4^4 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST.  [Jan,  i,  1S97. 
average,  aud  some  of  them  are  realising  very  high 
prices.  Of  course  we  have  only  sold  a certain  por- 
tion of  our  tea,  and  it  would  be  quite  premature 
on  my  part  to  predict  what  is  likely  to  be  the  re- 
sult of  the  current  year.  Everything,  however 
points  to  favourable  results.  Some  few  weeks  later 
— about  the  end  of  the  year — when  the  time 
comes  to  pay  you  an  interim  dividen'l,  I hope 
I shall  be  in  a position  to  tell  you  what  the 
teas  have  realised  and  what  is  the  approximate 
value  that  they  are  likely  to  realise  through 
the  whole  year.  I can  only  say  that  the  portion 
which  has  been  sold  has  been  sold  satisfactorily. 
As  regards  the  future  of  the  company  I will  not  say 
very  much,  but  I may  tell  you  that  the  directors  enter- 
tain a very  strong  expectation  of  success.  There  are, 
of  course,  certain  matters  which  must  always  be  guar- 
ded against,  and  possibly  even  be  feared, ' but  those 
are  attendant  on  any  commercial  undertaking,  and 
in  the  case  of  this  company,  as  in  most  othor  tea 
undertakings,  they  are  of  quite  a minor  charac- 
ter. There  may  be  dif&calties  about  exchange 
and  similar  matters,  but  there  are  two  things 
particularly  upon  which  our  success  must  greatly 
depend,  and  to  these  I will  draw  your 
attention.  One  is  the  question  of  obtaining 
new  markets,  and  I am  glad  to  be  able  to  tell 
you — for  I know  something  about  the  matter, 
as  I happen  to  be  on  the  special  committee  ap- 
pointed by  the  Indian  Tea  Association,  which  deals 
with  the  question  of  new  markets — every  day  seems 
to  show  that  Indian  teas  are  spreading  more  and 
more  abroad  through  America,  Canada,  Australia, 
Persia,  and  many  other  countries ; and — we  hope 
we  shall  be  able  to  make  a very  considerable  advance 
in  the  consumption  of  Indian  teas  on  some  parts 
of  the  continent  of  Europe.  There  is  one  other 
thing  which  is  of  very  great  importance,  and  that 
is  that,  so  far,  matters  connected  with  the  tea  in- 
dustry have  met  with  very  little  of  what  I might 
call  scientific  attention,  but  now  I am  glad  to  say 
a number  of  people  who  are  most  active  in  the  tea 
business  are  trying  to  look  at  the  thing  from  a more 
scientific  point  of  view,  and  the  quest'on  has  "Tjcen 
raised  aboiu  the  appointment  of  a scientific  in- 
vestigator or  analyst  in  connection  with  the  Indian 
tea  industry.  Now,  I would  remind  you  of  the  words 
that  fell  from  Mr.  Balfour  yesterday.  What  he 
pointed  out  was  that  the  manufacturers  of  Germany 
were  maintaining  at  their  own  cost  special  scientific 
investigators  to  consider  how  far  their  business  could 
be  advanced  by  recent  discoveries,  and  also  to  make 
discoveries  so  far  as  they  could  themselves.  Now,  we 
are  just  in  the  position  of  manufacturers.  We  grow 
tea,  but  we  are  also  manufacturers  of  it,  and  if  there  is 
one  thing  that  the  tea  industry  requires  more  than 
anything  else — one  great  safeguard — it  is  that  this 
matter  sliould  be  dealt  with;  I refer  to  the  growth 
and  production  of  tea  by  real  experts,  fully  versed  in 
the  latest  scientific  discoveries.  You  can  well  under- 
stand why  this  matter  has  been  raised,  and  I am  glad 
to  say  we  are  told  that  the  Government  of  India  will 
ive  the  tea  industry  some  support  in  this  direction, 
hope  we  shall  be  able  to  make  some  arrange- 
ment whereby  we  shall  get  some  really  good  men 
who  will  not  merely  help  us  to  guard  against 
blights  and  other  dangers  to  which  tea-growers  are 
subject,  but  who  will  go  into  the  whole  question 
of  the  manufacture  of  tea — the  drying,  withering, 
and  fermenting  from  scientific  point  of  view — show- 
ing where  we  can  hope  to  make  advances  in  quality 
aud  where  we  can  hope  to  guard  against  the  blights 
which  have  already  appeared,  but  which  I am 
glad  to  say  have  made  no  further  pi’ogress.  I refer 
to  the  mosquito  fly,  red  spider,  and  so  on.  I trust 
we  shall  then  bo  able  to  guard  against  all  future 
evils  of  the  same  sort.  I have  no  doubt  that  a 
large  number  of  conqianies,  including  the  company 
which  I here  represent,  and  also  otlier  companies 
of  the  directorate  of  which  I am  a member,  will  join 
together  and  arrange  matters  so  that  we  may  not 
be  surpassed  in  the  business  by  Gormans,  but  may 
bring  to  our  assistance  all  the  resources  that 
Bciouce  can  produce.  Such  a step  would,  I think, 
greatly  contribute  to  the  success  of  not  only  this 
company,  but  of  all  other  Indian  tea  companies, 
and  enable  them  to  obtain  large  profits  and 
distribute  large  dividends  in  the  future.  It  is 
hardly  necessary,  perhaps,  for  me  to  address 
you  about  these  things,  but  you  can  under- 
stand that  it  is  just  as  well  that  such  an  important 
question  as  I have  referred  to  should  be  ventilated 
as  far  as  possible.  I see  before  me  a large  number 
of  gentlemen  well  acquainted  with  the  business  and 
well  versed  in  such  matters,  and  it  is  for  that 
reason  that  I have  made  these  few  remarks  upon 
the  question  of  scientific  help. 
