84 
THE  TROPICAI 
AGRICULTDRIST. 
[Aug.  I,  1896. 
THE  OUVAH  SPRING  VALLEY,  AND 
HUNASGIRIYA  COMPANIES. 
The  circle  of  Limited  Comi)auie.s  indissolubly 
connected  with  the  name  of  the  late  Mr.  John 
Brown  were  among  the  earliest  started  in  con- 
nection with  the  CoH'ee  Enterprise  of  Ceylon. 
They  were  also  for  many  years  among  the  most 
prosperous,  and  redounded  greatly  to  the  credit 
of  the  Colony.  “Clenalpine”  estate — long  iden- 
tified with  the  names  of  Stew'art,  Brown  and 
Macintyre — recognised  as  one  of  tlie  best  opened, 
cultivated  and  equipped  plantations  in  the  island, 
formed  the  nucleus  of  the  ‘'Ouvah  Coffee  Co,” 
Spring  Valley  took  its  name  from  tiie  magnifi- 
cent plantation  of  the  same  name  selected  and 
first  opened  by  Sir  Win.  Reid  on  wdiat  was 
about  the  finest  area  of  fore, st  soil  even  in  Uva, 
and  was  purchased  by  Mr.  John  Brow'ii  from 
Mr.  Bannatyne  of  Glasgow'  on  belialf  of  the 
Company.  Tlie  Hunasgiriya  Company  connected 
with  the  well-known  property  North  of  Kandy  was 
of  more  recent  formation  ; Imt  all  three  Companies 
sull'ered  with  the  decline  and  fall  of  our  staple, 
until  their  shares  .so  long  held  above  par,  at 
last  became  almost  unsaleable.  How  great  the 
change  now  ! For,  altliougli  the  shares  of  (lie 
Sju-ing  Valley  .and  Hnna.sgiriya  Companies  have 
not  yet  fully'  recovered  ; yet  they  are  in  reipiest 
and  offer  good  prosiiects,  while  those  of  the 
parent  Comiiany  are  already  much  above  p.ar. 
T'be  good  done  by  tea  is  cle.arly  indicated  in 
this  experience  ; for,  alt  liougli,  coffee  has  continued 
to  some  extent  to  bridge  over  a time  of  ilifli- 
cully  ; yet  now  and  in  the  future  it  is  on  our 
new  staple  that  the  hopes  of  Directors  and  share- 
holders, are  built.  'I'he  late  worthy  and  ingenious 
Managing  Director  saw  as  well  as  any  one,  what 
was  coming,  and  he  lived  long  enough  to  make 
sure  there  would  be  a resuscitation  of  his  old 
Companies,  although  we  could  have  uished,  he 
had  lived  on  to  see  the  full  fruition.  Still  more 
to  the  credit  of  the  late  Mr.  .John  Brown,  was 
the  energy  and  invention  he  displayed  in  the 
“tea”  era  as  in  the  early  “coffee”  days  in 
setting  to  work  to  devise  better  means  of  jire- 
liaration  ; and  in  “Brown’s  Desiccator”  and  “Boiler” 
we  have  tea  (as  well  as  coconut)  drying  and  tea 
rolling  machines,  high  in  favour  with  the  plant- 
ing community. 
These  thoughts  are  suggested  by -the  annual 
meetings  of  the  Com|)anies  in  London,  briefly  re- 
ported in  our  last  issue.  It  was  made  a proper  matter 
of  congratulation  by  the  only  Ceylon  resident 
pre.sent  that  as  Managing  Director  in  succe.ssion 
to  his  father,  the  Companies  were  able  to  have 
one  so  w'ell-equipped  for  the  post  as  Mr.  iVlfred 
Brown,  while  the  Board  was  strengtheneil  by 
another  esteemed  business-man  of  Ceylon  experi- 
ence in  Mr.  P.  C.  Oswald.  E'or  the  careful 
management  which  has  always  distinguished  the 
Companies,  much  is  due  to  the  able  clear- 
headed Secretary,  Mr.  J.  A.  Roberts;  while 
what  the  Ouvah  and  Spring  Valley  Coiiqianies 
are  doing  in  “ tea”  under  the  local  direction  of 
the  Messrs.  Rettie,  is  well  shown  by  the  fact 
that  the  average  price  realised  for  the  teas  in 
ISf).")  is  in  consideiable  excess  of  that  got  for 
fS!)4.  All  this  promises  well  for  the  future; 
and  we  may  hope  with  the  present  Ch.airman 
that  the  day'  is  not  far  distant  when  like  these 
of  “Ouvah,”  the  shares  of  the  sister  (.'ompanies 
will  be  (pioted  at,  or  above  [lar.  We  heartily 
coiigratnlate  all  concerned  on  the  results  already 
sustained.  J.i'. 
MR.  BOGIVUE’S  WORK  IN  RUSSIA. 
