September i, 1891.J tHE TROPIOAL Av.a^;v.l: L T J^^mT, 
extension of the industry. The supply of timber 
and fual is abundant and T<!thin reasonable distance 
of the cultivated area. Notwithstanding there ia 
great irregularity in the growth and development of 
the tea, due to planting by village labour. Mr. 
Grigson says the yield next year should be about 
180,000, lb. with a prospect of a little more if the sea- 
son ia a specially favorable one. This year the Qsti- 
mate is 90,000 lb., but the superintendent expects this 
to be exceeded. The average price obtained for such 
of the present crop as has been sold (37,490 lb.) is 
46 per lb. nett. This, Mr. Grigson says, ia a better 
result than would be expected from the low- 
country generally, and is therefore a feature 
of distinct promise. There has been nothing 
exceptional in the treatment of the bushes the 
desire being to get as much out of the tea, both 
old and young, as can legitimately be taken. The 
rate for transport of tea is cent per lb. delivered 
at Colombo ; and the continuation of the seaside 
railway will further facilitate the transport of 
supplies and produce, already easy and inexpen- 
sive. In regard to labour the V. A. states that 
Talgaswella enjoys exceptional advantages. Sin- 
halese village labour is abundant. The wages 
are exceedingly moderate, the rates being : For 
men about 25o. per diem against Tamil 33o. women 
and children 60. to 12o.! Bgainst 15c, to 25o. ; the 
average of the oheck-roU being about 18c. The cost 
of plucking to date is a little under 80, per lb. 
of made tea, which may be reduced in future 
years to 7 and perhaps 6 according to the yield. 
The jat of tea is a good deal mixed ; and for 
a lowoountry estate Mr. Grigson thinks a finer 
class of hybrid might, with advantage, have been 
selected. No bad seed, however, has been put 
in; the chief sources of supply being gardens of 
good local reputation. One field of the two year 
old tea was planted with transplanters, and being 
an excellent jat (Manipuri) is a clearing of distinct | 
promise. Mr. Grigson concludes a very lengthy 
report by referring to the expenditure and receipts, 
and calculating the net value of next year's crop 
at 42o. says there should ba a considerable sur- 
plus at the close of the 1892 season, but against 
this will have to appear the deficit of 1891, caused 
by the expenditure of about B13,000 for new 
maohinery. 
_ ^_ 
GRAIN CROPS IN CEYLON. 
From the abstract of season reports for July 
1891 published in the Gazette wo learn that in 
the Western Province the paddy crop prospects 
were generally good, except in Kalutara and Pana- 
dura Totamunes, where there had been slight 
damage by floods, but fair crops were expected. 
In the Central Proviice also tho prospects of the 
yala harvest were generally good, as well also 
those of kurakkan. The only exception was Uda- 
palata, the report on which was : — " Yala fields 
where crop was ripecing have been submerged or 
damaged by heavy floods on the IGth instant. 
Younger plants elsewhere have been damaged by 
insects." In the Northern Province the prospects 
and conditions of crops wero generally fair. In 
the Kadagoda, Talpe, and Ahangama divisions 
of the Talpe pattu the paddy crop was bad owing 
to want of rain and destruction by flies. In 
portions of the Matara district tho crops were 
partly damaged by rain, and in some parts of the 
Hambantota district flies as well as rain had caused 
damage. From the Batticaloa district of tho 
Eastern Province the report was :—" Cultivation for 
ettalai nearly over ; not quite so extensive as ex- 
pected pwing to long spell o< dry weRtbei; flnd 
fear tank water will not last though ample 
for present requirements. Pinmari crops not yet 
threshed and brought to market. Price of paddy 
remains as in last month, viz., El-45 in town 
market. Export of paddy coastwise over 56,000 
bushels to date this year. Good sale of land for 
paddy under Chadayantalawa. Cattle hoof and- 
mouth disease disappeared." From Trinoomalee 
district the report was: — "Pinmari cultivation in 
progress, but condition precarious owing to short 
supply in tanks ; as usual, rains have so far failed 
and weather vbyj dry. Small cultivation in Kattu- 
kulam has failed. Cattle healthy ; murrain dis- 
appeared ; no foot-and-mouth disease. Price of 
paddy El-50 per bushel." In the North Western 
Province the conditions and prospects of paddy 
and fine grain crops were good. In the North- 
Central Province the condition of the paddy crops 
was good, and that of fine grain fair. From the 
Province of Uva tho report was ; — " Crops through- 
out Udukinda, Yatikinda, and Wiyaluwa except 
tionally good, and weather for harvesting favourable. 
Crops in Wellassa and Butala promising. In 
Bintenna and Wellawaya the paddy crops damaged 
by flies." In the Province of Sabaragamuwa the 
paddy prospects were good or middling, except ia 
Panawal Korale and Uduwepalata of Lower Bulat- 
gama, where the prospects were poor, crops haying 
been damaged by recent heavy rains. 
THE ORIENTAL BANK ESTATES 
COMPANY. 
The fifth annual ordinary general meeting of the 
above company was hold at Winchester House, Old 
Broad-etreet, London, on the 22ud instant. Mr. Ales, 
William Orichton presided. 
The Secretary (Mr. Henry Greey) haviog read the 
notice convening the meeting— 
Tho Chairman said ; Cleutlemen,\I presume, as usual, 
that it will be your pleasure that tho report and 
balance-sheet be taken as read. In placing this report 
and balance-sheet before you at ithis tho fifth annual 
meeting of tho company, we have some satiafiic- 
tion in being able thua to close a year which 
has in its course given us and our managers some 
anxiety. Now, as to the causes for this, we have 
thought it right in our report frankly to state you — as, 
indeed, has been done by the directors of many other 
companies interested in Eastern produce this year to 
their ahareboklers — the difficulties which we have had 
to encounter, oud which, though they may hive been 
temporavy and incidoutal in their nature, have still 
been made very remarkable by their coiuoidence aad 
their combination. lu the first place, as to Mauritias, 
In most of the districta of that island the yield of the 
caues in sugar was fully 20 per cent, below the average; 
und v^hile on the one hand the sugar was thus deficient, 
tho prices, on the other, obtainable for it when brought 
to sale, wore exceedingly low. Nor were the reasons 
for these low prices far to seek. The money market 
had been in a st:ite of violent fluotuatiou irom Sep- 
tember for some months onwards, aud, besides this, 
reports were current that large shipments of beet sugar 
had been made from Europe to Bombay and C.»lcutta; 
and hence the fear arose that these and other available 
markets would be swamped and glutted. It was, in fact 
the truth that these shipments had been made. The ex- 
periment was tried some years ago and failed, but a 
further trial was resolved upon, and was ra-ide last year 
on a larger scale. That also failed, but, neverthelesf, 
in the meantime, the effect of thtse reports and these 
rumours in Mauritius was to check all competition 
for, and speculation in, the native sugars, which were 
then just being brought for sale to the market. So 
that at the very tmia when every factory in the island- 
devoted as it is to the manufacture of sugar — was 
wqrking lg»g d^ysi ftftd ia soniQ mm day and uighti 
