April i, iSgi.] 
THE TROf»ICAL AQRIOULTURIST. 
765 
THE REPORT OP THE COLOMBO 
COMMERCIAL COMPANY. 
When recently mahing eome oommentB upon 
the report of the Lanka Plantation Company, wo 
remarked that Buch documents, when iseued by 
companies that have worked through the tran- 
sition period from co0ee to tea which Ceylon has 
passed through, were possessed of far more than 
the ordinary interest attaching to the reports of 
more recently established Associations of the kind. 
Wo observed that such reports indicated tho re- 
sults to the endeavours made to overcome the 
difficulties consequent upon that tranailion. and 
that they therefore formed a sort of mileposts, 
marking how fat this colony had emerged from 
the heavy cloud which for so long overhung it. 
The Colombo Commercial Company, with whoso 
latest report we propose now to deal, is one of 
those companies. All of us must remember for 
how many years its shareholders have bad to 
deny themselves any return — or at least any 
adequate return — upon their investments ; and lor 
a long time it seemed almost impossible that a 
day of brighter things could dawn for them. Gra- 
dually, however, the heavy coach has been 
drawn out of the slough of despond ; and 
year by year we have seen the dividends 
paid slowly increasing in amount and giving promise 
of better things in store for the unfortunate and 
long-sulfering shareholders. The report under 
review informs us that for the past year not only 
will the full payment of six per cent be made 
upon the preference shares of the Company, bnt 
that after doing so means will remain available 
to pay a dividend of five per cent on the ordinary 
shares. It cannot, of course, be pretended that 
five per cent is an adequate dividend, or one, indeed, 
that can bo regarded as anything but trifling, as 
compared with the dividends paid by tea companies 
working in this island of later establishment than 
is the Colombo Commercial company. But every- 
thing, it is justly said, is comparative ; and we have 
only to exercise a reminiscence as to the dividends 
of previous years to acknowledge that there is now 
good oauBO lor congratulating the shareholders on 
the present dividend, and on their future prospects. 
The character of tho Colombo Commercial 
Company sets it apart by itself from those 
other Associations working in Ceylon with whose 
reports we are in the habit of dealing. It 
>e not alone a planting company, but it is 
besides a trading company ; and the second 
function must necessitate a greater reticence 
ruling the character of its reports than has to be 
observed as regards those of companies having 
ihe first function only. Hence it follows that we 
are unable to deduce from the terms of the pro- 
Bent report the iulereating details always to be 
obtained from those of other Ceylon companies. 
But although we admit the necessity for the 
oxeroise of the reticence we have mentioned, we 
OSD scarcely admit that there need exist suy with 
regard to the noticeable exclusion from this report 
of any figures showing, for instance, the quantity 
of produce from the Company’s estates and the 
price obtained for it. We can only imagine that 
•be directors tear, were they to give such in- 
formation, that shrewd guesses might bo made 
by the outside public as to the balance of profit 
^ich has arisen from merely trading transactions. 
With these last wo do not, however, concern 
ourselves. Doubtless tho shareholders will be por- 
JUitted to learn all the facts which are kept back 
^om outsiders. It contents us to know that tho 
company, as one strongly representing both planting 
RQd trading interests in Ceylon, has at lepgth 
seemingly secured an improved and stable position 
once mote, so evidencing that in both respects 
this island is advancing towards fully regaining 
the standard of prosperity of a former ipoch. 
MR. CLARK’S REPORT ON* PEEL'. 
This able, comprehensive and well written docu- 
ment will astonish those who have appreciated the 
intellectual calibre and the literary accomplishments 
of the gentleman who has, on its titlepage, styledhim- 
self " Curator" of the Peradeniya Botanical Gardena 
his real status being that of Head Gardener. The 
more would it be to bis honour if the elaborate report 
of which we publish the first part today were bis 
own in matter in style. But “ the Commissioners," 
to whom Mr. Clark alludes rather patronizipgiy, 
complain, we have good reason to believe, that Hhe 
member of the expedition who was deputed to report 
specially on the flora of the regions traversed has 
taken advantage of his association with them to 
steal their thunder, the lightning of the style 
being supplied by "a clever Glaspw sub-editor 
brother," We have learnt that “it was entirely 
Ur, Sinclair's idea to judge of rainfall or moisture 
by tho character of the vegetation, and the 
spring-water which Mr, Clark got analysed was 
simply entrusted to him by Mr. Ross to carry 
home. In fact what is of value in the report 
(a cleverly written one) is not Mr. Clark’s own, 
and what is his own is most unreliable, in 
some oases nonsense (about sugar for instance)." 
Sharp practice of this kind is more clever than 
creditable, and the Commissioners, who find them- 
selves anticipated with their own observations 
intended for their comprehensive and general 
report, by one who was attached to the _ expedi- 
tion in a special and subordinate capacity, will 
no doubt represent the matter to the Corporation- 
Of ccurse this does not lessen the value of 
the really reliable portions of Mr. Clark’s report, 
for which bo so succossfully sucked the brains 
of two such able and experienced observers as 
Messrs. Sinclair and Boss, whose more elaborate 
reports when they appear will be placed at just 
the disadvantage which attends the full report 
of a speech, the more interesting and important 
portions of which had previously appeared in a 
summary form. Indeed wo suspect many of tho 
directors and shareholders, when they have read 
and digested Mr. Clork’s report, and carefully 
examined tho elaborate coloured map which _ ac- 
companies it, will be apt to doubt the utility 
of the further and more extended reports which 
it is the duty of the Commissioners to furnish. 
Anyone merely reading Mr. Clark's report and 
not knowing the ciroumatances would certainly 
conclude that be, with his boasted eleven years 
ol tropical experience and delivering ex-eathedra 
judgments on soil, climate, vegetation, cultivated 
crops, labour, communications, prices, demand, Ac., 
was really the head of the expedition whom the 
Corporation had specially appointed not to report 
on vegetation and flora alone, but to deliver final 
judgment on every possible question involved, 
from soil and seed to altitude and climate. The 
only points be has left untouched are the rather 
important problems of upheavals, political and 
natural ; social earthquakes and volcanic out- 
bursts. Such cataclysms apart, there is abundance 
of ezoellent soil ; in dry regions on the banks 
of rivers, tho waters of which ellord means of 
irrigation ; and, better still, in uplands well sup- 
plied with rain, where all tropical products grows 
and where, beyond all, cofiee, unafleoled by any 
disease, floniishes up to an altitude ol .C,000 l«et^ 