I'Tom  Mr.  A.  riiili)),  Secretary  of  the  “ Thirty 
Committee,”  we  have  received  the  following  copy 
of  a letter  received  from  Mr.  Rogivue  regarding 
his  work  in  Russia ; — 
Moscow,  May  8, 20,  1806. 
A.  Philip,  Esq.,  Secretary  to  the  Thirty  Committee, 
Kandy. 
Dear  Sir,— I now  beg  to  confirm  my  telegram  of 
27th  April  (o.s.)  and  to  acknowledge  receipt  of  your 
reply,  also  to  thank  you  for  your  favour  of  25th 
April  advising  me  of  the  resolution  passed  ux^on  the 
reading  of  my  report. 
I am  very  much  gratified  by  the  favourable  opinion 
expressed  by  the  Thirty  Committee,  and  hope,  by 
making  a wise  use  of  the  money  granted,  to  do  all 
that  they  could  wish  to  further  the  interests  of 
those  they  represent  and  trust  that  now  I have 
made  the  start  and  got  over  the  first  difficulties, 
Ceylon  tea  will  meet  with  a more  rapidly  increasing 
demand  in  Russia  in  answer  to  my  continued  efforts. 
With  regard  to  details  of  expenditure  under  the 
£1,000  grant,  all  the  accounts  for  expenses  incurred  up 
to  the  end  of  March  have  now  come  in  and  if  it  were 
not  that  Mr.  Rogivue  is  kept  so  busy  at  Nijni 
Novgorod  you  should  have  all  particulars  by  this 
time,  but  as  soon  as  all  is  arranged  there  you  shall 
have  the  detailed  amounts. 
Mr.  Rogivue  is  at  present  occupied  at  Nijni  look- 
ing after  the  arrangements  for  advertising  Ceylon 
tea  at  the  forthcoming  Exhibition  and  Fair,  where 
he  has  obtained  an  excellent  position  for  the  erec- 
tion of  a “ Pavilion  ” not  inside  the  Exhibition, 
where  he  found  it  absolutely  forbidden  exce^ff  for 
Russian  produce,  but  immediately  outside  the  prin- 
cipal entrance.  As  the  ground  obtained  forms  the 
entrance  to  the  large  central  garden  of  the  biggest 
liotel  in  Nijni  and  is  on  the  main  road,  the  build- 
ing had  to  bo  made  up  to  a certain  standard  which 
together  with  carrying  out  iny  previous  schemes 
for  advertising  Ceylon  tea  there,  in  an  adequate 
manner,  necessitated  the  additional  outlay  for  which 
I wired  for  sanction  on  27th  April.  As  this  I'lx- 
hibition  is  generally  ex^iected  to  be  such  a gigantic 
affair  and  will  be  visited  by  such  immense  numbers 
of  people  from  all  parts  of  Russia,  it  seemed  good 
policy  in  the  interests  of  Ceylon  to  make  the  most 
of  this  excellent  opportunity  for  bringing  Ceylon 
tea  prominently  before  the  Russian  public,  and 
I telegraphed  to  you  accordingly.  I may  men- 
tion briefly  that  among  other  things,  arrange- 
ments have  been  made  to  supply  Ceylon  tea 
in  various  hotels  during  the  time  of  the  Exhi- 
bition and  to  xjlace  |)lacards  in  the  rooms  and  win- 
dows (one  hole!  which  contains  800  rooms  will  have 
an  advertisement  of  Ceylon  Tea  in  each  room.)  I 
have  also  secured  large  spaces  for  advertisements 
both  inside  and  outside  of  the  electric  trains  which 
are  to  run  all  round  the  inside  of  the  Exhibition, 
when  all  is  completed,  photographs  (where  possible) 
and  full  liarticulars  shall  be  sene  to  you. 
To  the  Thirty  Committee  1 must  tender  my  sincere 
thanks  for  their  jn-ompt  and  favourable  reply  to  my 
request.  The  additional  outlay  sanctioned  will  enable 
me  to  carry  out  a scheme  which  will  represent 
Ceylon  Tea  in  a thoroughly  worthy  manner  at  this 
exliibition. 
Thanking  you  also  as  secretary  for  the  trouble  you 
must  have  taken  in  the  matter, — I remain,  dear  sir, 
yours  faithfully,  x^  P-  I'f-  Rooivuk. 
(Signed)  Hugh  C.  DowniN’o. 
NATAL  TEA  .SEASON,  ISH.l-ilO. 
ihc  following  has  been  contributed  to  the  .''/(ir  : — 
the  piesent  tea  season  in  Natal  will  probably  close 
on  or  about  the  hast  week  in  -June.  The  one  before, 
181)1-1)5,  ended  on  the  22nd  of  the  same  month,  the 
seasons  lasting  from  about  the  first  week  of  Sexil. 
to  the  the  tliird  \yeek  of  .lunc,  or  ton  months  out 
of  the  12.  Iho  picking  goes  on  the  whole  time  with 
but  few  stoppages,  of  which,  however,  there  ought 
not  to  bo  any  at  all.  The  remaining  two  mouths 
