June i, 1883.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



9S7 



prevails on high places. Vines planted in a strong soil 

 will not protUice any fruit, because the roots cannot extend 

 themselves with facility. 



A sandy soil is equally prejudicial to them because it is 

 naturally hot ; and tlie heat of the sun penetrates with more 

 facility than in any other ground. 



You may plant vines in a place where fresh water com- 

 municates itself in the same manner as in ground entirely 

 low and firm ; but I doubt very much if they will produce 

 pepper. If they yield any I am certain the grapes will be of 

 no great account, because of the continual moisture the 

 plant will receive. I have already remarked it is absolutely 

 neces.sary that the vines enjoy an equal degree of heat and 

 moisture, if you think of gathering a good crop. 



MANNEit OF Planting the Pepper Grain. 



Take ripe pepper and put into water for three days, at 

 the end of which take otf the skin, and, after you have 

 mixed good red earth, with cow duug and water, put the 

 pepper into it, exposing the same to the suu for three d.ays, 

 early in the morning and evening ; it is necessary tliis 

 mixture be neither too thick nor too thin. After this plant 

 the same in an earthen pot, every grain at a certain dis- 

 tance, taking care to water them every day with a water- 

 pot, until the stalk has four leaves. Then dig a hole at the 

 foot of a tree, two feet deep and nine inches long and 

 broad, take cow dung and ashes of all sorts of firewood, put 

 it into the hole, and mix the same with the ground dug 

 out of it, taking care to fill it in such a manner that there 

 only remains five inches of elevation. Fifteen days after, 

 plant four pepper vines in every hole, cover them with 

 earth two inches deep ; tluring the summer water them 

 every day, moruing and evening, and cover iluring the rains. 

 Likewise take care that no water remains at their feet, by 

 covering them with earth. As soon as the rains are over, 

 throw up a circular bank of earth round them to contain 

 the water they are watered with. In this manner they 

 must be nourished for three years ; in the fourth year they 

 vnW begin to give fruit. These instructions are to be fol- 

 lowed every year. These proper plants are planted either 

 in high or low ground, but it is necessary it be very firm. 

 JIanneb of Planting where Salt Water is. 



After having made a hole, thirteen inches square, at the 

 foot of a tree, fill the same half up with good red earth 

 without mixing it in the least with salt water ; then plant 

 therein ten .slips, of those vine, at a certain distance, and 

 cover the same with good red earth. When the rains are 

 over, throw again red earth at their feet, and make a circular 

 bank round them, to form a conservatory, for watering them 

 every other day, taking particular c ire to cover the feet 

 of the branches with fresh leaves. In the beginning of the 

 rains, fill the conservatory and take away the leaves, 

 ob.serving to pull up the grass that sprouts at their feet, 

 covering them with red earth, at the same time spreading 

 same round about. They are to be nourished every year, as is 

 pointed out at the beginning of these Instructions. — Indian 

 A(/rictfltm'ist, September 1S7S. 



♦ 



COFFFE TRADE OF SANTOS. 

 By Consul Weight. 



The production of coffee was alreaily fast outstrijiping 

 consumption when, early in 1880, the Brazilian Government 

 saw fit to become an exporter of the article, with the view 

 of placing funds abroad to meet its obligations instead of as 

 hitierto making remittances in bills of exchange; thus en- 

 tering the Kio market as a buyer in competition with legitim- 

 ate exporters, and upsetting for the time being all calcul- 

 ations as to exchange, not only preventing the then natm-al 

 decline of prices out here, but really causing an advance to 

 a point relatively above the simultaneous market value 

 abroad, and depressing all foreign markets by throwing their 

 shipments almost ia toto upou one, New York, especially at 

 that time, when a combination was endeavoiu-ing to *' corner" 

 cotfee, thereby causing greater caution on the part of the 

 general trade and anxiety in Europe that New York might 

 be compelled to ship part of her stocks thither. 



The oiieration of the gorernment resulted in a loss stated 

 to amount to at least ,suO,flH() railreis, to say nothing of its 

 consequences upon legitimate mercantile tra<le. As a matter 

 ut course, I would not allude thus to the trans.action had it 

 not been so freely discussed in .and out of Parliament and 

 in commercial circles everywhere for some time i)astas to 

 place it beyond the pale of othcial reserve. 



