SipmtDfiR 1, 1891.] 
iHF T^IOPIOAL AGRICULTURIST. 
183 
of the Amerioftn gentIem»D, who said “Never prophecy 
UDlesa you know/' He thought the natation consisted 
very largely of price. Ho had already expressed ou a 
former uccssiun an opinion at some length with re- 
gard to the prodootiun of tea. It was imposMble, he 
thought, to make any accurate forecast. If four or flve 
years ago anyone bud said that the import of tea from 
Ohinn would have fallen to its present amount, he 
would not have been believed. He tbonrht that the 
import of tea from Oblna this year »as not more than 
6d.h00,000 lb., whereaBsome four years ago it was ov*t 
lOi), 00(1.000 lb,, and, nntwithsta'idiug the low prices, 
there was no roaaon why the whole of this or the greater 
portion of it shonhl not, in the next three or four 
years, be discontinud altogether. Further, there was 
the fact that new markets were being opened. In Ame- 
rica nltbouk/h the increase was perhaps not so very largt', 
yet it was very promisiug. He thought from all the re- 
potta and informatiuu they could obtain that the in- 
crease would go on in several plaoce in America. Besides 
this considerable progress was being made ou tbe conti- 
nent. The prices, of course, wouliT depend entirely ou 
the supply in the Londou market as compared to the 
demand, and It would entirely depend upon how 
njuoh tea was taken for other places wbut these 
prices were to be. That was the reafOn why it was 
impossible for them to make a forecast. He thought 
that looking back at the past if they had been 
governed by th -ae considerations, they might have 
iiid, “ If the yield of tea is so much uow, in a 
few years time there will be a visit over-production 
ui the rourket?” That had not tnrued out to bo 
the Case. Notwitbatanding the vs‘>t iucrease in pro- 
duo’ion there was a very fair market. In all the*io 
thing-^ they had only to go on and endeavour to 
reduce thoir expense^ as much as possible, and to 
produce the best article. Tlmt was the courBO they 
had adopted Weforo, end which they must follow now 
and follow wi'h conrage, and trust in the future. 
Hu did not think in dt daring the dividend they 
hnd, they bad been rash or anoguine ; on the C'‘untrary, 
ta«re had bteu complaints that it had uot been 
larger. But they were in a position, as he had 
shown tbvm, to pay the dividend and to put by 
a Bubfitur tial nmoiint, snd at the same time to wiito 
oil tbe lalauce of tho suspenpo account. 
The Ctaiiman then put tho resolution for the 
adoption of the report and accounts, and it was 
carried unauimously. 
The Chairmau then formally moved the payment 
of a dividend in accordance with the rooomendHtion 
in the report. Mr. Shaw socouded, amt it was adopted 
uuaIlimoa^Iy. 
The Ohairmau then proposed that the rotiriug 
director, Mr, G. II, Tod Heatly, be re-elecleil. Mr, 
Rohde seconded, and it was carried unanimously. 
Dr. Llojrd proposed the ro-eicciion of the auditors. 
Mes rs. y\^>Itun, doues. and Co., at a remuneration of 
fifty guineas. Mr, Phillips seconded, and it was 
adopted uoauimO' sly. 
Mr. Field proposed a vote of thanks to tho chairman 
and directors, A s.itisfactory statement had iioeo put 
before the shareholders, and, gei ora.ly speakiug, fair 
progress was being made. He hoped, however, they 
were approaching the time when a highir dividend 
than 5 cent, would be paid on tht ordinary sharcH. 
Mr. Jjloid secundod, and the rcholiuion wi»h carrii'd 
With anclam itiun. 
Tho Ohttirman suitably acknowledge! llio nompli 
roent. and the meetini; turminaMn! - L. and C. Kxn'is--. 
A Sugar Kstath in B.\uuAnos is ffiMphically 
dcfloribed in an article contnbiued t) tho (iaitU. 
man. i Magazine, \s\niih will he r-pnnled .n the 
Tropical A(jncuUarH. AUhough sugar I.hs alnmst 
oeuHed to »D industry of any oou6cqu«noc in 
CoyloD, yet our plonters will ho ir.t'i.st d in a 
prodaot and conditions so dill' Tent from th.ir or.n 
while all who are eogagnl in su-ir on'ture wi’i 
road the article with pleasure and wo trust with 
proht. Barhados. like the Jsffna Poninsn! ■, co-sisls 
of cornl roeh, and th. r« us here, tiu ra is t],’ 
ounouB phenoinohou of ricli ted soil OMrlyUw 
tae white lituegtoae. ^ “ 
Tea in Dakjilinq Threatened by Locusts. 
