May  I,  1896.) 
THE  TROPICAI. 
AGRICULTURIST. 
783 
equal.  ^Ve  say  ‘ pure  tea.s  or  none  ’ ”. 
Another  has  a reproduction  of  the  well-known 
picture  of  a Ceylon  maiden  picking  tea. 
In  another  paper  there  is  also  an  article  of 
which  it  is  only  necessary  for  us  to  quote  the 
headings  : — “ Big  nations  drink  tea  ; It’s  the 
fivonrite  beverage  of  the  bravest  peojdes  ; new 
sources  of  supply  ; Ceylon  and  India  now  take 
precedence  of  China  and  Ja|)an  as  producers.” 
From  another  source  we  have  copies  of  Cana- 
dian papers  containing  attractive  advertisements 
of  “ Salada  ” tea. 
♦— 
of  .3,298  acres,  with  ],470  acres  of  tea  con- 
sidered in  full  bearing,  viz.  : In  Uda  Pus- 
sellawa  St  Leonards,  725J  acres,  238  acres  tea 
bearing  ; Liddesdale  814  acres,  140  acres  tea 
bearing  ; Eikdale,  238  acres,  210  acres  tea  bearing  ; 
Gordoig  365  acres,  74  acres  tea  bearing  ; Tulloes  450 
acres  ho  acres  tea  bearing:  in  Upper  Maskeliya — 
uouravilla  and  Upper  Cruden,  706  acres,  633  acres,  tea 
bearing.  Inere  are  also  127  acres  tea  in  partial  bear- 
ing, and  some  621  acres  in  addition  planted  with 
tea.  On  St.  Leonards,  Gordon,  and  Tulloes  estates 
there  is  still  a certain  amount  of  coffee  interspersed 
through  the  tea.  Mr.  Alexander  Brooke,  the  director 
who  retires  by  rotation,  being  eligible  offers  him- 
self for  re-election. 
THE  AGKICULTURAL  MAGAZINE. 
The  April  number  of  this  periodical  contains  a 
number  of  interesting  .articles,  as  will  be  seen  from 
the  following  table  of  contents  : — Season  notes;  The 
Nitrogen  Question  again;  Occasional  Notes;  Rainfall  at 
the  School  of  Agriculture  during  tho  month  of  March; 
The  Peaty  Deposits  in  tho  Kuruuogala  Tank;  Tho 
management  of  Dairy  Cattle;  Paddy  Pests;  Tho  Pre- 
serving of  Fruit;  Soil  Analysis;  Ilousehold  Hints; 
The  Nutritive  Process  in  Plants;  Rhea  Fibre;  Cor- 
respondence; and  General  Items. 
The  nitrogen  question  is  one  that  affects  the  in- 
terests of  ail  cultivators  of  laud,  and  the  reference 
to  the  influence  of  the  “sensitive  plant”  on 
coconut  soils  indicates  that  there  is  a good  deal  yet 
to  be  learnt  about  the  utilization  of  ou''  so-called 
“ weeds  ” for  useful  ends — viz.,  as  an  economic  source 
of  nitrogen  for  our  cultivated  crops.  We  hope  to  refer 
to  this  subject  at  greater  length.  Mr.  Modder’s 
paper  on  the  Peaty  Deposits  in  the  Kurunegala 
Tank  is  also  a valuable  contribution  from  a careful 
observer. 
THE  .STANDARD  TEA  COMPANY  OF 
CEYLON,  LIMITED. 
Offices  : 25,  Fenchurch  Street,  London,  E.  C., 
Directors  : Messrs.  Alex.  Brooke  (chairman),  Robert 
Kay-Shuttleworth,  Norman  W.  Grieve,  and  William 
Rollo.  Secretary  : A.  Trafford  Brooke. 
The  following  is  from  the  report  of  the  directors 
to  the  shareholders,  to  be  substituted  to  the 
general  - meeting  to  be  held  on  Tuesday,  the  21st 
April ; — 
The  profit  and  loss  account  show  a profit  on 
the  working  of  the  estates  in  Ceylon  of  £13,748 
9s  2d,  which,  with  amount  brought  forward  from 
last  year,  less  interest  and  home  charges,  shows  a 
sum  of  £13,109  7s  4d  available  for  division.  In 
July,  1895,  the  directors,  under  the  powers  en- 
trusted to  them,  distributed  an  interim  dividend 
for  the  six  months  ending  June  30th  1895,  of  5 per- 
cent (10  per  cent  per  annum),  absorbing  £2,800. 
