advice to 
his brother planters in the older districts at 
medium elevation where tea has been planted over 
colfee lields. We liave ii ) doubt that "judicious 
inanageinent " lias, in many cases, already done 
it.s work in abandoning corners or lields of tea that, 
with present low prices, can only be cultivated at 
a loss ; and we took this process into account tlie 
other day, to some extent, in venturinf'- to suggest 
that Ceylon had probably attained its average 
maxinni e.xport of tea in 120 million of lb. — a good 
season giving a few million lb. above and aa 
unfavorable one, a return as niucii the otlier way. 
" W.D. 15." woiks out iiis argiiineiit in a very 
practical way, and we have no doubt lii.s figures 
will bring home tlic wisdom of discariling unpiotifc- 
able bits of tea, to some wlio have not yet thought 
of tiie matter in their oivn eases. Of course, if 
there was a revival of better jiricc* and increased 
demand, the ))olicy wouhl be *peedily reversed : buti 
Russia (the Continent of Europe generally) and 
America must be [iroperlj' conquered before timt 
good time can be anticipated. 
