668 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, [March 2, 1883. 



At the present moment our stock in Europe is about 

 140 per cent, larger than it was five years ago, viz., say 

 190 000 tons against 80,000 tons. 



Coloury Coffees.— These Coffees must now practically 

 be divided into two classes. Owing to the ravages of the 

 leaf-disease, only a small portion of the Oeylon crop now 

 comes to market as fine Coffee. A large proportion of 

 the i rop, therefore, is of middling quality, and moves with 

 and is guided by the same class of Coffee from countries 

 such as Costa Kica, Guatemala, Venezuela, Honduras, &c, 

 &c. The same applies to E;ist Indian Coffees, the quality 

 of which, iu a large proportion of cases, has been poor 

 both in size and colour. Such Coffee as we have already 

 said has come back to, and travels with Coffee generally. 

 Java, where we are sorry to say we hear that the leaf 

 disease is spreading iu some quarters with alarming strides, 

 sends still to Europe large and taking Plantation Coffee, 

 but it has lost some of its popularity, owing to the fact 

 that iu many cases the colour has paled off almost entirely. 

 Really Hue coloury Coffees, with size, and appearance 

 no matter where they come from command still good rates. 

 The supplies of middling Plantation Coffees have, how- 

 ever, vastly increased, and the quality of middling Plant- 

 ation Coffees from Ceylon and India has greatly deterior- 

 ated, both iu size and colour. We, therefore, say that 

 these crops can no longer be treated as fancy crops, a state- 

 ment which is corroborated by the course of prices. But 

 for fine Coffees, such as Oeylon used to export in quantity 

 years ago, we maintain there is still a good market. 



Notwithstanding this adverse state of things, fancy Coffees 

 are now as dear as they were a year ago, if not dearer ; 

 thirdly, a fine and well known marl; of Honduras Coffee 

 has all through the year sold from 90s upwards, and we 

 maintain that the low average in prices now existing for 

 Plantation Ceylon and East India Coffees, is at all events 

 as much owing to the said falling off in quality, as to 

 the adverse run of, the market for Coffee generally. 

 The Java crop, which was equal to 1,569,000 piculs 

 in 1S79-S0, is taken at only 1,400,000 in 1883-84, 

 while the estimate for the following season is 1,28 1,000. 

 The picul is only about 21 lb. more than the cwt., so 

 that even Java counts but little in the world's 

 sources of coffee when compared with the overwhelm- 

 ing produce of Brazil. The figures for three years 



are : — 



Rio. Santos, 



1882-83 . . 265,291 108,668 = 373,959 tons. 



18S3-84 .. 177,692 112,330 = 290,022 „ 



1884-85 estimate 206,000 112,000 = 318,000 „ 

 Multiplied by 20 the crop of 1SS2-83 gave the enormous 

 result of 7,479,1S0, or sevenfold the largest yearly- 

 export from Ceylon. To quote again : — 



The crop in Porto Rico is much larger than that of last 

 year and is estimated at 24,000 tons. Haiti will also give 

 a large crop. Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras, and Vene- 

 zuela are all expected to give crops much the same as lust 

 year. San Salvador will give a slightly larger yield, say 

 10 per cent, whilst in Costa Rica the crop will only be 

 about two-thirds of the one just over. The future seems 

 hs usual to depend almost entirely on the course of receipts 

 in Bio and Santos, and if these be in accordance with 

 general expectation, under ordinary circumstances Coffee 

 ft .ild be an article slowly, but steadily, gaining ground, 

 It any sadden and geueral revival in trade were to take 

 place, of which at present there are do signs, Ooffoe would 

 no doubt participate, but the stocks are too heavy to 

 allow of any great liberties being taken with the berry. To 

 Bum up, tin' amount of Coffee at the disposal of the trade 

 in Europe and the States promises to be, if anything, 

 slightly larger during 1885 than during' 1884, but it is hoped 

 that the comparatively poor deliveries of 1SS4 may be im- 

 proved on, ami that stocks may be decreased. 



Of Cinchona Bark the report i : — 



During 18s \ our imports have been 59,287 packages, 

 against 90,608 in 1883; 1111,517 iu 1882, and our deliveries 

 ;s,532 packages, against 67,350 in 18S3 ; 88.717 in 1SS2 ; 

 our stuck, therefore, has decreased, and was on the 31st of 

 December 80.500 packages, against 99,667 in 1883 ; 70,676 



iu L882 .... 