A Shareholder  inquired  when  a settlement  in  the 
shares  would  take  place. 
The  Chairman : — I am  very  hopeful  that;it  will  take 
lace  almost  immediately.  It  is  a matter  that  is 
efore  the  Stock  Exchange  to-day.  We  have  ap- 
plied, but  there  was  a little  legal  difficulty  in  one 
oint  which,  I think,  kept  us  back  a little.  That, 
owever,  has  now  been  got  over,  and  I hope  the 
Stock  Exchange  will  fix  a day  fora  the  special  settle- 
ment and  will  grant  us  a quotation. 
There  was  no  motion  to  submit,  and,  there  being 
no  further  questions,  the  meeting  closed. 
fTlie  quotation,  referred  to  above,  has  been  granted 
by  the  Stock  Exchange  Committee,  and  the  speciai 
settlement  fixed  for  December  2.] 
TEA  MACHINERY. 
There  are  many  planters  still  on  the  active  list,  who 
will  remember  the  old  days,  when  every  process 
connected  with  the  manufacture  of  tea  was  done 
by  manual  labour,  and  when  tea  was  fired  over 
charcoal  tires.  When  driers  were  first  introduced, 
a great  controversy  arose  as  to  whether  tea  could 
as,,  effectually  be  dried  by  pure  hot  air,  as  the 
heated  air  which  arose  from  burning  charcoal.  It 
was  alleged  by  some,  that  the  fumes  arising  from 
live  charcoal  tires,  acted  in  some  way  chemically 
on  the  leaf,  aud  that  this  ac^ion  was  essential  to 
good  tea  being  manufactured.  So  also  with  rollers : 
the  conservatism  of  that  time,  declared  that  leaf 
could  never  be  so  well  rolled,  aud  such  exquisite 
twist  obtained,  by  machinery  as  by  hand.  Many 
thought  that  although  machinery  would  be  a great 
saving  of  labour,  it  would  practically  mean  the 
deterioration  of  tea.  As  for  packing  by  machinery, 
such  a thing  was  never  dreamt  of,  even  in  the 
wildest  flights  of  imagination.  It  was  as  far  from 
the  thoughts  of  the  old  generation  as  plucking  by 
machinery  is  from  ours.  Yet,  when  we  look  back, 
even  the  past  ten  years,  what  wonderful  improve- 
ments have  taken  place ; and  if  we  progress  in  the 
same  ratio,  we  see  no  reason  why  there  should  not  be 
plying  an  automatic  plucksr,  ere  another  decennary 
passes  over  our  heads.  When  wo  look  back,  dow'u 
the  vista  of  the  past,  and  survey  all  the  machines 
which  have  been  invented,  and  which  have  had  their 
day  and  passed  out  of  use,  we  are  simply  amazed  at  the 
rapid  progress  which  mechanical  skill  is  making,  in 
turning  out  new  aud  improved  machinery  for  the  tea  in- 
dustry. In  fact,  so  rapid  is  the  pace,  that  before  some  of 
the  late  inventions  have  had  time  to  be  classed  as  old, 
they  are  superseded  by  latter  improvements,  which 
place  the  former  in  the  category  of  those  defunct,  and 
merely  to  be  added  to  those  already  gone  before. 
Thus,  early  in  their  infancy,  having  finished  their 
course,  they  serve  only  to  stand  as  memorial  stones 
along  the  path  of  progress.  There  are  now  so  many 
machines  that  purchasers  find  it  very  difficult  to 
decide  which  to  choose.  The  two  best  known  inventors 
are  Messrs  W.  and  J.  .Jackson,  whose  tea  machinery 
are  manufactured  by  klessrs.  Mai'shall,  Sons  and 
Co.,  Ed.,  Gainsborough,  England,  and  the  Messrs. 
Davidson  and  Co.,  of  llelfast,  Ireland.  The  brains  of 
these  gentlemen  never  seem  to  tire,  and  the  rivalry 
is  so  ]((>en  between  them,  that  wc  are  not 
allowed  breathing  time  to  decide  the  merits  of  anyone 
machine,  before  it  is  “ capped"  by  another,  In  these 
days  of  competition,  it  is  impossible  for  such  machinists 
to  rest  on  their  oars.  Go  ahead  they  must,  for  if  they 
