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THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [December i, 1891. 
THE INDIGO CROP. 
Simla, Oot. 31. — The final report in the indigo 
crop of 1891 in the Korth-West Provinces states that 
the total area, recorded by Patwaris under Indigo is 
201,000 aores against 254,000 last year, and the area 
returned by the Canal Department as receiving irri- 
gation is 1,85,000 against 2,28,000 in the preceding 
year. The Zamindars estimate the crop area at 17 
per cent less than last year. The plants suffered 
from locusts and drought in June and July and from 
excessive rains in August. The condition oi corps 
is reckoned as follows; 100 presenting full average, 
Qangetio Doab 45, Benares and Gorakpur Divisions 
55, and Rohilkund and Oudh 50, The outturn of 
the dye is expected to be five pei; cent less than 
last year. — Madras Mail. 
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THE COTTON CROP OF 1891. 
Simla, Oct. 31. — The second general memorandum 
on the cotton crop of 1891 runs :— The second 
reports on the cotton crops of the year confirm the 
estimates already published of a serious deficiency 
in the area sown owing to unusually late arrival of 
monsoon rains, which were not generally established 
till the end of July, by which time the season for sow 
ing the early crop was almost over. Further injury 
has since been caused in the Central and Northern 
Provinces by excessive rain in August and September, 
in the Southern Presidencies by scanty and untimely 
falls, and in the West by locusts. In the impor- 
tant cotton producing Provinces of Bombay, where 
from 5 to 64 million acres are ordinarily cultiva- 
ted with cotton, the area sown to dates does not. 
so far as present information goes, much exceed fear 
million acres, o£ which 1,179,000 aores in area are 
under the early, and 2,888,000 under the late 
varieties. There has, however, been no material 
decrease in Berar. The deficiency first reported 
having apparently been made up by later sowings. 
The area in this Province, which stands next in 
importance to Bombay as a producer of the staple, 
is reported about 2,250,000 acres. In the Central 
Provinces the area devoted to cotton ranges from 
half a million to 700,000 acres. The sowings were 
retarded by late arrivel of rains, and the plants 
have been much damaged by excessive moisture 
and floods during August and September, when 
they require to be weeded. The crop is not likely 
to be more than 60 per cent, of an average one. 
Similar causes have affected the area in the North- 
Western Provinces and Oudh, where it is estimated 
at 35 per cent, lees than the normal (about 1,700,000 
aores). In Punjab further sowings anticipated have 
not taken place, and the area remains at 600,000 
acres or some 30 per cent, below that of the pre- 
vious year. In Madras the sowings of both early 
and late crops are under 400,000 acres or little more 
than half the normal area. Taking six reporting 
Provinces together, the total area is approximately 
9 million acres against an average of 12 millions. 
The condition of the early crop in Bombay _ is 
generally speaking, fair, but in parts of Khandeish 
tlie crop has suffered from excessive rain, which 
has also damaged the late crop in Guzerat. In 
the Carnatic the late crop is very backward for 
want of sullioient moisture, and only 27 per cent, 
of the average area has been sown. The Sindh crop 
has suffered from locusts and unfavourable inun- 
dations bv the Indus. In Berar the condition is 
on the whole satisfactory, but the Madras crop, 
though somowljat improved by recent rains, is likely 
to be very poor. In the Central Provinces the 
outturn will fall from GO to 10 per cent, below the 
average, while anotlior poor harvest is expected m 
the Punjab, where loouata have seriously injured 
tbe plants.— /i/frf. 
CEYLON AT THE CHICAGO EXHIBITION. 
The Secretary of the Planters' Association sends 
us for publication the following copy of a letter 
addressed to non-subscribers to the Tea Fund by 
the Chairman inviting subscriptions towards a special 
" Chicago Exhibition Fund." 
Dear Sir, — As you are not a subscriber to the 
Tea Fund I venture to lay before you the position of 
the Subscribers to that Fund, and toa°kyoDr aesisttinoe 
towards raising a Special Fund for pnehiog Ceylon 
Tea in America at the Chicago Exhibition. 
There is no doubt that the present position of 
Ceylon Tea, and the fact that it is now so largely 
consumed at home and is fast finding its way into 
the Australian and some of the Continental Markets, 
is very largely due to the action of the Standing 
' Committee of the Tea Fund, during the past few years ; 
and no impartial observer, whatever views he may 
take of the action of the Committee at different 
times, can fail to admit this. 
The erection of the Tea Kiosk in Colombo, and 
the lease of the building to the cewly formed Ceylon 
Tea Co., Limited, has raicei much opposition, much 
of it I consider of an interested character, since there 
is every prospect of the company becoming a sncoessf al 
agency for advertising and selling Ceylon Tea, and 
therefore bound to conflict to some extent with already 
existing interests. 
As several iocorrect and misleading statements have 
been lately published on this matter I would bring 
to your notice. 
(1.) That the Planters' Association or its Standing 
Committee of the Tea Fund have no legal power to 
trade by working the Kiosk. 
(2.) That the New Tea Company was started mainly 
with a view to relieve this difficulty. 
(3.) That the Kiosk and its basement have been 
leased to the Tea Company and the Syndicate Boat 
Company respectively with the consent of ihe Govern- 
ment (whoso consent was neeessary under the terms 
of the original lease.) 
(4.) That tbe annual rent to be paid is B1,000 in 
all, equal to nearly 7 per cent interest on the total 
cost of the Kiosk and its furniture, viz. E15,000 ; so 
that the subscribers to the Tea Fund obtain nearly 
7 per cent, on this investment, phis tbe free adver« 
tismg of Ceylon Tea which must necessarily be effected 
through the Kiosk in any event. 
The main object of the Committee at the present 
time is to take advantage of the Chicago Exhibition 
for pushing oar teas in America. 
To do this well and thoroughly will be a costly 
undertakiog, and no effort should be spared to make 
it a success. 
The Ceylon Government have promised R50,000 
towards a Ceylon Court, and the Tea Fund Committee 
have voted R30,000 for the Ceylon Tea interests ; but 
much more than this will be required. 
I appeal to you not to leave it entirely to others 
to supply the necessary funds : I cannot but feel that 
those who have subscribed to the Tea Fund taroughout 
have been somewhat ungenerously treated by those 
who do not subscribe, since the benefits reaped — and 
of these there can be no doubt — are reaped by non- 
subscribers equally with subscribers. 
I asked you therefore with confidence to contribute 
a special donation towards the Chicago Exhibition 
Fund, and I would suggest for your consideration that 
this should be based on the rate J of a cent per 
lb. made tea for the current year. 
It may be and indeed is as a rule impossible for 
the Committee to carry out the views of each indi- 
vidual subscriber to the Tea Fund ; but I unhesita- 
tingly assure you that all views have received and 
will receive full consideration at the hands of the 
Committee, and the views ultimately adopted in any 
case are necessarily those which the majority of 
the members consider most likely to attain the objeota 
we all have in common. 
I trust you will give a liberal response to my appeal, 
and will be good enough to favour me in any case 
with an early reply to the Secretary of Association, 
Kandy. — I am, dear sir, yours very faithfully, Giles 
F. Walkkr, Chairmaio Pjantere' Aesooiation of Oeyloo, 
