April i, 1892.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
737 
being carried on in Aeeam, in accordance with an 
agreement, made Jan, 27th between C. L. P. 
White, on the one part, and C. J. Boberts, on bebalf 
ol this company, on the other part, and generally to 
carry on business as tea planters, tea merchants and 
exporters in all its branches, both wholesale and re- 
tail, in India, China, Oeylon, or elsewhere. There shall 
not be less than three, nor more than seven direc- 
tors ; the first to be appointed by the signatories to 
the memorandum of association, Qualidoation, £50, 
Bomuneration £200 and 10 per cent on all sums 
paid as dividend in each year — the same to be 
divisible. 
Last Week’s Sales, — The India tea market 
(says the Produce Markets' Review) has shown 
greater steadiness, due apparently to a smaller 
supply dealt with the quantity being 31,000 packages, 
against 3G..300 in the preceding week, and common 
grades which largely predominated, bought fully 
late rates, closing with a firmer tendency except- 
ing only for teas of very poor quality. The good 
medium descriptions have been well competed for, 
and values generally are firmer, and it is not im- 
probable that these grades have touched the lowest 
prices. At any rate, the supply is not likely to 
exceed requirements, as, at the present compara- 
tively low prices, these kinds are entering freely 
into consumption, and a hardening market may 
therefore be expected later on, especially as the 
quantity to be brought forward will be then 
smaller than hitherto. The finest sorts have again 
attracted considerable attention and brought higher 
prices, while tea of exceptional quality sold at 
extreme rates. It was hardly to be expected that 
Oeylon teas ouuld remain very long at the present 
extremely low level without attracting considerable 
attention, and the demand has improved during 
the past week, and has resulted in a much better 
business than has been done since November. Tbs 
effect upon prices, has however, been scarcely per- 
ceptible, and Ceylon teas still continue to present 
better value than any other growths, although for 
common grades worth from 6d to 6id prices are 
firmer. There is, however, little alteration in the 
value of the finer Pekoes and Broken teas, but the 
quality has shown a general improvement. Java 
teas are much neglected, the extraordinary cheap- 
ness of Indian and Ceylon common grades render- 
ing their use at present unnecessary. Tbs arrivals 
for the week are : — The "Paklin,” from Vokobama, 
Shanghai, Foochow, Hong Kong and Colombo ; 
“Bosetta” from Shanghai and Hong Kong; “Flint- 
shire” from Kong Kong ; “Kaiser-i-Hind” "Clan 
McArthur,” “Kararaania” and “Goorkha" from 
Calcutta and Colombo ; “ Ormuz” and “Port 
Caroline ' from Oolmbo, — II. and 0, Mail. 
SHEVAIlOY PLANTING NOTES. 
Yebcaud, Feb. 15. — The oofiee crop for the season 
now terminating has been almost all picked. Only 
a tew of the estates of higher elevation have still 
to be stripped and gleaned, so that what promised 
to be an extended season will, after all, close 
about the usual time lor these Hills. Crops, I 
am sorry to say, have not generally come up to 
estimates, the reason being that the alternate tain 
and sun-shine during both of the last monsoons, 
brought out a succession ol blossoms, several of 
which failed in toto]-, so that under the oircum- 
Btances it was very difUcult to make reilable 
estimates. A further and somewhat novel reason, 
too, IS that green birds of a particularly voracious 
variety, with a distinct and remarkable penchant for 
coffee seeds — not the pulp — have carried away un- 
told quantities. These birds we have seen before 
pbout crop lime, but this year they have visited 
us in great numbers, abandoning their usual haunts 
on the lower slopes in consequence of the scarcity 
of their usual food there, viz., jungle berries of 
all sorts. The rainfall last year was below our 
usual quantity, Yeroaud had 40i inches, the other 
two Oistriots about 5 inches more— the average 
is GO to 65 inches. This shortfall baa not effected 
the coffee, but I fear there will be trouble about 
water ; wells are sure to give out before the heavy 
rains can bo ejected, and streams are already 
running low. For the first time for many 
years the lake has not supplied the large water- 
fall stream with water. As with this so it is 
with other sources of supply. The tanks in the 
low country have not been properly filled, and I 
fear there will be a greater scarciiy of water in 
and around Salem. Coffee, as I remarked, is 
looking well, indeed it is in much better heart 
than for years past, so that planters are looking 
for better crops. It is about time, for Government 
refuses us any remission, though it grants it to 
the ryot, and I fanoy the ryot has been better 
off than many planters of email holdings. Prices 
have again reached last year’s [figure of B15 per 
bushel of dry parchment delivered on the estate. 
It has perhaps been somewhat of a surprise to 
some of your readers that Sbevaroy coffee ehould 
fetch extreme prices out here, but the fact is the 
quality of our staple is so good and the outturn so 
heavy, that it is found to be a desirable sort to mix 
with inferior sorts, a custom I am told is re- 
gularly followed by Ohettiea. Planters up here 
evidently consider it better to sell on the spot 
and realise at once at the good rates prevailing 
than to ship for the home market and keep up 
the name gained in years gone by. Generally the 
estates up here are considered small as compared 
with those in Coorg, Wynaad and tbs Nilgiris and 
crops are counted by tons instead of tens of tons 
so that after all it is perhaps better to sell in the 
country. Several planters aro, I hoar, opening out 
fresh land in spite of the disheartening prediction 
of some that the Shevaroys as a planting centre 
is played out 1 Coorg seems to be the El Dorado 
sought by these prophets, and I do not wonder, 
if, as told by your correspondent from that part, 
estimates were so far more than realised. One 
of the planters from here sought pastures new 
in Perak, but found the difficulty of obtaining 
labour and the unstisfactory climate a bar to his 
aspirations of obtaining a competency in a few years. 
Government has once again refused our request 
to invest the Deputy Tabeildar with the powers 
of a District Munsiff ; the High Court has, how- 
ever, made a fresh arrangement that the District 
Munsiff from Salem is to hold Court in Yer- 
caud regularly once in three months, and with 
this we must perforce remain content. Clouds 
have been gathering for the past few days, and 
today we have had a small shower. It is sincerely 
to be hoped the rain will not come down till, 
say, 16th March. These February rains are most 
disastrous. Last year it rained in the same 
month, and every planter wae astonished at the 
wretched outturn of his first pickings. — M. Mail, 
— ♦ 
THE COMPARATIVE VALUE OF 
VARIOUS FUELS. 
To enter into a full disonsslon of the scientific 
methods by which the relative heating valnes of the 
different materials used as fueljare ascertained, would bo 
tedions, and at the same time would possess little 
practical valne to the majority of the resders of the 
Gardeners' Vhro»icle\ but the following geueral state- 
ment of the principles upon which such values depend, 
may be of interest to many whoso business demands 
opnsiderable outlay in tbisdueo|ion, 
