m 



TUB TKOPXCAt AOmCVLTVmST, 



[July i, i8S6« 



CACAO: THE LONDON MARKET AND PRO- 

 DUCTION. 



In order to arrive at any correct appreciation of the 

 movements in the cacao market it is necessary that the 

 sources of demand for the product should be understood 

 as well as the causes which lead to the fluctuations so 

 frequently taking place iu the value of the various 

 kinds. Cacao differs from coffee in this essential, that 

 it is used for purposes of manufacture, whilst coffee 

 goes directly into consumption, though it may ; perhaps, 

 be urged that even if coffee is not manufactured it is 

 considerably manipulated. Cacao is consumed by three 

 classes of purchasers, each distinct from the other, and 

 each having their special requirements. There is, first, 

 the home consumption of the most ordinary description 

 for the common flake cacao taken in very large quantities 

 by the Government for use in the Navy, in Jails, Poor- 

 Houses, S^c, whilst the English makers of chocolates 

 take only iho lower-priced article. The chocolate- 

 makers on the Coctinent.are divided into two classes : 

 those who flavor their goods with vanilla and other such 

 substances for France and Northern Europe, and those 

 who employ only cinnamon as a flavouring material. 

 These latter make for Italy, Turkey, Spain, Portugual 

 and other southern countries, and inasmuch as the 

 lower kinds of cacao do not readily combine with the 

 cinnamon flavoring, and more over do easily amalgamate 

 with such substances as arrowroot, sugar, and vanilla, 

 which enter into the composition of ordinary chocolates, 

 these are in request in England and France, but not in 

 the other countries named. You may notice that the 

 highest-priced cacao is the Guyaquil, especially the 

 " Ariba " kinds^ the reason being that this description is 

 of the finest golden brown, and is of such a delicate 

 nature as not to stand any adulterants or strong 

 flavorings, and, as the Spaniards and Italians are 

 extremely particular in regard to their chocolates, far 

 more so than the French, Germans, or English, the 

 makers for them will have none other, and do not care 

 much about price in order to secure what they want. 

 Ceylon cacao the most nearly of auy approaches the 

 Guyaquil description, especially in brightness of color ; 

 hence, when there is any short supply of the latter, 

 there is found to be a stronger enquiry for Ceylon kinds 

 of good quality. This was the case in the latter part of 

 last year, when, owing to drought and consequent short 

 crops in Guyaquil, shipments fell off from the ordinary 

 average of 220,000 arrobas of 100 lb to less than one-half. 

 The run upon Ceylon sorts, as you may remember, sent 

 the market price over 100s. Since then, however, 

 better times have occured, and this year it is expected 

 the Guyaquil crop will amount to 340,000 arrobas. — 

 London Cor. Local " Times." 



KXAfc^ND 



CINNAMON: THE LONDON MAE 

 PRODUCTION. 



