November, 1908.] 



Miscellaneous. 



at 17 to 18 cents per lb., whereas at the 

 end of June it was down to \3h to 14 

 cents. 



Cinnamon. — There was a decrease in 

 the exports lor the period under review 

 of 173,951 lbs. Quills and 105,963 lbs. 

 Chips compared with the first six months 

 of 1907. 



The prices for the former article have 

 been steadily declining, dropping from 

 47 cents for ordinary assoitment, which 

 was the quotation at the commencement 

 of the year, to 43 cents per lb. -at the 

 close of the half-year under report. 

 The rates paid for Chips, though lower 

 compared with those during the corre- 

 sponding period of the preceding year, 

 have gone the other way, advancing 

 fromRs. 51, being the lowest rate paid in 

 January, to Rs. 5825 per Candy, the 

 highest figure ruling aC the end of June. 



An interesting feature is to be found in 

 the distribution. Germany, which has 

 been our best customer for a number 

 of years, has had to cede the first place 

 to America with 303,800 lbs. Quills, 

 Germany being second with 268,142 lbs., 

 followed by Spain as a good third with 

 225,436 lbs. Germany is still leading with 

 regard to Chips, having taken 305,756 lbs., 

 the United Kingdom ranging second 

 with 223,035 lbs., and Belgium third with 

 210 ; 112 lbs. 



Cocoa.— Crops during the period under 

 review have been very short and poor 

 in quality. The exports for January 

 to June were about 28,538 cwts., against 

 60,661 cwts. for the same months in 

 1907. Of this quantity about 70 percent, 

 was shipped to the United Kiugdom. 



The demand has been poor, and prices 

 shew a distinct falling oft' from those 

 ruling in the first-half of 1907. 



Cardamoms. — On comparing this year's 

 output for Cardamoms against 1907, one 

 is forcibly struck by the large decrease 

 in this product, due partly no doubt 

 to the drought experienced. The total 

 number of lbs, up to 30th June, 1907, 

 amounted to 433,159, and this year only 

 327,835 lbs., a shortage of 105,324 lbs. 



The market has been, it anything, 

 rather lower in price than that of the 

 previous year. 



India has been our largest buyer, 

 taking about 50 per cent, of the total 

 output and showing an increase over 

 their last year's demand. 



Citronella Oil.— At the commence- 

 ment of the period under review the 

 market stoocf at 42 to 46 cents per lb. 

 and rose to 44 to 48 cents by the end 



of January. The advance was main- 

 tained during February until 68 to 75 

 cents was recorded at the beginning of 

 March, at which the market was steady 

 until April, when it declined again to 

 65 to 70 cents. 



In May rates rose to 75 to 78 "and to 

 88 to 90 at the beginning of June, 

 falling later to 65 to 68, at which the 

 market stood at the end of June. The 

 exports during the six months were 

 673,743 lbs. as compared with 682,540 lbs. 

 for the same period of 1907. 



At the suggestion of the Ceylon 

 Agricultural Society a meeting of those 

 interested in this article was held at 

 the commencement of the year, at 

 which the question of adulteration was 

 discussed, and it appeared that the 

 prevailing opinion was that Schimmel's 

 test as generally applied was sufficient 

 to meet the present purposes of both 

 exporters and importers. 



The Comparative Statement op Exports 



FROM 



January 



to June. 







1908. 



1907. 



1906. 





lbs. 



lbs. 



lbs. 



Black Tea 



94,027,143 



94,210, 493 



89,533,47 



Green Tea 



2,372,635 



2,655,944 



1,577,1766 



Rubber 



338,411 



242,370 



122,284 





cwts. 



cwts. 



cwts. 



Coffee 



372 



1,635 



6,485 



Cocoa 



28,588 



60,661 



41,808 





lbs. 



lbs. 



lbs. 



Cardamoms 



327,835 



433,159 



384,982 



Cinnamon Bales 



1,090,940 



1,264,891 



1,207,389 



Cinnamon Chips 



1,304,370 



1,410,333 



1,251,256 





nuts. 



nuts. 



nuts. 



Coconut 



9,657,762 



5,730,976 



8,870,091 





lbs. 



lbs. 



lbs. 



Desiccated 









Coconut 



11,661,240 



9,889,613 



8,700,403 





cwts. 



cwts. 



cwts. 



Coconut 









Poonac 



110,747 



73,376 



99,265 



Copperah 



194,958 



134,619 



169,049 



Coconut Oil ... 



248,285 



163,285 



223,701 





lbs. 



lbs. 



lbs. 



Citronella Oil... 



673,743 



682,540 



560,296 



Cinchona 



144,886 



150,287 



153,038 





cwts. 



cwts. 



cwts. 



Plumbago 



215,077 



369,087 



369,947 





Imports. 





Piece-Goods Trade. --During the past 

 twelve months the demand for Piece 

 Goods has varied considerably. A fair 

 amount of business took place during 

 the first-half of the period ; but latterly 

 very little business passed owing to the 

 tightness of the money market, the 

 very high price of foodstuffs, and the 

 slackness of trade generally. 



The high price of cotton goods tended 

 to make dealers cautious in their trans- 

 actions, and they were unwilling to 



