i86 
THE  TROPIGAI 
AGRICULTURIST. 
[Sept.  2,  1895. 
SALE  OF  A DIKUVA  ESTATE. 
We  learn  tliat  Mr.  Duncan  Skritie  lias  sold 
Warleigli  estate,  DiUoya,  to  Mr.  Paiiillon  for 
t7,000,  Messrs.  Skrino  A'  Co.  continuin;>:  as 
agents.  The  property  is  a coin[)act  one  of  25U 
acres,  all  but  10  acres  in  tea.  M’arleigli  was 
well-kninvn  .as  one  of  tlie  best  planted  and  ricli- 
cst  collee^  plantations  ever  opened  in  .a  Ceylon 
high  district.  It  first  appeared  in  our  Directory 
for  1869  as  184  acres  of  coll'ee  and  it  continued 
to  be.ar  heavily  long  after  leaf  disease  had  wrought 
havoc  on  some  of  its  neighbours.  \Ve  well  re- 
member Mr.  L.  H.  Kelly  on  one  of  his- periodical 
retnrn.s  to  Ceylon  expressing  “indignation”  (or 
something  akin  to  it !)  tliat  Mr.  Skrine  should  have 
allowed  the  coffee  whicli  had  given  him  so  big 
a fortune,  to  be  overgrown  and  choked  by  cin- 
chona; but  the  answer  of  a practical  man  was, 
— “ Warleigh  is  more  valuable  as  it  stands  now, 
than  ever  it  was  in  cofiec  alone.”  Whether  the  )>ro- 
nrietor  was  fortunate  enough  to  harvest  Ids  bark 
oefore  the  i>rices  fell,  we  do  not  know.  At  any 
rate,  we  may  congratulate  both  seller  ami  pur- 
chaser in  tlieso  days  of  tea,  on  the  satisfactory 
contract  just  concluded,  and  we  believe  Warleigli 
will  long  yield  heavy  and  good  crops  of  tea  leaf. 
PLANTERS  AND  THEIR  LAIJOUR  LAWS. 
In  the  Woftre  States  of  Southern  India  are  in  a satl 
pickle  as  to  debts,  adv.ances  and  contracts  with 
coolies  and  m.aistrics  who  may  bolt  into  British 
territory,  there  being  no  common  law.  Mr.  C.  L. 
Yonge  on  behalf  ot  the  Cnitcil  Planters’  A.sso- 
ciation  in  writing  to  the  (Jovernment  of  Madras 
says : — 
“ The  planting  industiy  has  assumed  very  large 
dimensions  in  the  Native  States  and  fresh  capital 
is  annually  being  employed  in  opening  up  the  waste 
lands.  The  cultivated  area  in  the  three  States  of 
Mysore,  Travaiicore  and  Cochin,  to  which  the  figures 
now  submitted  apply,  amounts  to  132,2(X)  acres,  with 
an  annual  expenditure  of  Ui);!, 78,000.  The  average 
amount  of  advances  now  outstanding  on  these  pro- 
perties is  EBO  per  acre,  or  IlBl), (56,000,  of  which  1110 
Eer  acre,  or  1118,22,000,  are  considered  bad  or  have 
een  written  off  within  the  last  four  years.  The 
f/reatcr  portion  oj  this  lan/e  loss  is  due  bij  coolies  and 
maistrics  now  residinii  in  British  terntor;/,  ar/ainst 
whom  under  the  e.cislimj  law  there  is  absoluteli/  no 
remedi/." 
And  further  on  : — 
The  value  of  all  the  lands  held  on  planting  tenure 
in  the  three  Native  State.;  amounts  to  and 
it  is  for  the  better  .safeguarding  and  conserving  of 
this  valuable  industry  that  the  Association  asks  for 
the  Intervention  of  llis  Excellency  in  Council.  The 
Association  recognises  with  respectful  gratitude  the 
sympathetic  attitude  of  the  Madrac  Government,  ane 
it  ventures  to  hope  that,  when  the  Government  of 
India  is  made  fully  acquainted  with  the  largo  in- 
terests which  arc  at  stake  in  Southern  India,  it 
will  no  longer  refuse  to  give  its  consent  to  such  re- 
medial measures  as  may  be  necessary  and  which 
the  Association  trusts  may  be  supported  by  His 
Excellency  in  Council. 
In  conclusion,  I have  the  honour  to  forward  the 
following  Resolution  which  was  unanimously  passed 
by  the  Association  at  the  meeting  hold  at  Bangalore 
early  in  this  month  : — ‘ That  Government  be  asked 
to  empower  British  magistrates  in  the  districts,  in 
which  accused  resides  or  in  which  the  contract  was 
made,  to  endorse  and  cause  to  be  executed  summonses 
or  bailable  warrants  against  the  said  accused  issued 
l>y  a magistrate  in  a Native  State. 
The  M auras Govermnent  was  favuniable  ; but  the 
(ioverninent  of  India  saw  dillicnlties  in  the  way 
ami  so  Iho  Mdtlrus  Mail  .advises: — 
“ The  Secretary  of  State  is  the  person  to  go  to. 
