4o6 
THr TROPJCAU AGRICULTURIST. [December i, 1891. 
TUE INDIGO CHOP. 
Simla, Oot. 31. — Tho final report in the indigo 
crop of 1891 in the North-West Provinces etatos that 
the total area, recorded b; Patwarie under Indigo is 
201,000 acres against 2,54,000 last year, and the area 
returned by the Canal Department as receiving irri- 
gation is 1,85,000 against 2,28,000 in the preceding 
year. The /amiodars estimate tho crop area at 17 
per cent lees than last year. The plants sufieri d 
from locusts and drought in June and July and from 
exceesive rains in August. The condition of corps 
is reckoned as follows ; 100 presenting full average-, 
Gangetio Doab 46, Benares and Gorahpur Divisions 
55, and Ilohilkund and Oudh 50. The outturn of 
the dye is expected to bo five per cent less than 
last year . — Mmlrun Mail. 
THE COTTON CEOP OF 1891, 
Simla, Oot. 31.— The second general memorandum 
on tho cotton crop of 1891 runs : — The eocoiid 
reports on tho cotton crops of the year confirm the 
estimates already published of a serious defloiepoy 
in tho area sown owing to unuBunlly late arrival of 
monsoon rains, which were not generally eelabliahcd 
till the end of July, by which time the season for sow 
ing the early crop was almost over. Further injury 
has since been caused in the Central and Northern 
Provinces by excessive rain in August and September, 
in the Southern Fresidenaies by scanty and untimely 
falls, and in tho West by locusts. In the impor- 
tant cotton producing Provinces of Bombay, whore 
from 5 to 6i million acres are ordinarily cultiva- 
ted with cotton, the area sown to dates does not, 
BO far as present information goes, much exceed fenr 
million acres, of which 1,179,000 acres in area are 
under the early, and 2,388.000 under tho late 
varieties. There has, however, been no material 
decrease in Berar. The deficiency first reported 
having apparently been made up by later sowings. 
Tho area in this Province, which stands next in 
importance to Bombs y as a producer of the staple, 
is reported about 2,250,000 acres. In the Central 
Provinces the area devoted to cotton ranges from 
half a million to 700,000 acres. Tho sowings were 
retarded by late arrivel of rains, and the plants 
have been much damaged by excessive moisture 
and floods daring August and Septernber, when 
they require to be weeded. The crop is not likely 
to be more than 00 per cent, of an average one. 
Similar causes have affected the area in the North- 
Western Provinces and Oudh, where it is estimated 
atB5 per cent, lees than tho normal (about 1,700,000 
acres). In Punjab further sowings anticipated have 
not taken place, and tho area remains at (100,000 
acres or some 80 per cent, below that of tho pre- 
vious year. In Madras the sowings of both early 
and late crops are under 400,000 acres or little more 
than half the normal area. Taking six reporting 
Provinoes together, tho total area la approximately 
9 million acres against an average of 12 millions. 
The condition of the early crop in Bombay is 
generally speaking, fair, but in parts of Khandeieh 
the crop bas Buffered from excessive rain, which 
has also damaged the lata crop in Guzerat. In 
the Carnatic the late crop is very backward for 
want of auffioienl moisture, and only 27 pot cent, 
of tho average area has been sown. The Bindh crop 
has suffered from locusts and unfavourable inun- 
dations by the Indus. In Berar tho condition is 
on the whole satisfactory, but the Madras o'"®?! 
though somewhat improved by recent rains, is likely 
to bo very poor. In tho Central Provinoes the 
outturn will fall from 00 to 40 per cent, below tho 
average, while another poor harvest is expected in 
the Punjab, where locusts have seriously injured 
the plants.— Ibid, 
CEYLON AT THE CHICAGO EXHIBITION. 
Tha Hooretary of tho Planters' Association sends 
us for publioation tha following copy of a letter 
addressed to non-subsoribere to the Tea Fund by 
the Chairman inviting enbsoriptious towards a special 
‘‘Chicago Exhibition Fund.” 
