8io 
THE TFOPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[June i, 1898. 
contrailistincbion to the system in force here, 
are individually irnder agreement to the jdantevs. 
Labour, so far as he is aware, is plentiful, and 
the supervision is such as to prevent, to a large 
extent, desertion or crimping, it being necessary 
that everyone who goes oft' theestate, even on leave, 
should produce a pass to tire Jagar or private po- 
liceman— and there ai'e several of these employed 
by each estate— who accosts him, before he is 
allowed to go on his way. The management of 
the labour force is quite dift'erent from that 
which obtains in Ceylon, there being no such 
persons as kanganies, and the system .seeiris to 
work very well. The estate which Mr. Porter- 
visited is the first that has been opened in tea in 
Sumatra and is under the superintendeirtship of 
Mr W. Baker, who is a fortrrer Ceylon plairter 
and was stationed in the Badulla districc before he 
went hoirre and was apjiointed to his present billet 
in Sunratra. It is only two years since tea 
was planted on the estate which was for- 
merly covered with Liberian cofl'ee which has 
not been doing very well of recent years, 
and tea has been doirrg so well that orders 
have been issued to discontinue the cultivation 
of coffee and devote all attention to tea. The 
estate' was opened in tea only about a couple 
of years ago and some of the bushes measure 
froin 4 feel 6 inches to 5 feet height and ^ to 
2 inches in stenr. The whole of the country 
thereabout, Mr. Porter says, seems to be of volcanic 
oi-igin, there being a kind of vegetable deposit 
on° the top of the lava. The elevation is 
not much above sea level, the estate in question 
being about 300 feet above the level of the seo, 
Sind the clinrate approaches very much to that 
of the Kelaui Valley. Mi-. Porter went from 
Colombo to Penang, thence to Sumatra in a Ijcal 
boat landing at Belawan from which he went 
to Medan, about 20 to 25 miles by rail and 
then rode to Diski, and from Diskr travelled 
over 12 miles of tramway which brought him 
to within half.a mile of the estate. What tea has 
been made, has been disposed of very well locally. 
The only machinery at jn-esent used is a 
roller and Mr. Porter’s visit was to design a 
new factory with water-power and to arrange 
for a complete outfit to suit the estate which is 
about 350 acres in extent. This has not yet 
been all planted in tea but will be as soon as 
possible. Medan seems to be a very go ahead 
place and has a fine big hotel which was 
opened about two months ago. The railway is 
worked by Dutch priva,te enterprise and so far 
as could be judged, does very well. The prin- 
cipal otticials are Dutch and the subordinates 
Javanese or Malays. The style of carriage is 
susceptible of improvement, the first class being 
only about equal to the second class carriage 
here. The carriages are open at the ends and 
the tickets are examined eii route. 
♦- — 
JACKSON’S IMPROVED 72 INCH 
VENETIAN DRYER. 
This machine has rccentl-y been increased in size 
as compared with the old Venetian and Burra 
Venetian machines respective!',', lire drying ai-ea 
has been considerably incic.,s -(.l, and the heating- 
surface of the stove has also been proportionately 
increased, which will materially add to the eco- 
nomy in fuel consumption. The fan bearings 
have been improved and made dust-proof, and 
increased power has been given to the tray-tip- 
ping disc handles. An improved form of venti- 
lator and cold air inlet Iras been provided, as. 
well as a new arrangement for the discharge gear, 
which is now fitted with index plate lever and 
bevel gearing, so as to bring full control of the 
machine within reach of the attendant on the feed 
platform. 
The small size Veiretian is also being redesigned, 
and will be brought thoroughly up to date in 
every detail, the same as the 72in machine. — 
Home and Colonial Mail, April 15. 
CEYLON TEA PLANTATIONS COM- 
PANY, LIMITED. 
DiRECTons : — Messrs. H. K. Rutherford, Chairman 
and Managing Director; Henry Todd, David Reid, 
G. A. Talbot. 
Secretary : — Sir Wnr. Johnston, Bart. 
Manager in Ceylon : — Mr. H. V. Masefield. 
Office : — 20, Eastcheap, London, E.C. 
Report of the Directors to be submitted at the 
Eleventh Annual Ordinary General Meeting of 
Shareholders, to be held at the Office of the Company, 
on Wednesday, 27th April. 
The Directors have the pleasure to submit the 
General Balance Sheet and Profit and Loss Account 
for the year ending 31si Deceti.ber, 1897, duly audited. 
T s. d. f s. d. 
43,715 7 1 
11,716 12 0 
13,390 8 0 
5,486 16 4 
6,000 0 0 
5,000 '0 0 
3,121 10 9 
£13,715 7 1 
Notwithstanding the past year has been an unfavour- 
able one generally for the Tea industry of Ceylon, as 
compared with the previous years, your Directors are 
pleased to he in a position to recommend the payment 
of the usual dividend of 15 per cent, on the ordinary 
shares, this being the eleventh consecutive year of a 
like dividend. 
It is proposed to write ofi for depreciation, the sum 
of £5,000, and to add £5.000 to the Reserve Fund, 
which will then amount to £90,000, and to carry for- 
ward £3,121 10s, 9d. 
Lower prices for Tea, a higher rate of Rupee ex- 
change, and loss in supplying rice to the coolies, conse- 
quent on the Indi m famine, are the causes of the fall 
in the profits for the year. 
The yield of Tea was 495 lb. per acre over a plucking 
area of 8,067 acres, as against 470 Ib. per acre the 
previous year. 
The crop for 1897 was as under 
Tea Manu- 
Estate Tea. Bought leaf faotured for Total. 
Ihs. Tea lbs. others, lbs. lbs. 
4,000,516 _ 503,8-10 1,019,789 5,524,145 
The gross price realised for the Company’s teas, sold 
in London was 7'85d as against 8-14d per lb. in 1896. 
The net amount at credit 
of profit and loss account, 
including balance brought 
forward at 31st December, 
1896, and after providing for 
General expenses, Directors’ 
fees, income tax, &a. is 
An interim Dividend of 
7 per cent, on the ordinary 
shares was paid 28th Octo- 
ber, 1897, amounting to 
It is proposed to pa}' a 
final dividend of 8 per cent, 
on the ordinary shares 
(making 15 per cent, in all, 
free of income tax) which 
will absorb 
Dividends on the 7 per 
cent, preference shares were 
paid for 1897 (less income 
tax) amounting to 
It is proposed to add to 
Reserve Fund 
It is proposed to write off 
for Depreciation 
And to carry forward to 
next year a balance of 