Howard's Quinine is current nt 4i 8d and 4s od, against 



8s and 7s 9d in January 1884, against 3a and 7* 3d iu Janu- 

 ary 1S83, against 10s and 9s 8d iu January JSSL'. 



We quote the East India unit today at 6d to 6id, against 

 6d to 7d in January 1884, lid in January 1883, Is 6d iu 

 January 1882. 



The principal features of the Bark trade during 1884 

 were the great diminution in supplies from South America, 

 the great increase in supplies from Oeylon, the break up 

 of the manufacturers' syndicate for sustaining the price of 

 Quinine, the failure of the Milan factory, and the breakup 

 of the old speculation for the rise. 



At the Bark sales ou the 12th August the unit was down 

 to 5^d to 6d, and Howard's prices 4s 6d and 4s 3d. To- 

 wards the end of the month 4s Od and 4s 6d were again 

 quoted for Howard's Quinine, but Bark could not rally. 

 There is no reason for us to refer to, or to discuss the 

 ramifications arising out of the Milan Factory failure, 

 suffice it to say thatithey gave the Bark market a great shake. 

 The unit fell away in September to 4d to 4^d, but as the 

 old houses in the South American trade now virtually took 

 their Barks altogether off the market, some relief was ex- 

 perienced. Early in October Howard's dropped their price 

 to 4s 6d and 4s 3d. East Indian Bark, however, improved, 

 chiefly owing to the strong policy maintained in the handl- 

 ing of South American Barks, A quiet month, however, 

 on the whole, with Quinine down to 4s 3d and 4s towards 

 the end. 



We suppose 4s. is the lowest figure at which Howard's 

 quinine has ever been sold. The review goes on : — 



With lighter sales all through November, Bark improved 

 and towards the end of the month a good demand set in 

 for Quiuiuo. Improving markets both for Quinine and Bark 

 carried us on to the end of the year, Howard's Quinine 

 at the moment of writing being quoted at 4s Sd and 4s 5d, 

 the East Indian unit at 6d to 6id. The future of Bark 

 is still wrapped in obscurity, as the course of the market 

 depeuds greatly on the action of those who really control 

 and hold the stocks, also because the prospects of supplies 

 are uncertain. We however pin our faith to Quinine as a 

 Drug, we believe in time the consumption of Quinine either 

 in a manufactured or in its natural state, probably in both, 

 will be greatly extended, and to those who cau grow good 

 Barks we unhesitatingly 6ay persevere. 

 It will thus be seen that in 1884 the prices of 

 coffee did not atone for lessened yield, while cinchona 

 was largely smothered by its own weight. If low 

 prices always lead to increased consumption and 

 demand, there are no doubt better days in store 

 for both coffee and cinchona bark, in the case of 

 those who are able to cultivate them, without fear 

 of leaf-disease, bug, grub, or ea> ker. The hopes of 

 Ceylon are now generally centring in tea ; cacao and 

 cardamoms beiDg good subsidiaries. In what a different 

 tone are we compelled to talk of poor old coffee to 

 that which prevailed at the commencement of 1875. 

 All then looked bright and hopeful, the fungus being 

 regarded as but a temporary evil. Alas for human 

 hopes and foresight. But we can only fight on and 

 do our best, still cherishing hope of final success. 



NORTH BORNEO I 



The Chaiuman us the Prospects of the CompanV. 

 According to the Report of the fourth half-yearly meeting 

 of the British North Borneo Company, ou the 17th Decem- 

 ber 1884, Sir Rutherford Alcock, K. c. n., (Chairman of 

 the Company) said : — I need not refer in any detail -to what 

 must be known to most of you here; how seriously the dis» 

 turbed state of affairs iu the East, owing greatly to the inter- 

 mittent hostilities of the French and the Chinese, has affected 

 all operations of trade, and all Colonial or Commercial 

 undertakings, not only in China, but iu all the colonies, 

 As far, indeed, as Australia aud Iudia its influence is felt. 

 We who are the youngest of the colonies, aud are yet, 

 so to speak, in our infancy, could not hope to escape from 

 depressing influences which this state of affairs lias brought 

 to bear upon all undertakings. I am glad to be able to 

 say, however, that J have really very little or nothing to 



