286 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[October i, 1890. 
1,301 tons, of tbe value of £7,206, but in 1889 the 
quantity fell to 1,044 tons, valued at £5,780. In com- 
menting on this, the British Consul says that the crop 
has been bad all over the island, so that a consider- 
able amount has been imported for consumption from 
the mainland, whereas a surplus for exportation is 
generally looked for. The cultivation of this crop has 
given way considerably of late years to sugar, and 
whereas the oil expressed was formerly sufficient both 
for the cooking and lighting purposes of the district, 
it is not now sufficient for cooking alone, and the price 
which was formerly about 5c. per lb. is now three 
times that sum. Seeamum (Sesamum indicnm), is also 
largely grown, but the seeds showed a decrease in 
value of nearly £7,000 during 1889. The crop was an 
unusually good one owing to dry weather, and the 
diminished export of the seeds is due to the fact that 
they have been used for expressing oil to make up 
for the deficiency in ground nut oil. 
Betel-nuts (Areca catechuj, seem to be another im- 
portant article of export from Kiungchow, the quan- 
tity exported in 1889, amounting to 648 tons of the 
value of 18,333. Betel -nuts are stated to be an article 
both for export and import, there being a considerable 
demand for Betel-nuts grown in this island, as they 
are of superior quality, and fetch double, or more 
than double, the price of those imported from the 
Straits. These letter are, it is said, imported to be 
mixed with the native product, and fraudulently 
passed off as the genuine article. — J. R. J. — Gardeners' 
Chronicle. 
♦ 
PERAK SUGAR CULTIVATION COJIPANY, 
LIMITED. 
The fifth annual general meeting of shareholders 
in the Perak Sugar Cultivation Oo., Limited, was 
held on Wednesday, 26th March, 1890, at the Shanghai 
Club. There were present ; — Messrs. R. Francis 
(Chairman), 0. J. Dudgeon (Secretary), G. H. Wheeler, 
A. J. How, Douglas Jones, J. Buchanan, E. Hey, 
S. Walker and Bow Kee, representing in all 1,303 
shares and 380 votes. 
The Chairihan, after stating that he presided in 
the absence of the Chairman of the Company, said: 
— For reasons stated in the report it will be proposed, 
at the conclusion of the few remarks which I have to 
make, that this meeting stand adjourned until June. 
It is probable also that in 1890 June will be found 
a convenient date for the meeting but as the area 
of canes to be cropped in the early part of the year 
increases, so will the date of the meeting have to 
be thrown back, until, with the estate in full cultiva- 
tion, it will probably be August to September before 
a full report of the campaign can be presented. With 
regard to the crop for 1889, full particulars are 
given in the report. The weight of sugar produced 
per orloDg, and the proportion of No. 1 sugar have 
both been better than m any previous year of the 
Company’s working. It has been somewhat unfortu- 
nate that, owing to short supply of labour, the area 
cropped in the twelve months has fallen short of the 
estimate, and consequently the accounts as made up 
to 31st Dec. show a less favourable result than was 
anticipated; it is, however, of course to be remem- 
bered that the 130 orlongsj jshort cropped in 1889 
merely fall into the area to be cropped in the early 
months of 1890, and thus shorten the non-productive 
period of the present year, so that the estate suffers 
little or nothing at all. Labour has been a matter 
of considerable anxiety to the manager and directors. 
The increasing industries of the Straits, and the large 
demand for Indian labour in Ceylon, have caused a 
demand for labour in excess of the supply. The 
directors can only say that the matter is one which 
engages the most careful attention both of them- 
selves, their manager and the agents in Penang. The 
crop for the season 1890-91 is described by the manager 
BS the “ best and largest we have had ” ; the crop is 
looking excellently well, and the only anxiety regarding 
it ib the maUer of labour already referred to. With 
regard to the accounts, if the propo.sal for adjournment 
is agreed to, these vcill be supplemented for the meet- 
ing to be held in June, and, though at the present 
time there is considerable extraordinary expenditure 
in manuring for the coming crop, there seems no reason 
to fear that the estimate of a profit of Tls. 14,000 on 
the campaign will be disappointed. In addition to this 
sum it is to bo remembered that the company will have 
paid over Tls. 10,000 in interest on borrowed capital. 
The Tls. 14,000 that we anticipate, and the Tls. 10,000 
amounting to Tls. 24,000, will give about 8 per cent, 
interest on the capital, and as this is for 16 months 
that will be 6 per cent for the year. 
Mr. How asked if the shareholders were to under- 
stand that they might look for a dividend of 6 per cent. 
Mr. Dudgeon said they were not allowed to pay a 
dividend of more than 4 per cent, until the debentures 
were paid off. 
Mr. How thought the sugar account was a some- 
what bald statement, and he suggested that the 
number of orlougs cropped should be given as also 
particulars of the different grades of sugar and aver- 
age prices. It would be of interest to the shareholders 
to be enabled to follow the prsoperity of the Company 
by means of such particulars. He asked if the contem- 
plated expenditure on a new boiler was for an entirely 
new one in addition to the plant in use at the present 
time, or was it to take the place of one which was 
out of order. 
Mr. Dudgeon said a new boiler might be required 
to take the place of one of the present ones, which 
had recently suffered some damage ; and it was con- 
sidered necessary to have a second one on the spot. 
The rapid deterioration of the boilers was due to the 
impurity of water used; The expense of a new boiler 
and mill roller was estimated at £500. The area 
cropped and averages of No. 1 and No. 2 sugar were 
given in the report. 
Mr. How said the report only gave the gross 
amounts’. The average prices of each grade should 
be given, so as to form a guide in future years. 
The Chairman said Mr. How’s suggestion would be 
brought before the Board of Directors. He (the 
Chairman)saw no reason why it should not be earned out. 
Mr. Douglas Jones— I suppose the Board do not like 
to prophesy as to the length of time it will take before 
the shareholders are likely to get anything out of the 
company ? 
Tbe Chairman — I think it desirable not to prophesy. 
Mr. How — Unless you know. 
The Chairman — If our anticipation of a net return 
of Tls. 14,000 is carried out, it would enable a small 
dividend to be paid. It must be remembered that the 
whole estate is not being worked ; but next year or the 
year after, it may be expected to be in full cultivation 
It was then moved by the Chairman, seconded by 
Mr. AYheeler, and agreed to, “ That this meeting 
stand adjourned until Wednesday, 25th June.” The 
proceedings then closed with the usual compliment to 
the Chairmau. 
Report. 
The directors, as required by the articles of associa- 
tion, submit their report for the year 1889- The 
working of tiie Company, however, shows that the 
holding of the annual meeting in March, with accounts 
made up to 31st December (a date almost in the 
middle of the crop) is entirely inconvenient, and ren- 
ders it almost impossible to lay before the shareholders 
a proper statement of the Company’s position. It 
will therefore be proposed at the forthcoming meet- 
ing to adjourn until June, when, the crop having 
been cleared off, it will be possible to submit a 
report with accounts, closed to 30th April, showing 
the actual results of the previous campaign. It will 
also be proposed to fix a date for the meeting in 
the following year which will cover the campaign of 
1890.91. 
Crop , — The area cropped during 1889 has given most 
satisfactory results both as to weight of sugar pro- 
duced per otlong and as to quality. The production 
per orlocg averages piculs 38 as against piculs 
31 in the previous year, and the proportion of No. 1 
sugar is 76 per oeut. against 65 per cent, In price, too 
