JO 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 



[July i, 1884 



was made on the 24th January, it being a diminution of 

 80s per ounce, so that at present an ounce of quinine cost6 

 only M. 6-40 instead of the former M. 7'20. 



Altogether there are but 17 quinine factories in the world, 

 that are making to any extent, and they are distributed 

 throughout the world as follows: — In Germany there are 

 sis, in Italy two, in France three, in England two, and in 

 the United States of North America four. The German 

 manufacturers are as follows: — Friedrich Jobst, Stuttgart, 

 0. F. Bohringer & Sonne, Mannheim, Conrad Zimmer, Frank- 

 fort on the M., Rostock & Co., Leipsic, Brunswick Quinine 

 Factory, Brunswick, F. Koch, Oppenheim on the Rh., Quinine 

 Factory Auerbach, Auerbach, Hesse. The Milan factory 

 is that of Alexander Bohringer, the English, Howard & Sons, 

 and Whiffen & Oo., the Parisian Armet de Lisle & Oo., 

 their American competitors are Messrs. Kesson & Robbins, 

 New York, Powers & AVeighmann, Rosengarten & Sons, and 

 Kesby & Mi6sar, Philadelphia. 



The annual produce of all the quinine factories in the 

 world combined, is estimated at 4,250,000 ounces, of which 

 America alone consumes 1,700,000 of quinine each year, 

 whereas it produces but 850,000 ounces per annum, a 

 quantity which of course is not exported, but, on account 

 of its fine quality, remains and is consumed in the land. 

 It is left to Europe to supply the larger part of the con- 

 sumption, which therefore has it in its power to' control 

 the market and regulate the prices, which for many years 

 were subject to but trifling fluctuations. 



If in the course of any year an overproduction resulted, 

 the manufacturers came to a mutual understanding in 

 stipulating and keeping up the price of quinine. Again 

 in July last the thirteen European quinine factories came 

 to such an agreement, binding themselves under penalty 

 to sell their fabrics only at the price agreed upon. 



The proprietor of one of the most considerable quinine 

 factories in the world, Mr. Alexander Bohringer of Milan 

 thereupon undertook to induce the American colleagues to 

 join this union, and for this purpose undertook a voyage 

 to the United States, where about the time Congress had 

 accepted a bill for abolishing the duty on quinine, and thus 

 giving cause for the American quinine manufacturers to 

 fear the European competition as soon as the Continental 

 gtocks, that could not be realised at home, should be thrown 

 into the American market. Mr. Bohringer's proposals conse- 

 quently met everywhere with a hearty reception, nay, the 

 American colleagues submitted to him even more advant- 

 ageous proposals, agreeing and obliging themselves to take 

 to account a oertain percentage of the annual European 

 produce. 



Thus all competition was paralysed by the world-union of 

 quinine manufacture. The agreement should be valid for 

 a period of three years, and could be dissolved only by 

 mutual consent. 



Scarcely, however, had Bohringer returned to Europe, and 

 annouuoed the success of his exertions, when several European 

 colleagues broke the given promise and began to sell their 

 fabrics far below the prices agreed upon. In course of the 

 year the demand for quinine proved to be rather dull, and 

 some of the less wealthy manufacturers, thinking to see 

 their subsistence endangered, felt themselves compelled to 

 break the contract. 



The consequence of this was that the American colleagues 

 freed themselves from the compact, whereupon the goods 

 were sold as any, even ruinous prices. AA'hile during the 

 last six years the price of quinine had been held at M. G 

 per ounce, and for very superior articles had risen even to 

 M. 23, it now suddenly went down to M. 6*40 per ounce. 

 The lowest price ever fixed for quinine, is that paid about 

 twenty years ago, when the firm of Powers & AVeighmann 

 in Philadelphia, the largest American quinine concern, would 

 oppose a powerful competition to the enterprise of Messrs. 

 Armet de Lisle & Co., who had opened a second factory 

 at Haarlem, and reduced the price of quinine to M. 4'04 

 per ounce, by which they immediately stopped the work- 

 ing of the newly created factory. AATien, however, Armet 

 de Lisle & Co. desisted from their plan, the price soon 

 went up again. 



