s^. 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[October i, 1882. 



mean temperature. In aud aiound the station where 

 Mr. ^Valker'a observations were taken, forest 

 fienudatiou has gone on for forty years, untU over 

 more than a quarter of a million of acret trees aver- 

 aging 40 to 60 feet in height have given place to coffee 

 about 3 J feet high. Vt' liatever local and limited effects 

 the clearance may have liad, the experience of this 

 season is conclusive m favour of grand cosmic agencies, 

 versus the puny efforts of man, as deciding questions 

 of climate Our own theory, deliberately adopted in 

 the wilds of Uva, more than forty years ago, that 

 forest denudation on mountains exposed to monsoon 

 cm-rents cannot possibly reduce the average of rain- 

 fall, has been confirmed by the obsers ations of every 

 succeeding yeai'. Indeed, were we inclined now to 

 adopt the theory that to clear away forest in mount- 

 ain regions is the best means of increasing rainfall, 

 we might rest lor support on the figures supplied 

 by Mr. Walker. After extensive and widespread 

 denudation westwards and eastwards, southwards and 

 northwards of Bogawantalawa, the figures for the three 

 south-west months of 1882 shew an increase of ram- 

 fall over the aA"erage of the previous ten years of 

 51 '30 inches as against 32 '68, falling on 89 days 

 uistead of 72 : that is there fell 18 '62 more 

 inches of rain, the ramy days being increased by 17. In 

 ordinaiy seasons (to give a more striking illustration), 

 twenty rainless days out of the 92 might be calculated 

 on ; while this season the rainless days were only 

 three. For all practical purjioses, we may say that 

 the rain was perpetual. This experience was general 

 over the hillcoimtry, but the effect of local peeuli- 

 aa'ities of aspect, elevation, &c. , as modifying great 

 cosmic influencis, is also proved by the facts stated 

 by Mr. Walker, viz., that in the lower and upper 

 ends of the valley, and its middle, the rainfall in 

 July varied as represented by the figures 45 inches 

 for the lower end, 21 for the middle, and only 13 

 for the upper portion which abuts on Sabaragamuwa 

 and Uva. Our readers will notice that the temperature 

 during this mousoon shewed perfect sympathy with 

 the rainfall, the 21 uiches of -July on thuty days 

 sending down the thermometer to 60'7. But for the 

 wiml this fall in temperature need not have happened. 

 Evaporation the result of strong wind produces cold 

 equally with radiation, and often of a less endurable 

 and more disastrous nature. We are not. we sup- 

 pose, likely again to hear of rainfall reduced and 

 temperature exalted in the hill region of L'eylou, as 

 the result of forest denudation. 



THE 



CINCHONA BARK SPECULATION 

 A]\1ERICA AND EUROPE. 



IN 



In a review of the drug trade of New York during' 

 ISsl, Mr, D. O. Eoljbins, of the firm of McKesson Jt 

 RoLljJi.s, gives a succinct history of the .speculation 

 in cmchoua bark, which still cramps the marltet. 

 and keeps the price of quinine above what it would 

 be iu accordance with laws of supply aud demand. 

 The rLCeipts of baa-k in the United States have decliued 

 progrcs.-.ii-ely from 44,yOU bales in 1878 to 31,700 in ISSl. 

 in l.unUon the receipts were 31,318 bales in 1877, 45,250 

 in 18iS, 58,006 in 1879, 78,ii7 in 1880, and 115,300 in 

 1881. It may be interesting to show the fluctuations in 

 the varieties thus imported. 



1S7S 1S79 1880 ISSl 



Bales Bales Bales Bales 

 7.834 9,187 6,580 7,017 

 0,251 13,400 20,092 15,388 

 5,771 5,360 6,480 5,723 



25,394 30,659 44,505 81,232 



The development of the cupiea bark, which is of O'o- 



lombiaii origin, aud the decliue in the receipts of Kast 



Indian are the noticeable features of this table. 



l.L pccting the latter Mr, Kobbins yemarks, " It has been 



generally supposed that these barks would come into market 

 from year to year iu a coustantly-iucreasmg ratio 

 The dimiuutiou in receipts, however, is explainable by the 

 fact that, owing to low prices obtained for cotfee and 

 other crops in the past, many planters who were growing 

 cinchona trees, in connection with other products, have 

 sacriiied the cinchona product to obtain money ; and a 

 considerable amount of bark came into market in 1881 

 which should not have been cut so soou." 



