f)0 2 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[February 2, 1885. 



other barks, but let them on no account be mixed in with 



g0 LEDOEEUNA.-Ver y little of this variety has, at present 

 come on the market. Original shavings, so far have sold 

 Setter than renewed, but, perhaps, after the first renewal 

 the analysis may improve, as has been the case with succi- 

 rubra-the fourth and fifth renewal showing the best 



'"quantity.— No assortment should contain a less quan- 

 tity than 500 lb. otherwise it runs a chance of not being 

 tested by the buyers. Quills, and very fine lots of renewed 

 barks are an exception to this rule. 



Maekkts.-I think it will be found that a careful pre- 

 paration of Cinchona bark will decidedly command the 

 special notice of buyers towards those marks where such 

 attention is continuously bestowed. 



Of course, added to all this, an important element ex- 

 ists in the judicious management of sales m the London 

 market, and this becomes a distinctive feature of the Loudon 

 merchant and the broker, who naturally should be fully 

 competent to form a fair opinion as to the prospects of 

 the market, and the best and most suitable time for realiz- 

 ation so as to secure the highest obtainable prices, as 

 they 'have not only to study the supplies from Ceylon alone, 

 but from all parts whence Cinchona is imported ; and also 

 to be guided by the statistical position of the article, and 

 the present and probable future demand. But prices must 

 necessarily vary, according to fluctuations of market, and 

 it is no criterion to suppose that because the bark from 

 one estate realizes a certain price, bark from an adjoining 

 estate, though of apparently corresponding soil and aspect, 

 should, therefore, realize a similar price, as the alkaloid 

 results »nd general quality and preparation may, and 

 do vary even from estates approximating each other. 

 Then again, as to the time which elapses between one sale 

 and another, many circumstances frequently intervene to 

 alter prices very materially. 



Nor can the price per unit be so defined as to be applied 

 in exact proportions to all analyses :— for instance, bark 

 yielding 4 to 5 per cent, of sulphate of quinine, might, 

 from its superior results, sell at 7d. per unit ; while another 

 bark, only yielding 1 to U per cent, might not bring more 

 than 5d. per unit, if so much. 



This is an important fact to be borne in mind, as it has 

 been verified by experience. 



Sometimes, too, the other alkaloids, such as Cincnon- 

 idine and Cinchonine, have a value, whilst at other times 

 they are ignored, as is the case at present ; just now officin- 

 alis barks sell more readily than succirubra, owing to their 

 possessing but few alkaloids besides quinine, and, in con- 

 sequence, are more easy to work. 



A good deal of the above is familiar to most planters, 

 but it cannot be familiar to all, or the mistakes that are 

 made would not be continued. Personal observation, and 

 the complaints of planters themselves, have shown me that 

 the only real improvement iu the preparation of the bark 

 must be made at the time of harvesting, and then it is 

 a matter of outlay and care more than anything else. 



JOHN HAMILTON. 

 12. Great Tower Street, E. C, London. 



and it is therefore, at least, a fair supposition that the 

 estimate of this crop will be approximately correct ; 

