November i, 1883.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



351 



been lecturing on tea, and very well they have done their 

 work. If we go on at this rate we shall have them coming 

 over from Assam to learn instead of to teach. Just as 1 

 finish I hear of a paper, by a Mr. Swaddy, all about bees and 

 origin of leaf-disease, about which I know something, to be 

 discussed in my next. AN OLD COFFEE-STUMP. 



COFFEE PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION. 

 Edinburgh, 8th September IS83. 

 Dear Sir.— It seems to me that the chief evil which 

 Coffee Planters are, in prospect, threatened with is 

 over-production. The world, generally, Bupphes more 

 coffee now than can be consumed, if we may judge 

 from the present state of European Stocks, which 

 were : — 



On July .Sid, 185,930 Tons. 

 August 8th, 192,600 ,, 

 September -ilh, 225,207 ,, 

 while the stock of Coffee in London alone, on 

 the 4th September, was 30,247 tons. 



As the new crop will foon be coming forward, wo 

 may reasonablv expect that the heavy stocks will be 

 very considerably increased, before ihe close of the 

 year, and that we must consequently accept of prices 

 at a considerivble reduction, especially for middling 

 and inferior qualities. Of course veiy fine samplea 

 will always obtain high prices, but this is no criterion 

 of the general state of the market. 



Perhaps this "canker," that has attacked our 

 cinchona trees, may ultimately be all for our good, 

 in preventing over-production of lark. Even now, it 

 is with bfirk, as with coffee. Only fine samples of 

 bark realize high prices. Inferior sorts, and trash, 

 are in two senses, a drua in the market.— Yours truly, 



P. D. MILLIE. 



MR. MOENS ON CINCHONA BARK SUPPLY. 

 Pangonandjens, Pasoeroean, 18th August 1883. 

 Dear Sik,— On page 46 of the Tropical Af/ricuUurinl 

 I noticed a translation out of the Socrabaia 

 Co?t)-(( Hi, nbout the new book of Mr. Moens. As the 

 latter part of it does not give a fair idea of the words of 

 Mr. Moons, I now send you a translation of the 

 opinion of Mr. Moens of cinchona prospects, literally 

 translated out of his book. 



You will sec that he did not write tlmt "in 12 

 to 15 years yin will tupply the world." Mr. Moens 

 has so many friends in Ceylon and British India, and 

 is there to much respected and valued by cinchona- 

 planters that perhaps they ivould not find it fair in 

 his book he should quite ignore them. 



You see by enclosed translation that he does 

 speak of rudia supplying the whole world, but of 

 course means Ceylon and British India as well as 

 Netheilands and Eiist India. 



It would be a good thing for English planters it 

 the book of Mr. Moens was translated into English. 

 It is the best book about cinchona I know. Every page 

 is full of the most trustworthy information.— I am, 

 dear sir, yours truly, T. 0. HOLANDEE. 



{From Mr. Moens' Booh.) 



Resuming my opinion about the influence which the now 

 rapidly extending culture of cinchona will have on the trade 

 in quinine, I sup-posc I can say as follows :— 



1st, The relatively small quantities which India can pro- 

 duce the first three or four years will not materially affect 

 the prices, because the consumption not only has steadily 

 incrc.ised the last tcu years, notwithstanding the high price 

 of (luiuine.but is probably yet capable for largely increasing. 



2nil. If the quantity of bark, after about fom- years, is 

 80 important that it necessarily must depress the price, 



because the consumption does not increase as rapidly, the 

 immediate consequence will be that many sources of South 

 America will stop, because they caimot pay the heavy cost of 

 carriage. A very rapid fall in the price will thereby be pre- 

 Tented. 



3rd. If, 12 to 13 years hence, the production in India is 

 so important that /nJi'rt iilone can supply the world with the 

 necessary alkaloids, then the export out of the primitive 

 forests of South America will be at last quite impossible, 

 because then, with lowei; prices, the cost of carriage of thi-ee 

 to four shillings per kilo cannot be paid. 



