Dec. 1, 1903.] THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
425 
characteristic taste of its own. The progreas made by 
the tea plants during the past year showrf that thwre 
is little difficalty in the successful cultivation ot this 
product on deep black soils at Zorabi. The question 
of the sucoess of tea at Zaraba is therefore not one of 
cultivation, but depends on rainfall. It is only a very 
limited area of the Protectorato thut has a suitable 
rainfall— that is, approaching 11(1 inches annually. 
With an altitude of 3,000 ft above sea leyel, nnd an 
annual normal rainfall of 50 inches, such iis Zomba 
obtn.ins, and also the greater pact ot the Shire 
Highlands, it is only from two such districts as South- 
east Mlanje and North-west Nyassalaud that tea may 
ever be expected to become a successful commercial 
product. The altitude of the latter district is from 
1,500 ft to 2,500 ft, and obtains an annual normal 
rainfall of 7G inches. 
BAD FOR HANKOW. 
Indian and Ceylon tea growers are, by their per- 
sistent efforts to capture the tea markets cf the worli3, 
making things very unpleasant for their Chinese 
rivals. The Hankow tea export continues to decline, 
and it is officially reported that unless the native 
growers improve their teas the trade will go over 
entirely to India and Ceylon. It is pointed out that 
the Siberian railway route, which was used for 
te.a during the year 1902 tor the first time, can hardly 
fail to work considerable change in the conduct of 
the trade in Russia, enabling as it does supplies to be 
placed on the consuming markets at a much earlier 
dste than before. During the season some 3,000,0001b 
were forwarded by this means, which in former years 
would have been sent via Odessa, It is also noted 
that 23,056 piculs of tea dust were imported into 
Hankow from Ceylon in 1902, and practically the 
whole of this importation left the port mixed with 
China dust, iu the form ot brick and tablet tea. 
CONSUMPTION OF INDIAN TEA IN AMERICA. 
The American Grocer makes the following interest- 
ing remarks in the column under the lio.id of the tea : — 
"Hlended tea having a touch of British-grown tea 
grows in favour much faster than straight Ceylon er 
India. The imports of tea into all ports of the United 
States for eight months ending August and the exports 
were as follows : Imports, eight months, 50,355,96 lb; 
exports, 4,011,207 lb; net imports, 40,314,75-1 lb; net 
imports same time 1902, 47,084,251 lb. Of the 190.3 
imports, Japan furnished 23,559,821 lb, or about 48 
per cent ; Chinese Empire 17,399,054 lb, or about 34 
per cent ; the balance 18 per cent cume from the 
United Kingdom, British North America, and the 
East Indies. It is evident that British-grown tea is 
making good headway in tinrling a market in the 
United States," The New York correspondent of the 
London Grocer, writing on this subject says: "Tho 
sale of packet tea is growintr, and as the consuming 
public come to understand that the ta ue quantity of 
Indian and Ceylon tea as of Japan or China will 
mako double, if not thrice, the qiiantily of beverase 
they will use them mors freely. Nine out of ten con- 
sumers use just the same Squantity as they have been 
accustomed to use of Formosa, Oolong, or Japan, 
and the result is a heavier-bodied beverage than is 
generally liked," 
CONSUMPTION OF TEA IN CANADA. 
The population ot Canada, according to tho last 
census, was 5,333,883. The average consumption of 
tea per head for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1903. 
was 3"1391b, the net tea consumed iu Canada amouut- 
ing to 16,760.287 lb. 
COCOA AND RUBBER FROM T HE GOLD COAST. 
