686 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[March 2, 1885. 



fenced by the circumstance that native capitalists in this 

 presidency have, in certain instances, combined their 

 resources in resuscitating a few industries for which the 

 country was once famous. In all projects of the kind it 

 is of importance, and indeed necessary that there should 

 be a small body of influential men who are willing to pilot 

 an undertaking that gives much promise of success. Of 

 course one of the requisites necessary for the right under- 

 taking of an industry which has no possibility of succeed- 

 ing if it is not conducted upon European methods, is the 

 employment of skilled European artisans to do the duty of 

 supervision and direction. Such has been the experience 

 of the cotton mills, which, year by year, are growing in 

 importance. The cost of the machinery imported is, in 

 ■many cases, large -but as we have seen, in the case of the 

 paper mills in Calcutta and Bombay the cheaap labor 

 procurable in India can be brought, under skilled European 

 guidance, to utilize the most complicated and difficult 

 styles of machinery. It is to be hoped that capitalists in 

 this presidency, who are influenced by a spirit of enter- 

 prize, will soon follow in the wake of those who have, in 

 few instances and successfully in the other presidencies, 

 added the paper industry to the list of industries that 

 are being revived and developed in various parts of India. 

 It may be expected that the Madras Government will be 

 as 'ready to give its encouragement and countenance to any 

 well-devised scheme for the establishment of a paper mill 

 in this presidency as the Government of Bombay has done 

 in respect to the Poona paper mill company. — Madras 

 Standard. 



♦ 



LATE DEVELOPMENTS IN THE 0O0OA MARKET. 



It was to be foreseen that after the capture of Guayaquil 

 in the summer of 1883, followed by the pacification of 

 Ecuador, the chief cocoa-producing country, the price of 

 cocoa under a restoration of regular supplies from there 

 would decline materially in spite of increased consumption 

 in the United States. In all probability, the decline since 

 then would, however, have been less rapid but for the 

 impulse which the former high ruling of the article had 

 given to production in the Valley of Amazon and in Bahia, 

 Brazil. 



On January 1st, 18S3, Guayaquil cocoa was worth in New 

 York 13i cents, on December 1st of the same year, I8i cents ; 

 on May l~7tb, 1884, 16 j .cents; and on October 22nd of the same 

 year 14J cents — a decline of 20 per cent in about eleveuniouths. 



The cocoa crops of Ecuador of late years have been as under : 



1879 quintals 302,490 



1880 332,080 



1881 207,286 



1882 196,580 



1883 146,700 



1 quintal weighs 10H pounds English. 



The shipments from Guayaquil were 16,016,460 pounds 

 Spanish in 18S3, of which Peru received 04,974 ; Chili 158,109; 

 Spain, 4.582,001; France, 2,286,487; England, 3,061,896; 

 the United States, 1,214,274; Mexico, 411,185 Colombia, 

 1500, the Argentine Republic, 3,750; Germany, 4,630,146; 

 Central America, 150,938; Uruguay, 28,700 and Italy, 22,500. 

 This enumeration shows how widely this sort of cocoa is 

 distributed, and the important part it necessarily plays in 

 a full crop year like that of 1880. The tendency in Ecuador 

 has been to again produce normal crops, while in Brazil, 

 Tara alone has turned out this year 63,000 bags, for which 

 Nantes and Bordeaux in France compete. In August alone, 

 three vessels were loaded for Nantes with 12,200 bags; and 

 in September, as much was taken for the same destination. 

 In Bahia, the supply has been as liberal; in September, 

 half-prepared was selling there at 8.300 to 8,500 reis the 

 arrobe, equal with exchange id 19§d. to 58s. lid. a 60s, 

 2d., cost and freight, per hundredweight. Another important 

 cocoa-producing country, especially for the American market, 

 is the island of Trinidad in the Gulf of Para, opposite the 

 northeastern coast of Venezuela, turning out about as much 

 cocoa as the United States annually consumes. The campaign 

 had about terminated there when the last mail left Port 

 of Spain on September 26, and the new crop will begin 

 to be gathered this month. Meanwhile, there has 1 e.'n 

 an active American demand for remnants of the 1883—84 

 crop at S14'50 a 15'50 the fauegaof 110 pounds Spanish. 100 

 pounds Spanish being equal to 101J pounds English, There 



was exported from Port of Spain from January 1st to Septem - 

 ber 26th, 12,200,815 pounds English against 10,930,320 in 18S3 

 and 10,872,773 in 18S2; in other words, Trinidad also furnished 

 a full supply. In other South- American countries, Colombia 

 and Venezuela, for example, and in Mexico, Hayti and 

 minor centres of production, the local demand is so con- 

 siderable, that there remains comparatively little for export; 

 Mexico has, indeed, at all times been more of a consumer 

 than producer. Spain and France are the greatest cocoa- 

 consuming countries in Europe. According to the Memorial 

 OomMereitdes of Madrid* Spain imported during the first six 

 months: — 



1882. 

 . Kilogs. Pesetas. 



*rom Caracas 574,590 1,275,590 



„ Guayaquil 2,631,037 4,604,315 



„ Cuba and Portorico ... 



Totals. 



From Caracas 



„ Guayaquil 



„ Cuba and Porto Rico... 



3,205,627 5,879,905 



1883. 



Kilogs. Pesetas. 



... 974,845 2,152,220 



1,033,953 1,778,453 



517,355 879,504 



Totals... 



From Caracas 



,, Guayaquil 



„ Cuba and Porto llico 



2,526,153 4,810,177 



1884. 



Kilogs. Pesetas. 



1,051,903 2,335,226 



1,849,023 3,469,579 



. 350,146 621,056 



Totals... 3,251,072 6,425,861 



The foregoing shows that Spain draws its chief supply 



from Guayaquil. 



The import of cocoa into France during tne first eight 



months has been. 



It will be noticed that the increase since 1877 has been 

 considerable. 



The United States imported during the fiscal years ended 

 June 30. 



1S83 ... 9,030,724 pounds $ 1.125,566 



18S4 ... 12,235,304 1,644,766 



The increase of importation during a twelve month bus. 

 therefore, been no less than 36 per cent in weight. As 

 we are now on the eve of the active season in cocoa, and 

 the supply is scanty, the market has of late shown great 

 firmness at the moderate prices ruling. — Indian Mercury 



INSECT PESTS: HEMIPTERA. 

 HemipterafGr. hemi,half and pteion, wiug), an order of 

 the Insecta most commonly known by the name of "bugs, -' 

 and containing the species so well known to infest houses. 

 In their earlier stages they have what is known amongst 

 naturalists as an incomplete metamorphosis; that is to say, 

 after quitting the egg, and during the two stages of their 

 existence before assuming the perfect form, they move 

 freely about, thus unlike the Lepidoptera, &c, whose pupa 

 state, or that preceeding the perfection of the insect, is 

 quiescent. When the transformations have been completed, 

 the insect generally possesses four wings. The superior pair, 

 or hemielytra as they are called by authors, are attached 

 to the mesothorax, and are composed of two substances. — the 

 basal portion coriaceous, or resembling leather, and the 

 apical one membranaceous, or resembling thin, transparent 

 parchment. The lower pair are attached to the metathorax, 

 and are entirely membranous and generally transparent, and 

 capable of being folded when the insect is in repose. This 

 segment of the sternum likewise bears on each side, 

 anteriorly, a more or less reiuform-shaped orifice, within 

 which lies a sac containing the fluid or matter from which 

 so many of the Heteropterous portion of the order emit a 

 most disagreeable odour. They also possess in all stages 

 a mouth (rostrum) composed of three or more joints formed 

 Cor suctorial purposes, 



