December i, 1889.] THE TROPICAL At3R1t3tJLTURlST. 
415 
the Trade of India for the year 1888-89. America does 
an exteusive trade in this article with Europe, and the 
fact that so large a cotton-producing cjuutry as Hin- 
dustan only supplied ia 1888 4.000 out of the 250,000 
tons consumed in the United Kingdom seems significant 
enough to require explanation. A Calcutta contem- 
porary, commenting on Mr. O'Oonor's opinion that 
India should contribute a larger share of England's 
requirements, points out that the difficulty in the way 
of cultivation of what ought to be an important branch 
of our export business exists in the impracticability of 
entirely freeing Indian seed from the adherent fluff. 
At the same time the suggestion is offered to the 
Agricultural Department that attention might be ad- 
vantageously directed to seeking a remedy. What the 
Calcutta paper says is true as far as it goes. No 
machine has yet been found capable of cleaning cotton 
in the North-West Provinces and the Punjab ut all 
events so thoroughly and efficiently as the native ehuckee. 
The various patterns that have been experimented with 
from time to time have each in turn either given a 
poor result in general outturn or developed the fault of 
cutting the staple, a contingency not easy to avoid ow- 
ing to the tenacious manner in which the fibre naturally 
envelopes the seed.* 
There are other conditions, however, still less negoti- 
able which militate against the establishment of a 
foreign trade in, cotton seed. In the first place, in the 
Upper Provinces at least, and we believe in other 
cotton-growing districts as well, the production is 
utilised as fodder, for which purpose agriculturists 
readily pay prices that range from 30 to 50 seers for 
the rupee, according to the season. But the real crux 
of the matter is that Indian cotton seed contains a very 
much smaller percentage of oil than that of America 
and Egypt. So inferior is it in this respect that, as 
long as the two countries named continue to supply the 
European markets, there is but a remote likelihood of 
the Indian variety ever securing au appreciable footing 
there. All vegetable oils in India command prices that 
are high considering the average income of the great 
body of consumers, and were it possible to obtain a 
cheap oil from cotton seed in paying quantities it 
would have been done long ago. When local native 
crushers with their patient methods and indifference as 
regards expenditure of time and labour find it unprofit- 
able to extract the oil, it may be taken for granted that 
the business is not worth the attention of home manu- 
facturers. 
This disadvantage under which Indian cotton seed 
labours is all the more regettable when it is considered 
that it tends greatly to encourage carelessness in the 
ginning ; whole seed being no great object, less attention 
is naturally devoted to the operation, the result being 
an undue proportion of crushed capsules left in the 
cotton, and consequently more or less depreciation in 
the market value of the staple. Moreover, the ginner 
can thus go lightly to work in adulteration, first, be- 
cause he will avoid the trouble of proper oleaning, and 
second, because of the profit he will derive from the 
increased weight given to the cotton by the bruised 
seed. A reference was made on this subject by the 
Agricultural Department some time ago in connection 
with the possible risk of spontaneous combustion from 
the existence of a readily oxidised oil in the cotton, but 
the matter has apparently been allowed to drop, pre- 
sumably owing to the fact to which we have drawn 
attention, viz. that Indian seed contains comparatively 
little oil, and that there is consequently little danger 
from its presence. 
♦ 
Sufferings in China. Tea Districts.— A 
native just back from the tea distriots informs us 
FoocJiow Echo) that much distress prevails amongst 
the people, especially amongst the owners of tea 
gardens, by reason of the great reduction in the usual 
picking of the leaf, and the uncertainty of payment 
for what thoy have sold. News has long since 
reached all the tea districts of the tremendous losses 
teamen have suffered. Affairs look so dark upooun- 
try that no pressure will be required next season to 
curtail the supply. — Overland China Mail, Oot. 30th. 
* This difficulty might be obviated by the seed beiDg 
carefully singed,— Ed. 
Diseases off Plants. — We are pleased to announce 
the publication of a little book on the diseases of 
plants, from the pen of Professor Marshall Ward, 
whose work on the diseases of timber we had occasion 
lately to notice. We shall take an early opportunity 
of alluding to it at greater length, but in the mean- 
time, we may say that it is published, at a low price, 
by the Society for Promoting Christion Knowledge. 
— Gardener's Chronicle, Oct. 12th. 
The Annual Eeport of the Netherlands India 
Agricultural Company has been issued. It shows 
that the deficit of 58,000 guilders on the balance 
of the preceding year has been reduced to 915 
guilders, ascribed to a more plentiful crop on the 
new undertaking of the company and the good 
prices realised for coffee. About 4,500 piculs of 
good, even very fine quality of coffe were rec ived 
from the four estates, which realised at an average 
a price of 51 11-100 cent per half-kilo. The issue 
of the remaining 210 shares has enabled the com- 
pany to extend the cultivation by 75 bouws on 
Sono Sehar, and 50 bouws on Wonokerto II. The 
undertakings are in excellent condition, and the 
expected crop will not be under the estimate. The 
balance-sheet shows an amount of 769,116 guilders 
invested in agricultural undertakings, 300,000 guilders 
in capital, and 800,000 guilders in a bonded loan. 
From the profit and loss account it appears that 
the deficit of the preceding year was 58,235 guilders, 
interest account 8,244 guilders, expenditure 5,681 
guilders, and the total debit 72,661 guilders. Pro- 
fit on securities was 835 guilders, profit of the 
undertaking Soember Mangis 37,386 guilders, profit 
of the undertaking Sono Sehar 33,525 guilders, 
making a total profit of 71,746 guilders, the deficit 
being thus 915 guilders. — L. and C. Express, Oct. 18th. 
Coffee.— Reviewing the present position of the 
coffee markets, Mr. Anton Hvistendahl points out 
that since June last Rio de Janeiro coffee has advanced 
in the New York market from 15f cents per lb. to 
19J cents per lb. During the same period, he adds : 
"We have seen consumption continue full swing, 
in spite of this advance, we have seen a Cabinet 
Minister in Holland take action to protect the in- 
terest of the state as a large owner of coffee plant- 
ations against the artful manipulations by ' bears ' 
in the terminal markets, and we have seen the Rio 
market for eight consecutive weeks resist — and with 
success — all attempts to depress the value of the 
bean." The lesson which the quoted authority draws 
from these facts is that the control of the price of 
coffee has passed from the hands of the consumer 
into the hands of the producer. " What this im- 
plies," he continues "is well understood by leading 
merchants in the trade, but it is neither realised 
nor understood by the majority of operators in the 
terminal markets. For years past we have had a full 
supply of coffee to meet the requirements of con- 
sumption, and in such circumstances the large 
shippers and importers have had the principal in- 
fluence in determining the price of the article on 
behalf of the consumer. But we are fcnow, for the 
first time sines 1873, in a season when supply un- 
doubtedly is insufficient to meet the requirements of 
consuming markets. In such a season the power of 
the manipulator may not be wholly extinguished, it 
is true, but it will be far less effective. Combina- 
tions formed in such a season for the purpose of 
depressing prices are certain to end in failure, al- 
though they may have a temporary show of success. 
In such a season, too, the prospects of the next 
crop must take a secondary place as an element iu- 
fluenoing price. The size of the crop that is being 
actually marketed will be the chief factor, In such 
a season it is a question not of 'flowers' but of 
' ooffee,' and it is obvious that no coffee of next crop 
can reach oonsuming markets before July, and then 
only in driblets,"— if. and O. Mail, 
