Se^t. ], 1903.] THE TROPICAL AGEICULTTTRIST. 
199 
The Directors have the pleasure to submit their 
Tenth Annual Report. The amount at credit of pro- 
fit and loss account including R:d04-42, brought forward 
from last year's account is BX2,800-70, out of which the 
Directors propce paving a dividend of 6 per cent 
absorbing E12,524-40 ; and carrying forward a balance 
of R276.30— Total R12,800-70. The crop of Tea secured 
from the estates was 156,756 lb and of bought leaf 
50,183 lb as against 143,487 lb and 50,664 lb last season 
respectively. The average net price realised was 37'lOc 
as against" 35'58 cts per lb for the previous year. The 
estimate of crop for the current year is 175,000 lb 
from the estates and 50,000 lb from bought leaf. 
According to the articles of Association Mr F Hunter 
retires from the Board of Directors, but being eligible 
offers himself for re-election. An Auditor for season 
1903-1904 will have to be appointed. 
THE DUMONT COFFEE COMPANY, 
LIMITED. 
directors' report. 
Report presented at the seventh annual meeting at 
Winchester House, Old Broad Street. London, E C, 
oa Tuesday, the S8th July ; — 
The Directors submit the general balance sheet and 
profit and loss account for the year ending 31st Dec- 
ember, 1902. The amount bronght forward from pre- 
vious year was ±'33,653 Ba lOd. 1901 crop adjustment 
£690 Os 3d. Total £34,343 Os Id. 
From which has to be deducted — The net loss for 
the year, amounting to £6,435 17s lOd. The 
London charges (including loss by depreciation 
in value of the debeutores held by the Com- 
pany) £3,161 3s Id. Interest at 5i per cent, per 
annum, inclusive of income tax, has been paid on the 
debentures, amounting t o £21,989. Total £31,586 Os lid 
Leaving a balance, which it is proposed to carry for- 
ward, of £2,757 Ss 2d. 
The crop for 1902 amounted to only 43,019 cwfcs., as 
compared with 143,395 cwts. in 1901, and an average 
106,159 cwts. for the three preceding years. This dis- 
appointing yield was owing to a severe drought which 
followed the heavy crop of the previous year. 
Of the year's output . . 41,194 cwts. were sold in Loadcn 
and 1,825 ,. ,, in Santos 
43,019 
The gross average price realised for the whole crop 
was equivalent to 35s Igd per owt. landed in London, 
as against 33s 8jd the previous year and was 8s 5^d 
per cwt. over the average price of Santos coffee, which 
was 26s 8d for the period in which our sales were 
effected the latter price being a lower one than ever 
recorded for any previous season. It is a matter for 
satisfaction that the Oompany's produce sold at a 
relatively higher price than at any former time as 
compared with average Santos coffee. 
The average price obtained for the Comnany's 
pulped coffee, of which there were 24,309 cwts was 393 
per cwt and for the nnpulped coffee 303 per cwt. 
The exchange rate of the milreis was I2d as against 
11 7-16 the previous year and the cost of laying down 
the coffee in London was 383 6d per cwt or ISs 9Jd 
over that of 1901, the increase being due to the short 
crop and higher rate of exchange. 
The position of cofiee-growers generally in Brazil ia 
acknowledged to be an extremely critical one at the 
present time. Owing to the very low price at which 
coffee has been for some years past many planters are 
unable to retain their labour force, or maintain their 
properities in a good state of cultivation. The 
financial position is so acute that unless relief comes 
in some form or other, it is believed a portion of the 
present Brazil crop may not be harvested, and a partial 
abandonment of large areas may possibly take place. 
If this occurs, it would doubtless leaij to an improve- 
pi«at iq the coffee market, 
Taking into consideration these conditions, it ia a 
matter of satisfaction that this Company has beea 
able, in spite of adverse circumstances, to keep its 
property in a good state of cultivation, and retain a 
full labour force. 
The Damont Railway, which for the past few years 
has yielded substantial profits, was last year worked 
at a loss, owing to the short crop of coffee in the 
district. 
In August last a severe frost caused very ooosider- 
able loss of coffee trees on many properties ; the 
DumoQt estate, however, was fortunate in escaping 
with damage oq a comparatively small area, 
The current years' crop is estimated by our IManager 
at 90,000 cwts. Picking began on the 13th April, an3 
to date of this report about 58,600 cwts had been 
harvested. 
Mr G A Talbot and Mr R Hart are the retiring 
Directors, and, being eligible, offer themselves for re- 
election. 
The Auditors, Messrs Jackson, Pixley, Browning 
Husey & Co., also retire, and again offer themselves 
for re-election. 
"Red Rust": A Tea. Disease Reminis, 
CENT OK THE COFFEE LEAP DISEASE OF 
Ceylon. — At the annual general meeting of 
the Assam Branch of the Indian Tea Asso- 
ciation Mr. Ha^-old Mann ,in reply to some 
remarks made on the serioas proportions 
"Red Rust" was assuming in the Tea Dis- 
tricts, of Upper Assam gave some informa- 
tion which it may be well for Ceylon Plan- 
ters to know, even although there may be 
no immediate necessity for the knowledge- 
He said : — 
You are aware that now nearly two years ago I pub- 
lished a pamphlet giving the result of my experimenta 
in connection with this blight. Since that time its 
prevalence has distinctly increased, and now in 1903 
it occupies relatively to the plant a position of more 
gravity than any other blight which attacks the bush, 
and forcibly reminds me of the Coffee Leaf disease of 
Ceylon in its effect on a garden and its disastrous re- 
sults. At the time of my writing before almost all 
the serious attacks were on low lying undrained land, 
and this class of soil is distinctly still the worst, but 
it has since become of serious importance on well- 
drained uplands which were not seriously attacked 
two years ago. This extension is of a very serious 
character, and while I do not wish it to be thought 
that a few examples of blighted shoots are a cause, 
necessarily, of great alarm, yet the matter will have 
to be watched most carefully. lam, in fact, prepared 
to recommend to the Calcutta Committee that on my 
return in February nest I should be able to spend my 
time for several months practically exclusively ia 
working ai this serious blight. 
The disease is essentially one attacking bushes of low 
vitality, — if they are in a thoroughly healthy vigorous 
condition they will as a rule not be seriously affected, 
though the rule does not apply in all cases. This low 
vitality may be induced, and is most often induced by 
lack of drainage, and hence the presence of only snr- 
face roots. It may also be produced by '' long " 
pruning on a high pruned bush, — thus forming a non- 
luxuriant shoot. It is very often the result of close 
plucking in the early part of the season, and finally 
exhaustion of the soil, and consequent necessity of 
manure, often plays a great part in the prevalence of 
the blight. There remains, however, an enormoua 
amount of investigation to do in this perhaps the 
most serious, if not the most alarming blight of tea, 
and this I hope to have the chance to undertake ^arly 
next BoaS'oai 
• 