We  hope  that  the  U.P.A.S.I.  will  decide  to  send  to 
England  representatives  who  are  thoroughly  «k  cou- 
rant  with  all  the  facts,  if  necessary  paying  their  ex- 
^penses.  There  are  27  lakhs  of  good  delits  still  out- 
* standing  in  Mysore,  Travancore  and  Cjchin,  and 
it  will  be  worth  expending  some  diminutive  percentage 
of  this  huge  sum  in  the  endeavour  to  collect  it. 
Lord  Wenlock  will  be  in  England  early  next  year, 
and  we  have  but  little  doubt  that  he  will  do  all  he 
can  to  further  the  success  of  any  representation  that 
the  planters  of  Southern  India  may  think  proper  to 
make  direct  to  the  Secretary  of  State.” 
THE  TEA  CHEST  QUESTION. 
Ceylon  planters  are  seriously  considering  the  ques- 
tion of  tea  chests.  The  imported  “ momi  ” chests 
are  apparently  quite  satisfactory,  but  the  locally 
)iianufactured  boxes,  made  of  J inch  planks,  do  not 
stand  opening  for  sampling  purposes  and  nailing 
down  again,  and  split  up  and  break  in  transit. 
Making  the  chests  a little  heavier,  it  is  rightly 
argued,  will  not  make  them  any  better,  but  it  does 
not  seem  to  have  occurred  to  anyone  that  a batten 
diagonally  placed  on  each  surface  would  greatly 
strengthen  the  chests,  if  the  opposite  diagonals  were 
taken  on  the  corresponding  sides.  What  smashes  up 
a box  is  being  dropped  on  the  corner. — Madras  Times, 
August  1st. 
♦ 
VATADERIA  TEA  COMPANY  OF  CEYLON, 
LIMITED. 
An  Extraordinary  General  Meeting  of  this  Com- 
pany was  held  at  the  Office,  13,  Queen  Street,  on 
2nd  instant  at  3 p.m.  Present : — Messrs.  II.  V.  Mase- 
field in  the  chair;  J.  H.  Starey  (Man.ag'ng  Director); 
D.  Fairweatber  (Director) ; B.  G.  L.  Bi'emner  (Secre- 
tai-y) ; J.  R.  Fairweatber,  and  C.  M.  Gwatkin  ; and  by 
proxy  W.  W.  Church,  A.  H.  Dingwall  and  H.  W. 
Hornby. 
The  Secretary  read  the  notice  convening  the 
meeting. 
Tub  Managing  Directoe  said  tha.t  as  usual  no  ac- 
counts were  presented  at  the  half-year  meeting,  but 
the  shareholders  would  bo  interested  to  know  that 
the  tea  remaining  for  sale  at  end  of  1894  had  reali- 
sed more  than  was  estimated  by  8,838  lb.  The  profit 
for  the  half-year  to  30th  .June  (not  including  10% 
brought  forward  from  1894)  was  about  21%  on 
the  capital.  The  tea  secured  in  6 months  was  265,547  lb 
equal  to  48  28  per  cent  of  estimate  of  which  to  30th 
June  there  had  been  sold  129,640  lb  all  the  tea  had 
been  shipped  to  London.  Seeing  that  at  30th  June 
last  year  a smaller  proportion  of  the  year’s  crop  was 
secured — whicIT  is  a circumstance  to  be  explained  by 
the  incidence  of  the  pruning — it  was  evident  that  the 
very  favorable  result  was  due  to  the  recent  good 
demand  for  “ teas  for  price,”  such  of  the  crop  as  had 
been  accounted  for  having  averaged  about  41  cents 
per  lb.  The  value  estimated  for  tea  not  accounted 
for  being  only  35  cents. 
On  a shareholder  inquiring  whether  a larger  in- 
terim dividend  than  usual  might  not  be  declared  it 
was  replied  that  of  the  129,6101b  sold  at  30th  .June, 
only  92,410  lb  had  been  accounted  for  ; and  the  majority 
of  the  meeting  expressed  approval  of  following,  the 
usual  practice  of  moderation. 
The  Chairman  then  moved  tliat  “ an  ad  interim 
dividend  at  the  rate  of  12.1  per  cent  for  the  half  year 
ended  30th  Juno,  1895  he  declared.”  This  was  seconded 
as  recommended  by  the  Directors  by  Mr.  J.  R. 
Fairweatber  and  carried  unanimously.  Vote  of  thanks 
terminated  the  proceedings. 
Manganese. — The  Government  of  India  having 
leai'iit  that  tliere  are  increasing  exports  of  manga- 
nese ore  from  tlie  ports  in  the  ftladias  I’residency,  has 
asked  tlie  Madras  Government,  if  there  is  a jirospect 
of  the  continuan  e of  the  trade,  to  )mblish  the  figures 
in  the  monthly  account  of  trade  and  navigation.  It 
has  also  asked  te  be  furnished  with  information  as  to 
the  quantity  and  value  of  manganese  ore  exported 
from  this  Brwsidency  to  foreign  countries  during  each 
of  the  last  three  years,— J/.  Mail, 
