130 



the reward of their outlay. And all this time Java has not only manag- 

 ed to hold on but to grow. 



While all this has been going on the consumption of quinine has 

 been enlarging. The reduction of the price of bark was to a large 

 extent the result of a combination of the quinine manufacturers. At 

 length the worm turned ; the bark importers in Amsterdam made a 

 stand, and supported by the strength of the market that had now been 

 attained (through the fact that Java exports had not grown enough to 

 make up for the loss from India and Ceylon and the increased consump- 

 tion) they secured a slight advance in the price of bark. This 

 encouraged India and Ceylon to ferret out all their stores and 

 ship as much as they could. Hence it came about that in 1898 there 

 was more quinine in bark form shipped from the growing countries than 

 ever there has been before. Yet, to-day, stocks of bark in the public 

 warehouses of Amsterdam and London are lower than they have been 

 for years. So that the observant ask, What is to become of the price of 

 quinine ? Where is the bark to come from ? 



If it be true that India and Ceylon last year put forth as big an 

 effort as they are capable of, then we cannot look to them for increased 

 supplies unless they begin again to extend plantations, and the crop 

 from these would not be ready for five years at least. Java appears 

 (though the statement here is more doubtful) to be in the same condi- 

 tion. It looks then as if we must turn our attention to the origin il 

 source of bark once more. And here we are dealing with a mysterious 

 factor. No one can speak except hazily about the supplies America 

 holds. Judging by the history of p ast years, it would seem that we 

 must depend on Columbia for most of the natural South American bark. 

 And it will not pay Columbia to start collecting again until bark is much 

 dearer than it is at present. A planter who has a very lengthy ac- 

 quaintance with the chief producing districts, considers that a unit of 4d 

 would have to be reached before it would pay to collect even the richer 

 barks. This means that, whereas now the unit is 2-|d i.e. that l-100th 

 lb. of quinine costs whilst in the bark 2^d., the same amount would 

 have to be worth 4d. If this were so, quinine (in bark) would be worth 

 to manufacturers, 2s Id per ounce, and worth to the wholesale dealers, 

 about 2s 6d per ounce. If Java, India, Ceylon and Africa cannot pro- 

 duce enough to meet the demand until five or six years have elapsed and 

 the expert's view given above is correct, then there is nothing for it but 

 to pay the price we have named. — British and Colonial Druggist. 



DISTRIBUTION OF HAVANA TOBACCO SEED. 



Through the agency of the British Consul-General in Havana, 

 Tobacco seed has been obtained from the Vuelta Abajo district, and is 

 now available for free distribution. Applications should be made to 

 Director, Public Gaidens, Kingston , and should state the area which it 

 is proposed to plant out. 



A Bulletin containing a short treatise on the cultivation and curing 

 of tobacco by a Cuban expert will be supplied free on application. 