The cuprea bark district in Santander, which has fur- 

 nished so large a portion of the bark supply during the 

 last year, according to Mr. Kobbins, is losing its imijort- 

 ance. There is a considerable quantity of bark now cut 

 which will come forward, aud the district is by no means 

 exhausted ; the remaining bark, however, is not easily 

 accessible, and in many parts of the State would not pay 

 for the expeuse of cutting and bringing forward. The, 

 price of cuprea bark steadily declined during ISSl from 

 3s. Gd, at the earliest sales down to Is. 5d. in November. 



Kespecting the speculation in bark, which was instituted 

 in London in December last by the chief consignees 

 the cuprea bark (Messrs. Meyer &, Oo., of Mark Lane) 

 Mr. Kobbins says : — 



" The firm, holding large consignments of bark, pract- 

 ically withch-ew the same from market, and sent theh re- 

 presentatives to South America with advices to shippers 

 of the movement, leading them to expect higher prices in 

 the future. They pm-chased a considerable quantity of rich 

 bark, in the American market and large quantities of sulph- 

 ate of quinine at prices from 6s to 9s 6d, the aim be- 

 ing to remove all cheap lots of quinine and hark from the 

 market. The greater part of the quinine aud bark thu, 

 purchased is still held by the .syndicate alluded to. They 

 hope, no doubt, that the usual spring demand for quinine 

 will find both manufacturers and holders of quinine short, 

 and the manufacturers will be forced to purchase bark 

 at advanced rates. It is supposed that the syndicate 

 controls three-fourths of the bark in the Loudon market." 



Mr. Kobbins anticipates a possible combination of the 

 bark syndicate with the chief Continental manufacturers 

 of cinchona alkaloids, which, be foresees, woidd place 

 both the European and the American markets at their 

 mercy, one person, he says, having the control of two of 

 the largest works on the Continent, and being in a pos- 

 ition to supply one-half of the requirements of the world. 



That person, as we have stated in a previous number, 

 has publicly disavowed any association with the recent spec- 

 ulation, and has declared that the interests of his firm 

 are not promoted by speculative movements. That a manu- 

 facturer in such a position as is occupied by the Italian 

 fii-m could give valuable aid to the controllers of the bark 

 market is obvious, but it is not easy to see how his own 

 interests would be promoted in th^ regular way of busi- 

 ness by doing so. It is hkely enough that the manu- 

 facture of quinine is yet in too few hands, but the com- 

 petition among the present makers has always been severe, 

 aud seems to be sufficient to keep down a " quinine ring." 

 That a- "corner" in bark is possible is, however quite 

 clear. Whether the present attempt will be successful or 

 not is a puzzle to the most experieuced dealers on the 

 market, and we do not profess to solve it. — Cliemist and 

 Diiii/gist. 



SANDALWOOD. 

 {To the Editor of the Madias Moil.) 

 Sir, — Having recently read an interesting article 

 in the R Awjlo-hidian Advocate, about successful 

 sandalwood growing, aud being anxious to try the 

 experiment of planting s.andal seedlings between 

 rows of "Lantan.a' cuttings, I shall feel obliged if 

 any one will kindly inform me whether Govei-ument 

 would allow any concession lo those who undertake 

 to ^row su.-h plantations whtn the trees are matured 

 and fit for fe' hui. I am told sandalwood is a Govern- 

 meut monopoly, and is taken possession of bv Go- 

 verument when the trees are matured, it is there- 

 fore surprizing that it is found af all on private 

 Hroperty. I have seen huadreds of fine young trees 



