May 1, 1899.] 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
763 
total abolition of the duly and the consequent absence 
of proper Customs suparvision would also greatly 
f icilitixte the importation of worthless or adulterated 
leaf, which has hitherto not been allowed to be 
entered for home consumption." This may savour of 
discussing the nature of the jelly to be eaten with 
the hare before the latter is caught, but these opinions 
may have some weight one of tliese days fihen the 
tea duty becomo3 a burning question. — H. <£ C. 3Iail, 
Mrrch 17. 
^ 
THE AGKA TEA COM PAIN Y OF 
CEYLON, LIMITED. 
The following is tlie report of the directors : — 
Directors: — Major E. F. Tranchell, Joseph Fraser, 
Esq., John K. Symonds, Esq. 
The Directors have the pleasure of submitting 
their Report on the transactions of the Company for 
the year ending 31st December, 1898. 
The acreage of the Company s property was given 
in the last report. 
The estimated crop for 1898 was 155,000 ; but 
owing to the unfavourable weather that prevailed 
all over the planting districts, the outturn was only 
151,887 lb., showing a shortege of 3,11.3 lb. This 
crop realized R68,214, or 45 cents per lb. The 
total expenditure on Sackarawatte, as shown in the 
accompanying accounts, was R4'2,060'17, or 27^ cents 
per lb. 
The net profits on the working of Sackarawatte 
Estate amounted to E27,318'83, which represents over 
6^ per cent on the value of that property, as shown 
in the balance sheet. 
The balance, after writing off the balance of pre- 
liminary expenses, interest on mortgage, etc. is 
R14,]I103; but as the expenditure on Kalkndah 
Estate has not been provided for the Directors pro- 
pose to carry this forward to next year's accounts. 
The profits of the Company being much hampered 
by the expenditure on Kalkudah Estate, the Dir- 
eotor-i recommend that the vendors be requested 
to take back the property for the price paid by 
tho Company plus the amount expended on it with 
interest at 4 per cent on the latter. 
The Directors propose to borrow the equivalent of 
£1,000 sterling at 8 per cent interest to pay the 
Standard Life Assurance Company io^ the release 
of the mortgage held by that Company over Kal- 
kndah Estate. The interest on the loan to ba paid 
half-yearly. 
The Visiting Agent reports that the tea property 
has been kept in very good order, and the new 
cart-road and bungalov/ and the improvements to 
the Factory have been completed. 
In terms of the Articles of Association, Mr 
Joseph Fraser retires from the Board of Directors 
but is eligible for re-election. 
The appointment of an Auditor rests with the 
meeting. By order of the Board of Directors, 
J. P. Green & Co., 
Agents & Secretaries. 
^ 
NAHALMA TEA ESTATE. 
Tlie report of the director.^ of the Nalialma Tea 
Estate Company, Limited, for tiie j'ear endinjc 
December 31st; states tliat they regret it results 
in a debit, to profit and los.s account, at December 
31st, 1898, after providing for general expenses, 
directors' and auditors' fees' interest on Debentures, 
etc., of £143, leaving a deficit of that amount to 
be carried forward against next year. The directors, 
in lianding their report for IS'JS, regret that it 
ia so unfavourable. The crop obtained was 234,917 
lb, as against an estimate of 260,000 lb. This 
disastrous result i.s mainly attributable to a blight 
of helopeUis (helopoltis antonia) [" nios(mito blight," 
"tea bug" of India), which prevailed during the 
closing months of the year, The average cost per 
lb. was 5.49d, and realised .j.Old per lb, as against 
h9 cost in 1897 of 5.27d per lb, ami aa ^veragQ 
sale price of 6.04d per lb, Tlie increafed rate 
of cost is due to shortness of cro|) and to the 
higher rate of Exchange, which averaged Ls 4id in 
189S, as against Is .Sjd in 1897, Is 2 7-16d inl896, and 
Is 1 29-64d in 1893. The prevalence of the blight 
has also tended to lower quality. Tlie directors 
are assured by Mr. William Forsytlic, the director 
resident in Ceylon, that the sniierintendent is 
taking energetic steps to overcome the lielopeltis 
acting upon the advice of Mr. E Ernest Green 
the Ceylon Honorary Government Entomologist 
who visited the estate in December last, and 
pointed out the best method of dealing with the 
insects in their embryonic stages. For the informa- 
tion of the shareholders, the directors asked Mr. 
J F Anderson (an independent shfireholder resi- 
dent in the Kelani Yalley, Ceylon) to visit and re- 
port upon the estate. This lie did on January -iOth 
last, and remarks generally as follows : — 
Nahalma Estate is not well situated as regards 
transport facilities, being six miles from the 
nearest cartroad. For three miles out of six the 
transport has to be done on coolies' heads, the re- 
maining three miles being done by boat. The 
estate, when I visited, was much troubled with 
helopeUis, 173 acres being very bad indeed, and 
the pest appearing rather badly on 119 acres, 
which were coming into flash after pruning. The 
rest of the estate was fairly free, but Mr. Duncan 
informs me that the only field which this insect 
has never touched is the 30 acre field, the re- 
maining fields all having suffered more or less. 
To this pest I attribute 1 he loss iu crop and the 
high expenditure incurred last year. When the 
pest is at all bad, the flush, as it appears, is 
attacked, and instead of plucking a healthy shoot, 
one has to be content with a wretclied shrivelled 
thing, more like a cinder than a tea siioot. In 
this way the crop is lost, the expenditure is in- 
creased, and the tea made cannot possibly be .is good 
as that made from healthy leaf. To put tiie damage 
done in figures, Nahalma Estate should I consitler, 
'give 650 lb. tea per acre. The tea should, easily be 
put f.o.b. for 24 cents, and should certainly fetch 
the Kelani Yalley average, which will be about 
32 cents net for 1898. This on 446 acres tea would 
mean a profit of B23,0fi0, or say, £1,540, a, sum 
sufiicient to pay both Debenture and Ordinary 
shareholders well. Mr. Green (Hon. Consulting 
Entomologist to the Ceylon Government) visited 
Nahalma Estate in December, and his report is 
daily expected by INIr. Duncan. In the meantime 
his suggestions are being carefully carried out, 
and I have not the slightest doubt that Mr. 
Duncan (now that he knows the habits of the 
insect) will very materially reduce, if not entirely 
eradicate the pest. Tlie latest advices from the 
estate are more liopeful, and had it )iot been for 
the bliglit the results for the year would have been 
more favourable. The acreage of the company's 
properties on Deceml er 31st last remained nn- 
alteied, at : Tea in full bearing, 446 ; jungle, 246; 
692 acres. The crop for 1899 is estimated at 
260,000 lb, to cost 24 cents per lb. f.o.b. 
Colombo. During the year the improvement of 
the coolie lines has been continued at an outlay 
of R3,14o, which has been charged to current ex- 
penses. The estate is now, with the exception of 
one set, equipped with iiermanent coolie lines. 
Two of the companj''s Debentures have been re- 
deenieil during the financial year ending December 
31st. The chairman, Mr. Arthur Mnrsliall, tho 
director retiring by rotation, being eligible, ollev.s 
himself for re-election. Messrs. Fox, Sissoiis and 
Co., auditors to the company, otTer themselveiJ for 
re-election,— i?i(/^'c/)i(V^, Maicb 10, 