 3,500,000 bags has been aud still is generally considered 

 the. crop of Rio and about 2,000,000 that of S. Paulo. The 

 crops are being marketted more rapidly than was ever 

 before possible and the financial position of the planters 

 lias obliged most of them to hurry forward their coffees, 

 so the impression gains, ground, that, as happens with 

 the cereal and cotton crops in the United States, very 

 large entries in the first half of the crop year will 

 be followed by moderate, or small, receipts of coffee 

 for the latter half. If the receipts for November aud 

 December of this year do not exceed those of last, we 

 will have received for the . first half of the present crop 

 year about 2,450,000 bags; nearly 400,000 bags more than 

 last year and the reserves of Rio coffees would be about 

 1,000,000 bags. As to the 1885-86 crop it is much too 

 early to speculate upon the production. So far the estim- 

 ates for the Rio crop give an average yield, but it is 

 supposed that the area of production shows an annual 

 increase ; from Sao Paulo the printed reports are not favor- 

 able. The question then remains as to how with so small 

 a possible supply of our only bullion, the exchanges are 

 to rule during the latter part of the crop year ? The pos- 

 ition of the treasury renders some financial operation un- 

 avoidable aud the three solutions of the question ; a foreign 

 loan, a domestic loan, or an emission of paper money must 

 be considered. A foreign loan, we believe, could be negoti- 

 ated, but at a severe charge upon the country and the ever 

 increasing demands upon the exchange market would be 

 further augmented. An emission of paper money would 

 be simply suicidal, but we think that an internal loan 

 could be made, if some provision were inserted that the 

 capital invested should not become utterly withdrawn from 

 trade ; and this is only possible if a national bank law be 

 passed through which the new loan would become the basis 

 for an issue of paper money based upon some tangible se- 

 curity. Every day's hesitation is seriously affecting the busi- 

 ness interests of the whole empire and the erratic fluctua- 

 tions in the exchange market are becoming seriously alarm- 

 ing, so that the Government is bound to offer some solution 

 and we trust they will accept our suggestion as to this.— 

 RinNetrs, Nov. 24th. 



X>FFEE PROSPKUTS IN BRAZIL. 

 The extreme importance that the coffee crops, of the 

 provinces of Hio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, are to the financi- 

 al position of the empire, renders a reasonably correct 

 estimate of their probable outturn a matter of the greatest 

 moment. These estimates have been, whether purposely 

 or not, we do not consider ourselves called upon to dis- 

 cuss, so often erroneous, that incredulity, generally, is felt 

 when the short crop cry is heard, aud the fact of the 

 matter seems to be, that until very recently but little 

 trouble was taken and less opportunity afforded to estimate 

 with any degree of exactness the probable yield of the two 

 principal coffee-producing provinces. The increased exten- 

 sion of railways, the development of the press and the 

 approximation of producing and consuming markets through 

 steamers and telegraphs hare partly corrected the hitherto 

 vague crop estimates and we are assured that each year these 

 b icome nearer and nearer to the reasonable correctness desir- 

 able in soiinportant a matter. Last year (1883-84) the estim- 

 ates as to the outturn were proved correct by the shipments, 



TEA CULTIVATION IN MAURITIUS. 

 The cultivation of tea in the Island is the all 

 absorbing topic it the present time, and from what 

 we hear it will become a staple product ere long. 

 The Hon. L. Raoul has moved in Council on the 

 subject and we have every confidence in our ''go 

 ahead" Governor to afford all necessary help His 

 Excellency we learn has had a sample of rough 

 manufacture sent to him by Mr. Davies, tested and 

 tasted, and from what was said at the Exhibition 

 we would infer that His Excellency was pleased 

 with the result. The Hon. Sir V. Naz, k.c.m.u. who 

 who is always foremost for the good of the Island, 

 offered a grand silver medal at the Exhibition for 

 the best sample of tea grown and prepared in the 

 Colony, which was awarded to Mr. D. Pictou Davies 

 who for the past two years bas been testing the 

 culture aud manufacture of tea at Curepipe and cal- 

 culating the probable results, and he declares it will 

 prove a " product of importance and profit to the 

 Island." We hear Mr. Davies ha? raised a number 

 of tea seedlings of high culture from Japan seed, 

 and that he placed some of them at the Exhibition, 

 which were admired by manv, but taken no notice 

 of by the Committee.— (if. I?. # O, O., 13th Dec.) 



Guttapercha Cement. — An excellent cement, which may 

 be used iustead of putty in glaziug windows, or for cement- 

 ing metal glass, porcelain, ivory, &c, is made by melting 

 together in an iron pan two parts of common pitch and 

 one of Guttapercha, stirring them together until thoroughly 

 incorporated, and then pouring the liquid into cold water. 

 When cold it is black, solid, and elastic, and it softens 

 with heat, and at 100 Fahr. is a thin fluid. — Indiaruhher 

 mid Guttapercha Journal, 



