B60 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTtTRIST. ITeb. 1, mi. 
ii credit of E42,680-3e, equal to 12'20 o/o on the Capital 
of the Oompany ; to this falls to be added a balance 
of h2,210-7i brought forward from last year, making 
a totfll of B44,891'07 available for distribution. An 
Interim Dividend of 5 o/o was paid on ttie 31st of 
July last, and the Directors now recommend the pay- 
ment of a Final Dividend of 7 o/o, making 12 o/o for 
the year, and that the balance of E2,891'07 be 
carried forward to the current year's woikiog. 
The estimate for the present year is 350,000 lb. of 
tea on an expenditure of R95, 310-89, which includes a 
sum of R12,450 to be expended on M (.nuring. As 
intimated to the Shareholders in the Circular issued 
on the 3rd of November last, the crop for the current 
year has been sold for 48 cents per lb., any Bouud 
granted by the Thirty Committee to be paid to the 
buyers. Dmicg the year Mr. J Poison resigned hia 
seat on the Board, and the Directors appointed Mr 
R Webster to the vacancy. In accordance with the 
Articles of Association Mr W D Gibbon now retires 
from the Board, but is eligible for re election. The 
appointment of an Auditor for the present year will 
rest with the Meeting. — By order of the Directors, 
Whittall & Co., Agents and Secretaries. 
Colombo, Jan. 20th, 1904. 
NUWARA ELIYA DISTRICT P. A. 
ANNUAL REPORT. 
During the past year 2 Committee and 2 General 
Meetings have been held which were most satis- 
factorily attended. The number of members, who 
have paid subscriptions individually or on account 
of estates, is 21 as against 19 last year. The annual 
Official Estimate of Tea Cbop for 1904 — is as 
follows :— 
Total Bearing. 
Estates. Acreage. Acreage. Crop. 
Nawara Eliya, Ram- 
boda, New Gal- 
way and Kandapola 20 6,720 6,615 3,164,500 
the estimate yield being at the rate of 477 lb. per 
acre as against 471 lb. in 1903. The past season 
was a fairly satisfactory one as regards yield and 
most estates are believed to have got their esti- 
matOB. The absence of frost in the early part of the 
year was of great advantage to certain properties. 
Prices for high-grown teas have continued disap- 
pointing and do not show any increase in value. 
U. P. Railway. — vVe are glad to record the 
opening of the Udapussellawa railway for general 
traffic as far as Nuwara Eliya and for goods tra£Eic 
to Kandapola. A draft of proposed advances has 
been published which limits the rates on goods 
traffic to those originally proposed, i.e., 44 cents 
per ton per mile. We are pleased to say a com- 
mencement has been made in properly guarding 
the road in 2 or 3 of the worst places, and trust 
that it is a commencement only, as the road is in 
many places still in a cuudition dangerous to traffic. 
KANDY DISTRICT PLANTERS' ASSOCI- 
ATION, 
ANNUAL REPORT 1903. 
There we 46 votes enrolled on the register against 
45 last year and the financial position is satisfactory, 
showing a credit balance ot R234'08. 
Tea. — The past season has been a favourable one in 
p:iint of prices though a few estates will be short in 
yield principally due to the severe drought experienced 
in March and April and the prolonged sonth west 
monsoon later on. Circulars were sent round to furnish 
Mr Green, the Qoverciment entomologist with figures 
as to the acreage nffected by shot-hole borer and it was 
ascertained that out of a total of 97fi6 acres under tea 
at lenHt 2,82 were more or less nffected (there were 
ncreturns 2from 1,900 acres) but by systematic burn- 
ing of prunings in affected fields it is considered that 
the pest can be kept nnder except in a few places 
where it faaa been allowed to get too great a hold on 
the bushes and Mr Green does not anticipate that 
the industry will be at all materially affected by this 
pest. 
Tea Ckop,— The estimates for 1904 are as under:— 
Total acreage in tea 11,852 
., „ Bearing 11,572 
,, Black tea crop 4,234,900 lb. 
„ Green „ 116,400 
Tea made from native 
leaf (not included in 
above) 387,200 
— 462 ib per acre. 
Cocoa — has had a good year and where the system of 
spraying the teas with Bordeaux mixture has been 
curried out, great benefit has been derived in checking 
the spread of canker on the pods, and it is hoped that 
this remedy will prove effectual iu saving loss of crop 
in future. 
The returns from this district show a total acreage 
of 6,719, and the crop estimated for 1903 is cwts 16,790 
Sppioximately. 
Mr Carruthers, the Government Mycologist, writing 
on the above subject, says : — " The spraying with 
Bordeaux mixture has had excellent results against 
pod canker but is no good and has not been used to 
cure baik canker. Where the remedy — i e excision of 
cankered tissue, which has been in use lor some four 
years — has been carried out, the estates are being 
freed from the disease. Unfortunately in the Kaudy 
districts, owing to short labour and other reasons, the 
preventive and curative measures have been slackened 
and fhis has led during the continuation of wet days 
experienced during 1903 to a lack of progress in getting 
rid of the disease and even in some cases to an 
increase of the canker. The experimental Station 
at Perftdeniya within the bounds of this Asso- 
ciation has, however, by using the treatment y^;^ 
down by the Government Mycologist, reduced the 
amount of canker from 96 per cent to 4 per cent 
of the trees, and increased the crop 2(i per cent. As 
a laige number of Planters have visited and had ex- 
plained to them the methods used at the Experimental 
Station. It is hoped that by a more general crusi^de 
against the canker, using the approved methods, there 
may be in 1904 a lot of progress towards the time when 
Cocoa canker shall be rare. If time and money is 
expended, this must be achieved.' 
While thoroughly agreeing with the system of Mr 
Carruthers this Association agrees with the system of 
the Experimental Gardens which can scarcely be 
quoted as general as the original circulars were except 
tional and the results naturally so. 
Cakdamoms.— The supply of this product has over 
taken the demand with the result that prices have 
fallen considerably and in view of the recent large 
extensions of cultivation in India the outlook is not 
very promising. A Cardamom Commission has been 
appointed by the Parent Planters' Association to in. 
vestigate the possibility of opening up new markets 
and it is hoped that their efforts may meet with 
success, and this Association would urge that all 
interested in cardamoms should subscribe to the 
Cardmom cess. 
KALUTARA PLANTERS' ASSOCIATION. 
Crop Estimate fob 1904.— Total acreage of Associ- 
ation Estates 13,950 1/2, In bearing 13,858 1/2, 
Abandoned 1903 173 acres, Estimated Black Tea 4,990, 
010 lb, From Native Leaf 213,000, Green Teas 2,153,000, 
From Native Leaf 30,000. Total acreage as above 
13,930 1/2 6,888,110. 
Add native holdings 2,499/16,429 1/2 256,000/6,944,000 
(this is after deducting leaf bought by estates.) 
BKTURNS 19U3. 
B T. G T. Total. 
Estimated 4,331,100 2,206,265 6,977,265 
Secured 4,555.002 1,820,922 6,366.622 
Tea abandoned 1903 173 acres. Tea dealings, no 
return. Extensions 1904 97 acres. 
