854 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [June 1, 1899. 
The proceeds of the Nonpareil crop of l,(Xi9 
bushels Coffee, 8,141 lb. EsUte Tea, and »,056 lb. 
Tea from Turcha-ed Leaf were iii.siiHicient to n»eet 
the expendiiure on general cultivation, but the 
advices from Ceylon indicate there is every reaxon 
to exi)ed, thai tliis year the Estate will be at 
least self supportin{{. At the time this property 
was acquired there were 400 acres in cultivation 
in coffee and tea. On the advice of the Com- 
pany's Ceylon ManaKement, and after due con- 
sideration! the Directors have decided for the 
present only to retain the best of the land already 
planted in tea, the extent of these fields beinjj 
245 acres. 
The following is a Statement of the Acreage 
of the Company's Properties as on 1st January, 
1899 :- 
Tea in Tea in Tea 
full partial not Forest, Total 
bear- in Cof- Waste, Acre- 
ing. bearing. fe«. <^c. age 
— 85 
Blnoya 
St. Vigeana 
Motliiigham 
Edinburgh 
Friedland 
Nonpareil 
bear- 
ing. 
441 
185 
212 
306 
ICl 
.56 
9 
25 
— 3G 20"J 
— -10.9 
— 87 
— 50 
— 2 
77 227 
920 
185 
358 
4a7 
163 
519 
1,30.5 '.)2 328 77 710 2,521 
In iheir last report the Directors referred to an 
intended issue of £10,000 of six per cent. Deben- 
tures, but only .€5,000 have so tar been issued. 
The Directors are pleased to report that the 
Colombo A-^ents have voluntarily made a niDdi- 
Hcation in their scale of charges, as from the 
commencement of the 1898 season, to the ad- 
vantage of the Shareholders. 
In accordance with the Articles of Association, 
Mr. Alex. Thomson retires from the Board at this 
Meeting, and, being eligible, offers himself for re- 
election. 
During the past year the Directors have had 
fie advantage of Mr. W Megginson's advice and 
assistance in connection witli the general work- 
ing of the Company's Estates, and the Directors 
now propose that he shall join the Board as an ad- 
ditional Director, it not being intended, for the 
present, that this appointment shall increase the 
fees paid to the Directorate.— By Order of the 
Bjar.l, W. H. Bartlett, Secretary. 
London, 17th April, 1899. 
THE STANDARD TEA COMPANY OF 
CEYLON, LIMITED. 
Eighth report of the Directors to the share- 
holders, to be submitted at the general meeting, 
to be held on Wednesday, 26th April, 1899, at 
noon, at the offices of the Company. 
The Directors submit statement of accounts to 
3 1st December, 1898. 
The profit and loss account shows a profit on 
the working of the estates in Ceylon of 
£11,343 193 2d, which with amount brought for- 
ward from last year, less interest and home 
charges, shows a sum of £10,569 lis lOd. avail- 
able fpr division. 
In August, 1898, the Directors, under the 
powers entrusted to them, distributed an interim 
dividend for the six months ending 30th June, 
1898, of 5 per cent (10 per cent per annum), 
absorbing £2,973. 
They now recommend a dividend at the rate 
of 10 per cent (making lo per cent for the year) 
absorbing £5,950; the placing £1,000 against de- 
preciation ; and the carrying forward to the next 
year £644 Us lOd. 
Coffee hae coutributad to the re^ialu some £I,*JUO 
leii'i than last year. The crop wan 115 cwt. ; it 
realised about £5ijO. 
1 he Hveriige Exchange for the Company as 
drawers in Colmnbo was 1/4 5-32, againi-l 
l/A 15 32 in 1896 and 12 19 32 in iSHb The 
difference in 1898, conipareii with 1897, un- 
favourably affected ttie ax-councs to ilie extent of 
about £900. 
Finest tea were lower in price this Ivit icaBOD, 
our Uda I'ussellawa Teas were i<\ per lb. nett 
lower. The Maskeliya Teas realised the same 
price per lb. as in 1897. 
Coneyt<ar is now worked wilb and as part of 
St. Leonards. 
The St. Leonards factory ha« l»een enlarged 
several times. The yield, however, from the Lda 
Fussellawa places has nearly overtaken itis ca|«- 
bilities ; and there is further incre.'i«e to be faca>l. 
The Directors, therefore, hue sauctione«l the 
erection of a factory on Gotdoa, to deal with ttie 
prixliice of that estate and TuIIock. With ihi« 
relief St. Leonards factory should be suHi ient for 
some time for all that at present beeiiis likely to be 
domaiidcd of it. 
To pay for the new factory and |>ay off »oine of 
the floating debt, ttie Directors seek authority to 
issue some ot the unissued shares iis |(refereiice 
uliares. As shown in the notice ou the lace of 
this report a formal resolution will be submitted 
to the meeting. 
The Company's properties at the close nf 1898 
were 3,4(j5 acres, with 1,714 acres of tea con- 
sidered in full bearing, viz. : — 
Acres tea 
Acres, bearing. 
In Uda Pussellawa — St. Leonards 
and Coneygar... 901 .399 
Liddlesdale ... 814 140 
Eakdalc ... -240 208 
Gordon ... 386 154 
Tnllocs ... 419 193 
In Upper Maskeliya — Gonrarilla 
and Upper Cruden .. 705 614 • 
There are also 536 acres tea in partial beariiij;, 
and some 237 acres in addition planted with tea. 
On St. Leonards, Liddesdale and Gordon estates 
there is still some coffee interspersed tlitough 
the tea. 
Mr. William RoUo, the Director who retires by 
rotation, being eligible, offers himself for re- 
election — By order, 
A. Tkafford Buooke, Secretary. 
SOUTH MYSORE PLANTERS ASSOCIATION. 
The annual general meeting of the above Associa- 
tion was held at Saklaspur, on the 30th ultimo., 
present :— Messrs. F. Lonsdale Allen, R. A. An- 
derson, Graham Anderson, c.i.e., J. £. Butcher, 
W. L. Cra^vford, J. G. Crawford, Thomas Hunt, 
W. Lavvder, C. Lake, A. R. Park (President), E. 
M. Playfair, S. Sladden, and R. Taylor. Visitors. — 
Messrs. Barclay and Roffey. The Vice-President 
(Mr. Plaj^air) read 
THE ANNUAL REPORT, 
of which following are e.ttracts :— 
It is my pleasant duty to report that the some- 
what gloomy forebodings expressed early in the 
year have not been realised, and that the season 
on the whole, has been a moderately good one! 
The advices of sales of East India that have reached 
us indicate a depressed state of the market, which 
owing to the increasing production in different 
parts of the world, seems likely to continue for 
sometime. The cardamom crop was above aver- 
