jAA\  r,  i8g6.] 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURiST. 
461 
Messrs.  Harvey  Bros,  on  the  same  subject.  Tiie 
computation  “ tliat  20  bands  will  be  sullicient  to 
wor/i:  a cac.ao  plantation  of  300  acres  in  full 
bearing;,  including  picking  and  curing  crop  ” 
written  by  Mr.  Mor)‘is,  certainly  beats  our  ex- 
perience. The  bands  must  be  either  of  very 
ditterent  activity,  energy  and  skill  from  those 
of  the  Tamil  laboui’er  ; or  the  mode  of  upkeep 
aud  cultivation  must  be  materially  dilVereut. 
It  would  be  instructive  to  know  more  about  this. 
Perhaps  the  weeding  in  Dominica  is  like  the 
weeding  of  native  coconut  plantations  in  Cejdon 
and  a saving  is  effected  in  that  way. 
The  average  yield  also  of  from  80  to  100  pods 
per  tree  is  a crop  that  we  may  well  be  satisfied 
with — if  with  such  little  cultivation  such  a crop 
can  be  got — and  there  can  be  no  great  reason 
for  clean  weeding  if  the  saving  is  in  the  weeding. 
Your  correspondent  may  I dare  say  be  willing 
to  obtain  for  us  this  information  from  the  West 
Indie.s.  Or  Mr.  Templer  may  most  likely  be  glad 
to  show  us  Ceylon  men  more  economical  modes 
of  cultivation. — Yours  truly, 
JAS.  H.  BARBER. 
VARIOUS  PLANTING  NOTES. 
Phoposeb  Fokmation  of  a Company  in  Colombo 
TO  PuHCHASF,  Coconut  Estates. — We  learn  that  a 
Company  is  in  course  of  formation  amongst  some 
Europeans  in  Ceylon  to  purchase  a group  of  co- 
conut estates  in  various  districts,  and  that  a well- 
known  broker  is'  negotiating  the  sale  on  behalf  of 
the  owners  of  the  properties.  We  stated  a few  days 
ago  that  a Syndicate  was  being  formed  in  England 
with  a large  capital  to  purchase  coconut  estates  in 
Ceylon.  The  properties  were  appraised,  but  nego- 
tiations have  been  going  on  for  the  last  four 
months  or  so  without  any  practical  result,  and  the 
matter  is  still  pending.  In  the  meantime,  we  un- 
derstand that  one  or  two  Colombo  firms,  in  con- 
junction with  up-country  planters,  have  resolved 
to  start  a Company  and  buy  up  the  same  proper- 
ties. The  capital  to  be  I’aised  is,  we  understand,  a 
very  large  one,  but,  as  the  properties  are  expected 
to  yield  very  remunerative  returns,  it  is  expected 
that  the  shares  will  all  be  taken  up  readily. 
Advkrtising  Ckvlon  Tea  in  Can.vda.— We 
have  to  acknowledge  receipt  from  Mr.  A. 
Melville  White  of  a co]iy  of  the  ('anndifui  Grocer, 
a journal  which,  in  point  of  excellence  in  arti.stic 
advertising,  W'ould  be  hard  to  beat.  In  its 
columns  a large  mea.sure  ot  space  is  de\'otc<l  to 
advertising  Ceylon  tea,  and  we  are  sure  no  better 
medium  could  have  been  selected  for  bringing  it 
under  the  notice  of  the  trade.  The  advertise- 
ments themselves  are  smart,  and  cleverly  got 
up.  An  article  in  the  pajier  deals  wdth  the 
“Buying,  Handling  and  Selling  of  Teas”  by 
Mr.  VV.  J.  Eorinan,  Ingrersoll  ; and  in  it  much 
valuable  information  is  given  to  retailers  as 
regards  sampling,  blending,  advertising,  A'c.  And 
then  again  the  Canadian  Grocer  gii  es  prominence 
to  “ W.  iM’K’s”  article,  “The  Maiwellous 
Vicissitudes  of  an  Island  ” which  has  apiiearcd 
in  our  columns.  Mr.  White  also  semis  us  a 
number  of  cuttings  from  American  and  Canadian 
papers  (Mintaining'  advert  isemenis,  jiaragraplis 
and  .articles  reg.iriling;  our  sta.ple  jimdncl.  It  is 
<.f  interest  to  note  fr.mi  these  that  the  Salva- 
tion Army  have  vigorously  taken-  up  the  work 
of  pushing  Endian  .ind  Ceylon  tea.  I'hey  have 
issued  handbills  in  their  own  characteristic 
style  narrating  the  advantages  of  the  article 
and  assuring  customers  that  “ every  cent  of 
profit  is  devoted  to  e.xtending  the  sjuritual 
work  of  the  army.”  A good  stroke  of  business 
which  Messrs.  M’Kenzie  and  Blochynden  have 
accoiuplifclitjU  Jias  been  to  secure  the  right  of 
advertising  on  the  margin  of  the  Salvation 
Army’s  note  paper.  In  this  connection  it  is 
stated  by  Mr.  M’Kenzie  that  the  Salvation 
Army’s  is  the  third  largest  mail  that  comes  into 
New  York.  This  should  be  a valuable  adjunct 
to  the  work  of  advertising.  From  the  papers 
which  Mr.  W'hite  has  been  good  enough  to 
send  us  we  are  pleased  to  observe  that  the 
campaign  is  being  carried  on  vigorously. 
