720 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICUL'fURlST. 
i April  i,  1897. 
TEA  CHESTS 
In  the  nmltitude  of  counsellors  there  is  safety. 
Atul  apart  from  the  lo;al  sup])ly  of  timber  for 
tea  boxes — very  limiteil,  we  fear— and  the  .sup- 
idy  from  Japan,  which,  .some  peoj)le  tliiiih, 
may  any  day  be  restrictel,  it  is  a comfort 
to  think  that  so  much  is  beinj;  done  in  this 
direction,  both  in  Europe  and  America.  At 
the  heal  of  the  home  list  in  importance  must 
be  placed,  the  Clas<;o\v  Acme  Steel  Cliest  Com- 
pany, which  has  already  R'ot  so  j,'  eat  a hold 
on  Indian  tea  planters,  that  its  Directors  have 
felt  justified  in  seeming  and  erecting  s)iecial 
works  for  their  operations,  and  are  about  to 
increase  the  capital  of  the  Com[)any.  They 
have  got  a most  energetic  capable  Manager  in 
an  Aberdonian  <mntleman,  who  was  trained  iis  an 
Analyticil  Cliemist  ; but  whose  keen  business 
liabits  liad  attracted  attention.  Still,  in  his 
first  year  he  was  able,  as  Chemist,  to  show 
his  Directors,  how  tliey  con'd  save  £o00  a year 
in  tlicir  maniimlation  of  the  steel  plates  ; and 
we  may  exitect  the  “Acme'’  peojjle  to  go 
on  improving  their  style  of  ch-’st  which  they 
hojie  erelong  to  turn  out  at  the  rate  of  a mil- 
lion a year. 
A tea  box  owned  by  a London  Syndicate, 
an  I in  the  invention  of  which,  an  old  Ceylon 
planter,  Mr.  J.  C.  Roberts,  was  prominent,  is 
specially  praised  for  the  equal  tares,  it  is  likely 
to  secure,  as  well  as  for  its  lightne.ss  and  cheap- 
ness. A special  celluloid  preiiaration  is  used, 
tucked  by  very  thin  steel,  and  the  steel  amd 
cardboard  make  the  chests  very  Ilexii.le.  Cut 
an-oss  in  two,  tliese  are  readily  convertible 
into  half-chests.  Dawson’s  Raltie  timber  box 
for  tea  is  said  to  be  both  cheap  and  good  ; 
a?id  so  is  a Canadian  tea-chest,  which  it  is 
hoped  to  supply  largely  to  India  and  Ceylon. 
And  lastly  we  have  in  our  mid.st,  as  lately 
announced  in  full  detail,  the  \ enesta  tea 
clie.st.  We  liave  heard  remarks  made  as  to 
a recent  testing  ot  these  chests,  on  a Dimljula 
estat“,  that  it  is  a pity  that  the  rival  boxes 
were  not  filled  with  i)recisely  the  same  quan- 
titie-!,  or  rather  weights,  of  say,  dust  tea,  nml 
tliat  then  the  test  applied  could  not  prove  otlier- 
wise  than  equal  and  lair. 
Tlie  lime  is,  no  doubt,  approaching— say  at 
the  next  Agri-Horticultural  ishow  in  Colombo— 
when  not  only  'I’ea  Machinery  ol  all  descni)tions, 
but  all  the  varieties  of  tea  chests  can  be  shown 
ainl  even  tested,  to  some  e.xtent,  simultaneously. 
IVleantime,  it  is  satisfactory^  to  know  that  there 
is  no  chance  of  a tailuic  of  supirly,  nor  yet  of 
a monopoly'  in  any'  one  dii'ection,  in  this  im- 
]>ortant  item  of  a tea  producers  stock-in-tiude. 
THE  KALDTARA  COMPANY,  LIMITED. 
The  annual  ordinary  general  meetiirg  of  the 
above  Com[)any  was  held  at  the  Company' s 
unices.  No.  7 t^ueeir  Street,  Port,  Colombo,  on 
the  I8th  March. 
'I’he  following  is  the  report 
: — 
ACUEAGE. 
Tea  in  hearing 
..  425  Acres 
Tea  not  in  hearing  . . 
• • 1d*>  ]} 
Arecanuts,  Grass,  Ac. 
• • 7 )) 
Forest  • • 
585 
. . 499 
Total 
..  1 Oil 
The  Directors  have  now  the  pleasure  to  sobrn  t to 
the  Shareholders  the  Accounts  for  the  period  from 
tst  April  to  a 1st  December,  laoti 
The  Crop  daring  that  period  was  153,477  lb.  Tea, 
wbicii  realized  a net  average  of  3l)i  cents  per  lb. 
