DeCi  ij  1896.] 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
401 
MOCHA  TEA  COMPANY  OP  CEYLON 
LIMITED. 
A special  general  nieetin^-  of  li  e sliaielioklers 
of  the  Moc’.ia  Tea  Company  of  Ceylon,  lal.,  was 
held  at  noon  today  in  the  ollico  of  the  Agent.s 
and  Secietai'ie.s,  Messrs,  d.  M.  Lobertsoii  cV  Co. 
The  meeting,  [iresided  over  liy  Mr.  E.  \V.  Lois, 
formally  conlirmed  the  following  resolution  passed 
at  a general  meeting  on  17th  October: — “That  the 
Directors  lie  anthori:sed  to  purchase  the  Lanka 
and  Craigliill  estates  in  tlie  Maskeliya  district  tor 
a sum  not  exceeding  C‘(),ldO  sterling,  and  to 
raise  a sum  not  exceeding  111)0,000  at  0 per  cent 
interest  to  enable  them  to  pay  the  purchase 
money  if  the  purchase  he  comiiletcd.’’ 
COFFEE  1*LANT1NC  ON  HAWAII. 
A T’KOMlSIXO  NEW  INmiSTRy  IN  THE  IIAW.tll.VN  ISEANUS 
SOME  FlUUIlES  I(EI,.VnNO  TO  THE  COST  OE  COFFEE 
CELTUIlE — WHERE  YEGET.tRl.ES  MAY  RE  PLANTED  EVERY 
MONTH  IN  THE  YEAR. 
The  Island  of  Hawaii,  the  largest  of  the  Hawaiian 
Islands,  is  situated  about  two  nuudrod  miles  from 
the  city  of  Honolulu.  Regular  lines  of  steamers 
connect  this  island  with  the  city  The  only  town  of 
importance  on  Hawaii  is  Hilo,  on  the  east  side  of 
the  island,  and  from  whence  a finely  macadamized 
road,  through  the  caue-fiekls  and  a most  luxuriant 
tropical  forest,  leads  to  the  celebrated  volcano  of 
Kilanea,  distant  thirty-one  miles. 
Until  within  a few  years  sugar  has  been  the  staple 
product  of  this  island.  Now,  however,  Coffee  plan- 
ting is  drawing  the  attention  of  small  farmers,  On 
both  the  leeward  as  well  as  the  windward  side  of 
the  great  mountains  Kea  and  Loa,  lays  a large  tract 
of  land  unsuitable  for  cane  growing  and  which  has 
been  found  to  be  eminently  suiiable  for  the  produc- 
tion of  Coffee,  ranging  from  the  sea  coast  up  to  an 
elevation  of  three  thousand  feet. 
Quito  a large  number  of  plantations  have  been 
started  during  the  last  four  years  and  will  soon  be 
coining  into  bearing.  The  Coffee  raised  on  this 
island  in  years  past  has  taken  a very  high  rank, 
even  thought  by  many  to  he  equal  to  the  best  Java 
or  Mocha. 
Laud  or  settlement  can  be  had  from  the  Govern- 
ment, and  also  from  private  land  owners,  at  prices 
ranging  from  S'20  to  per  acre.  The  best  Coffee 
lands  arc,  for  the  most  part,  covered  witlx  a forest 
growth  and  require  clearing.  The  land  can  be  cleaved, 
by  contract,  at  prices  ranging  from  .'*?2G  to  .’J.VJ 
per  acre. 
After  the  laixd  is  cleared  and  the  young  trees 
planted,  either  from  those  owning  nursei’ies,  or  from 
the  nurseries  planted  by  tho  owner,  but  little  care 
is  necessary  except  to  keep  tlie  weeds  down,  until 
after  the  third  year,  at  which  time  a small  crop  can 
be  expected,  when  careful  pruuiixg  and  “ handling  ’ 
is  necessary  to  bring  the  trees  to  perfection. 
From  750  to  1,200  Coffee  trees  are  set  on  an  acre 
and  will  be  in  full  bearing  the  sixth  year  after  p atU- 
ing,  smaller  crops  being  taiieii  the  fourth  and  lifth 
years.  The  crop  011  a good  tree  should  be  about 
three  pounds. 
The  necessary  machinery  for  pulping  and  hulling 
costs  fi’om  .'iiilSO  to  S5 1,500  according  to  the  size. 
Buildings  for  the  drying  and  storing"  are  not  expen- 
sive. The  greatest  cost  in  the  coffee  husiuess  is 
that  incurred  in  picking  the  ripe  berry,  which,  as 
the  Coffee  does  not  ripen  all  ac  once,  is  rather  slow. 
The  berries  take  from  live  to  seven  montixs  to 
mature. 
On  the  higher  lands  the  small  farmer  c.xix  raise 
corn  and  potatoes,  as  well  as  all  garden  vegetables, 
—enough  to  supply  his  family.  Planting  of  these 
can  be  done  everj  mouth  in  the  year,  tixus  giving 
him  a constant  succession  of  crops  the  year  around, 
while  meantime  his  Coffee  is  gx'owiixg  and  coming 
into  bearing. 
