86 
PHE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [August i, 1887. 
whether even " Cannon's celebrated Mysore " coffee 
fetches as high prices as some of our favoured 
Jamaica brands which sell at between 130s and 
140s a cwt., but of course Mysore, Coorg, and the 
Nilgiris have the pull in heavier crops, cheaper 
and more abundant labour, easier means of trans- 
port, and getting the coffee cured off the estate. 
Mr. Pasteur regrets that the fine samples which were 
exhibited in the Ceylon Court were but the last van- 
ishing remains of what even nine or ten years ago was 
the most extensive and most flourishing of the coffee 
crops raised on British soil, by British enterprise and 
capital. But we will hope it may prove not the last 
vanishing remains " for latest Ceylon advices seem to 
point, as if 'King Coffee' were in a measure to become 
' redivivus.' It may probably be the growth of 
tea, cinchona and other new products are sup- 
plying the need that coffee experienced from being 
too much left to its own sweet surroundings, all the 
jungle and bush being ruthlessly cut away helping 
no doubt to introduce, foster and spread leaf disease : 
which may now be becoming less virulent in its 
attacks. What Mr. Pasteur says of the fine samples 
of Ceylon coffee after years of leaf disease con- 
vinces me I am right in supposing that, if the 
Ceylon plan of curing factories had been adopted 
in Jamaica, Blue Mountain coffee need not have 
sold any lower than it does now, or been in any 
way deteriorated by being cured for shipment at the 
sea level ; for surely it is not the curing in the 
hills that Rives Blue Mountain coffee its well- 
earned and established reputation ; but the soil, 
the climate, the elevation and the extraordinary 
suitableness of Jamaica for the growth and cultiv- 
ation of the coffee tree that produces such results. 
I note that Mr. Pasteur thinks Jamaica the most 
hopeful of our colonies for the investment of 
capital in coffee plantations, but I would caution 
any capitalists or experienced coffee planters not 
to act hurriedly, but come out to see for them- 
selves : true there is plenty of virgin land left, 
thousands of acres, as stated by Mr. D. Morris now 
sub-Director of the Boyal Gardens, Kew, but it is 
mostly inaccessible, very steep and exposed to hurri- 
canes and Northers. Moreover, any extensive ad- 
dition to the present area under cultivation would 
add to the already existing scarcity and dearness 
of labour, and unless Government opened up the 
country by good cart roads, the expenses of 
transport would be very considerable, and as crops 
to the acre not so heavy in Jamaica as in India, 
Ceylon, Brazil and Central America, the cost of 
placing it on boardship would be largely enhanced. 
To those who like myself have been so fortunate as to 
secure an old coffee plantation with some available 
forest left, and works and buildings erected and 
within a reasonable distance of Kingston, it is a 
different matter, and they may be able after 
patient toil to work out an independence, for coffee 
seems to take longer to come into full bearing 
than it does in Ceylon, but of its lasting qualities 
there can be no doubt as evinced by many fine 
patches of coffee, which must have been in its 
prime during the old slavery days, and are still in 
existence, and looking and bearing well. There 
are but few chances now of meeting with an old 
coffee property ; most of them are too far gone, 
or have no " back sands," but if one such would 
be met with, and capital judiciously expended by 
an experienced planter, the results would by God's 
blessing be certain to turn out a successful and 
paying investment. W. S. 
♦ 
CINCHONA IN JAVA. 
The Netherlands Indian news contained in the 
Straits Times received by the M. M. steamer contained 
the information that the Java cinchona planters had 
resolved to send one of their number to Ceylon to see 
and report to them what were the actual facts as 
regards this product in our island and to gather 
statistics as to our probable future export of bark. In 
the paper received by the P. & 0. steamer last night 
we learn that the Java planters are seriously alarmed 
at the enormous outturn which continues from 
Ceylon, thus keeping prices down ; but that it is 
firmly believed that the superior quality of 
Java bark will gain for it the ultimate victory. 
The most startling piece of news, however, _ is 
that the Government have resolved to retire 
from competition with private growers and 
are to sell their plantations. The reason of this 
is said to be that the upkeep of the gardens is 
being conducted at a dead loss ; but it is added, 
that from the outset the Government never in- 
tended to grow cinchona for the sake of gain ; and 
now that its example has been followed so largely 
by private individuals it can retire from its pos- 
ition of " nursing mother." As many of the trees 
on these plantations are the finest in the world as 
regards richness of the bark in quinine sulphate, 
there is likely to be brisk competition among 
buyers. The following are the paragraphs referred 
to:- 
Now that cinchona growing no longer proves so profit- 
able as of yore, the Government is said to intend to 
sell its plantations where the cultivation of bark has 
been carried on for years. Planters in spite of the low 
prices ruling for bark, do manage to realise a little 
profit. The Government, notwithstanding the extensive 
area under cinchona always kept up to the mark, can- 
not see its way to secure a remunerative return. At 
the outset it was never intended by the Government 
to grow cinchona for the sake of gain, but to get a good 
example in cultivating that useful tree. The Govern- 
ment in fact wishes to get rid of valuable property 
which will yield handsomely under good management, 
because somehow or other, it cannot ensure the secur- 
ing of the latter. For deriving the income of the State 
party from the produce of the soil, a good case can be 
made out. In Europe the idea of the State turning 
planter or miner is decried on the ground of its never 
securing good work, but, even there, this long received 
doctrine does not now command unqualified accept- 
ance. In colonies, this principle does not suit all cases, 
especially when Government management comes up to 
the standard aimed at in private enterprise. If the sale 
be carried out, the cinchona plantations will readily 
find buyers. 
The cinchona planters in Java look forward with 
alarm and apprehension to the struggle for existence 
between them and their fellows in Ceylon, from whence 
an enormous output of bark keeps down prices to a 
ruiuous extent, without any prospect of the outturn 
lessening for the present. Java bark will undoubtedly 
gain the mastery from superior quality. Meanwhile 
planters there handicapped as they are by fiscal burdens 
and hindrances unknown in Ceylon, will be hard put 
to it. For them the outlook at present is dark enough. 
Few of them expect better times to set in immedi- 
ately after the anticipated victory. 
COMMERCIAL "RINGS": COFFEE. 
Both the coffee ring in New York and the corn 
ring in Chicago have broken down. The leading 
"bull" house in each "corner" has been ruined. 
Certain firms had deliberately set themselves to buy 
up all the available corn and coffee with the view 
of reselling it an enormously increased price ; but 
the supply proved to be greater than they had 
anticipated, their purchasing power became ex- 
hausted, and, dreading the consequence of having on 
their hands vast stores of corn and coffee which 
nobody wanted, they began to sell. The immediate 
result was a panic. Prices declined with terrible 
