192 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
[Sept,  i,  1896. 
£2, OX)  upwards.  Already,  as  we  have  hinteil, 
Ceylon  has  a direct  interest  in  >iyassaland  sepa- 
rated only  by  tlie  Indian  Ocean — in  tlie  fact 
that  the  lirst  “Nyassalaiul  Coffee  Estates  Co.” 
was  founded  and  supported  in  Colombo,  and  is 
worked  by  Ceylon  men  as  well  as  capital.  More- 
over, we  have  given  surveyors,  draftsmen,  bota- 
nists as  well  as  planters  to  the  new  Dependency  ; 
only  given  the  Railway,  we  may  well  expect  to  see  a 
veritable  El  Dorado  for  coffee  speedily  developed 
within  easy  reach  of  the  coast  and  of  the  European 
markets.  No  “leaf”  or  other  disease  has  as  yet 
appeared  in  Nyassaland.  The  greatest  care  has 
been  taken  about  the  seed,  and  Sir  Herbert 
Johnston  has  a theory  that  the  fungus  is  not 
likely  to  penetrate  so  far  into  the  interior. 
Be  that  as  it  may,  we  are  clear  that  Lord 
Salisbury  may  well — with  the  facts  before  him — 
give  his  best  support  to  his  able  lieutenant,  the 
High  Commissioner,  who  is  so  bent  on  making 
the  road  easy  to  his  rich,  healthful,  liiglihuid 
country.  For  our  part,  we  think  it  a great  pity, 
from  a planting  and  commercial  as  well  as  social 
point  of  view,  that  the  railway  from  th"  coast 
into  British  Cenlial  Africa  is  not  to  take  pre- 
cedence of  that  very  long,  costly  and  uncertain 
line  through  ‘ British  East  Africa”  to  Uganda. 
But  a.s  a Company  has  been  formed  f^r  the 
former,  let  us  hope  that  no  time  will  be  lost  in 
starting  and  constructing  this  indispensable  line, 
which  is  certain  to  prove  more  and  more  useful, 
and  prolitable,  as  years  roll  on. 
« 
THE  ACME  PACKAGE  CO.,  LTD. 
Report  by  tha  Directors  to  the  second  ordinary 
feneral  meeting  of  the  Acme  Package  Company, 
iimited,  to  be  held  within  the  registered  office  of  the 
Company,  No.  82,  West  Regent  Street,  Glasgow,  on 
Tuesday,  the  28th  day  of  J^uly,  1896,  twelve  o’clock, 
noon.  The  directors  beg  to  submit  herewith  the 
balance  sheet  of  the  Company’s  affairs  as  at  30th  June, 
1896. 
As  will  be  seen  from  the  balance  sheet,  the  profit, 
together  with  £107  13s.  lid,  brought  forward  from  last 
year,  is  £3,533  10s.  9d.  Out  of  this  sum  the  directors 
propose  to  pay  a dividend  of  124  per  cent,  on  the 
capital  of  the  Company  as  called  up,  including  the 
interim  dividend  paid  in  April — carrying  forward  a 
balance  to  meet  bonus  to  Manager  and  Directors’  fees. 
The  Directors  are  pleased  to  state  that  the  pros- 
pects of  the  Company  are  exceedingly  gratifying,  and, 
to  cope  with  the  increased  output,  they  have  ac- 
quired the  Glasgow  Steel  Works  at  Polmadie  on 
favourable  terms. 
MARKET  FOR  TEA  SHARES. 
Thursday  Evening,  July  30. 
A quiet  tone  has  prevailed  during  the  past  week, 
the  tendency  being  to  curtail  commitments  for  the 
present,  in  view  of  .the  near  approach  of  holiday 
time.  Attention  has  also  been  rather  diverted  to 
dealings  in  the  new  issues,  announced  in  our  last 
week’s  report.  There  have  been  some  exceptions,  not- 
ably in  the  case  of  Lungla  Ordinary  and  Chargola 
Ordinary,  which  have  touched  121  up  and  part 
respectively. 
Mincing  Lane  has  again  been  characterised  by  a 
firm  tone.  There  are  indications  of  the  season  being 
one  more  for  quality  than  quantity  of  produce. 
FRKSH  ISSUES. 
Consolidated  Tea  and  Lands  Co. — This  company 
has  made  formal  application  to  the  Stock  Exchange 
for  an  official  quotation  and  a special  settlement  for 
all  three  classes  of  its  shares.  Business  has  been 
rather  more  curtailed,  but  the  Second  Pref.  are  still 
asked  for  at  2i  premium  and  the  Ordinary  at  1§ 
premium.  The  Firsts  are  “ a shade  ” easier  at  about 
Ijj  premium. 
Empire  of  India  and  Ceylon. — This  is  thename 
of  the  new  Company  whose  flotation  we  an- 
nounced last  week  as  the  India  and  Ceylon 
Company.  The  name  had  to  be  altered  so  as 
to  avoid  clashing  with  the  existing  company  called 
the  East  India  and  Ceylon  Company.  Quotations 
for  the  shares  are  : — 
Preference  . . i;  | prem. 