They  now  recommend  a dividend  at  the  rate  of 
10  per  cent  (making  15  per  cent  for  the  year), 
absorbing  £5,600,  the  placing  £1,500  again.st 
depreciation  of  machinery,  £2,500  to  reserve,  and 
the  carrying  forward  to  the  next  year  £709  7s  4d. 
The  favourable  results  again  have  been  aided  by 
coffee  at  high  prices  and  by  a good  exchange. 
The  coffee  produced  in  1895  was  about  680  cwt, 
which  realised  above  £2,900. 
The  average  exchange  for  the  Company  as 
drawers  in  Colombo  was  Is  lid,  against  1s  1 13-32d 
in  1894,  and  against  an  average  of  Is  3 7-323  in  1893. 
The  rate  was  Is  5 1-81  in  1891,  when  the  Company 
began  operations.  The  tea  from  the  Company’s  Uda 
Pusellawa  properties  sold  during  1895  averaged,  in 
Mincing  Lane,  a higher  price  than  any  Ceylon  estate 
or  group  of  estates  producing  above  200,0001b.  During 
the  two  previous  years  these  teas  held  the  same 
distinguished  position  in  the  market.  For  this  much 
credit  is  due  to  the  manager  at  St.  Leonards.  The 
directors  have  to  report,  w.th  deep  re.rret,  the  death 
in  July  last  of  their  e-.teeined  colloaguo,  Mr.  Peter 
Moir.  To  succeed  him  Mr.  William  Rollo  was 
anp  minted  in  accordance  with  the  articles  of  as- 
sociation. The  Company’s  properties  are  now 
THE  FANAW'AL  TEA  CO.VIRANY, 
LIMITED. 
ANNUAT.  lilCPOUT. 
The  Directors  have  the  pleasure  to  submit  the 
general  balance  sheet  and  profit  and  loss  account  for 
the  year  ending  December  3lst,  1895,  duly  audited— 
680  0 0 
£ a d. 
The  net  amount  at  credit  of 
Profit  and  Loss  Account,  in- 
cluding balance  brought  for- 
ward at  3lst  December  1894, 
after  providing  for  general  ex- 
penses, Directors’  and  Audi- 
tors’ Pees 
An  interim  Dividend  of  4 
per  cent  on  the  ordinary  shares 
for  the  half-year  ending  30th 
June,  was  paid  21st  September 
1895  amounting  to 
It  is  proposed  to  pay  a final 
Dividend  on  the  ordinary 
shares  from  1st  July  to  31st 
December  1895,  at  the  rate  of 
6 per  cent  (making  a distribu- 
tion for  the  year  of  10  per  cent 
free  of  Income  Tax),  which  will 
absorb  , . , . i,020 
Dividends  on  the  7 per  cent 
Cumulative  Preference  Shares 
were  paid  for  1895  in  full, 
amounting  to  . . 
It  is  proposed  to  write  off 
part  of  the  cost  of  New  Ex- 
tensions, Machinery,  Ac,  com- 
pleted during  the  year 
Leaving  to  be  carried  for- 
ward to  next  year  a balance  of  123  12  10 
f s.  d. 
2,991  3 8 
0 0 
371  0 0 
796  10  1C 
£2,991  3 8 £2,991  3 8 
Directors  recommend  the  distribution  of  a 
dividend  at  the  rate  of  six  per  cent  on  the  ordinary 
^ares  of  Rie  Company  from  1st  July  to  31st 
December  189o,  niaking,  with  the  interim  dividend 
paid  to  the  30th  June  1835,  a distribution  at  the  rate 
ot^  ten  per  cent  for  the  year. 
The  acreage  of  the  Company’s  properties  on  31st 
December  last  was  i t- 
Tea  in  full  bearing 
Tea  in  partial  bearing  . . 
Tea  under  two  years  old . . 
Tea  under  one  year  old  . . 
Jungle 
Acres. 
443 
67 
67A 
lOOi 
37di 
1,0574 
visited  the  estates  01  the 
14.h,  J^hh,  anl  lot  i January  1396,  and  reports  them 
in  good  order.  ^ 
With  a favourable  season,  the  crop  for  1898  is  esti- 
mated at  290,000  lb.  ^ 
O.ying  to  the  considerable  increase  of  acreage  in 
bearing  a,nd  the  prospective  early  large  increase,  the 
wnnm  on  Ernan  and  Glassel  estates 
would  pot  be  adequate  for  the  work  which  would 