Such is the news given in a telegram quoted 
from an Indian paper_ in another column. We 
may be thankful that in Ceylon we have not the 
locust plague to spread destruction such as ia 
now being experienced in Northern India and in 
Egypt. 
Tea Faotobieb and Electbic Liohtino.— T ho build- 
ings on the New Poradeniya estate, which belongs 
to tho New Pfradeniys Estate Company, are to bo 
lighted with electricity, parmissiou having recently 
been given by the board of direotors in London. 
Those in charge have also offered to light the new 
Peradeniya railway station which adjoins. The rail- 
way authorities, however, may eoDsider that there is 
not snfficleut busiueaa at tbia small station to agree 
to its being placed so far io advauoe of any other 
station on tbe line in the matter 'of illumiaation, 
Mr. R. Anderson is the resident superintendent on 
this splendid estate, and Messrs Edwards & Oo. are 
the agents of the company. There ere already two, 
if not more eatatns in the island which have tho 
electric light in their factories. 
Mr. W. H. TEHAongn,— We had the ploasare of a 
visit to-tay from Mr. W. H, Treacher, c. M. o., so 
well-known as Governor for several years of British 
North Borneo, and latterly as Mecrelary to the Oovern- 
meet of Perak. Mr. Treacher looks wonderfally well 
considering the number of years he has been in the 
Service, and pnrposps to return after a short leave of 
three months for a further spell of work. He tells 
us that the whole of the lO.OtX) acres of land offered 
on special terms to pioneers in Perak have teen applied 
for, fonr or five of thy lots being tsken up by Oeylon 
man. The reports wo have had of tho steady progre<8 
made in Perak are faUy confirmed by Ihe’Sccretarv 
to the Government, thongh mining operations are not 
particularly brisk. Tho progress of British North 
Borneo, which at one time was s-iid to be the “now 
Oejlon,” is naturally enounh watched by Mr. Treacher 
with great interest, and his unexpectedly meeting with 
his old colleague, Mr. Henry Walker, uow staying 
hero on his way out, is one of tho- o happy iueiilonts 
which have ma le his brief stay at Colombo a pleasant one. 
Ketdbn or Mb. Sanoison fbom .Java.— M r. W. d. 
Sam ison, of Sara and of travelling f.ime, returned' 
to Colombo in the “CnltiJonien” today from Java, 
whither ho went on a business trip six weeks or so 
ago. Mr. Sindison, it will bo remenibereil, bad vbiteJ 
Java before — some time ago — bat iiis trip then chiefly 
had referenoe to cinchona; and it would seem that 
the Dutch enltivatois had not forgotteu the call that 
he then made, for lio says that, while individiMlIy 
they were very hospitable and sscniod glad to see him, 
there was a sort of suspioion about thfm as moth 
SB to siy, “what are you doing down here, now '{” 
"Yon see,” he adds, “ray fltst visit was in conmotiou 
with cinchona, and I didn’t do them much good over 
thsi.” Tho object of this Mr. Sandison’s second vi.sit 
was to dispose of some of his Sana tea-seed and to 
extend its sale among the planters there. With this 
object he visited Preangcr, tho most famens planting 
district in Java, and tie aays that at Tjisalak especi- 
ally he found a Dutohmsu wlin seemed to be a go- 
ahead man and who took mooh interest in the Osy on 
semi, while tho lay of his land, Mr. Sandison siiys, 
was sneh that nothing in Ceylon eould beat it. The 
Dutch cultivators, he believes, aro beginning to slowly 
rnalixo fho advaufages of high-class seed, such a.s 
CoTlon or Assam, as opposed to the tea they have 
hitherto been accustomed to plant, namely, tho Chinese 
jat, and they are being f 'reed to recogniso it by having 
to ki*ep tho produce of tho two jam disiinot, which 
naturally involves much treub'e and mbour. However 
the. fruits of Mr. Sandison’a visit have yet to be Seen* 
as at present ho has nut suoce, dod in doing anything 
more with the .faya planters than induce them to 
nyperiment with his 6e''d, nnd on the rcs ilt of ccriain 
exptriments wiiioh I)-. T oub ol the Botanical Gar eus 
at Hnitenxorg is going to carry out with some of the 
seed ho took down, Mr. Santisrn s.iys n grout iloal 
depends. For the p-esent, Liberian eolfee is all the 
rn ■« in Java; but heUpelHs, he adds, is giving the 
jilanters just tho same bother as before. * 
