May 1, 1899.1 ^^HE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
805 
THE VELLIKELLIE TEA COMPANY OF 
CEYLON, LIMITED. 
RErOHT:— 
To be presented at the second ordinary general 
meeting of tlie Vellikellie Tea Coni])nny of Ceylon, 
liiinited, held at Uie (.)fliees of the Company, ]2, 
Fencliurcli .Street, London, E. C. : — 
Your Director,-! have the pie isure of submitting il:eiv 
Eeport and Balance Sheet for the six months tuding 
.Slst December, 1898, in accordance with ihe aunounce- 
ment made in their last Report, that such Kpsoial 
closure of Acconiits would be efSectfd, in order that 
the Season's working may henceforth run from Jan- 
uary to December of each year. 
The result of the v/orkiug is not very favourable 
but as much so as could be anticipated from the 
weather conditions. 
The yield of the Estates has been 90,539 lb. of which 
85,145 lb. have been shipped to London, and sold 
at a gross average of 10 08 per lb. 
The crop for 1899 is estimated at 210,000 lb. 
Exchange has averaged 1/4 13 64 per rupee- 
The Working Account discloses a surplus of receints 
(£919 17s lid ), which, after the addition of the bal- 
ance bi ought forward (£47 Ss Gdi and the deduction 
of dividend cn Preference Shares (£i4'2 10s Od ), leaves 
sufficient f'^r the payment of a Dividend of 2 per cent 
free of income tax, on Ordinary Shares (£705), and a 
balance to be carried forward of .£119 I63 5d in res- 
pec: of preliminary expenses, income lax, etc. 
jNIr. Ct. a. Dick, at present in Ceylou, expresses 
himself as thoroughly pleased with the local manage- 
ment of the Company's property and affairs, and con- 
siders that the present season opens with better 
prospects of financial succe.ss. 
Mr. Edgar Boia retires from the Board on this 
occasion, and, being eligible, offers himself for re- 
election. 
Mr. J. Hamilton Alston, the Auditor, also offers 
himself for re-electiou. 
THE TEA INDUSTRY IN INDIA. 
A FAVOURABLE FORECAST. 
Messrs. Carritt & Co.'s Indian Tea Market 
ll'rview, for the season 1S98-99, says :— 
Prospects for tlie ensuing season are brighter, 
and there are indications of a more prosperous 
year before the trade. Tlie present strong posi- 
tion will doubtless become accentuated by the 
end of May, and statisticilly the outlook is 
exceptionally encouiaging. 
The low scale of prices has enabled distributors 
to handle tea freely and force consuniptien, and 
the extraorilinary in-rease in home deliveries is 
the most satisfactory feature in the year's work. 
That so large a portion of the crop slionid, under 
such abnormal conditions as e.xisted daring the 
past year, have been dealt with before any re- 
coveryin prices took place in London, is instructive, 
and it is to be hoped that the measure ol strength 
now acquired by |)roducers will not be disturbed. 
The statistical ])ositioii would seem to invite a 
fr«er supply, which in many cases would mean 
a coarser systeni of plucking and a consequent 
lowering of quality ; under such coinlitions the 
outlook is not favouiaMe. The past year's crop 
was by no means a full one and with the in- 
creased yield during the current sea-<on from 
considerable c.Klcnsions coming into bearing, there 
should, under normal coixlitions of weather, be 
quite suUicicnt tea to meet home requirements, 
and also the increasing demands for outsiile 
markets. With a large and inferior qu.ility cmp, 
lower )iri('es must be looked for and any re- 
covery in value (signs of which are now seen) 
cannot be maiulained.— Pto/iecr. 
THE AMERICAN TEA MARKET FUNO. 
THI-; PROPOSED WIT11DU.\-\V.\L OF IVDIA OPPOSKIi. 
The Chairman 01 the Assam Branch, Indian Tea 
Association, has issued a Memorainlum on the 
above subject as follows: — 
•'lam of the opinion that the Assam Bi-anch of 
the Indian Tea Association .should .strengthen the 
hands of the Calcutta Tea Association 'hy taking 
this matter irp, and should prote.st in the strongest 
terms possible against discontinuing the American 
Market Fund at present, or taking any of its 
funds towards introducing tea" into other countries. 
In Messrs. Thomas & Co.'s report, dated 17th 
February, the following is staled: " America, in- 
crease lo per cent. Exports from 1st April 1898 to 
Cth February 1899.— America, 2.4-59,964 lb. ; Ex. 
ports from ist April 1897 to 6th February 1898, 
1,397,00-5 lb." 
"While agreeing with Messrs. Thomas & Co.'s 
remarks in the all importance of every one in- 
terested in the tea industry losing no opportunity 
of supporting the elforts that are being' made to 
stimulate the demand for Indian tea in every 
habitable portion of the globe, still I think it 
would be premature to take any of the fund.s 
now given towards pushing tea in America and 
to apply them to other countries until a plan of 
campaign is clearly made out. 
"Sir. Blechynden has done (contrary to the 
expectations of many) exceedingly good vi-ork for 
us in America, and to act 011 the supposition 
that his vv'ork is over, or even nearly so, would 
I feel convinced, be hazardous in the e.xtremc, 
not only weakening our hold in America, but 
risking the support we now obtain. 
' Let Mr. Blechynden's opinion be asked how far 
we can rela.x our hold in America, and should he 
support the London Association; then let a well- 
tliought-out plan be arranged for the introduction 
of tea into other countries and, if necessary, fur- 
ther subscriptions asked for. 
" Those who have already come forward in a 
liberal way to support the introduction of tea 
into new markets have, without doubt, succeeded 
in a way the most sanguine could hardly have 
anticipated : and it can scarcely be imagined that 
concerns which have so far withheld their sup- 
port can any longer waver or fail to come for- 
ward (though late) to the assistance of those who 
have borne the brunt of the fight." 
•J. Buckingham. 
PLANTING NOTES. 
CiNXAMO.V AND CiNCliOKA.— At the London cin- 
chona monthly sales there were 1,200 lb. The gen-"^ 
eral tone is ea-^ier, and the price IJd per unit. In 
regard to cinnamon the tone is fiim; quill 
buyers oiler Si' l per lb ; sellers ask 9d per Ih. 
and chip buyers are giving 8 I per pound. 
Coconut Planting by Europeans in thic 
Eas i'KRN Province —The 300 odd acres, at Urany, 
in Pottuvil, bought last year by Messrs. .) E 
Carey and H M Alleyn, of Ma>keliya, have been 
planle l with coconuts, and the lanil at Potluvil, 
bought by Mr. A J Browne, is under plantation. 
.V portion of 1,000 odd acres, at Tirukkovil and 
Komar, purchased by Mr. Browne, will be cleared 
and planted this year. Messrs. S C Northcote 
anil A .Jemmet Jhowne went in for .'ibont 2,50 
acre;- ;it Tirukkovil some lime ago. It is calcu- 
lated l-iat about 2, .500 acres have been purchased 
dining the last few years by iMiiopeans, the juin- 
cipal purchasers being Messrs. It H S iicott and 
W R Talliani, of Dikoya, .A .J Bmwne, now of 
l}atticalo i ; .J E Carey, ami H M AUeyix. — Batti- 
cnloa Cor., Local "Times," 
