June  i,  i8g6.j 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
8:7 
stop  or  restrict  the  imports  into  the  British  Empire 
of  China  teas  in  which  case  it  would  not  have  the 
revenue  result  desired;  or  it  would  raise  the  price 
to  consumers  of  China  tea  and  enable  Indian  pro- 
ducers to  obtain  a pro  rata  advantage  without  con- 
tributing to  the  Imperial  funds.” 
Tlie  writer  of  the  .above  doe.?  not  seem  to  know 
liow  small  a jiart  of  the  imperial  tea  revenue  is 
now  contributed  by  China  and  tliat  if  the  duty 
were  to  be  abolished  on  Indi.an  and  Ceylon  teas, 
with  a simultaneous  relaxation  of  tbe  Indian 
and  Colonial  tarill's,  the  case  of  Cliina  could 
scarcely  weigh  one  way  or  the  other.  Of  course, 
tbe  absurd  Ceylon  tax  on  Indian  teas  coming 
to  Colombo  would  then  be  abolished,  while  it 
would  stand  good  against  any  foreign  teas  like 
China  or  .Japan 
A stupid  mistake  was  made  in  one  of  my 
letters  in  speaking  of  tlie  latest 
UIMHUI-A  TKA  COMPANY 
as  “The  New  Dinibula  Co.,  Ld.”  Of  course, 
in  a sense,  the  Bearwell,  Lippakelle  A'c.,  Co.“  is 
tlie  “new”  Company;  but  the  title  is  borne  by 
the  very  leading  and  prosperous  Company  which 
includes  the  magnilicent  Diyagama  jiroperty 
under  the  very  capable  management  of  Mr.  .1.  A. 
Dick-Lauder  and  which  has  for  its  leading  spirit 
at  this  end  an  old  and  esteemetl  Ceylon  Colonist, 
Mr.  W,  Herbert  Anderson.  “The  New  Dim- 
hula  Co.”  was  started  in  1885,  and  occupies  a 
foremost  position  among  Ceylon  Tea  Companies. 
Tire  minutes  jn'inted  and  issued  of  the  recent 
meeting  of  the 
NUWAP.A  KLIYA  E.STATK.S  CO. 
liave  been  witlidrawn  owing  to  some  mi.sconeeption 
reg.arding  remarks  made  by  Sir  .J.  Grinlinton  in 
reference  to  tbe  possible  competition  of  an  in- 
crea.sed  supply  of  line  teas  from  India,  not  from 
Ceylon.  For  my  part,  I cannot  see  Avhere  in 
India,  we  are  to  expect  any  large  additions  to 
the  class  of  teas  grown  in  Darjiling  and  above 
5,000  feet  in  Ceylon  ; but  I may  be  wrong  and 
it  will  be  interesting  to  learn  on  what  informa- 
tion the  worthy  Knight’s  remarks  were  based. 
No  amended  report  of  the  proceedings  at  the 
NUAVAPvA  F.LIYA  TEA  ESTATES  CO. 
has  reached  me  ; but  I cannot  think  there  is  good 
authority  for  anticipating  a speci.al  increase  in 
the  output  of  “Darjeeling”  or  other  tine  .similar 
teas  from  India.  Meantime,  <a  City  Broker  re- 
ports on  9th  his  buying  a few  shares  in  the 
N.  K.  Co.  a £1.3  5s  .and  a few  since  on  oiler  at 
£13.  Others  hold  out  for  £13  10s.  He  adds  : — 
“Of  course  no  immediate  dividend  being  in  view 
there  is  not  much  doing.”  Of  our 
LEADING  TEA  COMPANY, 
the  same  writer  reports : — 
“ I have  done  Ceylon  Tea  Plantations  today  at 
£28i  and  preference  at  £17J.  These  are  fine  prices, 
but  the  Report  is  most  promising  for  a still  further 
improvement.  When  I look  over  the  number  of  clients 
I let  in  at  £15.  I only  realize  what  fine  profits 
they  have  made.” 
Our  old  friend 
MR.  W.  G.  INGLIS 
— formerly  of  the  O.B.C.,  now  of  the  “ Ceylon  Tea 
Agency,  Ayr,” — \vrites  on  the  4th  inst.  pleasantly 
as  follows ; — 
“ I see  you  are  at  home  again  on  a well  earned 
holiday  which  I hope  you  will  enjoy.  I have  just 
had  a chat  with  old  Andrews  about  Ceylon,  and  he 
has  favored  me  with  your  address.  I hope  you  are 
not  going  back  without  visiting  Anld  Scotland,  and 
I need  hardly  tell  you  how  pleased  I shall  be  to  see 
you  in  Ayr  by  and  bye,  and  show  you  over  the  land 
of  Burns,  which,  should  the  weather  be  favorable,  you 
are  certain  to  appreciate.  I see  nearly  all  Ceylon 
Tea  Companies  ar®  doing  well  and  returning  fair- 
dividends.  Business  is  very  quiet  in  Ayr  and  the 
competition  in  tea  getting  keener  every  ye.ar.  I wish 
I could  get  the  Ayr  physicians  to  follow  the  example 
of  their  brethren  in  Dover,  and  recommend  their 
patients  to  drink  pure  Ceylon  tea,  high  grade  and 
high  grown!” 