Looking at the then tremulous state of the coffee trade (so 

 often before afflicted by sjieculative rings which resulted dis- 

 astrously), owing to the visible and ii\creasing overproduction 

 everywhere as compared with consumption, it is considered 

 to have been unwise on the part of the (iovermnent to 

 have struck the iii'st blow at the downward tendency 

 because if left to merchants regularly and legitimately in 

 the trade, they would have known how to have met the 

 anticipated natui'al changes. But even this was (U'uied 

 them by the public assertion of the successor to the minister 

 of finance who executed the commercial measure alluded 

 to, that he ajiproved of the course of his predecessor, and 

 would repeat the operation if he saw fit, wdiile the oper- 

 ation has lately been defended in the Impi^rial House of 

 Representatives, although ably contested. All this causes 

 morvousness in the h'ade now, as for some time pa.st, lest 

 such an operation might suddenly be predicated. 



There are those who beUeve that the ;Brazilian Govern- 

 ment is interi^sted in the gi-cat Havre ring, but I am not 

 one of them, however idausible their deductions drawn 

 from the i)ast year may appear. It may be that the oper- 

 ation I have alluded to may have given birth to the hope 

 of these wealthy French speculators that it might he 

 repeated either wholly or on account with them, but they 

 have apparently been left to caiTy theii- own burden. 

 They may have been and may still be influenced by the 

 hope that the reported negotiation between Brazil and 

 France may result in a commercial treaty, resulting in a 

 diminution of the exorbitant French duty on cotfee -rtmoimt- 

 iug to more than the invoice cost, withfreight and mai-ine 

 insiu'ance added, so as to oft'set some recompense on this 

 side for the importation of real French wines, instead of 

 the Hamburg concoctions imported and sold as French. 



In my No. 60, dated January 16, I spoke of the Ha%Te 

 ring, with its enormous cotfee stock hanging as an incubus 

 over the the ti'ade, and so it has continued. In Septem- 

 ber its Ha\Te stocks were represented to li.ave cost £3,006,000 

 sterhng, against the market estimated value £2,000,600 

 sterling, or a straight loss of £1,060,660 sterling, not in- 

 cluding expenses of " carrying," previous losses, &c. 

 Sevenu large failures also have occiu'red there ; yet a re- 

 inforced concern seems to have been organized, .and is 

 apjiarently determined to continue the same course. Why 

 Santos and Santos cott'ee should have been alone selected 

 for these speculative operiitions is puzzling, but so it is. 

 Certain is it also that the BraziUau coft'ee ti'ade has changed, 

 assumed a new form ; for whereas formerly the large 

 importers sent out orders .and letters of credit for pui-- 

 chases, of large parcels and cargoes for sale there to job- 

 bers ; now-a-days these very jobbers liave become im- 

 porters, and to such an extent that the old importers are 

 almost driven from the field. Nearly all the finns m Santos 

 and Rio have head or branch houses, or partners, 

 or agents abroad, through whom they offer to sell for 

 immediate or future sliipment a given quantity of ooft'ee, 

 quahty as per type sample there shown, at a fixed price in 

 foreign money, this price including invoice cost on bo.ird and 

 freight. This eniibles the jobbers and retailers to buy out 

 here instead of there, where they were so often in the meshes 

 of speculative cliques. Now they know that on a certain 

 day they will have their supply audits co.st. they running no 

 risk except the loss of the vessel, and hence their expected 

 supply, all other risks falling upon the vendor here. They 

 obtain letters of credit just as others do, and settle for the 

 drafts drawn in virtue thereof payable at ninety days after 

 sight in Loudon, Paris. Frankfort, etc., just as readily as if 

 they made the purchase in warehouse at New York, Havre, 

 Antwerp, Hamburg, etc., on sixty days' credit, to be paid 

 for in cash as " taken from store, with discount." But the 

 system is a bad one an- 1 may yet result seriously, and this 

 seems to be the opinion of many who shun such, on a prin- 

 ciple well founded. The risks run by the party out here are 

 many and serious ; among them, quality sold not obtainable, 

 prices advanced, exchange rates advanceil. absence of steam- 

 ers and vessels, rainy weather preventing shipments within 

 .specified time, fires, etc. If all these are to be fearcil in con- 

 tracting for shipping '■ short," how much more for '• long" 

 delivery ? 



I am informed that coffee has been sold to Havi'e, 

 quality and price agreed upon, for shipment here :i'l along 

 up tlie end of March, 1883. C'otfeo is therefore sold which 

 may not exist, as myriads of pods or dried berries are 

 still on the bushes, and may or may not inclose beans or 

 l)urnt, oille.ss kernels. Then, again, this is a rainy climate 



