rm TftOPiCAL AQRIOULTURISt. 
183 
SSPTEMfiEa I, 1891.] 
of the American gent'em'>D, who said "Never prophpcy 
unless you know." He thought the qai'stion consisltd 
very largely i f price. He had already expressed on a 
former occasion an opinion at some length with re- 
gard to the production of tea. It was impossible, he 
thought, to make any accurate forecast, I£ four or five 
years ago anyone had said that the import of tea from 
China would have fallen to its presunt amount, he 
Would not have been believed. He thoni-'ht that the 
import of tea f cm O'lina this year «as not move than 
6(),(l00,00f) lb., whereas 8om« four years ago it was ovpr 
100,000,000 lb., and, notwithstanding the low prioes, 
there was no reason why the whole of this or the greater 
portion of it ehonld not, in the next three or four 
years, be disconticud altogether. Further, thara was 
the fact that new markets were being opened. In Ame- 
rica although the increase was perhspa not so very large, 
yet it was very promising. He thought from all the re- 
ports and informstinn they could obtain that the in- 
crease would go on in several places in America. Besides 
this oonsideraiile proyress was being made on the conti- 
nent, Ti\e prices, of course, would depend entirely on 
the supply iu the Londou market as compared bo the 
demand, and it would entirely depend upon how 
much tea waa taken for other places what these 
prices were to be. That was the reason why it was 
impossible for them to make a foreoaBt. He thought 
that looking back at the past if they had been 
governed by tluse considerations, they might have 
Slid, " if the yield of tea is so much now, in a 
few years time there will be a visit over-production 
in the market ? " That had not turned out to be 
the case. Notwithstanding the va^t increase in pro- 
duo ion there was a very fair market. In all these 
things they had only to go on and endeavour to 
reduce their expenses as much as possible, and to 
produce the best article. Tliat was the course they 
hud adopted before,, and which they must follow now 
and follow wi'h courage, and trust in the future. 
Ho did not think in declaring the dividend they 
had, they had heen rash or sanguine ; on the c mntrary, 
tkere had been complaints that it had not been 
larger. But they were in a position, as he had 
shown them, to pay the dividend and to put by 
a substai tial amount, and at the same time to write 
off the balance of the suspense account. 
The Chairman then put the resolution for the 
adoption of the, report end accounts, and it waa 
carried unanimously. 
The Chairman then formally moved the payment 
of a dividend in accordance with the reoocaendation 
in the report. Mi% Shaw seconded, and it was adopted 
unanimously. 
The Chairman then proposed that the retiring 
director, Mr. G, H. Tod Heatly, be re-elected. Mr. 
Eohde seconded, and it was carried unanimously. 
Dr. Lloyd proposed the re-eieoiion of the iiuilitorg, 
Mes rs, Welton, Jones, and Co., at a remuneration of 
fifty guineas. Mr. Phillips seconded, and it was 
adopted unanimously. 
Mr. Field proposed a vote of thanks to the chairman 
and directors, A SHtiafiiotory statement had been put 
before the uhareholders, and, genoraly speaking, fair 
progress was being made. He hoped, however, they 
were approaching the time when a higher dividend 
than 5 per cent, would be paid on the ordicary shares. 
Mr. L'.oyd seconded, and the resolution was carried 
with acclamation. 
The Chairman suitably acknowl&dgci tho CTm;;li- 
ment, and the meeting tertninaseci — L. and C. F.xpv. s :. 
'A Sugar Estate i>i Barbados is .cfraphically 
described in an article contributed tj tJi.) Oentlc- 
man's Magazine, which will be reprinted iu the 
Trupical AyricuUiirst. Althougli sugar has almost 
coasnd to an industry of any oonsequsnoe in 
Oovlon, yot our planters will be infc ^t-. d in a 
product and conditions) so dil'l' -reLit i'rorja liii i>- of.,i, 
while all who arc engaged in sugitr cuiu,,: ., i.l 
road thfi article with pleasure and we t.-jsii v. iii; 
profit. Barhaflos, like the J.;ff i;i r.<n;uFiil oo.isirii.s 
of coral rooir, aud th^.to as hero, liiero in i.ho 
curious pbenoinonou oi rioh rod soU yverlyiug 
\hii 'white limostQue, 
Tea in Daejiling Threatened by Locusts.— 
Such is the news given in a telegram quoted 
from an Indian paper in another column. We 
may be thankful that ia Ceylon we have not the 
locust plague to spread destrnotion suoh as is 
now being experienced in Northern India and in 
Egypt. 
