May  I,  1896.J 
TFIE  TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
“ Tliis  year’s  clc.aving  is  likely  to  bo  as  good  as  its 
predecessors,  and  when  it  is  planted  up,  which 
it  will  be  in  the  course  of  a few  months,  there  will  be 
about  400  acres  of  tea  planted  with  line  juts  (to  give 
leaf  in  due  course),  exclusive  of  ‘200  acres  cocoa, 
planted  since  the  formation  of  the  company. 
0 Last  year’s  clearing  is  progressing  very  favourably, 
and  to  all  appearance  very  little  supplying  will  be 
required.” 
He  was  very  pleased  to  report  a considerable 
increase  of  crop  to  March  7th  this  year.  To  that 
date  the  crop  secured  is  nil, 5501b,  being  25,4211b 
ahead  of  last  season  to  same  date.  This  year’s 
crop  to  March  7 was  equal  to  that  of  last  year  up 
to  May  4,  and  nearly  double  that  secured  to  March 
7,  1895. 
They  had,  as  the  shareholders  knew,  exhausted 
all  their  available  capital,  and  to  provide  for  tho 
additions  to  the  factory,  which  is  being  practically 
rebuilt,  and  the  further  development  of  the  estate 
they  proposed  shortly  to  issue  fresh  capital.  They 
had  not  yet  decided  on  the  amount  nor  the  manner 
in  which  it  would  be  issued,  but  probably  it  would 
be  as  before — viz.,  half  in  shares  and  half  in  de- 
bentures. 
'The  Chairman  then  proposed  “ th.xt  the  reports 
and  accounts  as  presented  to  the  shareholders  be 
received  and  adopted.” 
In  seconding  this  resolution  Mr.  C.  J.  Scott  said 
the  crop  was  no  doubt  disappointing,  but  in  addi- 
tion to  the  causes  mentioned,  he  thought  the  large 
decrease  was  partly  owing  to  tho  large  acreage  pruned 
last  season,  but  no  doubt  there  would  be  a large  in- 
crease this  year,  and  the  new  clearings  promised 
excellently. 
A few  questions  having  boon  asked,  the  resolution 
was  put  to  tile  meeting  and  carried  unanimously. 
Mr.  G.  W.  Paine  proposed,  seconded  by  Mr.  C.  -J. 
Scott,  ” that  a final  dividend  of  3.j  per  cent,  free  of 
income  tax,  be  declared  payable,  forthwith,  making  in 
a'l  6 per  cent  for  the  year.”  Carried  unanimously. 
Ou  the  motion  of  Mr.  C.  •!.  Scott,  seconded  by 
Mr.  Andrew,  Mr.  G.  W.  Paine  was  re-elected  a 
director  of  the  Company. 
Mr.  L.  P.  Davies  proposed,  Mr.  John  Vicary 
seconded,  and  it  was  carried  unanimously',  that 
Mr.  .John  Dalgleish,  C A.  be  re-elected  auditor  for 
the  ensuing  year. 
Mr.  C.  J.  Scott  moved  a vote  of  thanks  to  the 
Ceylon  and  London  staffs  for  their  efficient  working 
of  the  eompany’s  property  and  business,  and  spoke 
in  highly  commendatory  terms  of  both.  Mr.  An- 
drew seconded  the  motion,  and  the  Chairman  said 
he  fully  endorsed  what  had  been  said  wdth  regard 
to  the  staffs.  Carried  unanimously. 
A vote  of  thanks  was  also  passed  to  the  chairman 
and  directors. 
Mr.  Paiue  replied  to  the  compliment,  and  the  pro- 
ceedings then  terminated.—  //  cG  Mail,  April  3. 
SUNNYGAMA  (CEYLON)  TEA  ESTATES 
COMPANY,  LIMITED. 
Capital  .4:70,000  divided  into  2,000  preference  shares, 
5,000.  ordinary  shares  of  4T0  eacli,  of  which  500  pre- 
ference shai-es  and  5,000  oniinary  shares  have  boon 
issued.  Directors:  Messrs.  .Tames  Pricliton  Kiumond 
(chairman),  William  For.sythe,  llobert  Lyall,  and  ii. 
D.  Magor.  Secretaries,  Me.asr.-.  George  Williamson 
A'  Co  , i:lS,  Leadenhall  Street,  Lou.lon,  E.C. 
The  following  is  from  report  submitted  to  the 
sh  iroholders  at  the  third  ordinary  general  meeliug  held 
at  the  Company’s  offices  yesterday  ('Thursday.) 
— This  shows  a substajitial  increase  over  last 
season— viz. : Suunycroft,  sold  m London,  1894, 
284,5501b;  averuge  price,  02 d ; 1895,  .342,5881b ; average 
price,  ()4d.  Sold  in  Ceylon,  1891.  48,:?491b ; 1895, 
37,7401b.  Pambagama — Sold  in  London,  1894,  20O,115lb; 
average  price,  O^d.  1895, 274,9591b;  average  price  (5 11-lGd 
Sold  in  Ceylon,  18!)4,  25,525ib  ; 1895,  17,91',)rn.  Total 
18'.)1,  558,5:391b;  average  price,  02d.  1895,(575,20116; 
average  price,  0 11-1(5;  while  the  average  price  ob- 
tained also  shows  improvement.  Il-eports  from  the 
managers  arc  very  satisfactory  in  regard  to  the  ira- 
proved  condition  of  the  old  garden.s  through  careful 
troatmeut  and  pruning,  wliilo  tlie  large  area  of  young 
plant  is  most  promising,  and  should  add  very  largely 
to  the  outturn  of  the  estates  during  the  current  and 
succeeding  years  as  it  comes  into  full  bearing. 
