92 



by larger imports from British India and Bolivia. But advices from 

 India state there is very little bark left there, and shipments will show 

 a large falling-off in future. 



Quinine is more or less a war article, and is a necessity for troops 

 fighting in the tropics or in marshy districts. With the enterprise 

 shown of late years by most nations in securing colonies in Africa, etc., 

 and with the sudden opening up of China by railwavs, etc., it seems 

 probable that tbo consumption of quinine is more likely to increase than 

 to diminish, and should ;my extraordinary demand arise, it is difficult to 

 see where supplies of bark are to come from unless Java planters con- 

 tinued to extend their plantations on a large scale at a time when the 

 market was most depressed, which we think is hardly probable. Of 

 course, any great rise in prices would induce planters all over the world 

 to grow Bark, but it would be some years before any large supplies 

 would be available, and in the meantime prices might be forced up con- 

 siderably. 



The market has been for the last year or so in a sensitive state ; 

 in 1897 a slight tailing off in shipments from Java caused a rise in the 

 val Je of the unit from under ^d per lb. to l^d per lb., and though 

 prices have since declined to about Id. per unit, the circumstances of a 

 small Dutch sale being advertised for the 16th inst , coupled with advice 

 of moderate shipments from Java for January, have brought specula- 

 tors into the market for Quinine, a:id prices have advanced about 20 

 per cent., from 10^d per ounce to Is. O^d. per ounce. 



To sum up, it appears that consumption has at last overtaken pro- 

 duction, and increased shipments from Java will be required to supply 

 manufacturers and make up for expected deficiency from British India 

 and Ceylon, and in any case we fancy the days of Quinine selling below 

 Is. per oz. are numbered, and we think it is safe to prophesy that the 

 average value of the unit during the next three years will be above 

 the average of 1896-1898. 



30, Mincing Lane, 9th Feb., 1899. 



[ Tropical Agriculturist .] 



BUDDING TAPE. 



The following recipe for making budding-wax has been found 

 useful : — 



To every pound of bees-wax, add a lump of rosin the size of an egg, 

 and 1-J table-spoonfull of raw linseed oil. Boil and then dip the tape in. 



