88 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [August i, 1887 
Brick Teas. — On the various sorts of brick teas 
imported through Kiachta the Irkutsk Customs 
authorities are ordered from St. Petersburg to levy 
duties of two, six. and eleven roubles per pood 
respectively. — L. &■ C. Express, 
Coconuts and Copea in New Guinea. — We 
have had an application from the Colonial Secretary's 
Ollice for a copy of our work " All about the Coconut 
Palm," to be sent to the Special Commissioner, 
New Guinea, who has applied for information re- 
specting the industry of copra-making &c. 
Helopeltis. — A planter writes : — " A short ac- 
count of the life of this insect would be of interest 
tomyself and others. Are they indigenous ? At 
what rate are they supposed to increase ? Where 
are the eggs and young to be found ? &c. Have 
any other means besides catching been suggested for 
destroying them?" — This enquiry just shows the 
importance of every well-ordered Estate having a 
small Library of books of reference including a set 
of the volumes of the Tropical Agriculturist in which 
nearly every possible enquiry as to our chief pro- 
ducts and their enemies will find an answer. In 
vol. IV, page 327-9 our correspondent will find the 
particulars of Ilelopeltis, which he requires, in a 
Eeport by Dr. Trimen. 
The Life op Tea in Assam. — " But it is from 
Northern India and Assam mainly that we must gain 
the information calculated to relieve the suspicion that 
the tea-bush under pruning is short-lived. One author- 
ity writing on tea either in Assam or China, srjeaks 
ot 100 years as the life of a tea-bush ; but we can- 
not recall where we read that statement whether in 
Fortune's or Colquhoun's book 1 Of more intimate bear- 
ing is the fact that the oiigiiial Assam Company began 
operations in the "forties," their first shipment 
of tea beiug made in 1847. It will be of special inter- 
est to learn whether the clearing from which this was 
gathered is still in operation and if not, what is the 
age of the oldest garden in regular and full cultivation 
in Assam '> This is a question which we hope to have 
answered in due course by one or other of the Ceylon 
men now in Northern India who get the Overland Observer 
or by an Assam planter who will read of this discussion in 
his Tropical Agriculturist." — Overland Observer, May 23rd. 
On the above, a former resident in Ceylon writes : — 
" The first opened gardens of the Company are 
still bearing. Ordinary pruning does not seem to 
tell on the tea tree ; but double pruning where the 
stems are cut down to and under the surface of 
the soil and till the field looks like a piece of 
ground hoed up and ready for planting, such 
pruning is often followed by a slight percentage of 
mortality. — Assam, June, 1887." 
Tea roil Canada. — It is reported that the direct 
orders for tea for the Canadian market sent out 
from Montreal to China and Japan up to the 
beginning of the current month show a decrease 
of 25 per cent, against the corresponding period 
last year. The fall off is, it is suggested, partly 
accounted for by the changes in the trade, which 
enable importers ordering direct to obtain supplies 
so much more rapidly than formerly that they 
do not need to hold one-fourth the stocks they 
held in former years, hence they order more 
frequently as the need arises. Another explanation 
is said to be the fact that any army of tea merchants 
from England has lately invaded Canada, and is 
offering black teas at very low prices throughout 
the Dominion. Montreal dealers are said to be 
to sonic extent alarmed by the scarcity of business in 
new season's China and Japan teas. — L. (£• C. Express, 
June 17th. 
Coffee. — A collapse of the coffee and wheat 
speculations has unsettled the New York Stock 
market. All prices have declined, the selling be- 
ing general in speculative shares. Several " opera- 
tor " in Wall-street have suspended payment. 
The panic m the coffee market caused the price 
to drop on the 11th instant, 3 cents per pound, 
with sales of 400,000 bags, breaking the leading 
" bull " house and several minor dealers. Messrs. 
B. G. Arnold and Co., of New York, coffee merchants, 
have suspended payment. Their liabilities are re- 
ported to exceed ftl,000,000. Messrs. Mackey and 
Small, coffee- brokers, have also supended, their 
liabilities amounting to $150,000. Messrs. Kershew 
and Co.. the firm which took the leading part in 
managing the Chicago wheat " corner," have sus- 
pended payment. Many smaller houses have also 
failed, the collective losses of these operators 
amounting to $8, 000, 000. General gratification is 
expressed throughout the country that the specu- 
lators who " engineered " the coffee and wheat 
corners have succumbed. — L. 4 C. Express, June 17th. 
Cinchona Market Prospects. — A planter 
writes: — "My London friends send me enclosed 
cutting from the Public Ledger of 24th June : — 
Cinchona has been quiet and no auctions have 
been held, owing to the Jubilee celebrations. The 
public auctions held on the 2nd instant at Amsterdam 
resulted as follows : 1,065 bales and 160 cases Java, 
for account of the N. T. Jo., the Succirubra sold at 
25c to 99c, C. Schuhkraft 15c to 76c, Ledgeriaua 7c 
to 102c, C. Anglica 27c to 79c, O. Offiinalis 58c to 
61c ; and for private account. The C. Succirubra sold 
at 17c to a 10Sc, C. Ledgeriaua 10c to 85c, C. Officinalis 
27c to 55c. 
Statement of the movements of *' Peruvian Bark " 
in the United Kingdom, according to the Board of 
Trade Returns, for the first 5 months of the years — 
1887. 1886. 1885. 
cwt. cwt. cwt. 
Imports ... ... 71,415 58,691 47,995 
Exports ... ... 68,833 47,431 40,438 
Left for Home Use 
2,582 11,200 
7,557 
Declared value, imports £346,205 319,466 354,417 
Statement of the movements of all sorts of Medicinal. 
Bark in London in packages during the past two 
years : — 
12 months 12 months 12 months 12 mouths 
June-May. Juno-May. June-May. June-May 
1886. 1885. 188(5. 1885. 
Total 12 mths. 75,494 62,753 _ 78,678 75,309 
Statement of the Landings, Deliveries and Stocks, 
of " Medicinal Bark " in London for the first 5 months 
of the year — 
1887. 1886. 1885. 
Lauded pkgs 34,037 28,748 21,347 
Delivered 36,1.52 26,460 25,243 
Stock, May 31 60,224 04,005 76,573 
The following statement exhibits the total quantities 
exported from Oeylon to all parts from 1st October 
(commencement of season) to 19th May: — 
Season 1886-87 lb. 9,512,402 
1885-86 9,791,456 
1884-85 6,766,195 
1883-84 4,878,341 
The following is a statement of the exports from 
Java to all parts from 1st July (commencement of 
season) to March 31 : — 
Private. Govt. Total. 
Season 1886-87 Amst. lb 1,357,576 571,320 1,928.896 
1885-86 866,672 349,209 1,215,881 
1S84-85 653,745 345,978 999,723 
1883-84 616,202 410,275 1,026,477 
" The total shipments from Ceylon 1S86-87 during 
the past 30 weeks only seemed a decrease of 
260,000 lb, 1885-86 but the telegraphic communications 
from Ceylon since that date ought to show our Lon- 
don friends a decrease of nearly 1,500,000 lb. in 
Ceylon bark. The worst feature is the increase 
in Java bark of 700,000 lb. which doubtless 
contains a larger percentage of sulphate " 
The weekly shipments of bark hence are of course 
telegraphed to several London firms, so that dealers 
generally must be well acquainted with the in- 
formation. 
