July  i,  1896,] 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
35, 
A PROSPEROUS  CEYLON  TEA  COMPANY. 
Wc  need  add  very  little  to  tlie  full  repoit, 
which  the  Financki.l  News  of  May  14th  alibrds, 
of  the  proceedings  at  the  annual  meeting  of  the 
Scottish  Ceylon  Tea  Company’s  sliarehohlers. 
This  is  one  of  the  older  as  well  as  of  the  most 
prosperous  of  Ceylon  Comi)anies,  rising  one  year 
in  dividends  to  18  per  cent,  hut  latterly  wisely 
resolving  to  adhere  to  the  15  per  cent  which  dis- 
tinguishes our  premier  Company,  while  gradually 
forming  a satisfactory  reserve  fund,  and  allowing 
fully  for  depreciation  ot  buildings,  machinery, 
I've.  No  one,  we  think,  can  read  the  remarks  of 
tlie  Chairman  and  of  the  Ceylon  Manager,  Mr. 
Kerr,  without  feeling  that  judicious  management 
in  respect  of  cultivation  and  preparation  as  well 
as  in  the  conduct  of  all  business  detail,  account 
for  the  marked  success  of  this  Company.  The 
steady  increase  in  the  average  yield  of  the  es- 
tates is  noteworthy,  as  a'so  the  fact  that  the 
Directors  are  not  ambitious  that  this  average 
yield  should  rise  above  450  lb.  an  acre — a fact 
which  ought  to  enlighten  many  Indian  tea  critics 
who  argue  that  Ceylon  gardens  are  being  over- 
cropped, and  must,  within  a limited  time,  collapse! 
The  remarks  of  Mr.  David  Kerr  in  this  case — 
and  of  Mr.  Talbot  in  respect  of  his  Company— 
as  to  the  policy  which  guides  the  management 
of  these  Cejdon  tea  estates,  should  go  far  to  dis- 
pose of  such  criticism.  Most  careful  are  such 
Managers  not  to  force  their  tea-bushes, — not  to 
over-pluck  them,  nor  to  stimulate  them  by  arti- 
ficial manures  ; birt  rather  to  help  them  to  main- 
tain their  usual  vigour  and  to  do  justice  to  the 
fields  in  every  possible  way  indicated  by  sound 
wise  .systems  of  cultivation.  The  only  thing  we 
need  add  to  the  report  of  proceedings  is  an  e.x- 
tract  from  the  letter  of  a well-known  Ceylon 
planter,  read  by  the  Chairman  at  the  meeting, 
but  apparently  not  given  in  the  Financial  News. 
It  ran  as  follows: — “I  regret  I will  be  unable 
to  attend  the  meeting  of  the  Scottish  Ceylon  Tea 
Co.,  Ld.,  to  be  held  tomorrow,  but  as  a share- 
holder and  knowing  the  estates  and  the  Ceylon 
Manager,  Mr.  David  Kerr,  1 have  much  pleasure 
in  expressing  my  satisfaction  with  the  Ceylon 
management.  In  Mr.  Kerr  the  Company  has  a 
Manager  keenly  alive  to  their  interests,  and  I 
hope  he  may  long  continue  to  act  as  their  Manager 
theie.  I visited  Stratlulon,  Abergeldie  and  Lonach 
with  Mr.  Kerr  in  February  last,  and  I can  testify 
to  their  being  in  first-rate  order,  and  the  bushes 
remarkably  healthy  in  appearance.” — \Ve  heartily 
congratulate  all  connected  with  the  Scottish 
Ceylon  Tea  Company.  j.F. 
NOTES  FROM  OUR  LONDON  LETTER. 
lONDON,  May  15. 
Among  other  matters  that  engaged  the  atten- 
tion of  the  Tea  Committee  of  your  Association 
on  Wednesday  last  was  consideration  of  a latter 
addressed  to  it  by  your 
TEA  COMMTSSIONRR  FOR  AMERICA. 
Nothing  certain  as  to  this  letter  has  transpired, 
but  it  is  believed  that  it  contains  some  novel 
remarks  upon  the  course  of  the  tea  trade  in  the 
United  States.  It  is  also  rum'ourcd  that  Mr. 
Mackenzie  states  one  great  obstacle  to  progress 
to  be  the  distinct  preference  of  the  Yankees  for 
green  teas.  We  remember  the  late  Mr.  Whittall 
remarking  that  he  did  not  think  any  amount  of 
ex])enditure  in  America  would  have  asucce.ssful 
result  for  you  until  this  preference  could  either 
he  succe.ssfully  comliattcd  or  [)iovided  for  by 
a change  in  preparation  by  your  planters. 