Last year cocoa ot tha yalue of ,£94,'.i44 was nxpor- 
tedfrom the Gold Coast as compared with £12,837 in 
1901.au increase of 121 per cent, and thereby hangs a 
tale which is set forth in the annual report of the 
colony. This industry was founded in 1879 by a 
native of Accra who brought some cocoa plants and 
;iods from' Fernando Po, made a small plantation and 
our years later, aold tho cocoa poda iu the ueighbouv- 
ing villages. The first consignment ot 121b ot cocoa 
was shipped to England in 1895 and realised .£6 Is. No 
more cocoa was shipped until 1901 since when the 
industry foRtered by the Government which distribnted 
large quantities oi' cocoa seeds from the botanical 
station at Aburi, and at one period, shipped crops to 
England tor the native growers and also by tho Basel 
Mission Stations has advanced with rapid strides fully 
6,000,000 plants having been planted in one 
district alone. The chief port of shipment is 
Accra, which is now connected with market 
towns in the districts in' which the greater 
portion of the cocoa exported is grown, by excellent 
roads. Now the Gold Coast gets practically as much 
for its cocoa as for its gold. With reference to rubber 
it is pointed out that alihone;h 5 per cent more was 
exported than in 1901, 15 per cent less value was 
realised. The wholesale destruction of trees and vines 
by the natives, due to the unskilful methods employed 
by them in the extraction of the latex, and the low 
prices now realised in Europe, are the factors which 
have condncied to the decline of this once staple pro- 
duct. An effort is being made to teach thej native 
how to tp.p the trees and vines without injuring their 
vitality or gvovith.—H and 0 Bfail, Nov 6. 
THE CEYLON LAND AND PKODUCE 
COMPANY, LIMITED. 
REPORT, 
Your Directors have the pleasure to submit the 
Annexed Profit and Losg Account and Balance Sheet 
for the Crop ye.ar ending 30th June, 1903, duly audited. 
Tho amount at credit of Profit and Loss Account ia 
^9,4U 10.5, which, with the sura of £287 3s lid, brought 
forward from last year, leaves .£9,6yS 13? lid to be 
distributed. On the 22nd July last an interim 
Dividend of 73- per cent on tho Ordiu-iry Shares, free 
of Income Tax, and 3 per cent on the Preference 
Shares, less Tax, was paid, and your Directors now 
pi-opoae to pay on the 14th day ot December, 1903, 
the balance of the fixed Cumulative Dividend on the 
Preference Shares (3 per cent), making 6 per cent, 
for the year, less Tax, and lit per cent on the 
Ordinary Shares, making 15 per cent, for the year, 
free of Income Tax; it is also proposed to transfer 
£2,315 from Profit and Loss Account to Reserve 
Fund, increasing that account to £22.500 and 
carry forward the balance of ;1^1,021 Us 7d, subject 
to the Directors' remuneration for the year under 
review aad to the payment of Income Tax, etc. 
Your Directors have to report that the total Crop 
of Tea from the Company's Estates for the year 
amounted to 1,038,584 lb, representing a shortage on 
the Bstibiatea of 50,441 lb ; there were, however, in- 
creases ot 60,763 ib made from purchased leaf, and 
of 122,457 lb mada for others, the outturn aggregating 
1,539,809 lb, as compared with the provision made at 
the commencement of the season for 1,457,025 lb. In 
submitting their report your Directors are pleased 
to record a fuither rise in the price of Tea, the 
Company's net average being 5*88d compared with 
5*46d and 5"28d realised in the two preceding seasons. 
The mean rate of exchange still remains the samo 
viz , Is 4g'l, but freights have been again a little higher, 
The policy ot judiciously manuring both Tea and 
Cocoa has been persevered with, the sum of R28,378 
(i'1,936 4-( 2d) having been spent on this account 
in the course of the year under review, the whole of 
which has been eliarged into Ravenue Account, whilst 
the estimates for the current financial period provide 
for the treatment of about one thousand acres at a 
cost of R35 per acre. 3,271 owt of Cocoa were secured, 
being a substantial increase on the estimate of 2,680 
cwt, and iu this product also an improvement' in 
prices has to bo reported. The campaign against 
Cocoa canker closely engages the attention of the 
Company's Manager in Ceylon, and tiforta arc con- 
tiuuoaaly made to keep this disease weU iu haad 9Q 
