Oct.  I,  1896.]  THE  TROPICAL 
l)e  least  expensive,  and  most  suitable,  in  the 
meanliine,  at  all  events;  and  I can  only  hope 
that  Government  will  see  their  way  to  expend 
some  of  the  money  that  has  been  indicated 
as  the  cost  of  the  ford.  With  these  few  remarks, 
I beg  to  move  tlie  adoption  of  the  report. 
Mr.  W.  Bowden  Smith  If  this  is  the  pro- 
per time  for  asking  questions,  and  I am  not  out 
of  order  T should  like  to  ask  one  or  two  ques- 
tions: first,  as  to  whether  the  district  has  be- 
come more  healthy  now  it  has  been  opened  up  ; 
and  second,  as  to  whether  there  is  any  improve- 
ment in  the  labour  supply. 
The  Chairman  I am  glad  to  say  the  dis- 
trict has  become  much  more  healthy.  All  the 
superintendents  we  have  had— and  we  h.ave 
had  a number  before  the  present  one — were  being 
constantly  laid  down  with  fever  and  had  to  bo 
removed.  The  Superintendent  who  is  now  there, 
and  who  has  been  there  for  a considerable  time, 
I believe  I am  right  in  saying,  has  not  had  an 
att.ack  of  fever. 
Mr.  W.  Bowden  Smith  I suppose  since  it 
ha-s  become  more  healthy  the  labour  sup)ily  has 
improved  ? 
The  Chairman  Thelaboursupply  is  fairly  good 
and  we  have  enough  for  our  req^uirements.  There 
have  been  only  three  deaths  during  the  last  year. 
Mr.  W.  Bowden  Smith  : — It  is  wonderful  that 
it  is  so  healthy.  I gave  it  about  four  years  before 
it  would  have  become  so  healthy  a place.  I 
shall  be  happy  to  second  the  adoption  of  the 
report. 
Mr.  E.  B.O.SEING  I may  mention  that  one  of 
the  three  deaths  in  the  labour  force  was  due  to  a 
liospital  falling  down.  That  was  hardly  due  to 
climatic  causes. 
By  W.  Bowden  Smith  : — There  is  no  tea 
planted  there  at  all,  I presume  it  is  chiefly 
coconuts.  The  report  does  not  show  what  the 
acreage  planted  in  different  products  is.  I think 
it  would  be  an  improvement  if  the  report  gave 
the  acreage  of  each  crop.  It  is  valuable  informa- 
tion to  the  sharehelders  to  know  how  much 
there  is  of  each  product. 
The  Chairman  That  is  a matter  that  \'ill 
receive  attention.  We  have  had  a good  deal 
of  tronldc  with  wild  animals.  We  have  had  to 
fence  in  almost  everything  and  their  dejireda- 
tions  have  become  a regular  pest,  though,  I 
suppose  they  will  be  got  rid  of  in  time 
((Jontinuing)  the  Chairman  said  : — Mr.  E.  Bos- 
ling  ha.s  supplied  me  with  the  informalion 
necessary  to  answer  the  question  regarding 
the  acreage  under  different  products.  In  coco- 
nuts there  are,  approximately,  393  acres  ; in  coffee 
94  acres ; and  in  cocoa  13  acres. 
Tlie  report  was  then  formally  adopted. 
RE-ELECTION  OF  DIRECTORS. 
Mr.  Bowden  Smith  : — I have  much  pleasure 
in  proposing  the  re-election  of  the  retiring  Di- 
rectors : — The  lion.  W.  W.  Mitchell,  Mr.  E. 
llosling,  Mr.  E.  Gordon  Beeves  and  Mr.  A. 
Bosling. 
Mr.  (lOKDON  Era/.ek  I .second  the  motion. 
The  retiring  Directors  were  re-elected. 
APPOINTMENT  OF  AN  AUDITOR. 
The  Chairman  : — The  next  business  is  the  elec- 
tion of  an  auditor.  Mr.  .John  (iutlirie  is  the  only 
applicant  for  the  post. 
Mr.  Gordon  Frazer:—!  ]mq)ose  that  Mr. 
Guthrie  be  appointe<l  auilitor  for  the  current  year 
at  the  usual  fee  of  BlOO. 
Mr.  A.  1!  OSLiNO  seconded,  .and  the  motion  M as 
unanimously  adoptcil. 
A vote  of  thanks  to  the  Chair,  proposed  by 
Mi-.W'.  Bowden  Smith,  tenninated  the  proceedings. 
AGRICULTURIST.  263 
THE  GOVERNMENT  CINCHONA  PLAN- 
TATIONS IN  MADRAS. 
