MAY I, 1890 
THE TROPICA!. X6Rr60LTUR13T. 
743 
CINOHONA-GROWING IN JAVA. 
The first shipment of Java cinchona bark in com- 
mercial quantities was made on September 28th, 1869, 
when fourteen packages, weighing altogether 900 lb 
left the islaud for Hollaed. The consignment was in 
the hands of the Netherlands Trading Company, and 
that organization called in two professors to give an 
opinion on the trial shipment. Tbeir report was very 
favorable, and the bulk of the shipment was sold 
privately to manufacturers and dealers. Five of the 
purchasers afterwards also gave their opinions of the 
bark, but all agreed that, owing to its immaturity 
and insufficient alkaloid oontents, the cinchona was 
unfit for manufacturing purposes, although it would 
answer admirably for druggists' use. In 1870 the Java 
exports amounted to 41 bales and 28 cases, and on 
October 20 of that year the first public auction of 
876 kilos, took plaoe in Amsterdam. Up to 1883 one 
or two public sales were held every j ear; last year 
there were ten, and for 1890 the same number is 
announced again. The first private planter to com. 
mence cinchona-growing in Java was Mr. K. F. 
Holle, in 1866; but not until about eight years 
later, when the first consignments of the rich Led- 
ger barks had been shipped to Europe and realised 
enormously high prices, did private planters com- 
mence to pay special attention to the article. At first 
the intention of the shippers appears to have been 
to send all the Java bark for sale to London, where 
a market already existed for the artiole ; but the 
Netherlands Trading Company determined to oreate a 
center in Amsterdam, and the importance which that 
market has now acquired demonstrates the wisdom of 
their decision. In 1878, when it had been shown beyond 
doubt that the most valuable cinchona alkuloids were 
found principally in the outer bark layers, the then 
dierector of the Java Government plantations, Mr. 
Moens, decided to adopt the system of soraping the 
order Ledger trees ; but after some seasons the scraping 
was found to be injurious to the trees, and since 1886 
this method of havesting has been abandoned in the 
Government plantations, though it is still followed by a 
few private planters. At first all barks were out to the 
uniform size of 20 centimetres (about 8 inches), and 
brought to market in quills, all bark which could not 
be harvested in this manner being crushed to a coarse 
powder. The trade in the beginning offered consider- 
able opposition to the sale of this powdered bark, as 
it was believed to facilitate sophistication, and also ou 
the alleged ground that the powered bark lost some of 
its alkaloidal richness by keeping. At present, however, 
the system of crushing bark has become universal in J ava 
and at the Amsterdam auctions nearly all the manufac- 
turing barks are now offered in that condition, and 
the pharmaceutical barks in quills. Since 1874 it has 
been customary to sort the Java quill bark in two classes, 
acccording to length. — Indische Mercuur. 
PLANTING IN FIJI. 
Suva, Jan. 26th. — Of late olimatic possibilities and 
probabilities have furnished the chief topic of conver- 
sation. Throughout the closing month of last year we 
had a continuous downpour of rain, unseasonable as it 
was unwelcome to our oane-growers, thoroughly 
saturating and soddening the soil and all else capable 
of absorbing moisture. During the past month we 
have had hot northerly winds, with a blazing sun right 
overhead — a combination resulting in an oppressive heat 
exceeding anything before experienced within the 
memory of the traditional oldest inabitant. A change 
for the better has, however, taken pl ice within the last 
day or two, during which a deliciously cool S. E. wind 
has been blowing. Early in the mouth the Union S. S. 
