June 1, 1899.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
that during tlie past year we have got a better 
range of prices. Those in charge of the estates 
deserve our congratulations, for they have kept 
up their quality and prices at a criiical time. 
Ne.xt, as regards the labour supply. This has 
become almost a standing disii with us. Tlie labour 
supply in Ceylon is now in a position that I have 
never known it before. At the beginning of 
this year it was unnecessary to send any money 
to India for tlie recruiting of coolies. The labour 
supply heiiig more than suffir'ient, we have every 
reason to think that our liability for advances 
will go down. I may say that during the past 
year tliere wa.3 a certain amount of havdslii^j 
among tlie coolies, the supply of labour being 
greater than was required for the work. The 
coolies said they would rather stay on if they 
might be allowed to work half-tinio. That means 
a good deal of trouble to the superintendents, 
and I think we may congratulate ourselves they 
kept the labour force in good order without our 
making any further advance.?. 
NILGIRI GAME AND FISH PRESERVATION 
ASSOCIATION. 
CLOSE SEASON— TEOUT FISHING. 
OoTACAMUND, May 10. — At a meeting of this Aaao- 
ciatiou, on Wednesday, the following elections were 
announced to have taken place ; — Lieut. -General Sir 
George "Wolseley, Blajor Fanshav/e, -Major B.igiiall, Mr. 
S G Roberts, and Mr. A S Crum. Of theae, Lieut. - 
General Sir George Wolseley, Major Bagnall, Mr. S Q 
Roberts, and Major Fanahawe were asked to serve on 
the Committee. 
Captain Swan has been obliged to resign charge of 
the trout cultural operations, aud Major Bagnall 
has kindly consented to relieve him. A batch of rain- 
bow trout is now on its way from England. 
With regard to the extension of the close season to 
the reserved forests in South-East Wynaad, the fol- 
lowing notice has been issued by the Collector and 
recorded with satisfaction by the Association : — 
" Under the authority vested in him by Rule 7 of the 
Rules framed under Sections 21 and (/") of the Madras 
Forest Act, and published in the Fort St. Georye 
Oazttte. by notification No. 40, dated .January 10th, 
1894 (vide also District Gazette Supplement for March, 
1894), the Collector hereby noli/ies that the close 
aeaaou for large and small game in the reserved 
and rented forests of South-East W'ynaad shall begin 
on the Slat October for large game, and on the lyth 
September, 1899, for small game, and that thereafter 
the close season for both large and small game in 
the forests aforesaid shall be the same as iu other 
parts of the district. 
The cases referred to in Resolutions IV and V of the 
last Committee meeting, viz., the accidental shooting 
of small stags by two license-holdershave been settled. 
A meeting of the Sub-Committee had already been 
held for deciding whether aud when the fishing for 
trout should be opened in the Pykara river, Kundah 
river, and Emerald Valley river. There weie present: 
— Captain N G Beadnell, Mr. .M. Clementson, Captain 
C T Swan, Mr. W L Edmiston, and Mr. F .J Hill. 
It was resolved that fi-,hing for trout under the fol- 
lowinr; restrictions be thrown open to all game license- 
holders for the months of M .roh, Apiil, and May, 
1899: — (1) The only lure to be used to be artificial 
fly; ('2| N> g'ff o be H<ed, 0 it alaii-liug net ; (3) 
All li.s.-i nnd_-r 12 inchea t i Oe returned to the water; 
(4) All lish louu i 10 ia . pawii to be also re'.nrned 
to ..he w ' .i;r, a.i-l li w is &.i.rnfstly requested that a 
record ot itll lis> caught be sent to tlie Honorary Secre- 
tary, Nili<iri Gam A-iso i 'tioD. 
In this c aiiecdon the fallowing note hai been 
received bv the Ho.'oiny Sjci" ary from .Major 
Bagtrili : — " If thero is any probabilitv of a trcetiug 
of the G'un i A=iaociation soon, I would like to bring 
the following quoatioDB bsfore them : — (1) Whether 
trout fi^hiug should oot be opened every whor«, except- 
ing in Burn'oot Lake. If the trout are fairly fished 
for with fly and local limits to size laid down, there 
is no fear of too many being cacght ; in fact, my 
chief object in raising this question is the preserva- 
tion of the fish, as the watchers wiil work much mora 
keenly if they know sahibs are about. (2) Whether 
there should not be a license for fishing onh/ at a 
reduced price (say R15). (3) If we really are to 
pre.serve tiout, the fly only should be allowe i in those 
streams which are known to have a fair stock of trout." 
On Wednesday it was resolved Th-^t fishing for 
trout be thrown open to all game licanse-h^iMers of 
the season 1898-99 up to the end of Au^-ust, 1809, with 
the exception of the foUowir.g water :— (1) burnfoot 
Laks ; (2) the tributary of the Avalanche stream that 
flows past the Avalanche bunglow ; the iiead- 
waters of the Bowani River ; (\) that the fishing be 
free to the above-named license-holders np to tha 
time specified in the foregoing Resolution, subject to 
the conditions proposed by the Sub-Committee. 
The Committee hopes that with the record of fish 
caught the name of the flies with which they have 
been taken will be sent to the Honorary Secretary. 
—M. Mail, May 12. 
« 
TEA CORPORATION, LIMITED. 
The following circular has been issued to the 
Siiareholders of this Company : — 
It will be within the recollection of those of 
you who were present at the adjourned general 
nieetiiicr, that a strong view was expressed by 
some Shareholders, in which your Direciors ac- 
quiesced, that a short r^.swm^of the working of 
the Company's Estates should be circulated, as 
soon as the Directors considered themselves in a 
position to make a statement. They have |)leasure 
in forwarding you this Report, which shows the 
working of the Company's Estates, as far as pos- 
sible, up to date. 
They wish, however, emphatically to point out 
that the following figures must not be taken as an 
indication of the result of the Company's working 
for the whole year, as the expenditure for the 
first half-year (which includes the cost of the 
greater part of the iiiauuiing for the year) is much 
heavier than for 1 he succeeding six months, while 
the larger portion of tlie crop i.-i produced and sold 
during thola .ter jiortion of the year. 
The amount of tea producea from 1st July to 
3Ist December last was about .530,00011)., at an 
average cost of 31i cents per lb. Over 580,000 
lb., have been sold in London and Ceylon up to 
the end of March, at an average of rather over 
6d per lb. nett. Since the beginning of the year, 
the price of common tea has advanced consider- 
ably, and the sales of the Coini)any's tea during 
February and Match averagetl 6^d per lb. nett. 
It is, however, i'uportant for the Shareholders to 
bear iu mind, that the iManuger's e.stiniate of the 
tea output is liable to lluctuation owing to cli- 
matic conditions ; this will he appreciated by 
those Shareholders who may possibly be ir.vestois 
in .similar Companies, where market and climatic 
conditions sometimes unavoidably upset the most 
carefully drawn conclusions. At the same lime 
your Directors are pleased to say that the Manager 
advises them t:iat the recent drought is now nt an 
end, and that rain having f;illeu in every district, 
heavy Uushe^ can be expected dui ing .-\priland May. 
The ri«c in the price of tea almve referred to 
is a matter for congratulation ; it is naturally 
impossible to form a delinite opinion as to whether 
it will be maintained, but the statistical p isitiou 
of the Tea Market generallj", a'ld the largely in- 
cieiiscd (icMiand tor Ceylon I e.a-<, uiidoubteilly point 
to a higher range of values beiiii< maintained than 
that which has ruled during the past two years. 
