72 
THE TROPICAL AQRI0ULTURI8T 
[July i, 1891. 
Vbssbl— " Myhmidon.' 
B. P 3,306 
Pek 2,491 
Fek.sou. .„ 1,810 
B. md. ... 50 
Dust. ... 150 
68 
53 
35 
1 
2 
3,229 
2,442 
1,578 
48 
14T 
58 19 lb. 
53 gain of 4 „ 
35 „ 3 ,, 
1 loss 1 „ 
1 — 1 
Total loss. ..14 lb. 
Extra loss IJ oz. per package. 
Vbssbi,— " Oanfa." 
B. P 
. 4,141 
74 
4,028 
74 
42 lb. 
Peh 
3,150 
63 
3,063 
63 
24 „ 
Fek. sou. . 
. 2,162 
47 
2,688 
47 
27 
B. md. 
ICO 
2 
97 
2 
1 
Dust. 
132 
2 
m 
2 
2 ., 
Total... 96 lb. 
Extra logs about i lb. a package. 
No. II. 
23, Crutohed Friars, London, E.C., May 2lBt. 
Deab Sir, — Your paper of the 30fch ult. contains 
nutnerous letters from tea planters, charging 
London brokers and others with wholesale robbery 
of tea intrusted to Iheir charge. I think it is 
disgraceful on the part of the writers of the letiera 
to make such a charge after the repeated infor- 
mation they have received from London showing how 
the discrepancy arises. 
In the first place packages are weighed and tared 
by the Customs to the pound, viz. it a package 
weighs 70 lb. 15 oz. it is called 70 lb., the loss 
to the planters being 15 oz. If the tare of the 
package is 20 lb. 1 oz. it is called 21 lb., also a loss 
of 15 oz. I was called upon by a client to give 
an explanation with regard to the difference betwRen 
Ceylon and London weights, and to make the 
matter plain, I weighed and tared a shipment of 
tea aa under. 
(Copies of which I enclose for your inspection or 
for insertion in your paper if you think necessary.*) 
In the first instance, they were weighed and 
tared by the Customs, and afterwards weighed and 
tared to the oz. By weighing and taring to the 
oz, you will see that the weights exceed the Ceylon 
weights, which shows that the weight of tea given 
is correct ; but under the Customs regulations it is 
not possible to agree the weights without they pay 
attention to the making up of the packages to meet 
the Customs regulations, viz. gross weight 2 or 3 
oz over the even lb., and the tare 2 or 3 oz. under 
the even lb. 
Tea 
lb. 
oz. 
Bay 
19 
13 
60 
5 
70 
2 
70 lb. 
Gross 
20 ,, 
Tare 
60 „ 
Nett 
the Customs calling that 
l[ iiio proprimur ui iim oi uuiet) wisnes 10 
Bead packages, 17 lb. nett, he should have them 
made up as under : 
Tare of box 
Tea 
lb. 
10 
17 
oz. 
14 
4 
The OnstomB calling that 
28 ! 
lb. 
28 Gross 
11 Tare 
17 Nett 
and no draft of 1 lb. allowed, — I remain, youra 
truly, ROBEET JONES. 
* Far too long to iiiBert: can be seen at our office 
by any one interested. — Ed, T. A. 
Desiccated Coconut. — The manufacture of this 
article wab only comineuced a year ago, but it has now 
evidently attained large proportions as the quantity 
shipped is nearly 100 per cent more than it was origi> 
Daily. The original spot where it was manufactured 
was at Veyangoda, and its manufacture was followed by 
Messrs. Vavasseur & Co. at Maradaca. It now appears 
that lyiessrs. Lse, Hedges & Oo. have everything ready 
as regarcis machinery and fittings at their mills at Col- 
pettv to commence preparing desiccated coconut aa well, 
while Messrs. Akbar Brothers have about 8 dessicators 
now being ccDstruoted for erection at their large occo. 
nut estate in the Negombo district, followed by another 
native, who wants to start " an opposition shop " at 
Veyangoda. It looks like good times for all coconut 
proprietors and planters. — Cor. Local " Independent." 
Oeylon Tea Plantations Co.— By the present 
mail you will receive a report of the proceed- 
ings at the Annual Meeting of the Ceylon Tea 
Plantations Company held on Wednesday last, 
the Directors' Report having gone forward by the 
previous mftil. The address of the Chairman will 
bo real with interest, not only by Ceylon share- 
holders and planters generally, but by Indian planters, 
HB conveying information on a variety of points 
in which all are concerned more or less. You will 
observe that Mr. Reid is thoroughly satisfied with the 
Company's recent additions to its long roll of the 
estates, the latest of which was completed not more 
than a week ago. The furlough account which has 
jast been opened in the interest of the Company's 
woikiug staff is a highly commendable institution, and 
though jthe annual amonnt anticipated as being the cobt 
of thib concession is £600, it must be remembered that 
this has to cover the provision for leave to Europe 
for the superintendents of twenty estates. The Chair- 
man's opinion of the condition of those properties, 
and of the stability of their factories, is undoubted : 
the latter are declared to be of the most* permanent 
description, well built, well designsd, and adapted 
for economical and eflBcient working. "Whilst no 
money has been expended in putting up faucy or shew 
buildings, no outlay has been grudged to give the 
buperintendeots the means of making good tea. It 
was pointed out by the Chairman that thej were 
enabled by their buildings and machinery not only to 
produce increasing quantities of tea from their own 
estates, but during the year to make nearly two 
millions of pounds of tea from other plantations, and 
when their Utest factories are completed the Com- 
pany will be in a position to turn out considerably 
more than four million pounds of tea annually from 
their own estates. During 1890 a profit of £31,000 
was made from a plucking area of less than 4,000 
acres. Of the company's latest purchases, the Chair- 
man said, " Yoxford, with the adjoining estates of 
Bast and West Holyrood and Eathnillokelly, form 
a compact block of over 1,700 acres. The total cost 
to the Company will be £54,000. In a few years this 
ought to be a very Mne property, as it has great advan- 
tages in clim?.te, soil, class of plant, proximity to rail- 
way communication, aad water power. The old tea 
cn Yoxford and East Holyrood shows what we may 
expect the whole area to be like when it comes to 
the same age." Opinions will no doubt differ as to 
the soundness of Mr. J. L. Shand's criticisms of the 
Company's accounts as placed before the shareholders. 
For my own part I am inclined to agree with the 
Chairman when he replied that their report and 
statement of accounts were prepared for the infor- 
mation of their shareholders and not for that of the 
general public, and that any fuller details required 
by the former could always be obtained from the 
Secretary. It may be true, as urged by Mr. Sband 
and another gentleman present, that one provision of 
the .Joint Stock Company's Act has not been com- 
plied with, inasmuch as the total expenditure of the 
year did rot appear in the balance sheet, but this 
will probably be remedied in the next annual acco^ct 
rendering, and otherwise the statement submitted met 
with the approval of all pre8ent,-»Local " Times.*^" 