I ain  sure  all  our  tea  planters  wish  well  to  Mr. 
Inglis  and  all  who  go  in  for  promoting  the 
consumirtion  of  Ceylon  teas. 
We  have  often  referred  in  our  columns  to  the 
valuable  properties  of 
CINNAMON 
and  not  long  ago  begged  our  medical  .autliori- 
ties  to  take  note  of  the  news  we  ga\o  from 
New  Zealand  of  its  curative  use  in  tie.at- 
ing  cases  of  “ cancer.  ” I liave  lie.ard  no 
more  of  that ; bnt  tlie  following  is  an  extract  from 
a scientific  wmrk  (of  old  date,  however,  but  no 
doubt  reliable)  : — 
Cinnamon  and  Infi.usnz.a. — No  living  disease  germ 
can  resist  for  more  than  a tew  hours  the  antiseptic 
ower  of  essence  of  cinnamon,  even  its  scent  will 
ill  them.  A decoction  of  cinnamon  is  often  good 
to  drink  in  localities  where  typhoid  fever  or  cholera  is 
prevalent. 
This  paragraph  is  worth  reiieating  for  ready  re- 
ference in  the  next  “Ceylon  Handbook”:  let 
your  Manager  .see  it  given  tbere  ; for  in  the  land 
of  “cinnamon”  at  le.ast,  free  use  .should  be 
made  of  decoctions  of  the  spice. 
INTERESTING  PLANTING  NEWS. 
April  29th. 
The  weather  li.as  been  very  fine  in  Upper  Dim- 
bula  during  the  past  week.  Ibainfall  only  -79  in. 
temperature  averaging  72°.  Flush  coming  on  fairly 
well.  Most  estates  in  the  distiict — notwithstand- 
ing shortness  of  labour — have  secured  more  crop 
than  at  the  same  date  last  year.  One  crack 
estate  of  little  over  200  .acres' has  given  6001b. 
per  acre  and  a net  [irofit  of  .£3,760 ! Ambe- 
g.aiiiuwa  has  had  two  days  rain  within  the 
week.  Gampola  heavy  thunder  showers,  and 
more  coming. 
A pril  30. 
Dumbara  has  been  having  a few  showers  lately, 
but  cac.ao  is  not  looking  very  lit ; evidently  not 
to  be  the  permanent  product  here  that  was  at 
one  time  hoped  for.  Hundreds  of  acres  are  being 
planted  in  coconuts  and  tea,  in  order  to  have 
.something  more  to  fall  back  upon. 
Ukawela  and  Matalc  still  keep  well  to  the 
front  with  c.acao.  Warriapola  and  Suduganga  are 
pictures  of  cacao  walks  rarely  excelled  even  in 
the  West  Indies. 
Bandarapola  continues  to  increase  in  size.  A 
good  supply  of  water  has  been  laid  on  to  the 
gre.at  delight  of  Ramasamy  who  c.an  now  get 
under  a “peelee.’'  Three  new  bung.alows  are 
being  erected  for  .Sinna  Doi’eys  and  altogether  it 
looks  .as  if  the  portly  director  ineant  brisk  business. 
The  .Java  Cinchona-inj)usti{Y  seems  to  be  touch- 
ing rock-bottom.  The  coffee  and  cinchona  planting 
company  “ Paligaran,”  of  Java  and  Amsterdam  seems 
to  be  in  a bad  way.  The  directors  have  been  com- 
pelled to  propose  a temporary  suspension  of  the 
interest  on  the  debentures,  and  the  execution  of  a 
mortgage  on  the  estates  in  f.avour  of  a financial 
concern,  which  is  to  receive  the  whole  of  the 
“ Paligaran  ” estate’s  produce  in  consignment  in  re- 
turn. The  directors  announce  that  unless  the  de- 
benture-holders signify  their  acceptance  of  these 
proposals  before  June  4th,  it  is  very  likely  that 
creditors  will  foreclose  and  sell  up  the  estate.  An 
improvement  in  the  cinchona-prices,  it  is  added 
somewhat  superfluously,  would  benefit  the  company 
greatly. — Chemist  and  Drurjyist.  ^ 
