420 
THE  TROPIC  Al 
AGRICULTURIST. 
[Dec.  2,  1895. 
PROsrECTUs. — This  Company  has  been  formed  to 
purchase  from  Sir  George  A.  Pilkington  the  pioper- 
tie.s  of  Luuugalhi,  Udahena,  Oabragalla,  and  Poona- 
gala,  situated  in  the  Kandapolla,  or  Eastern  division 
of  the  district  of  Haputale,  Ceylon. 
The  estates  consist  approximately  ot  2,554  acres  in 
all,  viz : — 
Lukuo.vlla.—  Altitude,  2,500  to  4,500  ft.  above  sea 
level — 22s  acres  tea  in  full  bearing  ; 54  acres  tea  planted 
1893  in  coffee  ; 28  acres  tea  planted  1894-95  in  coffee  ; 
35  acres  drained  and  roaded  for  planting;  35  acres 
fuel  trees  ; 50  acres  coffee#  358  acres  Patna  forest, 
waste  &c.  Total  788  acres.' 
Udahena. — Altitude,  3,000  ft.  to  5,000  ft.  above  sea 
level — 140  acres  tea  in  bearing;  30  acres  tea  and  coffee; 
45  acres  tea  planted  in  1893;  18  acres  tea  planted  in 
1894  ; 10  acres  coffee ; 80  acres  cleared  and  drained 
for  planting  ; 5 acres  fuel  trees ; 325  acres  ravines, 
Chena,  Patna,  Waste,  Ac.  Total  (>53  acres. 
‘ C.ABR.AGALLA. — Altitude,  3,000  to  4,500  ft.  above  sea 
level — 100  acres  tea  in  full  bearing ; 30  acres  tea 
planted  in  coffee  4 and  5 years  old ; 20  acres  tea 
planted  in  1893 ; 18  acres  tea  planted  in  1894 ; 30 
acres  coffee;  10  acres  Fuel  Trees;  17  acres  Patna 
Ravines  and  Waste ; Total  225  acres. 
PooNAGAiJ.A.— Altitude,  2,800  to  4,000  ft.  above  sea 
level— lit;  acres  tea  over  3 years  old ; 35  acres  tea 
over  2 years  old ; 52  acres  tea  planted  in  1894  ; 2" 
acres  tea  planted  under  coffee  1894;  80  acres  coffee; 
G acres  Liberian  Coffee  (all  drained)  ; 2 acres  fuel 
planted  1894;  577  acres  forest,  patna,  waste  Ac. 
Total  888  acres. 
The  estates  were  valued  by  Mr.  Rettie  at  an  aggre- 
gate of  027,050  sterling,  and  the  price  to  the  Com- 
pany has  been  fixed  at  that  figure.  The  Compau}' 
will  also  pay  the  amount  of  any  capital  outlay  on 
the  estates  by  the  Vendor  between  20th  June  last, 
tlie  date  ot  the  valuation,  and  the  1st  of  .lanuary, 
189G.  Mr.  Rettie’s  Keport  and  V'aluation  is  open  to 
inspection  at  tlie  Office  of  the  Company.  The  pro- 
perties will  be  taken  over  as  from  1st  January,  1895. 
Sir  George  A.  Pilkington  has  agreed  to  accept 
payment  as  follow's  : — 
tT0,(X)0  in  fully-paid  Shares  ; 8,500  in  b i^cr  cent 
Debentures;  8,550  in  Cash;  £27,0.50. 
Factories. — Mr.  Rettie  reports  that  at  Lunugalfa 
the  factory  is  a substantial  building  of  three  Hats, 
90  feet  by  30  feet,  with  a 15-feet  verandah  on 
ground  floor  for  machinery,  which  is  in  good  order 
and  sufficient  for  ne.xt  two  years;  and  that  at 
Poonagalla  there  is  a very  nice  compact  factory  of 
GO  feet  by  40  feet,  a ground  floor  and  two  upper  floors, 
and  ample  supply  of  water,  and  the  machine)  y all 
new,  in  excellent  order  and  sufficient  for  some  time 
to  come.  There  are  no  factories  at  Udahena  and 
Cabragalla,  the  tea  from  the  former  being  made  at 
Lunugalla,  and  from  the  latter  at  Poonagalla. 
Extension  or  Cultivation. — In  Mr.  Rettie’s  opi- 
nion, on  Lunugalla  of  the  358  acres  of  Forest,  Patna^ 
A’c.,  225  acres  might  be  made  available  for  Tea  and 
most  of  the  remaining  133  acres  would  grow  fuel.  ()n 
Udahena  about  liiO  acres  of  Chena  Patna,  A'c.,  could 
be  planted  with  Tea  and  much  of  the  balance  could 
grow  fuel.  On  Poonagalla  about  200  acres  of  the 
577  forest  wold  probably  grow'  Tea  profitably  and 
much  of  the  remaining  377  acres  would  no  doubt 
^ Coffee. — There  are  .50  acres  of  excellent  Coffee 
on  Lunugalla  in  good  heart,  on  Cabragalla  30  acres 
very  fine,  and  on  Poonagalla  40  acres  in  good  heart. 
the  vine  growing  experiment  at 
THE  AGRICULTURAT.  COLLEGE. 