Af  er  lu.iking  ample  provision  for  depreciation  of 
Eiiildings  and  Maebiuery,  there  is  a b alance  at  credit 
of  Profit  and  Loss  Account  on  the  nine  months 
working  of  R‘21,053'40,  equal  to  7 per  cent  per  annum 
on  the  Capilal  of  lha  Company.  After  writing  off 
the  whole  of  the  preliminary  expenses  (K3,Di)5'99), 
the  balance  available  amounts  to  Rl7,057  -4l.  Tiie 
Direotors  now  recommend  the  payment  of  a Dividend 
of  4 per  cent,  which  will  absorb  RIO, 090  and  leave 
a balance  of  Rl,057’-4t  to  be  carried  forward  to  the 
current  season. 
'J’he  estimate  for  this  year  is  195,000  lb.  Tea  from 
the  4'25  acres  in  bearing  on  an  exiienditiu'e  of 
R 17,053-53,  which  includes  a sum  of  116, OJO  to  be 
expended  in  manuring  120  acres. 
Tlie  C'timated  expenditure  on  C.apital  Account  is 
1132  33;)  11,  which  provides  for  the  ujikeep  of  the  153 
acres  not  in  bearing,  tlie  planting  up  of  additional 
clearings,  in  extent  32  acre.q  and  the  cost  of  a new 
withering  shed. 
Mr.  C.  A.  Leechman  having  retired  from  the  Roard, 
Mr.  J.  G.  WarJropi  was  nominated  to  the  vacancy 
thus  occasioned. 
In  terms  of  the  Articles  of  Association  all  the 
Directors  now  retire.  Out  are  eligible  for  re-election. 
The  appointment  of  an  Auditor  for  the  current 
year  will  rest  with  the  Meeting. — By  order  of  the 
Directors.  Wiiittai.l  A Go. 
Colombo,  5th  Mach  1897.  A'jents  and  Secretaries. 
INDIAN  PATENTS. 
The  fees  prescribed  have  been  paid  for  the  con- 
tinuance of  exclusive  privilege  in  respect  of  the 
iiaJennentioned  inventions  for  the  periods  shown 
ag.iiust  each  ; — 
Impuoved  itULLER  I'ou  Ricn,  CoriEE,  and  Gjiai-n. — 
No.  73  of  1892. — Edward  Lennon  Cantwell,  civil 
engineer  and  patent  age  t,  of  6,  Old  Post  Office 
street  Calcutta,  for  an  improved  ludler  for  rice,  coffee, 
and  grain,  and  for  scouring  and  cleaning  rice, 
wheat,  and  every  discription  of  grain.  (Eroin  1st 
March  1897  to  1st  March  1898.) 
Imi’kovumen  IS  i.\  Tim  sikthoi)  or,  and  ai'I'ak.vt.is 
VOlt,  mtVlNO  TEA  l.KAl-  A.NI)  TllK  TUKH.  — No.  152  of  1892. 
— Henry  Tiiompson,  engineer,  ot  Ipswich,  in  the 
county  of  Suffolk,  for  improvements  in  the  method 
(f,  and  apparatus  for,  drying  te.a  leaf  and  the  like. 
I From  10th  March  1897  to  10th  March  1898.) — Indian 
and  Eastern  Eui/ineer,  March  20. 
M.vnuring  Tk.\  with  Rulkv  M.V.VUItltS.- 
An  experienced  planter,  now  at  home,  wriies  ; — 
“ Ry  the  way  ilidn’t  I once  iiieiitioii  to  yon 
that  when  planters  were  maimriiig  with  bulky 
manures,  that  groat  care  .'■hoiild  be  taken  not  to 
cut  the  side  roots.  1 have  seen  a great  deal  of 
careles.s  work  done  that  way',  and  1 can’t  think 
in  a ease  of  that  sort  tlie  manure  is  likely  to 
benefit  the  tree,  wlien  its  feeding  roots  are  cut. 
Coolies  are  excessively  careless  when  holing,  ami 
are  eertaiii  to  cut  large  mimhers  of  roots  uiile.-'.s 
stiietly  prohibited  from  doing  .so.  A kind  of 
special  hoe  .should  he  u.sed  with  blunted  edge, 
to  draw  the  earth  hack  from  the  stem  of  the 
tree  wliere  it  enters  the  ground,  imt  to  cut  a 
hole  to  deposit  tlie  mamtre  in,  for  if  the  hole 
is  cut  Avith  a sharp  holing  mamotie,  .'-licit  as  is 
used  in  cutting  roads  or  draiti.s,  the  huge  side  roots 
are  almost  certain  to  be  cut  through.” 
n C A p M i.  Q 0 An  essay  ilesoribing  a really 
ULnl  l'l  OOi  genuine  ('itre  for  Dcafnes>-'. 
Ringing  in  Ears  A:c.,  no  malterhow  scA  cre  or  long 
standing,  will  he  .sent  iiost  free.  Artificial  E u'- 
drums  and  similar  a]iplianccs  entirelv  superseded, 
Address  'I'llU-MAS  KEMl’E,  Vin'oiti.v 
UKlt.S,  It),  SOUTM.WII'TON  P>UlM)li\(iS.  1 1 Ul.lg  IRN  , 
4 ON DON. 
