540 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[Feb. r, 1898. 
The effort is worth making, if there could he a 
satisfactory organisation, because, as we have 
seen it is the demand for Oil that governs the 
price of nuts ; and with large extensions and 
immense areas comings into bejaing, the .supply 
may possibly go ahead of the demand. 
In Copra, too, the exports represent only a fair 
average quantity in 106,601 cwt., tliough that 
is double the quantity sent away in 1896. 
Germany tocdc 42,878 of the total output and 
Belgium' 2.3,245 cwt. In Desiccated Coconut, the 
progressive incre.ase has continued — 12 million lb. 
having being sent away against lOi million in 
1896 ; but ' we are not hopeful there will be 
much more expansion in the manutacture. Al- 
ready, we learn that some of thejsmaller Mills have 
restricted their output, or ceased work for some 
months of the year. The article is not one that 
improves by keeping; and although the oldest 
establi.shments may be able, through good bu.si- 
ness connections and advance orders, to keep up 
their output or increase it, there is no en- 
couragement for new factories. IMore thanthiee- 
foirrtl'.s of the exports have been to the^United 
Kingdom. Ameiica follows trith 9(0,917 11). or 
less thair one-tenth of the total qvrantity; Au'^tralia 
with 672.897 lb. and Germany with 542,965 lb. 
Keferenceto other lowcountry and native products 
we must reserve for another occasion. 
the CEYLON TEA COKBORATION, 
LIMITED. 
An extraordinary general meeting of shareholders 
in the Tea Corporation, Limited, was held on Wednes- 
day (Dec. 22nd) at the registered offices of the Com- 
nanv No 15, Bishopsgate-street Within, the chair 
being occupied by Mr. H. W. Tugwell. 
The Secretaiiy (Mr. Alfrea Howell) read the notice 
convening the meeting. . 
The Chairman said : This, as you know, is only 
an extiaordinary general meeting of the Corporation, 
and therefore the business we have to transact is 
purely formal. I will, however, give you a brief 
Lcount of the Company’s property, taken from the 
renoits of our managing director in Ceylon. Mr. 
Tatham’s reports are satisfactory. He left London 
for Ceylon at the end of July; but ovyng to delay 
in transferring the estates, he is ]ust taking over the 
actual management of our properties. In the mean- 
time he has been visiting all the estates and advising 
the managers how to proceed, and under the circiira- 
stances they are naturally ready to value his 
advice In the estimates in the prospectus we 
put the yield of Dotaloya and Penylari at 530,000 lb. 
of made tea. I may remind you that these two estates 
produce nearly one-half of our tea. .Now, our manager 
i^tatesthat he will be rather disappointed if they do not 
produce 550,0001b. during the first year of his manage- 
ment, and that in the third year he hopes to work 
the yield up to 700,000 lb., or an increase of 170,000 lb. 
of made tea. You must add to this the lucrease on 
the Kudaoya group which he is sure he can effect. 
The average net price so far obtained for our teas has 
been very satisfactory ; but against this has to be set 
the advance of exchange and the high price of rice 
owina to the Indian famine. Our managing director, 
in his report on Dotaloya, says : “ The factory 
is a fine building, and capable of making 500,000 lb. of 
made tea. The estate, taken acre for acre, would more 
than hold its own against any estate in the island. In 
the past it has suffered from scarcity of coolie labour,- 
but in recent months the labour force has been 
increased by 481 men, with 200 more coming in.” 
He also says he secs no reason why Dotaloya should 
not give 400,000 ib. in 1900. if the estate is aided with a 
little manure. Penylan is smaller than Dotaloya, and- 
vet produces 250,0(0 lb. of made tea, which should be 
increased to 300,0001b. In Penylan a gradual improve- 
ment can still be made. I think, thcreiore, we may 
congratulate ourselves on being the owners of a good 
and improving property, which in niy judgment, 
should soon show very good results. (Applause.) 
The Chairman then moved certain special resolutions 
embodying some changes in the articles of Association 
so as to comply with the requirements of the London 
Stock Exchange. 
Mr. Smith seconded the resolutions, which were 
carried unanimously. 
A desultory discussion ensued, during which Sir 
Charles Lawson asked how long it would he before 
any return of the tea would be made. 
Sir. Hancock replied that for the first half-year the 
tea would not be sold until an interval of something 
like another three months had elapsed, so that it was 
impossible at present to answer that question. 
A Shareholder asked whether it was the intention 
of the Board to declare an interim dividend. 
The Chairman said he considered that the share- 
holders should give the directors a little time to see 
how things went. 
A Shareholder said he considered that these 
matters might very safely be left to the dis- 
cretion of the directors. (Hear, hear.) He had 
visited most of the estates in Ceylon belong- 
ing to the Company, and could confirm every- 
thing that the Blaiiager had said in regard to them. 
The production on the estates had iu tbe past been 
limited by the difficulty of obtaining a sufficiency of 
coolie labour; but the manager had now a force of 
400 extra coolies coming on the plantations, and he 
had no doubt that the product iu the future would 
be very largely increased. 
Mr. Shand also spoke hopefully as to the Com- 
pany’s prospects, and said that if reasonable arrange- 
ments could be made in regard to freight the estates 
would no doubt do very well. 
The Chairman, in acknowledging a vote of thanks 
which was unanimously passed to the board of dir- 
ectors, expressed a hope that at the next meeting 
they would be able to put the shareholders into 
possession of an even more favourable etatement as 
to the Company's position. 
The proceedings then terminated. — Grocers' Journal, 
Dec. 25. 
PROPOSED ASIATIC COMMERCIAL 
MUSEUM AT SAN FRANCISCO. 
The United States Consul at Bangkok pro* 
posed, in a report to hi.« Governnieiit, the 
establishment of an Asiatic commercial museum 
at San Eianci.sco on similar lines to those of the 
Philadelphia Museum, for the special purpose 
of bringing the immense markets of the Asian 
Pacific into closer touch with those of the United 
States, and providing manufacturers and ex- 
porters with ready and accessible means for 
securing all kinds of information relative to the 
markets of tlie Far East. He recommends, inter 
alia, that the exhibits should be samples which 
could be readily obtained and shipped to the 
miisentn at San Francisco, or, if too cumbersome, 
then nliotographs could he made, the main ob- 
ject being to show exactly what competition 
must be met in style and quality. A study of 
these, with information as to prices, would pro- 
vide the exporter with sufficient details and en- 
able him to determine whether he could enter 
the field or not. It now requiries fully three 
montlis for a manufacturer to receive 
a i'epl.y to enquiries sent to Asiatic 
ports, but through a museum of this kind the 
same information could be obtained in ten to 
twelve days, whilst exporters would reap the 
benefit of frequent consultation and ready ac- 
cess. The exhibits should consist of exports as 
well as imports, and all necessary information 
as to prices, firms, duties, etc., should be pro- 
vided . — Imperial Institute Journal. 