Deak Sib, — A s you are not a subscriber to tho 
'Tea Fluid 1 venture to lay before yon tho ponition of 
the Stib&oriberH to that Fund, and toin-kyonr ansistanoe 
towards raising a Special Fund for pushing Ceylon 
Tea in America at tho Chicago Exhibition. 
There is no doubt that the present position of 
Ceylon Tea, and the fact that it is now so largely 
oonsumed at home and is fast finding its way into 
the Australian and some of tho Continental Markets, 
IS very largely due to the action of the Standing 
' Committee of the Tea Fund, during the past few years ; 
and no impartial observer, whatever views he may 
take of tha aolion of the Committee at different 
times, can fail to admit this. 
The erection of tho Tea Kiosk in Colombo, and 
the lease of the building to the newly formed Ceylon 
Tea Co,, Limited, has raieoJ mueb opposition, much 
of it I consider of an interested oharaotcr, since there 
Is every prospeet of the company becoming a successful 
Bgenoy for advertiaiug and selling Ceylon Tea, and 
therefore bound to coulliot to some extent with already 
existing interests. 
As several iooorreot and misleading statements have 
been lately published on this matter I would bring 
to your notice. 
(1.) That the Planters’ Association or its Standing 
Oummittes of the Tm Fund have no legal power to 
trade by working the Kiosk. 
(2.) That the New TeaOomptny was started mainly 
with a view to relievo this difficulty. 
(8.) That the Kiosk and its basement have been 
lessoJ to the Tea Company and tho Byndioate Boat 
Company respectively with the oonsent of ihe Govern, 
mout (whose oODHent was nevOKsary under the terms 
of the original lease.) 
(4.) That tho aniinsl rent to bo paid is Rl.UOO in 
all, equal to nesrly 7 per cent interest on the total 
oust of llio Kiosk and its furniture, viz. K15.000 ; so 
that the rnbacribera to tho Tea Fund obtain nearly 
7 per cent, on this luveHlmeut, plus tho free adver- 
tising of Ceylon Tea which must necesssrily be effected 
through the Kiosk in any event. 
The main object of the Oommitteo at the present 
time is to take advantage of the Chicago Exhibition 
for pnsliing one teas in America. 
To do this well and thoroughly will be a costly 
undertaking, and no effort should be spared to make 
it a success. 
The Ceylon Government have promised R50,000 
towards a Ooylon Court, and the Tea Fund Committee 
baTO voted i\30,000 tor the Oe;lon Tea iotoresta ; bol 
much more than this will be required. 
I appeal to you not to leave it entirely to others 
to supply the necessary funds; I cannot but feel that 
those who have subaoribed to the Tea Fund tiiroughoul 
have been somewhat ungenerously treated by those 
who do uot Bubaoribe, siuco tho benefits reaped—and 
of those there can be uo doubt^aro reaped by non* 
sabsoribcra equally with subscribers. 
X asked you therefore with coufidence to contribute 
a special donoiion towards tho Chicago Exhibition 
J une, and 1 would suggest for your consideration that 
this sDonicl be based on tho rate J of a cent per 
lb. made tea for the current year. 
It may be and indeed is as a rule impossiblo for 
the Committee to carry out the views of each indi- 
vidual subscriber to the Tea Fund; but I unhedta- 
tiugly afcsure you that all views have received and 
will receive full oonsideration at the hands of the 
Uommittee, and the views ultimately adopted in any 
case are neoessarily those which tho majority of 
the roombers consider moat likely to attain the objects 
we all have in common. 
I trust you will giyo a liberal response to my appeal, 
and will be good enough to favour me in any case 
with an early reply to tho Secretary of Association, 
Ka^y,— 1 am, dear sir, yours very faithfully, Gilks 
i * Chairman riantors' Association of Oeylgn, 