The  accounts  show  a profit  of  .f5,578  3s  2d  which 
it  is  recommended  to  apply  a.s  follows : luterim 
div.  duiid  paid  in  September,  1895,  at  4 per  cent., 
.4'2,000  ; final  dividend  now  recommended  at  8 per  cent 
T'3,000  ; dividend  on  preference  sliai  os  for  half-year  at 
6^  per  cent  per  annum,  £150  ; leaving  a balance  of 
iii‘28  3s  2d  tc  carryforward,  which  mikes  the  amount 
at  credit  of  revetuie  account,  after  debiting  a proiioi*. 
tion  of  preliminary  e.xpenaes,  T358  18  oH.—ll.  and  (J. 
Mail,  April  3, 
TEA  IN  AMERICA. 
New  York,  March  25. 
This  market  continues  in  the  same  unsatisfactory 
condition  it  has  been  in  for  mouths.  Demand  is 
conservative,  and  the  gener  ■!  tendency  of  tho  market 
is  in  favor  of  buyers  except  on  fine' Formosas  and 
low  grade  Jap  UK.  Greens  rule  steady. 
Last  week  the  Montgomery  Auction  and  Cominis 
.sion  Company  sold  8,310  packiges  teas  as  follows! 
Moyune— 98  Hyson,  51  to  7c;  729  Young  Hyson,  7 t’ 
22ic;  441  Imperial.  9 to  14ic  ; 510  Gunpowder  9J  t 
24ic.  Ping  Suey— 99  Young  Hyson,  8§c  ; 1 .406  Gun° 
powder.  Of  to  14c;  Japan— 33,3  Pan  Fired,  9 to  20c* 
1,581  Congou,  7i  to  20Ic  ; 218  India  and  Orange  Pekoe; 
12i  to  20ic.  Oolong— 019  Foochow’,  7J  to  91c  ; 2,532, 
Formosa,  12i  to  40c. 
Today  at  noon  the  Montgomery  Auction  and  Com- 
mission Company  will  sell  5,085  packages,  viz  : 1,423 
half-chests  Moyiuie,  including  desirable  chops;  590 
boxes  Pingsuey ; to  half-chests  Japan,  180  half-chest 
.Japan,  basket-fired;  1,190  half-chests  and  boxes 
Congou,  including  all  grades;  109  packages  India, 
Java,  and  Ceylon  Pekoe;  2,122  half-chests  and  boxes 
Formosa,  new  season’s. — A)nerican  Oroccr. 
-e-  
AGRICLLTURE  IN  TRINIDAD. 
Mr.  C.  AV.  Meailen,  Manager  of  the  Govern- 
ment Farm,  Trinidad,  writ().s  nnder  date  19tli 
March  : — 
I beg  to  eiKdo.se  my  annual  report  for  la.st 
year,  i get  your  valuable  inagazine  and  frequently 
liiid  most  useful  liint.s  in  it,  in  my  particular 
line.  You  will  observe  that  we  are  particularly 
fortunate  in  the  health  of  our  animals,  and  ob- 
tain good  prices  for  tliein  generally. 
The  farm  land  is  in  natural  gra.ss  which  is  in 
excellent  _ heart  owing  to  tlie  amount  of  o-ood 
manure  it  receive.s  from  tlie  artiiicial  feedin*' 
the  stoclv  get.  \Ve  have  ‘250  acres  under  pa.sture 
suli-divided  into  convenient  sized  lields. 
We  have  one  or  two  Ceylon  people  here  who 
are  not  favourably  impressed  with  Trinidad  in 
coniliari.soii  with  the  “Fragrant  Lsle  of  Spices.” 
We  do  not  seem  to  have  the  energy  here  that 
obtains  in  Ceylon  and  whicli  has  been  able  to 
carry  your  Colony  so  surprisingly  to  tlie  front 
witli  ten.  lioinng  tiio  good  .success  will  continue. 
PERAK  NEWS. 
^ From  the  Kuala  Kangsar  .Monthly  Report  for 
leiiruary  in  tlie  Perak  lloceritme'iti  (UrcrJtv-  we 
quote  tlie  following: — 
Mr.  R.  L,  Rankin  put  an  application  for  500 
acres  for  coliee  planting.  Mr.  F.uTest,  who  worked  for 
many  years  under  Sir  Graeme  Elphinstone  in  Ceylon 
has  been  requested  to  select  the  land  and  will  prob! 
ably  obtain  the  manngemeut  of  the  estate,  the  whole 
of  which  It  IS  proposed  to  open  np  in  the  next  three 
years. 
Ill  theBatang  P.idang  Monthly  Report  for  Febriiu  v 
it  is  stated :—  -i  o 
