April  i,  1897.]  THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST.  713 
KANDYAN  HILLS  COMPANY,  LD. 
A general  meeting  of  shareliolilersof  the  Kandyan 
Hills  Company,  Ltd.,  was  held  at  the  offices  of 
Messrs.  Carson  & Co.,  21,  Baillie  Street,  on  the 
19tli  March. 
The  report  was  as  follows  : — 
. . 1.190  acres. 
. . 100  „ 
1,290  „ 
320  „ 
402  „ 
790  „ 
LUO  „ 
1,292  „ 
The  Directors  have  pleasure  in  submitting  the  ac- 
counts for  the  past  year  ending  31st  Dec.,  1896. 
The  crop  secured  amounted  to  128,625  lb.  made  tea 
realised  R49,251'74  and  103  cwt.  1 qr.  24  lb.  cocoa 
realizing  R3,508T2.  The  average  cost  (exclusive  of 
expenditure  of  items  under  capital  account,  profit 
and  loss  and  sundries)  of  made  tea  was  28'27  cents 
per  lb.,  and  the  average  price  realized  38'27  cents 
per  lb.  This  includes  R3,126'76  spent  on  manuring 
110  acres. 
The  average  cost  per  cwt.  of  cocoa  was  E28‘27. 
The  average  price  realised  R33'90  per  cwt. 
The  balance  at  debit  of  profit  and  loss  account  after 
making  provision  for 
R. 
c. 
Stationery  and  postages 
50 
00 
Preliminary  expenses  in  the  forma- 
tion of  the  Company,  including 
commission  to  Mr.  Grigson 
5,241 
65 
Interest  at  7 per  cent  on  £4,500  mort- 
gage 
5,976 
92 
Directors’  fees  Visiting  Agent 
1,300 
00 
Agents  and  Secretaries.. 
Auditor’s  fees 
750 
00 
50 
00 
R13,368  57 
amounts  -to  R566'71,  which  the  Directors  propose  to 
carry  forward  to  next  account. 
The  result  is  disappointing,  and  is  accounted  for 
by  low  prices  r ding  for  medium  teas  last  year,  and 
the  low  prices  of  cocoa. 
The  Company  was  also  unfortunate  in  losing  the 
services  of  Mr.  E.  S.  Grigson,  and  subsequently  Mr. 
G.  F.  Traill,  who  was  acting  as  visiting  agent  during 
the  former’s  absence  at  home. 
Every  effort  is  being  made  to  improve  the  quality 
and  the  manufacture  of  the  teas. 
Only  26  acres  having  been  planted  last  year,  it 
is  proposed  that  up  to  74  acres  be  opened  this 
year,  making  the  100  acres  as  contemplated  in  the 
prospectus. 
The  mortgage  for  £4,500  bearing  interest  at  7 per 
cent  per  annum,  is  being  replaced  by  one  for  a 
similar  amount,  bearing  interest  at  the  rate  of  5 per 
cent  per  annum. 
The  appointment  of  an  auditor  will  rest  with  the 
meeting. — By  order  of  the  directors, 
Cakson  & Co.,  Agents  and  Secretaries. 
ACREAGE  : 
Originally  purchased 
Since  acquired 
Tea  in  bearing 
New  clearing  26  planted 
In  process  of  clearing 
Reserve  land 
Cocoa 
« 
THE  ROEBERRY  TEA  COMPANY  OF 
CEYLON,  LIMITED. 
The  first  annual  ordinary  general  meeting 
the  shareholders  of  tliis  Company  was  held  at 
the  offices  of  Messrs.  Bois  Brothers  & Co.  on  the 
22nd  March. 
The  Report  was  as  follows  : — 
ACREAGE. 
407  acres  4 years  old  and  upward. 
136  „ 3 do  do 
127 J „ Just  planted 
669J  acres  of  Tea 
4J  „ Cardamoms  just  planted 
23  „ Grevilleas 
696|^  acres 
336J  „ Uncultivated 
Total.  1,033  acres 
The  Directors  have  now  the  pleasure  to  submit 
heir  first  annual  report  and  accounts  being  those  for 
the  year  ending  31st  December  last  The  yield  of 
Tea  during  the  period  has  been  127,840  lb.  costing 
cts.  38'52  per  lb.  and  realizing  cts.  45‘47  per  lb. 
On  a reference  to  the  accounts  it  will  be  seen  that 
the  nett  profit  amounts  to  R6,753'69,  after  writing 
off  the  whole  of  the  preliminary  expenses,  and  the 
Directors  recommend  that  this  balance  should  be 
carried  forward  to  the  next  account. 
The  result  of  the  year’s  working  is  not  so  satis- 
factory as  the  Directors  at  one  time  hoped,  and 
this  to  a great  extent  has  been  caused  by  the  delay 
in  the  completion  of  the  Factory  which  necessitated 
the  tea  being  manufactured  for  a considerable  period 
at  the  nearest  available  Factory,  involving  a heavy 
expenditure  for  transport  of  green  leaf  for  a distance 
of  some  14  miles,  besides  the  additional  cost  of 
manufacture. 
The  Factory  is  now  in  satisfactory  working  order, 
and  it  is  hoped  that  the  consequent  improvement 
in  the  quality  of  the  tea  made  there  since  its  com- 
pletion in  September  will  be  maintained. 
During  the  year  127  acres  of  tea  have  been  plant- 
ed and  large  nurseries  established,  which  will  be 
found  adequate  for  any  further  extensions  that  may 
be  decided  upon  in  the  immediate  future. 
Mr.  Mason  visited  the  estates  on  the  12th  and 
13th  February  and  reports  that  the  general  appear- 
ance and  condition  of  the  property  is  “ distinctly 
good ; the  Roeberry  division  in  particular  shews  a 
very  thick  cover  almost  throughout  the  entire  estate.” 
The  out-turn  of  crop  for  last  year  was  as  follows  : — 
Bushels 
Coffee. 
284 
as  against  an  estimate  of  . . 280 
The  estimate  for  the  current  year  is  174,000  lb 
of  Tea  against  an  expenditure  of  R67,790,  which  sum. 
however,  includes  the  cost  of  up-keep  of  all  young  tea 
Mr.  Mason  reports  that  the  planting  of  the  new. 
Clearing  was  all  finished  in  January  and  that  the 
work  has  been  most  carefully  done,  the  vacancies 
at  present  appearing  being  almost  nil. 
The  old  tea,  viz.,  190  acres,  5 yea-s  of  age  and  up- 
wards, gave  an  average  return  of  466  lb.  per  acre,  and 
there  is  no  reason  to  suppose  that  the  younger  tea 
will  not  give  equally  satisfactory  results  when  it  ar- 
rives at  maturity. 
In  terms  of  the  Articles  of  Association  all  the  Direc- 
tors now  retire  but  are  eligible  for  re-election.  The 
appointment  of  an  Auditor  for  the  current  year  wil 
rest  with  the  meeting. 
lbs.  Tea. 
127,840 
115,500 
174,000 
THE  PALMERSTON  TEA  COMPANY  OF 
CEYLON,  LIMITED. 
At  a meeting  of  the  Shareholders  of  the 
Palmerston  Tea  Company  of  Ceylon,  Limited,  held 
at  the  registered  office.  No.  il,  Queen’s  Street 
Colombo,  on  the  22nd  iMarch.  ’ 
The  report  is  as  follows  : — 
ACREAGE. 
403  acres  over  6 years 
89  „ „ 3 „ 
472 
21  ,,  Forest,  Grass  and  Timber  Trees 
Total.. 493  Acres, 
