172 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [September i, 1884. 



seasons, but even here the openiug-up of new fields be- 

 comes daily more apparent as a re-agent. "While the con- 

 sumption per head in this country has remained remark- 

 ably steady for some years, the proportion of Indian has 

 increased from 19 per cent of the total in 187S to 33 

 per cent in 1883. Disregarding extreme and temporary 

 fluctuations, wo find the value of common Co"gou ranged 

 until 1880 between 7d and 9d per lb. Since that time the 

 variatioua have been between 4d and 6d. Parallel to this, 

 the stocks, which fluctuated beiween a yearly minimum 

 and maximum of 50 million and 110 mi'lion pounds re- 

 spectively, have during the latter period found the an- 

 nual limits increased to 80 millions and 130 millions. 



"Tea is essentially a British drink, but coffee, on the 

 other hand, is not, indeed its consumption is diminishing year 

 by year. Thcl 1,1100 to 15,000 tons consumed in this country, 

 even with a stock equal to eighteen months' consump- 

 tion would not account for the very heavy fall in prices 

 of all descriptions. Quotations are, indeed, better at 

 present than the abnormal figures of last year; 

 lint it will be remembered that these were a 

 reaction from the speculation induced by shortages, 

 of rumoured shortages, iu the Brazilian crops. It is more 

 to our purpose to note that while the total crops of Java, 

 Ceylon, and Brazil amounted in 1871 to 289,000 tons, those 

 ol 1883 totalled 176,000 tons. The minima of stocks have 

 • luring the last three years far exceeded the maxima of 

 years pre- cding. The highest point reached in 1877 by 

 in- Btocks in Europe, Great Britain, and the United States 

 was 131,900 tons; iu 1883 the enormous total of 244,400 

 tons was attained. 



"Bice is another marked example. This it is in spite 

 of being subject to causes of fluctuation which do not 

 affect some other staples. Its area of production is com- 

 paratively restricted consequently it is more affected by 

 climatic influences, and also is more easily hell in hand 

 and manipulated by speculators. It is also, to a certain 

 extent, dependent upon the corn harvest, being an available 

 substitute for grain in the manufacture of raw spirit. The 

 price per cwt has slowly dropped from 13 to 20 per cent 

 oelow the range of a few years back. The imports into 

 (ireat Britain and Europe rose from 618,000 tons in 1879 

 to 850,000 tous in 18S1, falling to 707,000 tons in 1883. 

 Despite this, the stocks, which had been 276,000 tons in 

 1881, stood at 153,000 tons in December, in 1883, as against 

 110,000 tons four years previously. 



"When we say that we are not aware of a single article 

 of produce that cannot be arraigned in like terms, and 

 when, moreover, we assert our conviction that this trans- 

 formation is absolutely permanent, it will naturally be sup- 

 posed that the cause is neither superficial nor temporary. 

 Nor is it. Is it a truism, too frequently put on one side 

 simply because it is a truism, that the advances of modern 

 civilization, the infinite ramifications of steam and elect- 

 ricity, have entirely altered all the old medes of doing 

 business. Now that we are beginning really to feel the 

 pinch of these alterations, we come to realize what they 

 really are. Steam and electricity have increased produc- 

 tion, facilitated distribution, and equalized prices. 



"The increase of production is the most patent result. 

 By railways and steamships and steam machinery, new 

 countries of vast extent have been opened up. The most 

 savage of nations are quick to perceive the small amount 

 of labour by means of which they can procure the invalu- 

 able treasures of Manchester prints and Birmingham 

 jewellery. Settlers find that a competency, if not wealth, 

 can be easily earned by less exertion than in a civilized 

 country would barely suffice to keep them out of the work- 

 house.' Even old countries— in the rural districts of which 

 the peasants are Woefully ignorant— are opened up and 

 made doubly reproductive. The dwellers in the^ great 

 Central European plaiu have probably less claim to 

 genius than the tribes of the Mongolian plateaus but they 

 lave been shrewd enough to build up the magnificent lu- 

 lls lies of beet sugar anil potato spirit. Further, modern 

 invention has greatly simplified the methods of preparing 

 and packing most staples. This not only tends to greater 

 economy, but diverts the economy whither it is most 

 highly appreciated. The labourer can get a proportionately 

 uighBjJ price fo- doing less work when the chemical, 

 laboratory and the hydraulic press are put up at his 

 doors by the capitalist. Any loss on over-production does J 



not fall on the actual producer, whose wage is already 

 at a minimum, who is glad if he can sell his wares at 

 all, regardless if the purchaser can sell them at any 

 price. 



