746 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
continues,  which  is  until  the  reaction  of  the  stomach 
sets  in.  Words  cannot  describe  the  linal  effect  of  the 
tea  cigarette.  The  agony  of  the  opium  fiend  is  a sha- 
dow to  that  of  the  nauseated  victim  of  the  tea  cigarette. 
It  will  be  hours  before  food  can  be  looked  at,  yet  the 
first  step  towards  a cure  is  a cup  of  tea.  An  hour 
afterwards  conies  the  craving  for  the  cigarette.  A tea 
cigarette,  in  the  quantity  of  tea  used,  is  about  equal  to 
the  tea  for  two  cups  of  pretty  strong  green  tea,  and, 
being  inhaled  instead  of  taken  in  the  form  of  an  infu- 
sion, its  action  is  about  ten  times  as  great.  If  a tea 
smoker  gets  through  twenty  cigarettes  a day,  he  takes 
the  equivalent  of  about  forty  cups  of  tea  as  regards  the 
quantity  consumed,  or  of  200  cups  as  regards  tnc  effect. 
'This  shows  at  once  what  the  result  in  the  nervous 
system  will  be.  The  tea  cigarettes  are  on  sale 
in  New  York  at  several  first-class  stores  of 
cigar  dealers  who  have  a women’s  trade,  and  this 
has  come  about  simply  because  the  women  ask  for 
them. 
The  Coffee  Tb.vde  and  the  Chancellor  of  the 
Exchequer. — A large  attended  meeting  of  merchants, 
brokers,  and  dealers  interested  in  the  coffee  trade 
was  held  last  week  at  the  Loudon  Commercial  Sale 
liooms.  Mincing  Lane,  for  the  purpose  of  appointing 
a committee  to  forimilate  a system  for  the  better 
working  of  coffees  in  bond,  to  be  submitted  to  the 
Chanchellor  of  the  Exchequer.  Mr.  George  Rouse 
presided.  Mr.  R.  Wales  said  that  the  resolution  he 
wished  to  propose  was  as  follows  : “ That  a com- 
mittee of  import  and  export  merchants,  home-trade 
dealers,  and  brokers  be  formed,  with  the  object  of 
formulating  a system  for  the  better  working  of  cof- 
fees in  bond,  and  that  the  committee  do  report  to 
a general  meeting  of  the  trade  the  result  of  their  de- 
liberations, prior  to  placing  it  in  the  hands  of  the 
Chancellor  of  the  Exchequer  for  his  consideration. 
He  said  ho  would  like  to  remind  the  meeting  that 
the  movement  was  not  a new  one,  but  had  arisen  out 
of  the  conference  which  the  trade  recently  had  with 
Mr.  Goschen — which  conference  took  place  with  the 
sanction  of  that  room.  They  were  aware  that,  on 
that  occasion,  they  did  not  succeed  in  getting  the 
Chancellor  to  abolish  the  duty,  but  he  gave  them  an 
intimation  that  if  they  would  _put  before  him  any 
plan  or  scheme  by  which  difficulties  in  the  pre- 
sent bonded  system  could  be  removed — difficul- 
ties that  prevented  the  expansion  of  the  export 
trade,  he  would  be  very  glad  to  receive  and 
consider  it.  The  object,  therefore,  in  appoint- 
ing the  committee  was  to  lay  before  the  Chancellor 
some  definite  plan  for  improving  the  bonded  ware- 
house system,  and  which  he  was  quite  prepared  to 
listen  to.  He  did  not  think  there  would  be  any 
difficulty  in  appointing  the  committee,  for  it  was 
thought  very  desirable  that  any  plan  which  they 
might  devise  should  have  the  entire  approval  of  the 
trade,  so  that  they  would  be  able  to  toil  the 
Chancellor  that  the  scheme  embodied  the  opinion  not 
of  a few  individuals,  but  that  it  was  the  opinion  of 
the  whole  trade.  With  that  object  in  view  they  pro- 
posed that  the  committee,  if  appointed,  should  do 
nothing  without  it  was  first  submitted  to  a general 
meeting  of  the  room.  It  was  an  eminently  safe 
course  to  propose  the  formation  of  a committee,  and 
if  that  were  agreed  to  he  would  then  submit  the 
names  of  the  gentlemen  who  they  thought  should 
constitute  the  committee.  Mr.  Asscr  seconded  the 
motion,  which  was  carried  nem  con.  A committee 
consisting  of  the  following  gentlemen  was  then 
formed : Mr.  Oschwartz  (Messrs.  F.  Huth  and  Co.), 
Mr.  Julius  Ehmann  (Messrs.  Edward  Schluter  and 
Co  ) Mr.  J.  Davies  (Messrs.  Peek  Brothers  and  Winch), 
Mr!^’Landsberg  (Messrs.  Landsberg  and  Co.),  Mr.  R. 
Wales  (Messrs.  Moffat  and  Co.),  Mr.  E.  A.  Rucker 
(Messrs.  Rucker  and  Bencraft),  Mr.  George  Rouse 
(Messrs.  R.  J-  Rouse  and  Co.),  and  Mr.  J.  C.  Sander- 
son (Messrs.  Sanderson  and  Co.). 
