THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
[Aug.  I,  1895. 
EXTENSION  OK  (TI/nVATloN. 
{h.ctrncfa  Ji'fmi  3Jr.  II.  IK.  llriidhinwl' s 
OH  Ihr  Kalutam  Dh! rid  for  h'iflj.) 
rhei’G  was  a great  demand  for  land  during  the  year 
xuidcr  review,  and  applications  were  received  almost 
daily  at  the  local  Kachcheri.  The  return  of  lands 
sold  in  18‘)i5  and  1894  is  as  follows;— 
No.  of  Extent. 
Lots. 
Year. 
A.  H.  i>. 
Avr.  price 
per  acre. 
R.  c. 
14  GO 
26  66 
1896  . . 36  , . 99  2 1 . 
1894  158  ,.  1,494  3 65  .,  _ . 
The  returns  furnished  by  the  Mudaliyars  show  an 
increase  of  cultivation  under  the  following  heads  : — 
Acres.  Acres. 
Paddy  1,040  Cocoanuts  610 
Tea  647  Other  products  88 
Cinnamon  107 
On  the  other  hand,  there  has  been  a large  decrease 
under  the  head  “ Fruit  Gardens,”  which  can  only 
be  accounted  for  on  the  ground  that  cocoanuts,  tea. 
Ac.,  are  found  to  be  more  remunerative  than  fruit- 
growing. 
With  regard  to  the  extent  under  paddy  cultiva- 
tion, which  is  estimated  at  41,040  acres,  as 
compared  with  40,000  acres  cultivated  in  1896,  the 
correctness  of  the  figures  cannot  be  guaranteed,  but 
there  can  be  no  doubt  that  there  has  been  a con- 
■iderable  .increase.  In  the  case  of  private  lauds  by 
is  probable  that  many  fields  which  did  not  repad 
the  cost  of  cultivation  when  the  grain  tax  was  levied 
are  now  being  cultivated.  But,  on  the  other  hand, 
there  has  also  been  an  increase  in  the  number  of 
leases  Crown  fields  at  the  usual  rental  of  112  per  bushel, 
the  figures  being — 
Extent 
Bushels. 
219 
284 
Year  No.  of  Lots 
1896  78 
1894  105 
This  increase  would  seem  to  indicate  that  in  the 
Kalntara  District  at  any  rate  paddy  cultivation  is 
not  altogether  an  uni-emuneiativei)raneh  of  agriculture. 
Tlie  cro))s  were  fail-,  tliougli  some  little  damage 
was  caused  by  drought.  'I’lie  rainfall  amounted  to 
71‘99  inches,  the  average  of  the  previous  five  years 
being  88-22. 
I am  indebted  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Kalutara 
Planters’  Association  for  an  estimate  of  the  amount 
paid  to  Sinhalese  labourers  on  the  tea  estates.  The 
sum  expended  in  1894  was  approximately  R600,000, 
an  increase  of  about  E50,000  over  the  figures,  for 
1893.  The  influx  of  this  capital  has  done  much  to 
improve  the  condition  of  the  people,  especially  in 
the  Pasdun  korale,  and  tlie  steady  extension  of  the 
tea  industry  is  ail  important  factor  in  the  rapid 
development  noticeable  in  the  District. 
THE  NAHALMA  TEA  ESTATES  ('OMPANV 
LIMITED. 
The  fii-st  annual  ordinary  general  meeting  of  the 
shareholders  of  this  company  was  held  yesterday 
at  the  officrs  of  the  company,  39,  Victoria  Street' 
Westminster,  S.W.  The  chair  was  occupied  by  Mr! 
Arthur  W.  Marshall,  chairman  of  the  board  of 
directors. 
The  Secretary  (Mr.  ,Tohn  Holgate  Batten)  having 
read  the  notice  convening  the  meeting,  the  chairman 
proposed,  and  Mr.  Macbey  seconded,  ‘‘  That  the 
directors’  report  and  balance  sheet  to  December  31 
1894,  be  adopted.”  The  resolution  was  carried. 
The  Chairman  then  proposed,  and  Mr.  Aberncthy 
seconded,  “ That  a final  dividend  at  the  rate  of  2 
per  cent  on  the  ordinary  shares  of  the  company  be 
paid  so  soon  as  the  realisation  of  the  produce  of  the 
company’s  estates  peimits  of  such  payment,  making, 
witlj  the  interim  dividend'  of  4 per  cent,  paid  De! 
cember  13th,  1894,  a distriliution  at  tlie  rate  ofSper 
cent.  per  annum,  from  April  1st  to  December  31st 
1K94.  That  such  dividend  be  jiaid  to  those  sharehold-' 
ers  whose  names  appear  in  the  sliaro  register  on 
this  fay,  and  that  after  this  date  such  shares  be 
transferable  ex.  such  said  divi,dend.”  The  resolu,tion 
was  carried  unanimouHly. 
