March  i,  1897.]  THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST.  617 
which  and  with  other  items  chargeable  to  Capital 
Account  the  outlay  estimated  under  that  head  amounts 
to  E3,005. 
Messrs.  G.  W.  Carlyon  and  C.  A.  Leechman  hav- 
ing during  the  j'ear  resigned  their  seats  on  the 
Board,  the  remaining  Directors  apijointed  Messrs. 
Alex.  Thomson  and  Herbert  Tarrant  to  fill  these 
vacancies  respectively.  In  terms  of  the  Articles  of 
Association  Mr.  Alex.  Thomson  retires  by  rotation 
from  the  office  of  Director,  but  is  eligible  for  re-election. 
Mr.  K.  L.  M.  Brown  having  resigned  the  post  of 
Auditor  to  the  Company,  the  Directors  under  the 
Company  ’s  Article  No.  92  appointed  Mr.  Hercules  J. 
Scott  to  fill  the  vacancy  thus  occosioned. 
The  appointment  of  au  Auditor  for  the  current 
year  will  rest  with  the  Meeting.  By  order  of  Hie 
Directors.  hittall  & Co. 
Colombo,  Feb.  3rd  1897.  Agents  & Secretaries. 
THE  MADRAS  AGRICULTURAL  COLLEGE. 
The  ollowiiig  questions  by  an  iinotlicial  mem- 
ber of  the  Madras  Legislative  Council  and  the 
answers  of  the  Government  are  of  interest  in  view 
of  a similar  proceeding  which  took  place  in  the 
Legislative  Council  of  Ceylon  ; — 
COST  OF  THE  AGRICULTURAI.  COLLEGE. 
Q. — What  is  the  approximate  amount  spent  till 
now  towards  the  maintenance  of  the  Agricultural 
College  and  the  Farm,  &c.,  at  Saidapet? 
A. — THE  HON'DLE  Mil.  GROSE  : — 
12.  The  ajiproximate  cost  comes  to  about  8 lakhs 
of  Rupees. 
RENEFITS  FROM  THE  AGRICULTURAL  COLLEGE. 
Q.— Ill  what  way  has  the  country  benefit  by  it? 
A. — THE  HON’BLK  MR.  GROSE  1 — 
Among  the  benefits  which  the  country  has  derived 
from  the  College  of  Agriculture  may  be  enume- 
rated— 
(i)  The  spread  of  agricultural  education. 
(ii)  The  supply  of  trained  subordinates  for  the 
Agricultural  and  Civil  Veterinary  Departments. 
(iii)  The  supply  to  the  Revenue  and  Forest 
Departments  of  a number  of  subordinates  who  are 
acquainted  with  the  theory  and  practice  of  agriculture. 
■ (iv)  The  diffusion  of  a knowledge  of  improved  im- 
plements, of  stock  and  dairy  management,  of  deep 
cultivation,  of  manure  and  of  other  matters  inti- 
mately connected  with  improvement  in  agriculture 
through  the  agency  of  the  students. 
(v)  The  general  awakening  of  interest  in  agri- 
cultural matters. 
THE  INFLUENCE  OF  THE  AGRICULTURAL  COLLEGE  ON 
AGRICULTURE. 
Q. — Has  the  agriculture  of  the  country  '^een  in  any 
way  improved  ? If  so,  in  what  way  ? 
A.— THE  HON’bLE  MR.  GROSE  : — 
The  question  covers  so  vast  a field  that  it  is  im- 
possible for  the  Government  to  furnish  the  Hon’ble 
Member  with  a siiiple  answer.  So  far  as  the  Madras 
Presidency  is  concerned,  information  in  regard  to 
such  improvements  as  have  been  effected  will  be 
found  in  the  published  administration  reports  of  the 
Departments  of  Land  Records  and  Agriculture,  to 
which  the  Hon’ble  Member  will  be  referred. 
INADEIJUACY  OF  AGRICULTURAL  ISmROVEMENT. 
Q. — Does  not  the  Government  think  that  steps 
hitherto  taken  towards  the  improvement  of  agriculture 
are  not  enough,  and  the  ryots  are  too  poor  and  helpless 
to  improve  it  themselves  ? 
A. — THE  HON.  MR.  GROSE  : — 
The  Government  considers  that  further  measures 
should  be  adopted  from  time  to  time  for  improving 
ogiiculture,  and  this  difficult  subject  consequently  con- 
tinues to  engage  its  attention.  The  Government  does 
not  believe  the  ryots  to  be  generally  “po°'^  and  help- 
less but,  on  the  contrary,  is  convinced  that,  as  a 
class,  they  are  well  able  to  take  care  of  their  own 
interests  in  this  respect  and  will  readily  adopt  improv- 
ments  in  agricultural  methods  which  are  brought  to 
their  notice  when  the  advantage  to  be  derived  there- 
from is  demostrated  to  their  satisfaction. 
FACULTIES  FOR  AGRICULTURE. 
