514 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [February i, 1888. 
have to fetch much higher prices in order to 
cover its general expenses, and even for estates 
where cinchona is planted as a bye-product, the 
aforesaid limit must in our opinion be put at a 
higher point, because of the part of general ex- 
penses, which falls in that case to the cinchona 
side of the account. 
Be this as it may, the fact remains that con- 
siderable quantities of bark have been sold at from 
Id to 2d per lb., whereas a few months ago some 
lots of bark were sold at Colombo for even l-5th d. 
per lb. We fail to understand the motives which 
may have induced managers of estates to throw 
away their money in harvesting and selling such 
very inferior barks. Ceylon planters have greatly 
injured themselves and others by so acting, for 
a simple calculation will, we think, tend to show 
that if they had kept down their exports of bark, 
only harvesting the really paying qualities, they 
would as a whole have made larger profits than 
now have been their share. 
From 1st October 1885 to 30th September 1887 
Ceylon has produced about 29 million lb. of bark 
which have averaged about 2 per cent of sulphate 
of quinine. Now amongst these exports have been 
about 12 million lb. averaging no more than § 
per cent of sulphate, so the remaining 17 million 
lb. have averaged about 2-88 per cent of sulphate 
of quinine. 
Supposing these 12 million lb. of inferior quality 
had not been exported, a quantity of about 
90,000 lb. or million ounces of sulphate of 
quinine would never have entered the market, and 
we think we may safely assume, that in this ease 
we should not be suffering under low prices as a 
consequence of overproduction of the drug. This 
being admitted, there is no reason why prices 
should have fallen below those reigning in 1885, 
the less so, because at their rate a daily dose of 
quinine (15 grains) did not cost more than 1 l-5th d. 
Now unit-prices in the last three months of 1885 
averaged about I^d, whereas in the three months 
ending with September last they averaged no more 
than 1 9-10th d. During the whole of the two years 
mentioned the average was about 3d. 
The 29 million lb. of exported bark therefore 
realized a sum of 29,000,000 x 2 x 3d = about 
£725,000 from which amount the direct harvest- 
ing expenses for 29 million lb. must be deducted 
in order to arrive at an estimation of the profits 
made. 
But if the 12 million lb. of inferior bark 
mentioned above had been sacrificed, the exports 
would have amounted to 17 million lb. only, 
which, sold at a unit of 4Jd. would have realiz-d 
a sum of 17,000,000 x 288 x 4£d = about £920,000 
from which amount the direct harvesting expenses 
for 17 million lb. only would have to be deducted 
in order to calculate the profits made. 
We do not pretend these ciphers to be mathe- 
matically exact, but as a whole they may, we 
think, be accepted as showing the situation as it 
has been and as it would have been if some 
planters had not continued to export bark of very 
inferior quality without any profit to themselves 
and indeed to the detriment of all, and this not- 
withstanding repeated advice to the contrary from 
European brokers. 
We beg to put these facts before every cinchona 
planter and every cinchona-planting company, and 
think, they prove conclusively that by adopting 
the method of having each lot of harvested bark 
analysed by sample, before deciding to send it off 
or not, and by holding strictly back all barks, 
which are not quite sure to pay the direct expenses, 
we may arrive perhaps at forcing the market up, 
but certainly at steadying it to the advantage of 
all concerned. 
Allow us, Mr. Editor, to offer you our sincerest 
thanks for the insertion of this letter in the 
columns of your pap^r, and believe us with 
best wishes for the prosperity of your splendid 
colony, — Your obedient servants, 
THE SOEKABOEMIE PLANTERS' ASSOCIATION, 
G. Mtjndt, President, 
J. N. Eckhout, Acting Secretary. 
"A CHANCE FOR CINCHONA PLANTEKS." 
Kensington W., 15th Dec. 1887. 
Sir, — Owing to the large sales of quinine during the 
past 3 weeks for forward delivery by the foreign 
manufacturers at the late reduced prices, the price for 
this commodity has naturally risen to a very large 
extent, varying from 80 to 85 per cent. 
As is always the case with these speculations the 
growers of the crude article pour their stock on the market 
while they can get a shade better price for fcheir goods, 
forgetting tnat, by so doing, they break down a market 
that would help to repay them for the long term of 
bad prices. 
If the agents here would only exercise their influence 
in advising growers to limit their shipments and allow 
the bark to remain on the trees, they would not only 
improve the quality, but reap the benefit of high prices, 
which the enormous sales of quinine for forward 
delivery in January, February and March must com- 
mand, thus reducing tbeir expenses in freight, labour 
etc. at least 100 per cent. On the other hand by sell- 
ing double the quantity (or I might say giving away) 
for the same returns, they not only knock down a 
market which has been made for them, but bring 
about a state of thiugs worse than before. — I remain, 
yours truly, AN EX-PLANTER. 
CINCHONA HARVESTING. 
Colombo, 31st Dec. 1887. 
Sir, — The subject touched upon in the letter 
from the Soekaboemie Planters' Association of 
Java appearing on page 513 is, I think, de- 
serving of the fullest attention of Ceylon cin- 
chona planters at this time. As you point 
out the officers of the Java Association have taken 
no account of the great advantage to the labour 
force of Ceylon that the harvesting of cinchona 
branch bark was a year or two ago — to which 
cause a large proportion of the export to which 
they take exception is attributable ; but as matters 
have turned out there can be no question that 
that advantage was purchased dearly. The only 
thing to be done now is to profit by experience. 
There is no plethora of labour for which employ- 
ment must be found, and therefore no excuse for 
harvesting unprofitable barks. The officers of the 
various District Associations should constitute them- 
selves a sort of Vigilance Committee, and " jump 
on" any man found harvesting bark not likely to 
contain at least 1 per cent, of quinine. 
ROBUSTA. 
["Robusta" adds: — A Happy New Year to you, 
and to all readers of the Observer except those (if 
any) who won't throw assay their low class bark. 
His limit of one per cent, however, is a safe one, 
for during the rec;nt depression 2 per cent 
crown barks realized no more than 3d per lb! — 
Ed.1 
TEA EXPORTED FROM RUSSIA (BATOUM)? 
4th Jan. 1S88. 
Deae Sir, — In Public Opinion of the 2nd ultimo, 
there is an article extracted from the Pioneer, on 
Indian tea in China, and in that article it men- 
tions, inter alia, the shipment of 6,800 lb. of tea 
from Batoum on the Black Sea " of all places in 
the world." When 1 was in England last autumn, 
