334 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
[Nov.  2„  1896. 
who  are  not  very  particular  about  the  veracity 
of  the  statements  they  make  ; it  is  said  to  be 
the  efiect  of  the  African  climate  ! 
I must  now  close  with  the  i)romise  to  myself 
that  I shall  not  be  so  Ion*'  silent  again.  H.  15. 
NOTES  FROM  OUK  LONDON  LETTER. 
liondon,  Sept.  18. 
LAND  AND  LIMITED  COMPANIES. 
In  conversation  with  a gentleman  of  large 
experience  in  the  Ceylon  tea  trade  we  discussed 
your  remarks  relative  to  the  effect  of  most  of 
the  planting  lands  in  tliat  island  passing  into 
the  possession  of  limited  companies.  Tliat 
authority  remarked: — “There  can  be  no  doubt 
that,  should  ever  anotlier  crisis  occur  in  Ceylon, 
there  would  be  little  hope  of  its  being  pulled 
through  as  former  occasions  of  tlie  kind  have 
been.  The  loss  would  fall  on  a multitude  of 
shareholders,  whose  individual  stakes  would 
be  relatively  small.  How  many  of  these 
would  be  likely  to  put  their  shoulders  to 
the  wheel  in  the  way  Ceylon  planters 
have  hitlierto  done  to  put  things  straight  again. 
They  would  simply  remark  that  the  colony 
might  go  to  Hongkong  for  what  they  cared. 
And  besides  that,  it  is  little  generally  known 
how  much  of  the  capital  that  has  been  and  is 
being  subscribed  towards  these  daily  starting 
Indian  Tea  Companies  and  Ceylon  Tea  Companies 
is  passing  into  private  keeping.  1 could  mention 
one  City  firm  who,  it  has  been  asserted,  has 
bagged  £'250,000  by  its  ‘ bringing  out  ’ of  such 
companies.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  a stop  will 
soon  be  put  to  this  sort  of  thing  ; but  so  long 
as  the  British  public  rushes  madly  after  shares 
in  these  companies,  they  will  be  accommodated 
by  those  who  are  making  pretty  pickings  out 
of  the  job.” 
The  remarks  made  above  respecting  the  com  se 
of  the  dispute  between  the  Dock  Companies  and 
the  shipping  interest  had  been  written  before  the 
Times  of  this  morning  came  to  hand.  That  issue 
contained  the  information  ([Uoted  in  full  below. 
Reference  had  been  made  to  the  rumour  that  the 
Dock  Committee  were  seeking  negotiation  with 
the  shipowners,  but  it  was  not  jmssible  for  the 
writer  to  give  information  as  to  the  terms 
on  which  such  rcqyjn'ochincnt  was  being 
sought.  The  extract  row  given  will  show 
you  that  the  dock  comi)anies  are  prepareil 
to  retire  from  the  position  at  first  assumed  l>y 
them— a position  which,  it  is  variously 
estimated,  must  have  compelled  the  raising  of 
freights  to  London  by  from  2s  to  4s  the  ton. 
BURGLARY  AT  THE  PREMISES  OF  THE  CEYLON 
TEA  COMPANY. 
The  premises  of  the  Ceylon  Tea  Company  in 
Southwark  Street,  Borough,  were  broken  into 
for  the  second  time  last  week.  Two  of  the 
three  safes  were  broken  open  and  £5  in  silver- 
stolen,  as  were  also  twenty  nickel  watches,  the 
last  being  an  item  one  would  scarcely  expect 
to  have  a jrlace  in  the  safes  of  a Tea  Company. 
A third  safe  resisted  the  etlorts  of  the  thieves. 
It  is  two  years  since  the  last  burglary  on  these 
premises  occurred,  when  live  nieir  were  cairturcd 
and  received  sentence  for  their  offence, 
THE  DIMRULA  VALLEY  COMPANY 
has  declared  an  interim  dividend  for  the  three 
nronths  ended  June  30th  at  the  rate  of  10  per 
cent,  per  annrrm  on  its  ordinary  shares.  It  seems 
to  be  somewhat  out  of  the  usual  cour.se  to 
‘ tleclarO'  a divideud  on  so  short  a term,  but  we 
presume  that  the  profits  have  accumulated  so 
rapidlj',  that  the  directors  are  anxious  to  get 
rid  of  them  without  delay.  'I'lie  Highlatrd  Tea 
Company  of  Ceylon  is  another  Contpany  that  has 
declared  its  interim  dividend.  This  is  for  the 
half-year  ended  JuneJOtlr  ; and  is  at  the  rate  of 
8 per  cent  per  annunt,  to  be  paid  free  of  incorrre 
tax. 
