5^4 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST 
[January i, 1891. 
SUGAE PALM IN FLOWEE. 
One of the group of palms in the triangular space 
between Muirburn House and the banyan tree, 
Park Street, is reported to be in flower. The 
palm is Avenga saccharifera, and it may be of 
interest to watch the development of the flowering. 
From the Treasury of Botany we quote as follows : — 
8. saccharifer, the Areng, is a very common palm 
in the Indian islands, and on account of the variety 
of its products is of great value to the natives. The 
black horsehair-like fibre surrounding its leaf-stalks, 
called Bjoo or Gomuti by the Malays, is converted 
into cordage, employed for thatching, plaited into 
ornaments, &o. ; a large supply of toddy or palm- 
wine is obtained by cutting off the flower-spikes, and 
this when inspissated affords an abundance of sugar, 
or when fermented a capital vinegar : considerable 
quantities of sago, of a rather inferior quality is, also 
derived from this palm, and several other products 
of minor importance. 
« 
COLOMBO TEA SALES FOE THE YEAE 1890. 
The last public sale of tea to be held in Colombo 
during 1890 took place today, and brought up the 
total quantity of tea sold during the year to 6,114,525 
lb., as comparad with 4,627,762 lb. sold locally during 
1889. Taking out shipment this year as 43* million lb., 
the quantity sold locally represents 14 per cent of this 
— the same percentage as was sold in Colombo last year 
— so that relatively to the increase of shipments the 
sale of tea in Colombo is not growing at all. The 
figures showing the quantity of tea sold in Colombo 
for the past three years compare as follows : — 
Offered. 
Sold. 
Percentage 
to total 
shipped. 
1887-88 . 
.. 3,579,047 
2,783,429 
13 
1889 
.. 6,841,529 
4,627,762 
14 
1890 
.. 8,867,510 
6,114,525 
14 
Of this quantity sold locally, about 3 million lb' 
have been this year purchased for, and shipped to 
markets other than London, and the average rate 
paid for the whole of the tea for the year has been 
43| ots. The following table compiled by us will show 
the weekly quantities offered and sold, whilst the 
averages of each sale have been kindly supplied to us 
by Messrs. Forbes & Walker, the well-known Colombo 
brokers — 
1890 
Offered. 
Sold. 
Forbes and 
Walker’s 
Date. 
Pkgs. 
lb. 
Pkgs. 
lb. 
Average, 
January 
ots. 
8 
2980 
194715 
2475 
160463 
45 
15 
3064 
209491 
2365 
160022 
45 
22 
2667 
182529 
1503 
106676 
41 
29 
1675 
123064 
1254 
92153 
42 
February 
5 
1663 
102317 
920 
66936 
41 
12 
2714 
126740 
1085 
80923 
44 
19 
2093 
269324 
1285 
159698 
45 
26 
1163 
77178 
1021 
68247 
42 
March 
6 
1012 
68418 
744 
48659 
40J 
12 
1624 
113318 
1093 
77219 
43 
19 
1946 
135036 
1829 
58506 
41 
26 
1920 
134633 
1136 
75412 
43 
April 
2 
1695 
103935 
1142 
66960 
42 
16 
3978 
270091 
2266 
168358 
39 
23 
2186 
146630 
1294 
80077 
38 
30 
1354 
90893 
1111 
71511 
39 
7 
2008 
139547 
1761 
121240 
42 
14 
3142 
200105 
2140 
129207 
42 
21 
2784 
186569 
2498 
161511 
43 
28 
2918 
194814 
2463 
163175 
42 
J une 
4 
2318 
150240 
2112 
138701 
47 
11 
3785 
271295 
3298 
231814 
46 
18 
3310 
254704 
2919 
228432 
47 
25 
2911 
194641 
160289 
46 
July 
2 
2728 
193886 
2093 
146779 
47 
9 
2294 
154133 
1902 
128419 
47 
16 
4069 
370194 
3453 
231325 
40 
23 
2350 
173895 
1.502 
110406 
38 
30 
1014 
108114 
1167 
83320 
38 
* It is in realS’cy over 45 m'AUons lb, — E d. '1, A. 
August 
6 
1762 
120261 
1675 
114903 
40 
13 
2142 
150665 
1364 
90167 
39 
20 
1709 
130230 
1289 
97767 
88 
27 
1969 
150773 
1560 
114705 
41 
September 
3 
1801 
123163 
1654 
114128 
40 
10 
2177 
172973 
1918 
157193 
44 
17 
1936 
140921 
1640 
116332 
45 
24 
October 
2637 
184222 
2439 
171143 
47 
1 
1882 
133865 
1724 
121920 
50 
8 
3080 
220871 
2240 
155245 
49 
15 
3698 
271065 
1931 
142026 
44 
22 
2586 
197469 
1292 
94419 
39 
29 
1627 
141562 
818 
73524 
44 
November 
5 
2278 
172153 
1413 
96567 
42 
12 
3329 
239375 
1877 
14.3454 
43 
19 
3530 
255484 
1781 
118629 
41 
26 
2470 
177294 
1372 
92805 
41 
December 
3 
2837 
197294 
1622 
102567 
40 
10 
3104 
235398 
2070 
159095 
40 
17 
8764 
286011 
2329 
167536 
39 
23 
3081 
226064 
1762 
124773 
40 
Total 122976 
8O676J0 
87882 
6114125 
—Local “Times.” 
♦ 
LANKA PLANTATIONS COMPANY, LD. 
Cacao, Coffee and Tea. 
The ordicary general meeting of the shareholders 
of the Lanka Plantations Company, Limited, was bed, 
on Wednesday, at the offioes, 8, Old Jewry, B.O,, 18li 
Robert Harding presiding. 
In moving the adoption of the report the Chairman 
said that the advices which they had received from 
their manager continued to be of a character which 
would lead them to hope and believe that the current 
year would certainly not be worse than the year under 
review. He did not desire to be too sanguine, be- 
cause they had had many disappointments previously ; 
still, he thought they might consider that the com- 
pany had now turned the corner. They now had 
between 1,400 and 1,500 acres of tea under cultiva- 
tion, the average proOnoe of which was about 300 lb. 
per acre. Therefore, they would have 450,000 lb to 
dispose of next year, which would, no doubt, give 
them very satisfactory dividends. The greatest eco- 
nomy had been exercised by their superintendent. 
The year’s working had resulted in a profit of £7,292, 
which was sufficient to pay the dividends on the 
preference shares for the present and the previous 
years, and also 3s per share on the ordinary shares. 
That was a better state of things than they had had 
for some years past, and he believed it was the 
beginning of more prosperous times. 
Sir Herbert B. Sandford seconded the motion. 
Mr. Bayford pointed out, in the course of a long 
speech, that it was unwise, in the present position of 
the company, to pay a dividend, but that it would be 
far better to reduce the debt of the company. 
The Chairman having replied, the report was 
adopted. — S. & 0. Mail Deo. 5th. 
A VISIT TO CHILAW:— COCONUT 
CULTIVATION. 
Oui chief point has reference to the steady exten- 
sion of cultivation wherever there is unoccupied 
ground along the fifty miles of road to Ohilaw. We 
saw evidence of a change, since our last visit in 
September 1888. The fruit-trade — specially in plan- 
tains — between the Chilaw district and Colombo is 
growing in importance. All round — in and about — 
Chilaw town, the little fields of tobacco are very 
well-defined, the young plants being at present the 
objects of great care in watering morning and night. 
Beyond Chilaw, the new Telegraph wire is 
conspicuous on its way to Puttalam ; when carried 
to Mannar, it will give an alternative line — a very 
important matter — between that point and Colombo. 
