4B0 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. January i, rSgcs 
worthy manager, until they knew something more 
about the business at any rate. They will have 
to be prepared also to face immense outlay in 
advertising and distribution of bills and samples, 
and rent, before seeing a penny of profits. But 
if they can hold on long enough and work skil- 
fully (on this side especially) I believe they will 
come out all right. 
I think there is every indication that Chicago 
will succeed in having the 1892 Exhibition held 
there ; but no matter where it is Ceylon ought it 
to put her best foot foremost to secure adequate 
representation. Mind it must be Ceylon with the 
Government thrown in and not merely the P. A. 
with a Tea-house. Probably any benefit that does 
arise will be through your tea, but that can be 
no excuse for the Government remaining out of 
it. Unknown foreign lands (among which catalogue 
Ceylon) have a great interest for the average American 
and if a fairly good Exhibition of native marvels 
(barbaric and otherwise) oan be got together, much 
attention will be attracted. 
While in Washington, through the kind offices 
of a friend I had an interview with the Secre- 
tary of the Board to promote the holding of the 
Exhibition at Washington (capital of the States). 
He was sanguine that ultimately all would agree 
to Washington, after the other candidate cities 
had cut each other's throats. But I tbink he is 
wrong. Chicago has worked indefatigably for it 
and got some ten or twelve million dollars sub- 
scribed against the 2£ millions of New York. If 
held at Washington it will be a Government 
controlled affair entirely, but if at Chicago pro- 
bably a Syndicate will work it. However I ex- 
plained to the Secretary what the C. P. A. would 
want and specially warned him of difficulties with 
the refreshment contractor, not because he is in a 
position at present to do anything but because if 
the Exhibition is held at Washiugton, I am pretty 
sure he will be on the Board of Management and 
the matter might then be recalled to his mind. 
A. MELVILLE WHITE. 
Amobphous Quinine Liquob. — A parcel of 600 bis, 
of this article, imported about four years ago for 
account, we believe, of the Indian Government, 
was declared for sale at last week's drug auctions, 
but did not actually figure in the catalogues. The 
lot was put up for Bale in 1885, when it first 
arrived, but could not find a buyer at that time. 
As the article is of some theoretical interest we 
secured a small sample, and in the limited time 
at our disposal have made an analytical examina- 
tion of it, the results of which deserve to be placed 
on record. The liquid has all the external charac- 
teristics of liquid extract of cinchona; it is of dark 
brown colour and of the consistence of a thin 
syrup. But the aroma is very poor— not at all 
like a bark extract. The taste is distinctly bitter. 
We found that it responded abundantly to alka- 
loidal reagents, and a quantitative test showed 
that all the supposed colouring matter was pre- 
cipitated by alkali and was taken up by the 
alkaloidal solvents (chloroform and benzolated 
amylic alcohol,) and the liquid thus proved to be 
a bomtion of amorphous cinchona alkaloids in 
combination with sulphuric acid. We obtained 20 
per cent of the amorphous mixture from the sam- 
ple The liquid probably consists of the mother 
liquors derived from the manufacture of cinchona 
febrifuge. It is, of course, valueless, and the holders 
are evidently aware of this fact, as we understand 
that they are willing to part with the lot for the 
coat of the stone jars in which it is lodged, throwing 
in the liquid free of charge.— Chemist and Druggist, 
November 23rd. 
The Netherlands India. Sumatea Tobacco Com- 
pany has received a telegram from the chief manager 
in Sumatra advising that the company's first crop 
has been harvested. Although a less number of 
fields was put under cultivation than contemplated 
in the spring, the 552 fields actually planteu have 
produced 3,660 piculs, equal to 488,000 lb. English. 
As, however, the tobacco loses in weight during 
the process of fermenting and sorting, the net weight 
at date of shipment will be somewhat less than that 
indicated above. It is too early as yet to judge 
of the quality. Since the 1st ult. Mr. S. A. van 
Someren, who has had over seventeen years' prac- 
tical experience in the cultivation of tobacco in 
Sumatra, has taken charge of the estates of the 
company as head manager. For the 1890 crop the 
preparatory work for the cultivation of 720 fields 
has been taken in hand. — L. and C. Express. 
Oechella Weed may be ranked amoDg the prin- 
cipal articles of trade in Zanzibar. The small-leafed 
orchella, called malelle majani, or malelle urima, by 
the natives, is the variety most in esteem. It is 
found in immense quantities along the shore south- 
wards from Kismayu down to Mozambique, almost 
completely covering the low shrubs along tbe littoral. 
This accounts for the large admixture of wood and 
dried leaves belonging to other plants with which 
the orchella is usually brought to the market, and 
which is not caused by any wilful adulteration, but 
purely because the weed, thrown up by the sea, 
remains hanging in the branches in such quantities 
as to kill the plants. This orchella, is cleaned and 
repacked in Zanzibar, the foreign matter in it averag, 
ing from 20 to 30 per cent. The coarse orchella- 
known in the native language as malelle uene, or 
malellaja Brawa, is found northwards of Kismayu as 
far as Socotra. — Cliemist and Druggist, Nov. 23rd, 
The Annual Report of the Agbicultubal Com- 
pany for the East Coast of Java has been published, 
according to which the coffee cultivation is pro- 
gressing satisfactorily; but the tobacco cultivation 
has not realised the anticipation \>uioh were formed, 
in consequence of which the managers propose to 
stop the latter for some time. This unfavourable 
result is mainly to be ascribed to the condition 
of the weaiher. As regards the various estates 
the following information is given :— At Pareredjo 
the coffee cultivation comprised 222 bouws, with 
458,000 trees. The total cultivation consists of 
340 bouws, with 708,000 trees. The soil proved 
to be very suitable for the coffes cultivation. The 
expenditure amounted to f. 36, 657. The tobacco crop, 
which was far from being encouraging, delivered 
413 piculs, for which an average price was made 
of c.23 27-100 per lb. The expenditure— f. 28, 135— 
was not nearly covered. With regard to the estate 
Kali-Tapah the cultivation comprised 225 bouws, 
with 350,000 trees of coffee, the situation of which 
is excellent. The orop was 921 piculs, of which 
872 were sold. Information was received that the 
crop for 1889-90 will be below the estimate. The 
expenditure amounted to f. 36, 490, and the 842 
piculs realised f. 46, 781, the total profit being thus 
f. 11, 214, which will be used for the other under- 
takings, which have as yet not given a profit. On 
Kali-Lebah the coffee cultivation was 70 bouws with 
124,300 trees, while a further 70 bouws with 261,300 
trees will be worked. The cinchona cultivation 
consists of 111,520 trees, and the proceeds of 1,000 
trees was f.635. The expenditure of Kali-Lebah 
amounted to f. 25,583. The balance-sheet shows an 
amount of f. 558, 549 as revenue and expenditure, 
and, among others, the following items : — Debit ; 
shareholders, f .48,750 ; Kali Tapah, 1,178,800; 
Pareredjo, 1.152,894; Soember Sewoe, f.25,000 '. 
Kali Lebah, f.93,427 ; unissued shares, 1.55,800 
credit : capital, 1.500,000 ; drafts, f.45,000— the profit 
being thus f.l 1,114. — Amsterdam Cor., London and 
China Express, 