He  remarked  to  the  writer  that  he  was  himself 
devoting  much  attention  to  making  such  a change 
on  his  own  estates,  but  we  have  never  heard 
whether  he  did  this  siicccs-sfull^x  It  would  seem, 
if  what  is  said  about  Mr.  Mackcnzie’.s  letter  may 
be  relied  upon  as  correct,  that  that  gentleman 
has  come  to  acknowledge  the  difliculty  i)restate(l 
to  exist  by  the  late  Mr.  Mdiittall.  ‘ It  is  not 
known  what  the  views  of  the  Tea  Committee  of 
the  London  Ceylon  A.ssociation  may  be  uith 
reference  to  this  particular  of  Mr.  Mackenzie’s 
letter.  At  all  events  it  is  said  that  that  body  has 
decided  to  have  the  letter  printed  and  circulated 
among  the  members  of  the  Association.  It  has 
been  suggested  that  Ceylon  must  umlertake  a 
mis.sionary  tea  enterprise  in  the  States  to  convert 
the  popular  taste  Horn  green  to  black  tea.  As 
yet,  wliat  has  been  done  does  not  seem  to  have 
gone  far  in  the  direction  of  accomplishing  this 
change. 
It  seems  probable  that  the  rejiort  of  the 
abovenamed  Tea  Committee  that  was  to  have 
consideration  at  last  M'ednesday’s  meeting  may 
have  to  be  somewhat  deferred  in  order  to 
the  dealing  with  tiie  two  .subjects  men- 
tioned a.bo're  being  iuciuded.  It  is  hardly 
likely,  however,  that  progress  could  be  mado 
betore  the  Annual  CenerarMeeting  of  the  Asso- 
ciation snlKcient  to  warrant  any  delay  to  in- 
sure inclu.sion  in  the  report.  ^Ve  have  not  y'et 
heard  if  Lord  Stanmore  has  fixed  a day  ‘for 
that  meeting. 
All  admit  that 
“ MAZ/VWATTEE  TEA” 
has  been  a great  success,  inasmuch  as  it  has 
obtained  an  enormous  ])opularit3'  Rud  coii’esuond- 
ing  consumption.  I ho  more  educated  palates 
do  not  relish  the  article,  and  it  is  not  much 
met  with  in  the  better  circles  of  society'.  Rut 
the  fact  lemains  that  there  must  be  millions  who 
do  appreciate  and  who  use  it  exclusively.  Its 
sale  is  said  to  have  procured  large  fortunes  for 
its  present  proprietors,  and  it  creates  no  sur- 
jirise  therefore  that  the  concern  is  soon  to  be 
convei  ted  into  a limited  liability  company. 
'With  the  enormous  amount  of  capital  new 
.seeking  investment,  a perfect  rusli  for  the 
shares  in  this  may  be  preilicted.  Mazawattee 
tea  IS  a fresh  and  striking  instance  of  what 
can  be  achieved  by  persisteut  aiul  boUlj  if  souie- 
what  rinscnipulous,-  advertisciueiit.  Without  this 
it  may  safely  be  said  that  Mazawattee  tea  would 
have  remained  unknown  to  fame. 
THE  TEA  DUTV. 
T somewhat  cool  iwopo-sition  was  made  by  Mr. 
Lloyd  George,  the  well-known  Radical  member  for 
Carnarvon,  in  the  House  of  Commons  this  Aveek. 
During  the  Committee  on  the  Finance  Bill  this 
gentleman  rose  to  move  an  amendment,  Avhich 
was,  to  insert  after  1 he  Avords  j)roviding  that  the 
tea  duties  should  be  continued  the  words  “ ex- 
cept Avith  respect  to  tea  groAvn  in  any  iiart  of 
Her  Majesty’s  dominions.”  Mr.  J.  H.  J.eAvks, 
another  Welsh  member,  seconded  this  motion  and 
urged  the  desirability  of  encouraging  Indian  tea. 
He  advocated  the  abolition,  he  said,  not  only  in 
the  interest  of  the  poorer  consuming  clas.ses  but  of 
an  industry  in  the  island  of  Ceylon,  Avhich  de- 
served eiicouiMgement.  The  present  condition  of 
India,  he  Avent  on  to  say,  did  not  justify 
the  House  i i retaining  any  iluty'  AA'hich  might 
be  pi  ejuiliuiul  to  our  liuliuu  Kiiipire. 
I hat  such  a measure  of  iirotection  such  as 
this  .should  be  advocated  by  profe.ssed  Radi- 
cals has  mibuially  gi\cii  rise  to  astonishment, 
they  having  boeii  always  looked  141011  in  the  light 
of  liigoted  jiee  trailers,  fjir  Howaul  Viiicyn^ 