For quinine in bottles the present wholesale price is fixed 

 at M. 6'40 per ounce, and in lumps only M. 6. On the re- 

 tail trade this fluctuation has no influence, for with small 

 stocks a regular demand continues, and therefore the pub- 

 lic in general have no advantage of it. The rupture of the . 



union led to a London syndicate's buying up about 30,000 

 ounces of quinine, by which Messrs. Howard & Sons were 

 induced to reduce their prices in order to frustrate and 

 meet the syndicate speculation. The large stock could not 

 now be realised at SI. 6 per ounce, and was finally cleared 

 off at a great loss. 



There is no saying with any certainty what course the 

 matter will now take, but the fact of the great discord 

 among the quinine manufacturers is still evident, and the 

 consequent unsteadiness in the prices. The market is quiet, 

 buyers being very reserved in laying new stocks in the ap- 

 prehension of further reductions in the prices. Should a 

 union of the quinion • manufacturers be re-established, for 

 which purpose introductory steps are reported to have 

 already been taken, buyers will have to pay dearly for 

 then - reserve from the rapid rising of the prices. Con- 

 sequently all the parties concerned are looking forward 

 to the next meeting with great suspense. — Exporter. 



SIANURES. 



SEA MUD AS A MANURE. 



At the mouths of most rivers there is a deposit of mud 

 which it is to the advantage of harbor authorities to re- 

 move and of farmers to utilise. Several German chemists 

 have recently examined various samples, and find that the 

 composition is very uniform, the only substance which 

 varies much in quantity being sand. Exposed to the air 

 the mud dries up to a firm, compact mass, losing water 

 and diminishing in volume. Long storage brings about 

 changes of considerable importance from an agricultural 

 point of view, for the mud becomes more powdery, es- 

 pecially after frost, and is then more easily incorporated 

 with the soil; the loss of water and the reduction in 

 volume diminish the expenses of transport ; chlorides are 

 lost, the oxide and sulphide of iron get oxidised, organic 

 remains in the mud become more decomposed, while but 

 little, if any, nitrogen is lost. Such sea mud is, there- 

 fore, well worth the attention of farmers near the mouths 

 of rivers, as, after drying, it is capable of effecting a 

 desirable physical change in the soil, as well as of im- 

 proving it chemically by adding to it nitrogen, lime and 

 soluble sulphate. 



MANURIAL VALUE OF SEWER SLUDGE. 



Among the plans proposed, or in use, for the disposal 

 of town sewage is one whereby the liquid and solid 

 materials are separated gradually from each other. Alum 

 water is mixed with the sewage as it flows from the main 

 drain over a series of precipitation tanks. The solution 

 of alum assists the coagulation of the solid part of the 

 sewage, which is slowly deposited in the tanks, and, in 

 the end, the water becomes quite clear, contains only a 

 trace of nitrogen, and may be safely turned out into an 

 adjacent stream or river. This plan is in practice at 

 Coventry, Leyton, AA'est Ham and other places, and is the 

 one proposed for the towns in the Thames A r alley Con- 

 federation. The chief difficulty is the disposal of the 

 sludge which remains in the tanks. By powerful presses 

 its bulk can be much reduced, and this would also lessen 

 the cost of transport. It was hoped that its manurial 

 value would render it a marketable article, but analysis 

 6hows that as a manure it is worth very iittle. These 

 remarks have been suggested by an account of analysis 

 of sewers lime made at the town of Bremen. Several 

 house sewers, containing much urine, are led into a small 

 stream with a gentle fall; the solids are deposited, and 

 are used for dressing soils. The dry solids contained per 

 cent of potash, 6'3; lime 17'2; phosphoric acid, 8; total 

 nitrogen, 116. The wet material exposed in heaps to the 

 air loses 40 or 50 per cent of water in drying, and it 

 requires a long exposure to get the sulphur compounds 

 oxidised. The reason the liquid part of ordinary town 

 sewage contains so little nitrogen, is that it is so enorm- 

 ously diluted with all the water used for domestic pur- 

 poses in houses, and with all the rain that falls iu the 

 town. 



PHYSICAL EFFECTS OF MANURES. 



It too frequently happens that in considering the effect 

 of a manure its chemical action on the soil is alone thought 

 of; besides this, however, its mechanical action should 

 also be taken into account. It is, as we have previously 

 maintained in these columns, very much to its influence on 



