?02 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [April », 1888. 
necessity for such improvement, it nsed not be ex- 
pected." The Tsung-li yamen has now before it the 
opinions of the merchants at the principal tea marts, 
the gentlemen who drew up the Shanghai Report being 
all thoroughly acqaintad with the trade of the river 
ports, and cannot fail to see in the concurrence of 
their views very striking testimony to the necessity 
of prompt action. There are one or two special 
points in the Oanfcon Minutes. As to weights, they 
say that it is worthy of remark that teas shipped 
from Canton waters invariably lose in weight on the 
homeward voyage, whereas those shipped from Foochow 
and the northern ports always show distinct gain. 
The remedy for this is in the hands of the Imperial 
Maritime Customs, for native packers are prepared 
to allow an extra J lb, per box provided no export 
duty is charged upon it, a concession which the Im- 
perial Maritime Customs will not grant. And the 
Minutes say that the Isteady fall in exchange has 
been of material assistance to the China grower, for 
it has enabled shippers to lay down their purchases 
in London at lower sterling prices year by year 
while paying almost the same tall prices to the Chinese 
as formerly.— N.-O. Herald, Feb. 24th. 
THE COST OF THE PHYLLOXEEA TO 
FEANCE. 
To the end of the year 1884 the area of vineyards 
destroyed in France amounted to about 2,500,000 
acres. In addition to this range of total extir- 
pation of the vine 1,500,000 acres were under attack, 
being planted with vines that were diseased although 
not destroyed. M. Lalande estimates the loss on 
those vineyards as equivalent to at least a total 
destruction of 500,000 acres; giving a total loss of 
3,000,000 acres, or half the entire acreage of the 
French vineyards. He points out that the damage 
thus inflicted on the oountry is not to be measured 
by the mere value of the vines. This may be 
taken, according to the usual French allowanoe, 
at about £100 per acre, being valued according to 
the net returns derived from the average crops. 
But, in addition to this profit or net return, a fur- 
ther and hardly less considerable loss to the country 
is inflicted by the failure of the labour formerly 
devoted to the vineyards. The value of the naked 
soil remains, but the greater portion of the vineyards 
are situated on land unfitted for other culture. 
In estimating the loss incurred from 1875 to 1884 
at three hundred millions sterling, M. Lalande thus 
keeps within the limits of probability. 
With regard to the loss of the annual remuner- 
ation of labour, it is difficult to give an exact 
valuation. M. Lalande, however, considers that an 
approximate estimate may be formed from observing 
the importation of wine and of dry grapes that is 
rapidly increasing into France, and whioh is caused 
by the need of providing a substitute for the perished 
crops, in the production of wine. The increase 
in these imports have been very striking. In 1875 
the value of the foreign wines imported into France 
was .£333,000, and that of raisins or dried grapes 
£230,000. In 1887 these figures had increased to 
£21,000,000 for wine and £3,920,000 for grapes. 
The value of the total importations of these articles 
for the thirteen years — 1875 to 1887 inclusive — 
amounts to an aggregate of 152,000,000, so that 
the estimate of £400,000,000 for the loss inflicted on 
France by this destructive pest is probably far under 
the mark. When it is considered that this whole 
devastating army is the progeny of very few in- 
vaders — possibly of a single egg — the extraordinary 
energy of the prolific power of nature has never 
before been so signally illustrated. Nor does there 
appear to be any compensation for the mischief. 
The best energies of French science have been 
worthily taxed in the struggle with the microscopic 
devastator, and down to the present time the 
swarming aphis has got the better of mankind — 
St. James's Budget, Feb. 18th. 
v — 
QUININE AND HEALTH. 
An urgent correspondent of the Independent is anxious 
to know what it thinks of Ihe bearing of quinine 
upon human health and longevity. We do not wonder 
that such a question is asked in mitiy localities. Al- 
though we have never been able to verify the statement 
that in certain portions of the Western country it is 
the chief medium of exchange in place of silver, we 
fear that the idea has some foundation. It is certain 
that no other drug has such a large consumption, and 
that it has come to be regarded as a necessity of civili- 
zation. We almost wonder how our forefathers could 
have lived without it. 
To those going into new regions of country, it 
is a companion if they are wise. Scarcely any one now 
doubts its efficiency, not only in malarial seizures, but 
in warding off that most insidious miasm. It certainly 
fortifies the system, ai.d acts as a prophylactic. So 
true is it, that those passing for the first time into a 
malarious region are the most liable to attack, that it 
almost seems rash to neglect it as a precaution. Not 
less indispensable is it in the treatment of intermit- 
tent and remittent fever. 
It seems to have been provided as the great specific 
of nature. Even to the physician who over and over 
again has witnessed its mastery it is little less than 
miraculous how the shaking ague will yield to its 
control unless there are special complications, or 
unless a habit of malarial subjection has been 
established. It has even extended its domain far be- 
yond this. In other forms of fever, and certain condi- 
tions of innervation or want of general tonicity, it is 
largely available although needing to be used with 
great discernment. There probably never was a time 
in which the use of some form of Peruvian bark, un- 
der the name of china, cinchona, quinidia, etc., has been 
so extensive as at present. It may be said in general 
that the use of bitters did not begin with this, aud that 
it has substituted* many of them only because of its 
greater convenience and its more concentrated and ef- 
fective forms. It is well known that most of the bitter 
herbs have allied powers. They will diminish the 
amount of mucus in the stomach, fortify the nervous 
system, and in giving tonicity to the tired and to the 
exhausted vitality. 
There are some reasons why suoh bitters as dogwood, 
wormwood, hops, rue, and some others, should not be 
set aside. They have certain additional or modified ef- 
fects which are recognized by those familiar with their 
use, and should be valued for their tonic effects. In 
the use of medication as well as in foods, even a good 
medicine needs a change, and there is benefit in some 
other form, just as we change, with advantage, from 
one form of flesh to another. We believe that in this 
age of strain and stress there is no class of materials 
that are so often needed as some of the multiplied 
forms of bitter trees, vegetables, or herbs. Indeed, 
they belong so closely to the vegetable world, and con- 
tain so much- that is allied to foods, or convertible 
thereinto, that they should hardly be regarded as medi- 
cines. The depressions from exposure to long winters 
and to excessive heat undoubtedly respond to and are 
relieved by this kind of nurture. Enfeebled stomach 
digestion is often relieved thereby. 
But may there not be over-use, and especially of the 
cinchona preparations f Undoubtedly, and for this 
reason skilled medical and dietic advice is often 
needed. There are cases where the liver has become 
so engorged, or where by reason of some organic 
change either the power of quinine is suspended or 
made harmful. When the spleen has become enlarged 
by reason of severe or frequent attacks of malaria 
the absorbent or lymphatic systems is so involved 
that the quinine when used has no effect, or may 
even irritate. It is admitted that its continuous and 
uninterrupted use tends to 1 , produce congestion of the 
minute vessels of organs. £>o what in many cases what 