Tea Faotories and Electric; Lighting.— -The build- 
ings on the New Peradeoiya estate, which belongs 
to the New Peradeniya Estate Company, are to bo 
lighted with electricity, permission having recently 
been given by the board of directors in London. 
Those in charge have also offered to light the new 
Peradeniya railway station which adjoins. The rail- 
way authorities, however, may consider that there is 
not sufficient business at this small station to agree 
to its being placed so far in advance of any othei' 
station on the line ia the matter 'of illumination, 
Mr, R, Anderson is the resident superintendent on 
this splendid estate, and Messrs. Edwards & Co. are 
the agents of the company. There are already two, 
if not more estates in the island which have the 
electric light in their factories. 
Me. W. H. TaEACHER.— We had , the pleasure of a 
visit today from Mr. W. H. Treacher, c. m. g., so 
well-known as Governor for several years of British 
North Borneo, and latterly asSeeretary to the Govern- 
meet of Perak. Mr. Treacher looks wonderfully well 
considering the number of years he has been in the 
Service, and purposes to return after a short leave of 
three months for a further sp^^U of work. He tella 
us that the whole of the 10,000 acres of land oftered 
on special terms to pioneers iu Perak have been applied 
for, fonr or five of the lots being tiken up by Ceylon 
men. The reports we have had of the steady progress 
made in Perak are fuUy confirmed by the Secretary 
to the Governrnf-nt, though mining operations are not 
particularly brisk. The progress of British North 
Borneo, which at one time was said to he the "new 
Ceylon," is naturally enough watched by Mr. Treacher 
with great interest, and his unexpectedly meeting with 
his old colleague, Mr. Henry Walker, now staying 
here on his way out, is one of thc^e happy incidents 
which have made his brief stay at Colombo a pleasant one. 
Eetubn of Me. Sandison itrom Java.— Mr. W. G. 
SanL ison, of Sana and of travelling fame, returned 
to Colombo in the "Caledonien" today from Java, 
whither he went on a business trip six weeks or so 
ago. Mr. S mdison, it will be remembered, had vitited 
Java before— some time ago — but his trip then chiefly 
had reference to cinchona; and it would seem that 
the Dutch culfciyators had not forgotten tho call that 
he then made, for he says that, while individually 
they were very hospitable and seemed glad to see him, 
there was a sort of suspicion about tht m as much 
as to sjy, " what are you d<5iug down here, now ?" 
"You see," be adds, ''my first visit was in count ction 
with ciachons, and I didn't do them much good over 
that." The object of this Mr. San lison's second visit 
was to dispose of some of his Sana tevseed and to 
extend its sale among the planters there. With this 
object ho visited Preanger, the most famous planting 
district in Java, and ha says that at Tjisalak especi- 
ally he found a Dutchman who seemed to be a' go- 
ahead man and who toDk much interest iu the Oay.'on 
seed, while the lay of his land, Mr. Sandiso'a says, 
was such that nothing in Ceylon could beat it. The 
Dutch cultivators, he believes, are beginning to slowly 
ronlize the advantages of bigh-elass seed, such ag 
Covlon or Ast-am, as opposed to the tea they have 
hitherto been accust.omt-;d to plant, namely, the Chinese 
jat, and tbey are being forced to recognise it by having 
to keep the produce of the two jats distinct, which 
nf.turaily involves much trouble and labour. However, 
the fruits of Mr. Sfindison's visit have yet to be seen, 
as at present he has nob aucfieedad in doing anything 
raoro with the Java planters than induce them to 
experiment v^ith his seed, aad on the result of certain 
e.sipt-rimenta which D -. T eub of the Boiauical Gar 'eua 
ar, Buitenzorg is gomg to carry out v^ith some of tho 
s°ed he took down, Mr. San lis . u siys a t^reit deal 
dt liends. For t;\e picaeut, _ Liberii.u B^ffee is all the 
T!\.i;o in Java; but hdopeltis, he adds, is giving tho 
i plan tiers juat the same bother a.s before. 