With  regard  to  the  vine  growing  experiment  at 
the  Agricultural  College,  inslituod  by  and  carried 
out  under  the  Supervision  of  Mr.  /anetti,  Mr.  Dneberg 
the  Principal  of  the  College  is  now  in  a 
position  to  report  as  to  the  first  season  of  culture. 
As  stated  there  are  800  plants,  one  or  two  years  old, 
trained  to  a height  of  ahout  3J  feet.  The  plants  arc 
now  beginning  to  show  signs  of  “ wintering  ” as  they 
would  naturally  have  done  at  this  season  bad  they 
been  allovved  to  remain  in  Australian  soil.  I’lanted 
four  niontlis  ago,  the  vines  came  out  in  blossom  two 
months  after  being  put  into  the  ground  and  shortly 
afterwards  fruit  formed  on  the  two  year  old  plants. 
There  were  fifteen  bunches  in  all  and  the  grapes 
forming  these  though  inferior  in  size  and  appearance  to 
the  grape  of  Europe  or  to  the  liot-housegraiieof  Britain, 
have  an  excellent  flavour,  very  different  from  that 
of  the  Ceylon  variety.  So  far  as  it  has  gone  Mr. 
Zanetli  is  satisfied  with  the  experiment  and  w'ith  the 
appearance  and  growth  of  the  vines.  Little  impor- 
tance is  attached  to  the  crop  which  has  been  pro- 
duced as  it  is  supposed  to  be  due  to  the  fact  that 
the  vines,  having  been  two  months  out  of  the  ground 
when  they  came  from  Australia,  matured  it  when  they 
were  planted  at  the  Agricultural  College.  The  vines 
have  been  pruned  down  after  the  continental  metho  d 
and  Mr.  Zanetti  is  hopeful  that  when  they  again 
shoot  up  there  will  be  indications  of  an  improved 
crop.  It  is  expected  that  there  will  be  another 
blossom  on  the  vines  before  the  end  of  the  year. 
The  lieavy  rains  recently  experienced,  it  is 
satisfactory  to  note,  have  done  little  damage  to  the 
plants,  as  a matter  of  fact  they  do  not  seem  to  have 
been  effected  in  any  way  special  precaution  being 
taken  in  the  matter  of  providing  for  tlie  water  run- 
ning away. 
SALE  OF  .VN  ESTATE. 
Mr.  T.  ( '.  Aiider.'ion  lias  sold  Kitulgalla  estate, 
Kdaiii  Valley,  to  Mr.  J.  R.  landesay  for  £1,750 
sterling  casli.  'J’be  j)i()]ieity  covers  172  acres — 
4U  acres  tea  in  full  bearing,  40  acres  heavy  forest 
ami  1)2  acres  chena. 
TIIF  GRE.\T  WESTERN  TEA  CO.MFANV 
OF  GEVLON,  LIMITED. 
'I'lie  half-yearly  general  meeting  of  the  Gom- 
paiiy  was  held  at  12-30  p.m.  on  Nov.  l.st, 
at  tlie  ollice  of  Me.ssrs.  ,1.  .M.  Robertson 
A:  ('o.  Mr.  J.  G.  Dunbar  jnesided,  and  the 
others  present  were: — Messrs.  .1.  )<'.  Headrick, 
D.  R.  Marshall,  R.  L.  M.  Rrowii,  Tlios.  Mackie, 
Geo.  \'.ander.spar,  Henry  Rois  and  W.  Moir 
(Secretary). 
Tlie  SeckkI'.akv  read  tlie  notice  convening 
the  meeting  and  the  minutes  of  the  last  general 
incoting  which  were  conlinned. 
1'lie  (’o.\ii!MA\  tlieii  said  tliat  the  meeting 
had  been  called  merely  for  tlie  juirpo.se  of  declar- 
ing an  o.d  iidciim  dividend.  The  Report  was 
.satisfactory  and  the  Directors  were  liighly 
pleased  at  the  state  of  things.  The  (|uantity 
of  crop  for  the  half-year  was  considerably  in  excess 
of  that  for  tlie  same  jieriod  during  tlie  jirevious 
season.  Having  gone  carefully  through  tlie  iiccounts, 
the  Directors  tlioiiglit  tliey  were  safe  in  recoin- 
inendiiig  an  rtd  interim  diiidend  of  8 |ier  cent, 
for  the  iialf-year. 
Mr.  D.  R.  iVI.AKSii.Mjj  thereupon  proposed 
and  Mr.  R.  L.  M.  Rliuwx  seconded  that  an 
(id  inierim  dividend  of  8 per  cent,  he  declared. 
— (^arried  nemi  con.. 
Mr.  Vandkksi'Ai;  iiiijuired  how  nmcli  the  oro|) 
for  the  half-year  wa.s. 
The  Ghai’kman  said  it  was  l8l).G4(l  Ih.— 
54,UUUlh.  in  excess  of  llie  i|iiantity  secured  dur- 
ing the  same  period  last  year. 
Mr.  \’.VNi)iCl!si'Ai;  tlioii  in([iiiied  if  tlie  lir.-'t 
or  second  half  of  the  year  was  usually  tiiehettet 
for  crop. 
Tlic  CiiAiliMAX  remarked  (liat  it  was  lI'C 
second  half  of  I lie  year. 
'I’lie  hiisino.ss  then  concluded  with  a vote  of 
thanks  to  the  Gliair. 
