404 
THE TSOPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [Dec. 2. 1901. 
The accouuts, duly audited, are presented 
herewitli. 
Under the Articles of Association, Mr. Jolin 
McEwan r^tire.s from the directorate, and being 
eligiljle, offers himself for re-election. A.n auditor 
falls to be .appointed by the shareholders at the 
general nieetin;;. Mr. j M Henderson, F.C.A., is 
e igible for re-election. 
MATUKATA TEA COMPANY, LIMITED. 
The following is from the directors' report, to 
be submitted to the shatehohiers at the fourth 
annual ordinary general meeting, to be held at 
the offices of the conipany on Wednesday next : — 
After bringing forwaril £1,424 14s 7d from last 
year's account, and after payment of debenmre 
inte est and London charges (directors' fees. <fce ), 
the net am .uno at credit of prolit and loss .ac- 
count is £3,2.j0 17s .Sd. An interim dividend of 
3 per cent has l)een paid on the Preference shares 
for the half-year amounting to £12), and the final 
3 per cent was paid on the Preference shares on 
July 1, niaking 6 per cent fcu' the year, amount- 
ing to £120. It is pro|iosed to pay a dividend of 
10 per cent le=s income-ta.v, on the ordi- 
nary share capital, which will absorb £800, 
thus leaving to be carried forward to next 
year a balance of £2,210 17s 3d. The 
result of last year's trading is particularly grati- 
fying, as the past year has been the worst tliat the 
Ceylon tea-growing industry has ever had to face, 
yet the position of this Company today has im- 
proved as compared to this time last year — a re- 
sult that is certainly highly satisfactory, and 
which reliects great credit on the manager of the 
estate, Mr. Alder Alderson-Smith, as well as the 
Company's visitingagent ; and your directors take 
tins opportunity of giving public expression ot 
their appreciation of the excellent way in which 
the estate has been worked during the past year. 
During the past year £.500 of the Debenture 
debt has been paid off. This reduces the debt 
to £6,500, thus enhancing the value of the Pre- 
ferred tind Ordinary shares. Your directors, con- 
sidering it to the advantage ot the Company, ap- 
pointed Mr. G B Owen their managing director. 
Mr. il F Bayford retires- in accordance with the 
articles of association, but being eligible offers 
himself for re-election as a director,— /f. and C. 
Mail, Oct. 11. 
The New Tea Discovery.— Apropos the 
information appearing in onr columns 
in reference to the new tea distsovery, 
we quote the following from the Indian 
Planters' Gazette :— " We have advocated 
for years that more scientific methods are 
requisite in the manufacture of tea, and 
that in this way, to some extent, the evils 
of the present depression may 1)3 partially 
averted. Indigo has felt the pinch and is 
setting its house in order, with the prosjject 
that it will be able to compete on satis- 
factory terms with its German rival. Tea 
must arise .and do likewise, and liy every 
scientific means possil)le, so improve its 
quality and reduce its cost of production 
as to raise itself once again to one of the 
most paying industries of India." 
CEYLON TEA IN BO.STON, U..S.A. 
After the years' labours of our Te.i Com- 
missioner and the expenditure of thounands 
in bringing the merits of our staple l)efore 
the American people, the following extr.ict 
troin a Boston letter is .amusing and affords 
food for thought :—" Ceylon tea is little 
known here in Boston, and you cannot get 
10 at hotels or restaurants. There is only 
one hotel here where Ceylon tea is mentioned 
on the menu, and that is the new ' Lennox,' 
which has just been opened. Now why does 
not the Planters' Association -or whoever it 
IS that hns to do witli advertising Ceylon 
tea— open a first class tea-room in Boston- 
there IS no such thing there now— and h.ive 
afternoon tea served from 3 till 0 .at 2.5 
cents ; while the morning hours could be 
iised for selling the tea and taking otders. 
A nice large room in Boylston Street, one of 
the principal shop streets on the Back Bay, 
could be nicely got up with individual tables, 
etc . and three or four neat waitresses to 
serve the tea. A in.in could take char"e 
and take the orders, etc., .and the maids 
could be hired for the afternoon only. If 
wisely advertised, it would certainly • take,' 
.and oiice it was fashionable to go to the 
'Tea Shop,' it would be a great succes.s. 
Ihis is merely a suggestion, but I think it 
a good one. Rents are high on Boylston 
.Street. $1,.50(J I think would be the cost 
for a large room on tlie ground floor (£300), 
but if It were done at all it would ha%-e to 
be done welL" 
Tea rooms at home have done much to 
spread a taste for good tea and reform 
morals as well, and that Boston. " the hub 
of the universe," should know so little of our 
product and have so little of it publicly on 
offer, does not say much for the methods 
which have obtained to bring our teas 
before the notice of the American peop e. 
The person who starts a suitable tea 
room in Boston for the s.ale of Cevlon tea, 
would evidently " strike ile." All that is 
wanted is that someone would " hitch on." 
THE RECENT TEA DISCOVERY: 
MR. BAMBER'S OPINION. 
Prominence is given in the issue ot Indian 
Gardening and Planting for November 7th to 
a paragraph which announces the discovery 
of a ferment having the same effect on 
tea leaf as one already existing there. The 
paragraph, which appears on page 40.5 
IS vague upon the nature of the 
ferment or the matter from which the 
ferment is to be isolated. 
Recognising the discoverv to be of more 
than passing interest to our many readers 
connected with the tea industry, a represent- 
ative of ours waited upon Mr. M. K. 
Bamber, Analytical Chemist. Colombo, re- 
cently to ask his opinion, which was cour- 
teously given. 
Mr. Bamber says that it is possible that 
the ferment discovered by Mr. Newton 
may have a similar effect on tea to the 
one already there, but this would seem to 