Company steamer '• VVaioui " oleared for Auckland, via 
Tonga, having shipped at Laucala Bay 400 tons of sugar 
produce of the O. S. R. Company's Nausori mill. The 
" Omapere," leaving for the same port on the 15th 
inst., carried away close on 370 tons, shipped from 
the Narrea and Hewa mills. The " Pukaki " on arrival 
will load up all sugars offering, probably going round to 
the Ba foi tho balauoe of Rarawai mill produce, there 
after taking departure for Auckland on or about 1st 
proximo. The " Taupo " will take up the Pukaki's trade, 
and getting despatoh on the 30th inst. will carry some 
good parcels from Mango and Penang mills. The 
Rarawai mill will be at work for another fortnight or 
three weeks, but on the other side of the island all 
the mills have closed for the season. The Penang, 
Erlington, and Tavinui Estates will, I understand, 
continue crushing operations into March, unless stopped 
by unfavourable weather. Our local papers contain a 
notice that the Rewa Sugar Company's estates, known 
as Koronivia and Ului Calia, together with mill 
machinery and all plant thereto belonging, are to 
be sold in your city on the 5th prox. Messrs J. 
C. Smith and Co. are the successful tenderers for 
the purchase of copra, tax produce during the 
current year. The contract price for deliveries in 
Levuka is reported to be £7 7s. 6d. per ton. 
The Government are now calling for special tenders 
for the purohase of copra made on Rotumah Island. 
During the past month the firms seeking cargo for 
the Juno gave up to £8 per ton for approved copra, 
but the ruling price in open market can now be 
quoted at £7 5s., as with the departure of loading 
vessels keen competition to purohase ceased. During 
the month close on 100 tons copra has been shipped 
per steamers to Auckland and Sydney. Owing to 
.unfavourable weather when the " Tenderden" was 
loading fruit at Suva on the 15th inst. a large 
number of the Musquito fleet, carrying from the ad- 
jacent districts, Rewa and Navua, failed to reaeh prior 
to the steamer's departure, thus leaving something 
over 5,000 bunches of bananas on the exporters' 
hands. As it was she carried away 16,760 bunches 
A boat owned and sailed by some Santo Islanders was 
apsized and sunk, one of the unfortunates on board, 
cailing to reaoh the shore bv swimming. — Australasian. 
* 
A Pkofssional Gold Mineb who has visited 
the Waragoda pits and washings, declares that be 
could make them "pay"; but enterprise here and 
elsewhere will be stopped now until it is Been how 
the Government legislation is shaped. 
" Blended " Ceylon Tea. — In the list of trade 
marks applied for, as given in the Grocer of 22nd 
Feb., is one by Messrs. Game, Harrison & Lamer, 
tea and coffee merohants, London, containing the 
words " The Westwood Blend, composed principally 
of Finest Ceylon Tea as imported direot from 
gardens." The words whioh we have italicized are 
in very small letters, and are over-printed with 
a floral design, so as to be almost entirely obli- 
terated. We are certainly surprised at a wellknown 
firm like the one mentioned allowing suoh a label 
to go forth with its name attached to it. 
Gkeen Teas. — "S. T." writes to the local "Times" 
in correction of the " expert " who gave us 
certain information, as follows : — 
The "limited consumption" of Shanghai greenB he 
talks about, amounted last season to over 22 million lb. 
of which the U.K. took 7J millions and the U. S. of A. 
14 J million lb. "Japan" greens are called " uncolored" 
in America, but they are not really entirely pure tea, 
though the coloring matter is in such small "proportions 
that it is, hardly noticeable either in the dry leaf or by 
sediment in the cup. Shanghai greens, especially Ping 
Sueys, on the other hand, are much more highlj 
colored and faced, and clearly show an expert by the 
color of the dry leaf and sediment in cup that they are 
so. The ooarser the leaf the greater amount of coloring 
and f icing. As Ceylon has not taken to coloring her 
teas yet and I hope she never may, I do not see where 
the danger lies of planters produoing too much Green 
Tea " resembling Shanghai Greens." It will b6 a good 
number of years before C sylon can produce 64 million 
lb., of Green Tea and Oo^ng, whioh was about the 
total quantity or these classes shipped from Chiiift and 
japan to the U.S. and U. K. during tho season just 
olosed, 