COFFEE  FLANTING  IN  PERAK. 
Fr'ortr  the  Kuala  Karrgsar  Morrihly  Report  for 
July,  iit  the  Perak  Gwernment  Gazette  of  Sept. 
25,  we  take  the  followirrg : — 
The  Gagpis  and  Waterloo  estates,  undi  r the  able 
management  of  Sir  Graeme  Elphinstone,  are  being 
rapidly  opened  up.  On  the  former  over  six  hundred 
acres  have  been  planted  in  coconuts  and  coffee,  and 
three  hundred  acres  on  the  latter  have  been  felled,  and 
holed  and  the  necessary  drains  and  roads  in  a groat 
measure  graded  and  completed. 
The  Liberian  three  years  old  coffee  on  Waterloo 
is  looking  splendid,  and  a fair  crop  will  be  picked  off 
the  old  Arabian  trees. 
A great  many  Malays  have  begun  to  open  up  small 
five  acre  blocks  in  coffee.  I have  allowed  them  to  tike 
a crop  of  padi  off  the  land  the  first  year,  as  I do  not 
think  it  is  in  my  power  to  prevent  them.  A great 
deal  of  rubbish  has  been  written  on  this  subject  by 
officers  who  know  nothing  about  what  they  are  writ- 
ing. I think  Government  should  once  for  all  lay 
down  whether  this  is  to  be  allowed  or  not,  having 
obtained  the  opinion  of  an  experienced  practical 
planter  first. 
Sir  Graeme  Blpbinstone’s  new  e.state  called  “Raven- 
wood,”  near  Sungei  Siput,  is  being  opened  up  by 
Mr.  Forrest.  Sir  Graeme  and  a Mr.  Thomas  nave 
applied  for  another  500  acres  of  land  on  the  other 
side  of  the  main  road  to  the  new  estate. 
The  Monthly  Report  for  September  has  the  fol- 
lowing : — 
In  my  report  for  .Tiily  T made  a mistake  in  the 
name  of  Sir  Graeme  Elnhinstone’s  new  estate,  it 
“ Heawood,”  and  not  “ Raveuwood  ” as  stated. 
During  the  current  month  I have  had  applications 
for  1,200  acres  of  coffee  and  coconut  land,  viz-; — .500 
from  Sir  Graeme  Elphinstono  ami  Dumraez  Thomas, 
Esq.,  noar  Sut'gei  Siput;  500  from  Sir  Graeme 
Elphinstone  and  Mr.  Solomon  Ramanathen,  near 
.Tenalek,  on  the  Pataui  road  ; and  200  from  Mr. 
Solomon  Ramanathen  in  the  Chua  valley.  I have 
strongly  recommended  these  three  applications,  and 
hope  the  Government  will- grant  them,  and  that  at 
an  early  date. 
The  following  figures  shew  the  amount  of  work 
done  by  Sir  Graeme  in  opening  up  in  18t)(i  ; — In 
coffee  : — on  “ Waterloo,”  fi  acres  ; on  “ Rumah  Papan,” 
255  acres;  on  “Heawood,”  20  acres.  In  coffee  and 
coconuts on  “ Gapis,”  277  acres.  Total  558 
acres. 
In  addition  to  the  above,  by  the  end  of  the  year. 
Sir  Graeme  intends  to  open  up  another  117  acres  on 
“ Heawood,”  and  00  acres  more  on  “ Gapis,”  making 
more  than  750  acres  in  the  year. 
If  the  new  applications  are  granted  Sir  Graeme 
intends  to  fell  20  acres  on  each  and  put  in  the  nur- 
series at  once. 
^ 
Rovai.  (lAunENs  Kkw. — The  Bulletin  of  Miscella- 
neous Information  for  IMarch  and  April  has  the 
following  contents: — Botany  of  Formosa;  Now  Rub- 
ber Industry  in  Lagos  ; Coffee  Planting  in  Lagos  ; 
Botanical  linterprise  in  J'last  Africa;  Myrrh  and 
Bdellium  ; Miscellaneous  Notes — Mr.  R.  Derry,  Mr. 
A.  Parsons,  Mr.  C.  Wakely,  Mr.  W.  Binder,  Bota- 
nical Magazine,  Relief  House,  Palm  House  Heating, 
Douglas  Spruce  Spar,  I’elican,  Blackthorn  fishhooks, 
Strobilanthes  callosus,  and  Mr.  Littlodale’s  Tibetan 
riauts, 