The  Glencoe  Estates  Company,  Limited. — This 
Company,  with  a nominal  capital  of  Rit00,000,  has 
been  formed  to  take  over  Mr.  .John  Clark’s  pro- 
perties, Glencoe  estate  in  Maskeliya,  and  Woodland 
estate  in  Lower  Dikoya.  Glencoe  is  well-known,  and 
consists  of  202  acres,  of  which  200  acres  are  in  tea 
in  full  bearing;  and  Woodlands  is  also  a good  pro- 
perty, consisting  of  110  acres  of  tea  and  10  acres  of 
tea  and  cinchona.  The  estates  were  valued  at 
11220,000  and  a purchase  price  has  been  fixed  at 
R180,000,  half  of  this  being  taken  in  shares,  and  half 
in  cash,  Mr.  Clark  continuing  in  charge.  The  Com- 
pany is  practically  a private  one,  and  the  capital  now 
to  be  issued,  viz.,  11180,000,  in  RlOO  shares,  has  been 
subscribed,  although  applications  are  still  coming  in. 
The  estimated  return  on  the  capital  is  14  per  cent. 
The  first  directors  are  Messrs.  G F Traill,  F R 
Williams  (of  Minna  estate,  Maskeliya),  and  E Booth, 
Mr.  Clark  joining  the  board  after  allotment.  The 
agents  and  secretaries  are  Messrs.  Bosanquet  & Co.  — 
Local  Times. 
Papku  Mills  in  India  P’lom  a Blue  Book 
recently  issued  we  take  the  following  : — 
There  are  nine  paper  mills — four  in  the  Bom- 
bay Presidency,  three  in  Bengal,  one  at  Luck- 
now, and  one  at  Gwalior.  Another  is  under 
construction  in  Bengal.  Of  the  nine,  three  afe 
private  concerns  in  the  Bombay  presidency,  one 
of  which  has  not  been  at  work  for  many  years.  The 
others  have  an  aggregate  nominal  capital  of 
Rx.  492,200.  The  fibrous  materials  used  for  making 
paper  are  chiefly  rags,  babui  and  moonj  grasses, 
straw,  jute  and  hemp  cuttings,  and  old  jute  bags 
and  cloth.  The  quality  of  the  papers  made  has  much 
improved  in  recent  years,  and  they  have  a large  and 
increasing  sale.  Most  of  the  white  aud  blue  foolscap 
and  much  of  the  blotting  paper,  note  paper,  and  en- 
velopes, used  in  the  Government  omces,  is  now 
obtained  from  the  Indian  mills.  The  total  quantity 
of  paper  made  in  1893  was  about  29 J million  lb.  The 
number  of  persons  employed  is  ,3,1.'>7.  There  are 
a number  of  small  xiaper  works,  for  the  manufacture 
of  what  is  known  as  country  paper,  scattered  through 
most  provinces,  but  of  these  petty  industries  no  sta- 
tistical information  is  available. 
“A  Strong  Market  for  Coconut  Oil”— is 
the  subject  of  an  article  in  the  Oil  Paint  and 
Drug  Reporter  dealing  wdth  the  completion  of  a 
tran.saction  in  New'  York  involving  the  sale 
of  500  tons  of  Ceylon  oil  which  had  formed  the  un- 
sold portion  of  the  stock  of  a local  dealer  wdio  had 
made  an  assignment  some  months  previously. 
It  is  explained  that  though  the  oil  had  not 
actually  been  retired  as  a comjieting  factor  in 
the  market,  it  had  passed  into  very  strong 
hands  and  it  w'as  conceded  that  there  was  no 
lU'obability  of  any  of  it  finding  its  way 
into  c.onsumptiie  or  other  channels  ex- 
cept at  full  and  inllexible  price.s.  The  ett’ect 
of  (be  announcement  of  this  deal  was  to 
iminedialidy  cause  an  adv.am^e  on  both  varie- 
lic.s  of  oil,  and  the  feeling  of  confidence  which 
has  thus  been  inspireil  is  intensfied  by  the 
knowdeilge  that  the  supplies  yet  to  be  forwarded 
this  year  from  the  primary  markets  are  compara- 
tively light.  Of  Ceylon  oil  the  next  shipment  is 
550  tons  expected  in  New'  York  in  the  beginning 
of  neceinber.  It  is  stated  that  the  demand  for 
coconut  oil  is  slowdy  improving  despite  the  fact 
that  very  many  of  the  lieaviest  cousuiuers  ar§ 
carrying  rather  fwU  supplies. 
