Jvm t, 1885,] 



<$re THopxext ^mtefftf^mT, 





CINCHONA BARK ANALYSES. 



We have heard of a good many complaints among 

 Ceylou planters lately as to the vast discrepancy between 

 analyses carefully prepared (on a commercial basis) of 

 their Cinchona Bark in Colombo and those brought to 

 the sales-room in Mincing Lane by the buyers. In 

 many cases, it is said, such London buying analyses 

 are ;iess by 25 to 50 per cent, and a feeling of 

 dissatisfaction in somejdistricts — Dimbula and Pikoya 

 more especially — is said to be rife; but Mr. ffan- 

 shawe of Madulsima, Uva, who has lately returned, 

 tells us that he made a very careful experiment early 

 last year with samples of his bark, drawu from the 

 same lot, carefully mixed and broken up, half sent 

 to Colombo and half to London, and the result was 

 that the home (we believe Dr. Paul's) analysis gave 

 more thau double the percentage of alkaloids that the 

 local analysis did ! Here on the exact particulars as 

 givm by a local contemporary : — 



The loppings from a Ledgeriana clearing IS months old 

 were harked, aud the better and older separated from 

 the younger anil more papery stuff. Each was thoroughly 

 well mixed under the personal supervision of the pro- 

 prietor of estates from which the bark was taken — Parsloes 

 and Dagenliam, in Madulsima. Analysis in Colombo gave 

 ■69 for the twigs aud '43 for the inferior. Dr. Paul sub- 

 sequently analysed the same bark and gave the result as 

 1"91 for the former and -82 for the latter ! This was 

 thvee times as much in the case of the more valuable bark, 

 and double as much iu the case of the inferior bark, which 

 was certainly a most material and important difference. 

 If the better twigs were placed upon the market here now 

 on the Colombo analysis they would fetch about lie, if oh 

 the London analysis about 40c. 



This is decisive as regards Dr. Paul's analysis, and 

 we suppose, if this chemist were the authority in all 

 cases on whom the Mincing Lane purchasers depended, 

 there would be no grumbling. 



COFFEE AND TEA CROPS IN CEYLON. 



It is cheering in these days to hear of satis- 

 factory coffee crop pickings such as are now being 

 gathered in Haputale where " two-box pickings" are 

 spoken of. Iu Maturatta again there are decent 

 gatherings, aud crops above estimates are talked of. 

 So in Udapussellawa, prospects on some estates are 

 splendid, aud one old resident there writes to us :— 

 " I am picking a fine crop and will show a large 

 result, I hope, even with low prices and hard times. 

 The contemptuous terms tued with reference to coffee 

 in the public prints are doing us harm. No distinction 

 seems to be made. There are coffee estates doing 

 well, bearing well and paying well, yet one would 

 hardly think so reading the papers." To back tins 

 up we have the assurance of Mr. J. F. Walker of Pita- 

 ratmalie, Haputale, who has just left in the S. S. 

 " ClanMacphrrson " on a trip home, that he expects to 

 harvest 7 to 10 cwt. an acre of coffee from those fino 

 properties ; but, alas, the same steamer carries 

 homo another experienced and respected estate manager 

 in Mr. Joseph Fraser of Matale, who cau 

 show how there are no coffee crops at all in the 

 districts north of Kaudy this season, the attack of 

 bug having completed the mischief begun by leaf- 

 disease and grub. Cacao is now giving good crops 

 and the high prices reported for the Ceylou products 

 by last mail are very cheering. 



Of Tea, the accounts are very good, and the plant- 

 ing goes on apace. Mr. Jackson, the well-known Tea 

 Factory Machinist and Patentee, who is also an 

 old Assam planter, tells us, that, while he is gener- 

 ally well satistied with the work of planting going 

 on and the growth of the plant, he deprecates very 

 strongly the putting tea on very steep hillsides which he 

 has seen in a few places ; he believes that tea in Cey- 

 lon is not likely to suffer in the roots ae coffee did, for 

 116 



the season that tho taproot of the former is so much 

 longer and stronger, foeding far below that of coffee ; he is 

 puzzled to realize what may be the outcome of tho 

 Ceylon system of pruning 'once iu two years (now be- 

 coming common )and plucking nearly all the year round, 

 against the Assam ' rest ' of four months ; but so far 

 ho has seen no evidence of harm unless it he in a 

 certain seragginess of the bush at the top for a tims, 

 which he does not remember in India. Mr. Jacksone' 

 Victoria Tea Drier has just been practically worked 

 iu the Kadawella Factory and promises to be a great 

 success. 



THE CRITICAL STATE OF THE INDIA 

 TEA INDUSTRY 

 seems scarcely appreciated. We confess to being taken 

 by surprize at the gloomy picture thus drawn by Mr. 

 Cruickshauk at the recent meeting of the Indian Tea 

 Association : — 



'• The proposal to do away with the Bonus system 

 is connected with the question of reduction in ex- 

 penditure generally necessitated by the low range of 

 values now ruling for Iudian teas. 



If tho present low rates were due to the prevailing 

 dulness in trade, or to defects in the quality of our 

 teas, we might hope that, as business improved, and 

 by means of reforms in manufacture, we should obtain 

 better prices; but tdthough it has been stated that 

 Indian teas have deteriorated of late, there U good 

 reason to believe that the existing depression is duo 

 mainly to the rapid increase in production which is 

 taking place. The consumption has, of course, in- 

 creased also, but only at a sacrifice in values, Indian 

 teas being now sold in many cases at prices wlvch 

 do not cover the cost of manufacture. Mr. Keswick, 

 who presided at the meeting of this Association held 

 on the 22nd February 1SS2, congratulated members 

 on that occasion on the improvement which had taken 

 place in the tea industry during tho previous year. 

 Payments of dividends for 1880, he said, were the 

 exception, but for 1881, they were the rule. We cannot 

 say this now. For the past year I expect dividends 

 will again be the exception. Some interesting partic- 

 ulars with regard to the results of the working of 

 various companies are given in tho Annual Statement 

 of the Chief Commissioner of Assam illustrative of the 

 state of tea culture in that province fur the year 1SS3. 



Those figures, which are stated to be taken from 

 a list published by the Registrar of Joint Stock 

 Companies, and which, therefore, may be accepted as 

 reliable, show that of 39 Tea Companies which struck 

 balance Bheets of profit and loss for ihe year 1SS3, 

 26' companies gave profits, amounting to R5,21,619, 

 or a return of 4-fJ per ctnt. on their paid-up capital 

 of RI, 05, 53,095, while 11 companies show losses 

 amounting to R2,13,721, or at the rate of 7 percent, 

 on their capital of R30,34,COO. Two companies showed 

 no profit or loss. The net return on the capital of 

 the 39 companies was only 22 per cent. The results 

 for the year 1SS1 are likely to be even wor?e. I have 

 not been able to obtain reliable information as to tho 

 capital invested in tea in Assam, Cachar, and Sylhet, 

 but I think I shall be within the mark in taking the 

 amount at R500 per acre of plant. In the Annual 

 Statement of the Chief Commissioner of Assam pre« 

 viously referred to, the total area under tea cultivation 

 iu that proviuce, as ascertained from the returns 

 furnished to Government, is stated to have been, in 

 the year 18S3, 161,707 acres under mature plant, ard 

 27.746 acres under immature plant, making a toial of 

 189,453 acres. This ana, at l'oOO per acre, would 

 represent a capital of about 119,47,00,000. If we took 

 into account the sums spent for years past out of 

 revenue on extensions, machinery, and buildings, the 

 amount actually invested in tea in Assam would bo 