50 
A farmer  coming  here  to  live  should  have  at  least 
$3,000  to  carry  him  through.  Land  can  be  leased 
from  tho  Goveriimeixt,  with  the  privilege  of  piix chase, 
on  very  reasonable  terms.  No  tax  is  levied  for  the 
iie.xt  six  years  on  Coffee  plantations. 
Space  in  this  magazine  will  not  allow  to  go  into 
all  tlie  details  of  Coffee  plantiixg,  etc.,  but  the  wi  iter 
of  this  arlielo  will  be  glad  to  answer  all  questions, 
t'3  any  thinking  of  emigrating  here. — D.  H.  Hixchcock, 
Hilo,  Hawaii,  Hawaiian  Inlands. — Jfaij/Joirer,  Oct. 
TEA  IN  MELBOLIUNE. 
Ceylon  are  in  favour,  and  sales  made  of  200  chests 
at  7d  to  Is  Id,  100  half  chests  of  Par.yongs,  and  400 
chests  of  Indian.  At  the  auctions  on  the  15th 
Octohex-,  2,840  packages  of  Indian  were  offered,  of 
which  1,020  packages  sold  up  to  the  following  prices  : 
— For  Dooars  pekoe  S.,  lijd  ; do.  jiekoe,  Old  ; do. 
orange  P.,  7.‘,d  ; 4>ai’jeeling  orange  L’.,  Is  Id  ; do.  pekoe, 
lOjcD  do.  pekoe  S.,  O l,  golden  orange  pekoe,  Is  Gd  ; 
Assam  pekoe.  ll.}d  ; do,  orange  P..  Od  ; do.  pekoe  S., 
7^(1  ; Cachav  pekoe,  7id  ; do.  orange  P.,  7Jd  ; do. 
pekoe  S , 7Jd  ; do.  souchong,  6Jd  ; Terai  pekoe,  7d  ; 
do.  orange  P.,  7Jd  ; do.  pekoe  S.,  0^1-  Also  G8  packages 
of  maclime-made  China  realised  the  following  prices  ; 
— For  broken  leaf,  41d  ; pekoe  S.,  5d;  pekoe,  7Jd  ; 
orange  pekoe,  lid.  The  biddings  were  fairly  brisk, 
and  the  bulk  of  the  catalogues  sold. — Lender, 

CKYLON  LIMITED  COMPAINES— THEIR 
RESERVE  FUNDS-AND  SOME 
COLOMBO  QUOTATIONS. 
A Ceylon  proprietor  now  at  home  favours  us 
by  the  iireseat  mail  with  .some  criticism  which 
we  tliiuk  it  well  to  lay  before  those  concerned 
and  our  readers  generxiUy.  In  the  first  place- 
looking  over  the  list  issued  by  the  Colombo  Share 
Brokers’  Association  as  published  in  the  Overland 
Ceylon  Observer — he  finds  that  the  London-Ceylon 
Conxpanies  quoted  are  frequently  given  very 
cousiderahly  below  their  proper  market  standing. 
We  are  not  quite  clear  as  to  whether  our  friend 
has  compared  the  Colombo  and  London  xpiota- 
tions  for  precisely  the  same  date,  hut  presume 
he  must  liave  done  so.  In  any  case  it  can  do 
no  IxaiTxx  to  repro  luce  what  he  says  on  the  sub- 
ject. He  writes  :—“Uuvahs  are  quoted  T I H.  Now 
no  Ouvali  Coll'ee  Company’s  shares  have  been  so 
low  as  £11  10s  for  ever  .so  long.  I know  some 
were  sold  in  September — the  very  last  lot  in  the 
maiket — at  £12  os.  Again,  Nuwara  Eliyas  are 
quoted  witlx  you  in  Coloiixbo  at  £123  ex-dividend. 
I am  told  it  is  very  difficxilt  to  get  tliem  at 
£13  now.'’ 
Then  as  to  “Reserve  Funds,”  our  critic  con- 
sideis  tliat  Ceylon  Compaixies— or  ratlier  their 
Directors — are,  as  a rule,  to  blame  for  not  ad'oi’d- 
iiig  clear  and  full  information  to  their  sharehold- 
ers as  to  the  iilaciug  or  irivestmeixtof  any  and 
all  liesen  o,  Fuads.  Our  corre.spoixdent  maintains 
this  sliould  he  distinctly  shown  in  the  Directors’ 
Reports  scut  out  before  the  annual  meeting.s, 
so  that  any  shareliolder  dissatisfied  with  tlie  secu- 
rities indicated,  might  ohjeeb.  He  goes  011  to 
say:  “Tiiere  ought  to  be  no  hole-and-corner 
work  in  any  public  Company’s  affairs:  see  the 
disturbance  on  just  now  aliout  the  ‘British 
FiUTiier.s’  Association,  Ijimited,’  as  indicated  in 
the  Financial  Times  of  the  20bh-2lst  October. 
It  is  far  better  that  the  Directors  should  act 
fairly  and  .squarely  with  the  shareholders.” 
On  tlxe  general  principle,  we  heartily  endor.se 
the  view.s  of  our  critic;  hut  if  tlxe  attempt  is 
made  to  ajiply  tlxe  censure  to  any  of  our  Ceylon 
Companies,  we  scarcely  think  the  case  will  hold 
