June i, 1898.] THE TROPICAL 
COCONUT ESTATE PliOTERTY IN THE 
NORTH AND EAST OF CEYLON. 
If it be true as stated by tlie “Hiudu Organ” 
that Mr. R. M. R. A. Supraiiianian Chetty lias 
for two lakhs of rupees acquired tour estates — 
Kotta, Karainbogan, Kanagarayan and Seram- 
pattoo — belonging to the estate of the late David 
Todd, it shevis that coconut proiierty is not very 
higlily valued in the Nortli. M'e make out that 
there must be about 1,000 acres covered vvitli 
coconut-palms on these properties, and the price 
mentioned would therefore only average about 
R200 an acre : can there have been a mortgage 
besides ? 
The Plopallai estate (of 1,500 acre.s — 1,000 planted 
with coco-palin.s) has been leased from Mr. E. S. 
W. Senathirajah and others by Mr. J. Ru.ssell 
Lilley who has sent his nerdiew, Mr. II. E. Candy 
to manage the same. 
In the Eastern Province besides hi.s interest 
in ■ several commercial ventures, Mr. Russell 
Lilley owns 107 acre.s of coconuts at Tirrukovil, 
while he also superintends 350 acres belonging 
to Messrs, bcott and Tatbam at Kalkudah. 
Another Kalkudah property is that belonging to 
the Agra Tea Estate Co. of 300 acres under 
the care of Mr. A. £. Byrde. And once again of 
now estates we have the Tirrukovil property of 
Messrs. Scott and Tatham, 1,000 acres, of which 
650 are planted, under the care of Mr. C. E. 
Northcote. Altogether about 1,500 acres have 
recently been added to the coconut palm area in the 
Eastern Province. We hope the plantations may 
all turn out well ; and that success may also 
attend the operations of the Carnac Will Co., 
and the local Steam Navigation Company — both 
new ventures at Batticaloa. 
BRITISH-GROWN TEA. 
We quote the following article and letter from the 
Financial Times : — 
Owing to the fall in the prices of Indian and Oeylon 
tea, and the maintenance of the artificial rates of ex- 
change on India, the dividends on la.st year’s workings 
of tea-planting companies are likely to be on a much 
smaller scale than those of previous years, except in 
those cases where there are reserve funds for equalising 
dividends. From information we have received, we 
believe the remedy for the present depressed state of 
the tea market is entirely in the hands of the companies 
themselves. As combinations are now the order of the 
day, we do not see why they could not advantageously 
combine to diminish the output of the lower grades of 
common tea, which, it seems, do not pay to produce at 
present low prices. We are told that when the prices 
of common tea were much higher than they are now 
owners of estates in the low-lying districts, both in 
India and Ceylon, adopted the system of plucking one 
leaf more than was gathered in the higher districts for 
the purpose of compensating themselves by quantity 
for comparative inferiority of quality. It appears that 
this method of working low estates answ'ered very 
well as long as prices of the grades obtained from the 
manufacture of the extra leaf were remunerative : but 
now the production of these grades has become un- 
profitable, and it is suggested that all tea companies 
who own estates on which the coarser plucking is 
practised should agree to discontinue it for a defined 
period. We learn that this can be done without the 
slightest interference with the ordinary working of the 
estates, and though it may increase the cost of the 
better grades of the tea produced on these estates, the 
advance in prices of all qualities which would follow 
from the decreased supply would more than compen- 
sate for the small increase in the cost of production. 
The fact is, as statistics prove, the production and 
10g| 
AGRICULTURIST. 831 
consumption of the British-grown tea are so nearly 
equalised that an increase in consumption, which may 
naturally be looked for from present low prices, or a 
decrease in the supply would cau.se an appreciable re- 
action in market values. As the first is a slow process 
the quickest and ni 'st certain way of obtaining the 
d .sired improvement would be to discontinue the sup- 
ply of those grade.s which are now selling at from 4d 
to 5d per pound in bond and which consumers do not, 
w’ant. There can be little doubt that if proprietors of 
estates would agree to leave the fourth leaf on their 
bushes such a reduction in the supply of tea would 
take place as would enhance prices of all qualities to a 
point that would satisfy them, and at the same time 
not be high enough to discourage consumption, though 
it would probably curtail the profits of the big retailers, 
who can well afford it. However practicable and ad- 
vantageous the plan of adopting tempoi arily the sys- 
tem of finer plucking may be, it would not do to carry 
it too far. If that is done, it will probably let in 
again large quantities of Chinese common Congou, 
the importation of which for the last eighteen 
months the English Government has been 
striving to increase by giving it a protection of at 
least 40 per cent, over British grown tea. The 
reason why this protection of China and Japan tea 
did not lead to increased imports last year is because 
consumers fully recognise the comparative cheapness 
and better qualities of British maohine-niada tea, and 
no longer appreciate the peculiar and distinctive 
flivour China tea acquires from being manufactured 
by the clammy hands of Chinese coolies. Still, it is 
very difficult to compete with a highly protected 
article, and we therefore warn British tea planters 
to watch Chinese exports next season and the vagaries 
of our own Government. 
Sib, — My attention h,as been called to a leading 
article, under the above heading, in your issue of 
this date, on the contents of which, however, I crave 
your indulgence to make a few remarks. 
T. Profits for Season 1897. — While you are correct 
in the view tliat these, owing to high exchange and 
overhead low prices of tea, are likely to be curtailed, 
it is hardly correct to opine that “ dividends will," 
all round, “be on a muce smaller scale,” to use 
your own words. Undoubiedly, the dividends of those 
companies which in past favourable seasons have 
made no provision for “a rainy day” will have to 
be reduced, but in the larger number of instances, 
where reasonable provision of this sort has been 
made, there is not likely to be much diminu- 
tion in actual dividends, though the profit earned 
may be less. The three principal Ceylon com- 
panies which have so far issued their reports — 
namely, the Ceylon Tea Plantations Company, the 
Standard Company, and the Eastern Produce Com- 
pany — certainly show small signs of decadence 
(despite an unfavourable season), and they cannot fail 
to be most satisfactory to their shareholders ; while, 
among the leading Indian companies— with a few 
exceptions (where conditions have been unusually un- 
favourable)— there is not likely to be much cutting 
down. 
2. Quantity v. Quality of Produce. — While there is 
no doubt some truth in what you say as regards 
managers having it in their power to control the 
quality by regulation pluckin^’, this is not always 
practicable, being chiefly questions of labour and of 
climatic conditions ruling at different period.^ of the 
producing (Hushing) season, which extends over nine 
months of the year. The constant endeavour now'- 
a days, both of m inagers'on the spot and of the home 
administrations of most of the leading companies, is 
to produce the best possible quality of tea. During 
the year just closed, however, conditions have been, 
in India especially, most a,bnormal, w’eather being 
frequently unfavourable and the health of the labour 
force bad, with heavy death-rolls, and this is the chief 
reason of the coarse quality produced. This will 
probably be entirely reversed next season. Indeed, 
there are not wanting those who believe that there is 
some fear of an excessive supply, during 1808, of fiuQ 