After a protracted difference between the London 

 brolers and the Cinnamon growers of your island, in 

 re.'pect of the holding of sales of spice, the practical 

 men of the Lane have been enabled once moie to adopt 

 the old moile of quarterly, in perference to the ill- 

 udged resort to monthly sales. On Mondav next, the 

 old system will be again adopted, that of selling on the 

 last day of every tbird month, and .so the 31st of .Alay 

 will henceforth be remembered as the restoration of 

 the ancient order of tbing.s, whether it will help to 

 restore the old scale of prices or any approach to them 

 n mains to be ceen. A few days ago I had a long 

 conversation with Mr, Kilby, of the old and well-known 

 .firm of spice broker.'^, whose acquaintance I had made 

 forty years ago when First Sort Cinnamon was selling at 

 eight shillings a pound. You may, perhaps, remember 

 that Mr. Kilby, during the wordy contest re monthly 

 Cinnamon sales, carried on for a long time, stoutly 

 opposed the innovation on the ground that it would be 

 iletrimental to the interests of all engaged in the 

 trade — grower.", shippers and dealers. He reminded me 

 that, in the controversy carried on upon the proposed 

 change, he had predicted as a consequence a fall in the 

 price of the article of thirty to forty per cent. And 

 what has been the result Y Second Sort spice was then 

 ftsbilliug;it isaow geveu peuce!— a decliue vl quite 



forty per cent. In reply to my enquiry as to the effect 

 of reverting to the idd system he remarked that it was 

 alway.'< a most difficult task to work up prices from a 

 fall. The trade, once centred entirely in London, was 

 now scattered over the world, and, although Ceylon 

 still enjoyed the monopoly of the .article, which no other 

 country produces, there is a keen competition amongst 

 sellers in various countries. Orders are now executed 

 in Colombo for foreign houses at fixed rates, and those 

 continental firms put their spice on the market in Com- 

 petition with the London article, and so the price is 

 lowered as well as the market. This .system, added to 

 the monthly sales, was exercising a disastrous effect on 

 the cinnamon market. Whilst admitting his facts, 

 I .suggested that the diversion of the cinnamon trade 

 had no connection with the change in the order of sales, 

 but had taken place long previously, and was one con- 

 sequence of the opening of the Suez canal, and it could 

 no more be brought back to its old and accustomed 

 channels than could that of coffee. I reminded him 

 also of the existence of foreign mercantile firms in 

 Colombo, who will, of cours<>, conduct their business 

 relations direct with their continental constituents 

 rather than through the circuitous route of London. 

 He, however, maintained that a proper conduct of the 

 Cinnamon trade on the part of growers in Ceylon might 

 be the means of raising the standard of prices to what 

 they were five years ago. In reply to my further 

 enquiry as to the competition of Cassia, he said he 

 attached no importance to that ; it was such a different 

 article, and could only affect the fourth class of spice. 

 As for the effect of over-classing cinnamon, he said it 

 was quite inoperative. The trade was not to be deceived 

 by any such device, nor did the making up of low 

 qualities of spice in small thin quills to resemble the 

 finer sorts exercise the slightest influence on market 

 prices, which depended on the intrinsic quality of the 

 bark and not on its make up. — Ibid. 



VEGETABLE PRODUCTS AT THE COLON- 

 lAL AND INDL\N EXHIBITION. 



We propose in these notes to draw special atten- 

 tion to anything novel or striking in the collections of 

 vegetable products from the several colonies and de- 

 pendencies that may be likely to interest our readers. 



Commencing with the West Indian Colonies, the 

 finest collections of fruits are those of New Grenada 

 and Jamaica. Those of the former colony are not 

 only large and well preserved samples, but the fruits 

 themselves are fine and extremely well grown. The 

 Nutmegs (Myristica fragrans) are remarkable for their 

 size as well as for the development and colour of the 

 iNIace. Here are also enormous clusters of fine fleshy 

 Cloves (Eugenia caryophyllata), splendid Cola nuts 

 (Oola acuminata) ; in the fruits, remarkably fine 

 Liberiau Coffee (Coffea liberica). Tamarind (Tama- 

 riudus iudica). Bread Fruit (Artocarpus incisa), Sweet 

 Potato (Ipomtea Batatas). 



The Jamaica collection, though not such large speci- 

 mens, are well preserved, and are a very interesting 

 series. Besides many of those already mentioned are 

 several others of couiderable interest, such, for 

 instance, as Anacacha tubers (Anacacia esculenta), 

 an umbelliferous plant cultivated in the mountainous 

 districts of Nothern South America for the sake of 

 the tuberous roots, which form a staple article of 

 food amongst the people. When boiled they are 

 said to have a flavour between that of a Chestnut 

 and a Parsnip. ThR arnatto seeds (Bixa orellana) 

 shown in this collection are very fine and bright red 

 in colour. As these seeds are valued for the colour- 

 ing matter which surrounds them their commercial 

 value is considerably increased by their plumpuesa 

 and high colour. jNrnatto seeds are imported into 

 this country from ihe "West Indies, Eist Indies, 

 and Ceylon, besides which Arnatto paste is also 

 brought from the last-named island, but as this 

 commodity often reaches us in anything but a 

 fresh state, and as it is used largely iu cheese and 

 butter-making it would be to our advantage were 

 planters to send the seed* themselves, and of such 

 quality as is shown in the Jamaica collection, It is, 