4th. If at last the production in India and other places 

 where cinchona is grown, is getting larger than the con- 

 sumption (which is quite possible), then commences the 

 mutual struggle of the different Cinchona estates. In that 

 struggle wiU be conqueror he who grows the sorts yielding 

 the most quinine, and whole plantations are formed the 

 cheapest and get the best m.anagenK'ut. 



I am quite convinced that it is rather hazardous to look 

 into the future of the trade in quiniue. This trade is yet 

 in its infancy, above all it we see how largely .the strong 

 extending culture is modificatiug it, ami it is very well poss- 

 ible that trade will bring us many surprises. heieweat 

 present do not guess of and that make at fault the most 

 exact calculations." 



[There are several reasons tor the recent heavy fall 

 in tbe prices of baik :— 1st, the flooding of the market 

 with ciiprca bark; 2nd, the enormous quantities of twig- 

 bark sent from Ceylon ; and 3rd, and mainly, the 

 ring formed by the leading .alkaloid manufacturers to 

 keep down the prices of bark wbile keeping up the 

 prices of quinine. A reaction has already set in,- ard 

 we cannot doubt that the use of cinchona alkaloids 

 will largely extend in the wide fever regions of tha 

 earth and amongst the huge armies of the Conti 

 nental Powers. — Ed.] 



" INDIGO IN CEYLON. 



Kurunegala, 22nd September 1883. 



Dear Sik, — " Enquirer " in your number for September 

 believes that there are no indigo plants in Ceylon but would 

 be grateful for any information on the subject. 



The indigo plant (Indiyufcra Tinctoria) .Sinhalese exari 

 is indifseuous and grows wild in many parts of the island, 

 but is nowhere cultivated. It is gathered in this state by 

 the village dhobies who prepare an inferior kind of indigo 

 called ml (blue) for use in washing. I was also successful 

 prep.ariug the dye, from plants gioiviug in my kotuira 

 (garden), under the directions of our family dhoby whc 

 initiated me into the mysteries of the indigo \at. 



I do not know why it should not succeed in Oeylon nniler 

 systematic cultivation, and, as it is an import;', ut crop either 

 for the manufacture of dye or as food for s'ock (cows are 

 very foud of it), I will now briefly descrilio its culture. 



Indigo cultivation is attended with many diliiculties, ft r 

 when it first ajipears above ground it is a \ ery small and 

 tender seedUng. A heavy fall of rain or a ji iwerful sun is 

 equally destructive in this stage of its grov. th. 



iS'yiV, i)c. — It succeeds best in a rich loam, but does with 

 any soil with proper manuring. I have sci u it growing 

 wild in very poor soil. The land should be broken up well 

 as early as September, or earlier if possible, and deeply cul- 

 tivated to insure a first-rate crop ; it should be free from 

 weeds as the plant requires the fullest liberty for its rapid 

 growth. Shortly before sowing, tbe soil must be riibn-ed to 

 as fine a tilth as possible by the liber.al use of the plough 

 roll and harrow, to form a good " bed " for the seed. 



Its pUuc in notation. — Mr. Kobertson of Jladras thinks 

 that it should succeed to and precede a grain crop such 

 as maize or cholum or sorghum. 



Seed and Sow ini/.— Indigo seed is very small and from 10 

 to 15 lb. per acre is required. The seed-time is about the 

 middle of November and fresh seed carefully gathered from 

 the first growth should invariably be Ufed to ensure suc- 

 cess in germination. The crop most be sown .in inch deep 

 in lines (which is done by means of a seed-iliill), but not 

 broadcasted to fiicilitate after cultivation, which should con- 

 sist of several bullock and hand hoeings to lieep the soil 

 loose and free from weeds. 



i7/(r)iKri«y.— Undoubtedly, refuse from the Vut is the besj 