" But these modern agencies do as much in facilitat- 

 ing distribution. The development of the mercantile marine 

 cheapens the cost of carriage, and combined with tele- 

 graphic orders multiplies fo an enormous extent the points 

 of delivery. It would appear at first sight that this in- 

 creased ease of purchase would lead to an enlarged demand, 

 and so to some extent it does. But it is equally ap- 

 parent that it ends in a greater degree to depress prices 

 by enabling buyers to be independent of one market, and 

 thus getting up a strong, often suicidal, competition be- 

 tween markets. If a purchaser can. as far as convenience 

 is concerned, buy indifferently at Hamburg, Havre, or 

 Loudon, trades-union8 or ' rings ' to support quotations 

 become a cruel impossibility. Another direct effect is tho 

 doing away with middlemen ami their profits. A more 

 dangerous result is the multiplication of traders, especially 

 of traders with little or no capita). The information— 

 if we could got it openly— of the bill brokers would in- 

 form us how large is the nominal busir.ess done by firms 

 of yesterday, and heavy the losses borne by historic old 

 houses in their vain attempts to keep pace with these 

 mushroom growths. 



" The third effect is the equalization of prices. In common 

 parlance, everybody knows everybody's business. The days 

 of trade secrets and grands coups on special information 

 are gone. No Rothschild will ever again make a fortune 

 over a battle of Waterloo. Any important incident is 

 immediately and simultaneously announced on the exchanges 

 of both hemispheres ; stocks 'afloat and ashore are known 

 and watched from hour to hour ; imports and consump- 

 tion are gauged to a nicety. There is no one mart, no 

 one market which rules the world's trade. The prices at 

 New York, Kangoon, or Sydney are turned into London 

 prices by the mere mechauical application to a set of 

 tables. If the sun did not pi-esent one insuperable diffic- 

 ulty, all the exchanges of the world would open and 

 close at the same hours. As it is, prices follow each other 

 round the globe from east to west. This changed order 

 of things has rescued all and every branch of trade, from 

 the grasp of any possible mononpoly or combination." — 

 Pro luce Market's Hern"-. 



SANGUINE VIEWS OF RICE CULTIVATION 

 IN CEYLON 

 are given by a correspondent of the "Times of Ceylon " 

 who sigus himself "Tap'-obane." If the natives, however, 

 are so lazy and unenterprizing as be represents them, 

 we fail to see how the additional 100,000 acres are 

 to bo cultivated : — 



Given a proper supply of coral lime to the soil, cheap 

 transit for manure, prjper cultivation, a regular but 

 moderate supply of water with proper application of 

 the same, and I will undertake to say that rice cultiv- 

 ation in Ceylon might not only be carried on with the 

 greatest vigour, but be made to yield a return equal 

 to that obtained in value from the cultivation of so- 

 called European products, and I think it would be for 

 the interests of the Government, the Planters' Associ- 

 ation and tho Ceylon Agricultural Association to 

 encourage the Sinhalese cultivator to stick to his paddy 

 instead of tempting him to forsake, as he would, his 

 legitimate industry for other products, the manufacture 

 of which requires science and skill, and which the native 

 villager knows nothing about nor would ever be likely 

 to acquire, but would most probably injure the general 

 reputation of the products of those who are best able 

 to support their fame. I say so from no selfish motive 

 whatever, f .r I have nothing to do with European 

 products. 



It was also urged that "it might be inferred that 

 the G ivernment of Ceylon ought specially to aim at 

 making Ceylon independent of India iu respect of the 

 rice supply of its urban and immigrant population," 

 and that " Or"at Britain might a? well hope to become 

 independent of foreign grain. ' I say that this is simple 



