466 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[.Tax, 1. 190-1 
in Ml?. Bamber's laboratory, with increased 
interest. Mr. Newton is unfortunately 
hampered from farther progress in his re- 
searches, as far as manufacture is concerned, 
by the cessation of the Indian tea season ; 
but we hope that those he will malcj in 
the laboratory may meet with success 
and further interesting results. Of these 
we shall be glad to learn fiom time to 
time, so as to keep the Ceylon planter.s 
constantly informed of the latest strides 
achieved by scientific work ia the study 
of tea. 
A GREEN TEA FACTORY FOR 
COLOMBO, 
THE FIRST OF ITS KIND NEARLY 
C0MPLET12D. 
P,EING CONSTRUCTED BY MKSSRS. PINLAY, 
MUIR AND CO. 
Only a few months ago, as we had occasion 
to state this week, the idea of a central 
Green Tea Factory for Colombo was first 
mooted in these columns through an 
American letter. Definite particulars, how- 
ever, of such a factory being started, 
have since been wanting and it was not 
known by whom the first enterprise of the 
kind would be promulgated, nor where the 
factory might be erected. Rumours had 
been abroad that one would shortly be com- 
menced, but the task of tracing them bad so 
far baffled us, until this morning a repre- 
sentative of the Observer was attracted by the 
red-brick columns and walls, and the massive 
iron beams, of a building in course of erection 
in the vard behind the stores of Messrs. Piulay, 
Mnir & Co. in Vauxhall Street. Enquiry 
elicited from an intelligent workman, busy 
engaged on the structure, that the building 
was intended for a Factory for the manu- 
facture of Green Tea ; that in the course of a 
few weeks it was expected to be completed ; 
and that on its completion the production of 
" greens " would be immediately commenced. 
The structure, the better part of which 
is now erected, is an extensive and 
commodious one. From end to end 
it measures 200 feet by 40 feet, while in 
addition along half the length of the building 
(100 feet) on the side facing the stores, 
a verandah 25 feet wide will be erected. 
The Factory is, we further understand, to 
be appointed with the most modern and ap- 
proved machinery of British manufacture, 
some of which has already arrived and is 
lying by ready for erection. The building, 
it is expected, will be completed, and work 
c )mmenced before the end of the present 
year. The system of manufacture will, we 
learn, be the same as that followed in .lapan. 
The leaf will be partially treated on the 
upcountry estates of Messrs. Finlay, Muir 
and Company, to .allow of its being conveyed 
y)y train to Colombo, and then finished in 
the Colombo Factory ready for despatch to 
the markets awaiting it, 
AMERICAN SCfEXTISTS IN SUMATRA. 
Dr H M Hiller and Mr. A C Harrison, 
the American scientists who have been ex- 
pormg and investigating zoological and 
ethnological matters in Sumatra, returned 
to Singapore yesterday after a most suc- 
cessful stay of over th.ee months in the 
Dutch possessions. They have brought back 
a large collection of valuable specimens 
which will mostly be presented to different 
scientihc institutions in the United States. 
Dr. Hiller and Mr. Harrison leave for 
America via Japan by the German mail 
steamer " Koenig Albert" on Friday (22nd 
mst.)-Straits Times, Nov. 19. 
RAILWAY CONSTKUCTION IN 
NYASS ALAND : THE NEW LINE^ 
A contiaci-, for the construction of a railway 
between Chiromo and Blantyre, with provisions 
for an exten.mon to Lake Ny.assa, lia,^ just been 
concluded between the Imperial Government an.l a 
company let-istered under the title of the Shire 
Highlands Eailway Nyassaland (Limited). During 
the past live years proposals tor such a line of 
railway have been repeatedly laid before the home 
Government._ 1 he carriatje of goods through the 
Protectorate IS, at ptesent, conducted .altogether 
by native porterage-a slow, costly, and ineffective 
process. Under the agreement now entered into 
betvyeen the Imperial Government and the Shire 
Highlands Company, the railway is to be con- 
structed on the 3ft 6in gauge with a sin>Tle line 
and is to he wholly within the Protectorate Thi.9 
line of railway between Chiromo and Blantvre 
wil connect the centres of the coffee industry 
Avith the sea by way of the Shire and Zambesi 
ri vers and will otherwise benefit the chief industries 
of the country by releasing for labour in the 
plantations the natives who have hitherto been 
engaged m transport work ; and when the Lake 
JNyassa extension is built a valuable trade route 
of some 1,200 miles in length will have been 
established through the heart of the lake country. 
—Globe, Not. 8. ■' 
" COOPER, COOPER & CO." 
Cooper, Cooper & Co. (1901), Ld, (71,774). -Regis. 
teredNov. 2, with capital £70,000, in £lshares(20 000 
pret;, to acquire the business referred to in a<yTee- 
ments (1) with the Le Vallon Svnd. Ld, and (■'>) 
with J C Goode, and to carry on the bu.«iness ot 
merchants, traders and dealers in tea, coffee 
cocoa and all kinds of produce, wholesale and 
retail grocers and provision merchants, restaurant 
keepers, refreshment contractors, licensed vietual- 
lesr and buyers and sellers of and dealers in 
merchanaise, goods and property of any des- 
cription. The subs, are t 
Leics .. .. ' 
J C Goode, 29, Blincing Li, B. C, tnoht"' 
N P Nalder, 94, St U-eorge's Sq, S. w' * 
mcht .. .. ■' 
L E Thornton, 8 Montagu So, S. wV 
gent .. 
J O Wells " Tattei-.shall," New Bannet 
Harts, sfeDt .. ,' 
B J Dcivis, Granville House, Granville 
Place, W., barri.st(>r 
H G Hemmerde, 18, Cyril Msions. BaV- 
tersea Pk, secy . . , , 
Shares . 
Pief Ord. 
1,000 250 
5,000 
§59 
250 
250 
100 
10 