'Phe  Chairman  next  proposed  “ That  the  share 
holders  of  the  Nahalma  'Pea  1-lstate  Company 
ijiniited,  beg  to  express  their  sincere  sympathy  with 
the  family  of  the  late  Mr.  11.  II.  Anderson  in  the 
sad  loss  they  have  sustained,  and  they  instruct  the 
directors  to  enter  upon  the  minutes  of  the  comiiany 
their  appreciation  of  his  zeal  and  energy  in  pro- 
moting the  best  interests  of  the  company.”  Tlje 
resolution  was  seconded  by  Mr.  Abernethy  and  carried 
unanimously. 
Mr.  Macbey  proposed,  and  Mr.  Noel  Paten  (by 
proxy)  seconded,  “ that  the  directors’  remuneration 
from  the  date  of  the  formation  of  the  company 
be  paid  to  them  free  of  income  tax.”  The  resolution 
was  adopted. 
The  Chairman  proposed,  and  Mr.  Macbey  seconded, 
“ that  Mr.  John  Abernethy  be  re-elected  a director 
of  the  Company.”  The  resolution  was  carried. 
The  re-election  of  Messrs.  Fox,  Sissons,  and  Com- 
pany as  auditors  to  the  Company  for  the  year  ending 
December  31st  1895,  at  a remuneration  of  seven 
guineas,  was  proposed  by  the  Chairman  and  seconded 
by  Mr.  Abernethy  and  carried  unanimously. 
A vote  of  thanks  to  the  Chairman  closed  the  proceed- 
ings.— ]I.  ami  0.  JIaiL 
PLANTING  AND  PRODUCE. 
Tea  Sweepings. — In  our  issue  of  March  8 we  con’ 
gratulated  the  Indian  Tea  Association  and  the  tea 
planting  industry  generally  on  the  issue  of  an  official 
Order  by  the  Customs  authorities  dealing  with  the 
question  of  tea  sweepings.  We  assumed  that  this 
order  would  be  eftectivo  in  putting  an  end,  or  at  least 
mitigating,  the  abuses  about  w-liich  there  have  been 
so  many  com2)laiuts.  The  tone  of  our  bi-ief  note 
seems  to  have  been  too  much  for  the  feelings  of  a 
correspondent  who  contributed  to  a Ceylon  paper  a 
letter  upon  the  subject  of  the  Customs  Order.  The 
correspondent  referred  to  not  only  does  not  think 
much  of  the  Customs  Order,  but  he  rebukes  us  for 
oiTering  any  congratulations  upon  it,  and  thinks  that 
in  crediting  the  Indian  Tea  As.-;ociation,  which  we 
did  innocently  euoiigli,  with  agitating  in  the 
matter,  we  have  done  an  injustice  to  Mr.  Christy, 
who  has  taken  a prominent  jiart  in  directing  atten- 
tion to  it.  According  to  our  critic  we  said  “ all  is 
well”  when  “ all  is  not  well.”  If  there  is  going  to  be 
lurtber  trouble  over  this  tea  sweeping  business,  and 
the  corresjiondent,  we  imagine,  will  feel  disappointed 
if  there  is  not,  our  congratulations  were,  to  say  the 
least,  premature.  AVe  thought  that  the  Customs  order 
was  a ste^)  likely  to  jirove  effective  in  remedying  the 
evil,  until  this  corresjiondent  opened  our  ej-es.  He 
comfilains  of  the  vagueness  of  the  Customs  order,  sjid 
suggests  that  either  the  owner  of  the  teas  dealt  with 
should  be  able  to  claim  the  sjiillings  of  theii-  cheats, 
or  all  sweeijings,  whether  previously  jilaced  in  the 
“ damage  box  ” or  not,  should  be  subject  to  the  ad- 
mixture recommended  to  Mr.  Goschon  by  Mr.  Christy. 
Possibly  this  view  is  a sound  one,  but  in  the  mean- 
time it  is  but  fair  to  give  the  Customs  Order  a trial, 
and  if  it  jnove  the  dead  failure  the  coi-respoudent 
predicts,  something  might  be  done  towards  furtbering 
bis  own  views. — Ibid. 
SALE  OF  ESTATES. 
-Moiisagala  e.state  in  the  Pas.sai'a  District 
which  was  recently  sold  by  Mr.  p.  Li.  Smith  to  I 
Company  realised  j 
.L.),UU0.  \Ve, recall  tlie  very  first  clearing  on  tliis  ' 
line  property  during  onr  visit  tod'liomas  Wood  of  u 
Spiing  Valley  in  ISGo.  Monsagalla  was  tlien  ' 
the  property  of  Mr.  G.  S.  Dull'  and  lie  Inui.led 
It  over  to  his  friend  Mr.  C.  I,i.  Smith  for  a very 
nioucrate  It  |tm\o(l  a vorituhle  ^oI<l  uune 
to  tlie  latter  as  a eollee  pliinlation  and  vollev  eon-  ' 
tinned  to  do  well  lip  to  a ri'cent  dalt-.  Il.i.-,no\vhyw- 
e\ei  all  intea  .kJ.i  aeres  with  2.5  aere->  reserve. 
i\  e also  learn  t hat  1- loi  enee  and  'I'nnisgajht  Es- 
tates in  the  Knuckles  Distriet  have  hetii  I>ur-  1 