The  Administration  Report  of  the  Govern- 
ment Cincliona  Plantations  in  Madras  for  1895-96 
is  of  particular  interest,  for  in  the  first  place  it 
is  a record  of  the  first  year  when  the  whole  out- 
put of  the  quinine  factory  was  disposed  of — in 
fact,  more  than  disposed  of,  former  stocks  of  the 
sulphate  having  to  be  draivn  upon  ; and,  secondly, 
appended  to  it  is  the  Report  made  on  these 
plantations  by  Brigade-Surgeon  Lieutenant-Colo- 
nel W.  G.  King  last  year,  a summary  of  which 
is  given  on  another  page.  As  a good  deal 
has  been  written  in  our  columns  concerning  the  ap- 
pointment of  Mr.  Standen  to  the  Directorship  of 
the  Cinchona  Plantation.s — or  the  Cinchona  De- 
p.artment  as  it  is  now  calleil — Dr.  King’s  views 
in  tlie  matter  are  of  interest.  It  must  be  re- 
membered that  tlipy  were  written  over  twelve 
months  ago  in  the  prospect  of  the  late  Mr.  Law- 
son’s retirement  at  the  end  of  the  official  year. 
Dr.  King,  having  laid  down  that  the  officer 
selected  to  succeed  Mr.  Lawson  should  be  an 
educated  man,  -with  a suHicient  knowledge  of 
agriculture  and  horticulture,  both  theoretical  and 
practical,  proceeds  to  say  : — “ It  might  and  I dare 
say  M'ould  be  impossible  to  get  a man  with  a 
sjiecial  knowdedge  of  cinchona  cultivation 
clearly  meaning  that  if  such  a man,  suitable 
in  other  respects,  were  available,  he  would  be 
the  right  person  for  the  post.  Knowledge  of  the 
culture  of  cinchona,  Dr.  King  considered  to  be 
more  necessary  for  the  new  Superintendent  than 
a knoM'ledge  of  chemistry.  He  further  wrote  : — 
“ One  qualification  whicli  the  Superintendent  of 
these  plantations  should  most  certainly  possess 
is  a cap.acity  for  estate  man.agement  and  for  the 
organisation  and  control  of  labour.”  From  these 
remarks  it  will  be  seen  that  the  Madras  Gov- 
ernment, in  appointing  Mr.  Standen  to  the 
Directorship,  was  only  following  the  advice  given 
by  the  Government  expert  specially  deputed  to 
report  on  the  subject.  Mr.  Standen’.s  qualifica- 
tions tally  M’ith  every  one  of  those  specified  by 
Dr.  King,  ivho,  moreover,  deemed  it  a most  im- 
portant point  for  the  future  management  of  the 
plantations  to  secure  a continuity  of  policy.  This 
was  also  assured  by  the  appointment  of  the  pre- 
sent Director.  For  many  years  he  had  been 
a near  neighbour  and  close  friend  of  the  late 
Mr.  Lawson  ; he  w.as  acquainted  with  his 
methods  of  ivork  and  knew  his  views  and 
oinnions  reg.arding  the  administration  of  ihu 
plantations.  We  remarked  some  weeks  ago  that 
the  appointment  of  Mr.  Standen  iv.as  an  .admirable 
one,  .an  opinion  which  we  now  find  fully  confir- 
med by  Dr.  King. 
Some  interestiiig  •.iifi>rmation  regarding  the 
financi.al  result  o:  the  working  of  these  plantations, 
is  furnished  by  Dr.  King.  It  appears  that  accor- 
ding to  the  Accountant-General’s  calculations,  the 
total  cost  of  the  estates,  plus  annual  interest  at 
4^  percent.,  amounted  to  Rs.  13,04,360  at  the  end 
of  the  official  year  1875-76.  During  the  seven 
succeeding  years  such  large  quantities 
of  bark  were  sold  in  England  that  the  sur- 
plus of  receipts  over  expenditure  totalled  in 
round  numbers  R 1 8, .39,000,  so  that  at  the 
end  of  1882-83  thcie  was,  after  fully  allowing  for 
interest,  a surplus  of  R5,.34,640.  After  this  date 
a steady  loss  resulted.  The  net  receipts  for  the 
next  twelve  years,  ending  1894-95,  fell  short  of 
the  expenditure  by  R2,81,644,  so  that  on  the 
31st  M.arch,  1895,  the  balance  in  favour  of  the 
Ginehona  plantations  w.as  reduced  to  a little 
o\er  24  lakhs.  Dr.  King,  we  notice,  proposes 
to  writp  off  B2  lakhs  of  this  credit  balance  foi,' 
