uo 



im fkCPhtAL AGklCULTURiST. [Nov. i, iS66 



ing in at the rate of 15 millions lb. (or even more) 

 per annum for an indefinite period that has ad- 

 versely affected prices. It therefore becomes a 

 question of supreme practical importance to all 

 interested m Ceylon cinchona to set a careful I'e- 

 liable enquiry afloat, and we know no better 

 medium for obtaining the information than the 

 several District Associations. 



In this connection we would refer once more to 

 the projiosed Ceylon Cinchona Syndicate, regard- 

 ing which a competent commercial authority offers 

 the following remarks in a semi-private letter 

 to us : — 



" About the formation of a Syndicate for the pur- 

 pose of helping planters who are obliged to crop 

 their cinchonas (in order to meet their expenses 

 of tea-planting), from glutting the market and thus 

 reducing prices to a ruinous rate per unit, not 

 alone for the poorer men, who are obliged to 

 coppice and shave or uproot, but for men who are 

 fairly well off, and whose cinchona is harvested 

 in the ordinary course. In some cases 'to make 

 room for tea, planters have only lost by rushing 

 their crops into the market and obtaining prices 

 barely sullicient, and in some cases not sufficient, 

 to cover expenses. The matter lies in a nutshell, 

 and all it wants is cohesion on the part of the 

 growers of cinchona and if petty jealousy could 

 be got rid of, the Colombo agent would really be 

 as much benefited as the planter, as he would be 

 saved from shipping cinchona when the market 

 was overstocked and the crops could be shipped 

 through his agency and the bills drawn on the 

 London houses to whom he sent crops, just the 

 same, without taking a cent from his pocket. In 

 fact, he would be benefited by it as the j^rices 

 would be higher and he would thus be in a position 

 to realize his advances to the planter against crops. 

 Planters must agree to be guided by advices from 

 home and they Aveuld be subject to the control 

 of a Committee of the Syndicate, as to when ship- 

 ments should take i^lace, the produce for shipment 

 being taken in the order of dates of receipt at 

 Colombo. The morel think of it, the more certain 

 I am of the success of such a Syndicate, which 

 really might be termed a Mutual Co-operative Society. 



" We will assume that 100 planters joined (but of 

 course the number ought to be greatly exceeded) 

 and sent their cinchona to Colombo. On its re- 

 ceipt it would be baled by their own agents or by 

 any one the planters pleased. Samples drawn for 

 analysis and those who required advancef on crops, 

 would have a return sent to the banker or bankers 

 who agreed to advance on such, setting forth 

 claims, quantity, and analysis. The advance made 

 en it would bo expressed on the warrant, which 

 would be given to the Bank. As soon as the lots 

 were sliipptd, the usual bill would be drawn by 

 the ).janler*or by hi.? Colombo agent on the Lon- 

 ticn House. The IJank ivhieh advanced money on 

 the lot rejpaid and the warrant being returned 

 cflncellcd, the matter would end. The Bank's 

 Security being the warrant, and the fiynature^ 

 t).f the man or men selected in Colombo to manage 

 the business, such managers arranging [luurantees 

 with the Bonis, so as to present any delay in 

 Bhii)ping or drawing bills. The whole matter is so 

 simple that there need not be the slightest hitcli. 



" Unless something like a Cinchona Syndicate be 

 started and v.'orked as suggested herein, the next 

 half-penny or penny rise m cinchona will see 

 millions of lb. shipped and down will come the 

 prices to an amount which will simply ruin some 

 poor deserving men, who are struggling to plant 

 tea and to live on it." 



Now it may be said that the collection and 

 publicatipn of reliable returns of the stock pf bari 



(on the trees now growing) in the island would, of 

 themselves, have much the same effect as is anticip- 

 ated from the action of a Syndicate. We said that 

 the latter would require to procui'e reliable inform- 

 ation as to cultivation and stocks to guide its 

 operations. On the other hand, already we have 

 some wealthy and large owners of Ceylon cinchona 

 playing the part of a Syndicate by 'holding their 

 bark both in the island and in London off the market, 

 waiting for the opportunity of a more restricted 

 supply and a rise in ijrices. No doubt, this is 

 what every Ceylon planter would like to do. Each 

 one will say with reference to his harvesting pre- 

 maturely and shipping hastily, — 



My poverty and not my will consents I 

 But it is just to meet the case of such planters 

 — gentlemen who must get money for their bark, — 

 that a Syndicate is required and it should 

 be the best means to help them, and 

 we would ask our commercial authority 

 whether it is necessary that there should be any 

 general adhesion of all cinchona owners. Let 

 those who do not need the aid of banker or 

 merchant go on as at present shipping ; but if 

 a considerable number would prefer to get 

 a moderate advance on their bark and to have 

 it stored until the market rises, they should be able 

 to make a considerahle impression on the distri- 

 bution of this staple from Ceylon. We do not 

 see why it should need all our cinchona owners to 

 form a Syndicate. Indeed, our correspondent supposes 

 100 planters joining together, and we think that if 

 rules or articles of Association were drawn up and cir- 

 culated, there would not be much difficulty in 

 getting that number of cinchona planters to support 

 a Syndicate. Meantime we trust the Planters' 

 Association in Dimbula will prosecute their enquiry 

 without loss of time and that their example will 

 be followed in Dikoya, Maskeliya, and throughout 

 Uva. For the rest of the country there ought not 

 to be much difliculty in forming an approximate 

 estimate of the cinchona trees and bark in the 

 everal districts. 



THE OUTLOOK FOE INDIAN TEA. 



Planters usually feel interested iu what their candid 

 friend the dealer thinks about them, and the following 

 article from the Grocer indicates the prevailing views 

 of members of the wholesale and retail tea trade con- 

 cerning Indian tea trade concerning Indian tea and its 

 prospects : 



" The estimates of the tea crop for 188(5, prepared by 

 the General Committee of the Indian Tea Association a 

 few months fince, showed that there was likely to be 

 a yield of nearly 70,000,000 lb., as compared with 

 68,735,000 lb., actually produced in 1885. This repre- 

 sents an increase of over 7,000,000 lb. for tiie season 

 now cortimeuced, and niciiusa very considerable ad- 

 dition to ihe existing supply. 



' Thc»!e figure.s relating to the deliveries show a dif« 

 ference of 1,126,400 lb., and mark the first decided phase 

 wiiich has been w'tnessed iu the rapid extension of In- 

 dian teas in this market during recent years. There 

 can be ho duubt that the trade experienced a severe 

 check in the early part of this year through the dis* 

 turbtd state of irit.h attains, politically, socially, and 

 commercially ; and as our Hibernian brethren, who 

 were previously free consumers of tlie strong and pung- 

 ent teas that come from India, have since used them in 

 a more stinted n)anuer, the >jround at first lost has not 

 subsequently been recorc red. To correspond with this 

 nicdificd taste in the consumption of tea tbeie has also 

 been a chaiige iu the character of the demand, which 

 has of late run chic tly upon the commoner kinds, or, as 

 we expressed it in our market report of Friday lasfcj 

 ' upon teas for price,' and at such prices too as are 2d 

 to 3d per ib. lower than tliey were a twelvemonth ago. 

 Whether this is the cause or the effect of the altered 



