February i, 1883.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



64T 



upon the goods. The effect of these laws can be no 

 other than the restriction of importation. The mer- 

 cantile classes will be obliged to import on shorter 

 time and to carry lifjhter stocks, for the simple reason 

 that the increased duties and warehouse taxes will 

 increase the cost of goods to just that extent, with a 

 consequent increase in the amount of capital tied up 

 in stock. Of course these increased taxes will be met 

 by either an increase in the prices on goods, or an 

 equivalent decrease in the quality of the goods. In 

 either case the consumer will pay the tax and suffer 

 the hardships. The loss to the mercantile classes will 

 spring from the restrictions upon business and de- 

 creased consumption. These are simply the elementary 

 factors in this problem of taxation, but they seem to 

 be as yet but little understood in parliament and in 

 the Government. They have yet to learn the mysteri- 

 ous workings of a tax upon middlemen. In the matter 

 of the reduction in the export taxes on coffee, sugar, 

 cotton and mat6, the step is one in the right direction, 

 and should be hailed with pleasure. After tlie 9th 

 the general export tax on coffee will be 7 insteadof 

 9 per cent., the provincial tax of 4 per cent remain- 

 ing unchanged. 



.So that the relief to C"ffee exported from Brazil is 2 per 

 cent out of 1.3 on its vtilue— that is to say, it pays 11 

 per cent instead of 13. The pbnters. however, will be 

 largely burdened with the additional import duties. 



In a later issue, the Rio New^ eays :— 



lu discussing tde question of coffee production, the 

 Oorreio Paulistano of the 30th ultimo lays down some 

 very good doctrine for the benefit of its readers. 

 After quoting some remarks of a colleague on the 

 great fertility of some of the new districts and on 

 the expected action of the Government in the matter 

 ef reduced freights, the Cor-QeJo remaiks that it 

 should not be fori^otten that the best way to meet 

 the present crisis is not to abandon the contest, but 

 to overcome foreign competition through the :-uperior 

 quality and preparation of the Brazilian product. 

 Instead of seeking to produce enormous crops, as has 

 heretofore been the rule, more attention should be 

 given to the preparation of the crop for market. 

 " To produos less, but better," seems to the C-^rreio 

 to be a wiser policy just now than to merely iu- 

 crease the quantity. To attain this object a higher 

 cultivatiou (intfimva) is essential in place of the old 

 system of extended cultivation {extfiisiva). The latter 

 has had its day, with its large are.is, scanty cultiva- 

 tion, large crops, and speedily exhausted soil. 'J'he 

 former, with its restricted areas, hijjh cultivation, 

 fertilized soils, and augmented product, must hence- 

 forth be the system to be followed. The object of 

 the industry, as in all otheis, should be quality in- 

 stead of quantity. And in this the Cornio is per- 

 fectly right. One of the first steps to be taken to 

 meet the present crisis in the cotfee trade is an im- 

 provement in the quality of the product. The day 

 of high prices has gone by, never to return. It is 

 poisibie that war or the fai.uro of a crop may bring 

 about a temporary rise in prices, hut like the per- 

 mauent face of prices on wheat following the enormous 

 production in the Mississippi basin, it is evident that 

 coffee has gone down to remain. The only remedy, 

 therefore, is to decrease the costs of production, and 

 to increase the quality of the product si as to com- 

 mand the best and largett market. It is a very 

 general trait among men — and a good oue withal — 

 to be willini^ to pay a better price for a better article, 

 ftnd it is just this triit of charater to which the 

 Brazilian planter should appe.il. With such an effort 

 the Government can have no part, and the planter 

 is wasting time in expecting it. The most ti.e Govern- 

 ment can do is to abolish its export duties, aud to 

 reform its legislation which discriminates ar^ainst small 

 planters. In general terms, the greater the number 



of small ]iroducers the better will be the product, 

 for the small planter will employ a higher cultivation 

 and secure better average results than the old-fashioned 

 planter ever dreamed of. As a beginning, however, 

 the planters will find the Vorreio's advice good and 

 worth putting into practice without delay. 



SUMMARY OF THE LONDON CINCHONA 

 MARKET FOR THE YEAR ENDING DE- 

 CEMBER 1882. 



The past year has been not only an eventful bu* 

 a successful one to cinchona growers throughout the 

 East as regards the steady prices maintained for their 

 produce, the activity aud spread of the business, and 

 for the sound commercial basis that calculations in 

 connection with cmchona cultivation now assume. It 

 is very evident that bark from the cultivated trees 

 of the East has been more and more sought after of 

 late years, aud especially during this past year, wliilst 

 the wild barks of .South America and the United States 

 of Columbia have considerably receded in value and 

 importance. Judging from these facts it is quite poss- 

 ible that tlie South American bark trade may be af- 

 fected to such an extent by the cultivated barks from 

 the East for the next two or three years as to al- 

 most close it for a time, the dui'ation of which would 

 naturally be decided by what effectual means were 

 taken to open up by rail or water, region growing 

 the best species, and by the extended cultivation and 

 energy of the South Americans themselves. 



It would be rash to make specific statements regarding 

 the future of this important product, but there are fair 

 grounds for supposing that the next three years at 

 least will show increased demand for the cultivated 

 barks of good quality, and even beyond that period 

 an era of unparellelled prosperity may reward those 

 now assiduously engaged in their cultivation. It nnist 

 be borne in mind though that most enterprizes, especially 

 in tropical agriculture, pass through phases of unex- 

 pected success and unexpected depression, and that 

 from past experience in coffee it would be unwise to 

 place solo faith in one product which sooner or later 

 is sure to meet with strong competition. The rivalry 

 between South America, with its wealth of soil and 

 natural productions, and the tropical parts of the 

 Eastern hemisphere with then- abundant labour sup- 

 ply, capital aud energy.* will doubtless become more 

 and more severe each decade. Coffee has been the 

 special product that marks the competition of the 

 past decade ; cinchona pi-omises to be the one of the 

 next, and possibly ' rubber ' may follow after that. 

 To sum up : — An almost certain period of prosperity is 

 at hand for cinchona growers in the East an era of un- 

 parellelled prosperity (when the large area now planted 

 becomes available) for cropping dimly shows itself be- 

 yond this period, an era to be regulated partially by con- 

 sumption and partially by the efforts of the South 

 Americans themselves. Whether a time will come 

 when to grow bark mil cease to be remunerative at 

 all it is difficult to say, but viewing not only the 

 extensive schemes for opening up new countries like 

 Central Africa, and revivifying old ones like Palestine 

 and Asia Minor, and the numerous other uses that 

 will be found for febrifuges throughout the civilized 

 world, as they become more known and valued, but 

 also the increasing interest sho-mi everywhere in al- 

 leviating suffering, both inhuman and animal life, tit 

 may safely be conjectured that it mil not be in the 

 next eight or ten years certainly. 



* And with not only superior means of communication 

 but safety of life and security of property. — Ed. 



t We believe that if quinine or tlie less valuable alkal- 

 oids became available for the Chinese, the solution of 

 the " opium " problem would be found. —Ed. 