Ordinary  ..  ..11  IJ  prem. 
Associated  Tea  Estates  of  Ceylon  and  British  Cey- 
lon Tea  Company. — We  do  not  hear  of  many  dealings 
in  the  shares  of  these  two  recent  issues. 
ItEPOllTS. 
Bor’uli  and  Dapoota  Companies  now  issue  their  re- 
ports, which  have  a special  interest  owing  to  the  fact 
of  these  two  properties  now  forming  the  piece  de  resis- 
tance of  the  Empire  of  India  and  Ceylon  Company’s 
Estates. 
CEYLON  SHARES. 
C.  T.  P.  Co.  Prefs.  have  again  been  taken  at  18. 
Nothing  in  the  ordinary. 
Ceylon  and  Oriental  £3-paid  shares  are  wanted  at 
3L  but  ask  3-J  up  to  £4. 
Dimbnla  Valley  Prefs.  have  changed  hands  first  at 
6 1T6,  and  then  successively  at  6j  and  6j,  while  the 
Ordinary  have  been  done  at  up  to  51. 
Lanka  Plant.  Ordinary  have  been  taken  at  £7,  and 
the  Prefs.  at  lOJ  or  thereabouts. 
Standard  Tea  Co.  £6  changed  hands  early  ending 
week  at  15i,  but  are  now  wanted  without  finding  any 
more  shares. — II.  and  C.  Ma  /,  July  31. 
MEDICINAL  VALUE  OF  SUGAR. 
The  grocer  who  has  a good  candy  trade,  but  who  is 
told  several  times  a day  by  anxious  parents  that  chil- 
dren would  be  healthy  if  there  was  no  confectionery 
on  this  earth,  might  find  it  to  his  advantage  to  cut  out 
a part  of  this  article  and  paste  it  on  the  side  of  the 
“ candy  case.”  The  language  as  well  as  the  ideas  are 
borrowed  from  The  Helper,  which  takes  the  ground  that 
“ the  general  public  has  a wrong  impression  as  to  the 
actual  advantages  of  sugar  in  the  preservation  of  the 
human  frame.  Harm  may  be  done  by  eating  sugar  in 
excess,  just  as  the  excess  of  anything  else  is  pernicious 
to  health.  In  the  stomach  it  is  in  part  changed  to 
lactic  acid  ; and  the  latter  acts  upon  calcic  phosphate 
and  permits  their  assimilation.  How  frequently  a mild 
case  of  indigestion  could  be  relieved,  if  not  cured,  by  an 
occasional  drink  of  sugar  and  water. 
“ Do  our  readers  realize  thelimportance  of  a few  bon- 
bons after  a healthy  meal  ’?  The  fatty  substances  that 
might  otherwise  overload  the  stomach  then  become 
harmless.  '1  hose  who  enjoy  coffee  and  tea  at  night, 
yet  hesitate  drinking  these  beverages,  can  partake  ©f 
the  same  in  moderation  without  fear  of  sleepless  night, 
by  the  liberal  use  of  sugar.  The  recent  experiments 
previously  mentioned  in  these  pages,  showing  that 
sugar  increases  the  muscular  power  possible  to  deve- 
lop during  a given  period,  are  only  a scientific  determi- 
nation of  what  is  already  known.  One  need  only  visit 
a sugar  cane  plantation  in  the  West  Indies  to  appre- 
ciate that  the  “ nigger  ” can  develop  more  work  in  a 
given  time,  if  allowed  to  eat  the  cane  freely  than  during 
any  other  period  of  the  year.  Sugar  has  its  advantages 
for  stout  people,  a fact  known  to  both  of  us,  but  uie 
advantage  to  be  derived  from  a moderate  introduction 
of  sugar  as  a means  of  retaining  health  is  too  frequently 
overlooked.” — Interstate  Grocer. 
HORNSEY  TEA  ESTATES  CO.,  LTD.^I 
The  share  capital  of  thi.s  Company  is  £50,000 
divided  into  4,000  cumulative  .si.x  per  cent  pre- 
ference shares  of  £5  each  and  6,000  ortlinary 
shares  of  £5  each.  Debentures  £20,000 
in  400  live  jier  cent  mortgage  debentures  of 
.£50  each.  First  issue  .£30,000  1,600  cumulative 
6 per  cent  preference  shares  of  .£5  each,  2,400 
ordinary  shares  of  .£5  each,  and  200  5 per  cent 
mortgage  debentures  of  £50  each.  The  Com- 
pany is  acij^uiring  Hornsey  and  .Vbercairney 
estates  in  Dikoya,  ami  the  inice  for  both  estates 
is  £30,000.  The  London  agents  are  Messrs.  L. 
Reiss  Bros.,  and  the  London  solicitors  Messrs. 
Harwood  A'  Stejihenson,  and  Messrs.  De  !8aram 
act  as  legal  ailvisers  in  Ceylon. 