Jute  Sfinnino  i.n  Germanv.— The  movement  for 
extensions  of  jute  spinning  a,nd  weaving  in  Ger- 
many seems  to  be  spreading,  in  spite  of  the  warn- 
ings of  the  recently  dissolved  association  of  manu- 
facturers. It  is  stated  that  the  directors  of  the 
North  German  Jute  Spining  and  Weaving  Company, 
of  Hamburg,  hayp  decided  to  add  1,000  fine  spindles 
[Mav  I,  J896, 
and  188  looms  to  the  machinery  of  the  mills  in 
Schiffbek  and  Ostritz,  and  to  erect  2,000  fine  spin- 
dles and  52  looms  in  the  mill  of  the  affiliated 
Alsacian  Jute  Spinning  and  Weaving  Company  at 
Bischweiler,  so  that,  to  the  three  mills,  there  will 
be  an  addition  of  6,000  spindles  and  240  looms. 
Following  the  example  of  the  Hamburg  Company, 
the  Bremer  Jute  Spinning  and  Weaving  Company 
of  Ilemlingen  is  about  to  add  1,.500  spindles  and 
110  looms  to  its  existing  plant  ; and  the  Bremen 
Jute  Spinning  and  Weaving  Company  has  decided 
to  add  6,000  spindles  and  330  looms  to  its  pro- 
ducing power. 
Air  Plants. — At  a meeting  of  the  Royal  Botanic 
Society  held  on  Saturday,  Mr.  John  Birkett  in  the 
chair,  the  Secretary,  Mr.  J.  Bryant  Sowerby,  called 
attention  to  a number  of  species  of  the  so-called 
’*  air  plants  ’’ — tillandsias  — exhibited  from  the 
society's  collection.  In  the  forest  of  the  West  Indies 
and  tropical  America  these  plants  are  found  growing 
upon  the  branches  or  trunks  of  trees  high  above 
the  ground,  and  as  they  are  easily  moved,  and, 
moreover,  very  ornamental  when  in  flower,  the 
natives  pull  them  down  and  attach  them  to  wires 
from  their  verandahs,  where  they  live  for  months 
without  attention.— 7/o))ie  and  Colonial  Mail,  March  20. 
THE  NAHALMA  TEA  ESTATE  COMFANl 
LIMITED. 
Board  of  directors  ; Arthur  Marshall,  Esq.,  Chair- 
man William  Forsythe,  Esq.  (in  Ceylon),  and  John 
Abeniethy,  Esq.  Office:  20,  Victoria  Sfreet,  West- 
minster, S.  W. 
The  following  is  from  the  report  of  the  directors 
to  be  presented  to  the  shareholders  at  the  second 
annual  ordinaiy  general  meeting  to  be  held  on 
Thursday  next. 
The  directors  have  the  pleasure  to  submit  the 
general  balance-sheet  and  profit  and  loss  account 
for  the  twelve  months  ending  December  31st,  1895, 
duly  audited.  The  net  amount  at  credit  of  profit 
and  loss  account  at  December  31st,  1893,  after  provid- 
ing for  general  expenses,  directors’  and  auditors’ 
fees,  interest  on  debentures,  &c.,  £2,013  Os  6J  An 
interim  dividend  of  3 per  cent,  on  the  ordinary  shares 
wus  paid  October  3rd,  1895,  amounting  to  £420. 
It  is  now  proposed  to  pay  a final  dividend 
on  the  ordinary  shares  at  the  rate  of  5 per  cent 
(making  a distribution  for  the  year  of  8 per  cent 
per  annum  free  of  income  tax),  which  will  absorb 
£700  ; it  is  proposed  to  place  to  credit  of  Debenture 
Redemption  Fund,  bringing  it  up  to  £1,267  16s  2d, 
£625;  it  is  proposed  to  write  off  the  amount  ex- 
pended during  the  year  1895  upon  new  turbine,  £168 
3s  3d ; leaving  to  be  carried  forward  to  next  year, 
subject  to  payment  of  income  tax  on  profits,  a bal- 
ance of  £129  17s  3d. 
The  directors  recommend  the  distribution  of  a 
final  dividend  at  the  rate  of  5 per  cent  on  the 
ordinary  shares  of  the  company,  payable  on 
April  30,  1896,  making,  with  the  interim  dividend 
paid  October  3,  1895,  a distribution  at  the  rate 
of  8 per  cent  per  annum  for  the  year  ending 
December  31,  1895,  such  dividend  to  be  paid  to  those 
shareholders  whose  names  appear  on  the  share  register 
on  March  26,  1896  after  which  date  such  shares  will 
be  transferable  ex  sucb  said  dividend.  'The  acreage  of 
the  company’s  properties  on  December  31  last  was  ; 
Tea  in  full  bearing,  446  ; jungle,  246  ; total,  692  acres! 
The  superintendent  reports  the  estate  in  good  order, 
that  the  erection  of  the  turbine  and  reservoir  is 
now  nearing  completion,  that  he  is  more  than  ever 
satisfied  that  it  will  prove  economical,  and  that 
Messrs.  Walker  and  Co.  have  given  substantial  work. 
The  crop  for  1895  was  235,9741b,  as  against  aii 
estimate  of  220,0tX)  lb.  With  a favourable  season  the 
crop  for  1896  is  estimated  at  240,000  lb.  Mr  Arthur 
Marshall,  the  director  retiring  by  rotation,  being 
eligible,  offers  himself  for  re-election.  Messrs.  Fox, 
Sissons  and  Co.  auditors  to  the  company,  offer  them! 
selves  for  re-election.— 77.  and  C.  Mail,  March  20. 