Q, — Will  the  Government  be  pleased  to  adopt  better 
measures  than  have  hitherto  been  adopted  for  the  pure 
pose,  as  for  instance,  of  obtaining  lease  of  ten  to  fifteen 
acres  in  each  taluk  from  ryots,  and  prove  by  actual 
improved  means  of  cultivation  the  advantage  of  the 
new  s)  stem  as  a practical  lesson  to  the  owner  of  the 
land  and  his  neighbours. 
A. — THE  HON.  MR.  GROSE  : — 
The  Government  does  not  consider  the  scheme  sug- 
gested by  the  Hon.  Member  to  be  practicable  ; but  he 
will,  uo  doubt,  be  glad  to  heir  that  orders  have  recently 
been  issued  directing  the  establishment  for  a similar 
purpose  of  an  experimental  farm  at  Bellary  or 
Coimbatore.  Should  the  working  of  this  farm  prove 
a success,  the  Government  will,  in  all  probability, 
establish  others  in  different  parts  of  the  Presidency. 
^ 
LANDS  GIVEN  UP  AND  BOUGHT  BY 
CEYLON  PLANTERS  IN  THE  STRAITS. 
The  District  Officer,  Klang(Mr.  W.  W.  Douglas), 
Reports  : — 
Block  Nos.  32  and  33  on  the  Langat  Road,  recently 
surrendered  by  Mr.  William  Forsyth,  form  part  of  the 
areas  mentioned  above.  The  applicants  are  princi- 
pally Javanese,  but  in  block  32,  which  contains  64 
holdings  of  about  4g  acres,  the  applicants  are  Malays, 
Chinese  and  Tamils.  Block  37  surrendered  by  Mr. 
T.  N.  Christie,  is  being  alienated  to  natives  in  a like 
manner,  and  up  to  the  end  of  the  month  62  appli- 
cations had  been  made  leaving  room  for  about  eight 
more.  Blocks  .32  and  33  are  at  present  being 
demarcated. 
At  the  land  sale  held  on  7th  December,  1.5  blocks 
in  the  Kapur  Mukim,  one  in  the  Klang  Mukim,  and 
one  in  the  Damansara  Mukim,  in  all  comprising  5,682 
acres  1 rood,  were  offered  for  sale  by  auction  at  an 
upset  price  of  |1  per  acre.  Of  the  15  blocks  in  the 
Kapar  Mukim  six  were  sold,  one  being  purchased  by 
Mr.  E.  V.  Carey  for  Mr.  A.  Orchard,  three  by  Mr. 
A.  D.  Douglas  for  Dr.  Graham  andBodo  Von  Bulow, 
one  by  Mr.  T.  Gibson  for  the  Klang  Planting  and 
Estates  Syndicate,  Limited,  and  one  by  Mr.  John 
Inch,  of  Klang.  One  block  in  the  Klang  Mukim, 
between  the  6th  mile  on  the  Langat  Road  and  the 
Langat  River,  was  bought  by  Mr.  J.  D.  Toynbee  for 
Colonel  W.  Ellis,  and  at  Damansara  a small  block. 
No.  18  was  bought  by  Mr.  R.  S.  Meikle  for  Mr.  T. 
N.  Christie.  In  the  sale  of  these  blocks  the  upset 
price  was  realised. — Selanyor  Govt.  Gazette. 
♦ 
LONDON  PRODUCE  CLEARING  HOUSE. 
REFERENCE  TO  CEYLON  COFFEE  AND  INDIAN  TEA  : 
GOLD  AND  SILVER. 
The  yearly  general  meeting  of  the  London  Produce 
Clearing  House,  Limited  was  held  yesterday  (Jan.  25) 
at  the  Cannon-street,  Hotel,  under  the  presidency 
of  Mr.  Francis  John  Johnston. — The  Secretary  (Mr. 
John  Culbertson)  having  read  the  notice  convening 
the  meeting. 
The  Chairman  said  : — Gentlemen,  When  an  in- 
creased dividend  is  proposed  and  when  that  dividend 
is  the  highest  paid  since  the  company  was  formed, 
we  have  a practical  proof,  more  telling  than  words, 
that  our  business  is  progressive.  This  increased 
dividend  is  chiefly  due  to  our  larger  dealing  in  sugar, 
in  which  the  range  of  prices,  from  the  highest  to 
the  lowest  point,  during  the  year,  has  been  about 
35  per  cent.  It  is  severe  fluctuations  like  this  that 
the  security  afforded  by  our  system  becomes  speci- 
ally evident,  and  this  fact  has  not  failed  to  impress 
itself  strongly  on  operators  through  the  stern  logic 
of  events.  While  we  have  secured  to  our  clients  in 
sugar,  as  in  other  articles,  the  due  and  prompt  fulfil- 
ment of  engagements,  we  have  not  only  been  able 
to  do  so  without  any  loss,  but  also  without  a single 
dispute  or  case  for  arbitration,  so  smoothly  has  our 
business  worked.  In  short,  our  operations  have  been 
conducted  on  the  admirable  business  rule  of  safely, 
swiftly  and  pleasantly.  While,  however,  sugar  ha« 
