Atuui, i, 1888.J THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
703 
is a stimulus in the direction of cure may become, in 
au Overtaxed organ a congostant. The same might 
be true of a food. The effect on the nervous sys- 
tem and the circulation is shown by the sense of 
fullness in the head produced by largo doses. We 
think that it can be asserted that it is one of the 
most valuable of medicines, and has more claim to 
be called an accessory food than alcohol. Surely it 
should not be usod at raudem, and the medical ad- 
viser may need often to be consulted as to indica- 
tions and contra indications for its use. But it can 
safely be sa>d that it is less abused than most medi- 
cines, and that we may eusily rank it as among the 
most valuable of American discoveries. While there 
is no such danger of acquiring a quinine habit as 
a morphine habit, the. alms ■: of the drug is not un- 
common. — S i . Independent. 
THE FUTURE OF CINCHONA. 
A correspondent, who takes much interest in 
cinchona bark, writes : — 
" Of oourse 2 million lb. has been about the 
normal stock in Colombo for a considerable time, so 
the surplus here is only 1 million lb. With regard 
to future exports I heard bad news of cinchona 
upeountry, viz. that the drought had killed a large 
number of trees. This will add to the exports. 
Then, if prices go up to any extent, many would 
harvest and expert; would go up to a large figure. 
With coffee failing in Uva, and littlo tea to fall back 
upon thoreas yet, cinchona will be harvested wherever 
available. All those circumstances make me think 
it best to prophesy as little as possible. It is the 
opinion of an old planter that in threo years cinchona 
will be almost finished in Ceylon, the decadence is 
so great. And ho strongly advocates the introduc- 
tion of fresh seed. He says there is no seed here 
worth sowing, tho deterioration is so gnat in this 
country. This is undoubtedly a very important 
subjeot." A fresh supply of seed should be got from 
South America through correspondents in Bolivia 
or Peru. 
+ 
THE MINCING LANE SYNDICATE OR 
CLEARING-HOUSE. 
(By a Mercantile Correspondent.) 
It was, wo believe, the boast ot tbe Messrs. Roth- 
schild that they ni ver emplo.veil their enormous re- 
sources to control the produce markets, or to interfere- 
withthe regular course ol trade although tncy would have 
beeu justified in doing so by tbe example of one of the 
founders of their race, who was tbe inventor of the 
system of forestalling now oarried ou by syndicate*, 
riugs, and trusts, but we see by tbe prospectus of toe 
London Produce Clearing-house, that their virtuous 
resolution has at last succumbed to surrounding influ- 
ences, aud tbey are now giving their po«eiful assistance 
to the formation of a .Toiut Stock O nip an\ intended, we 
prt some, alternately tu regulate ilo . ings in cjmmo ities 
011 tho Stock Hxohangc system of d. alings in moi eUry 
transactions. Though tho first syndicate, according to 
Murk Twain, was funned by Joseph and I'l.ar. ah, the 
system now intended t > bo r.-gu ato !, th u ;li known 
through succeeding ages as ti. restyling, has only I eeu 
carried on on a large scale during tin last thirty or forty 
years. It receive ! a great impetus during the American 
war, when operations in cotton bi came extr. ni- ly risky, 
The men hants iu the cotton trade naturally wished 
to make the result of their pu chases safe by a sale 
to arrive. Tie buyer actuated by tbe sn 11111 motive re- 
fold his purchase n< a small profit ; and in this wiy a 
single transaction developed into enormous propcrtions. 
Tho sjstcm has gra 'ually evtemh a to nearly every nr- 
tide ol produee, met 1, mow carried on by A- tiei « t i < ■ 1 is 
of very mixed character, nouo of tlmm, wo fear, vory 
good, and many of them formed for tbe purpose of 
making losses pecuniarily s^tu, which would be irre- 
coverable by law. 
The Press has generally denounced this public at- 
tempt to regulato and encourage transactions, which, 
though now almost universal, arc in themselves illegal 
when they aro not bused on actual possession of goods 
dealt in or when they aro merely what is called "time 
bargains." The law making forestalling in England ille- 
gal was repealed in 1844. The American aud German 
Governments are now threatening to suppress rings and 
trusts, and every merchant who carries on a legitimate 
trade is calling oat against them. We fear, however, that 
all attempts to put down one of the practices of the age 
will bo as fruitless as it is to suppress all tbe vicious 
customs by law. And we have no doubt the shares of 
tho London Produce Clearing-house will be eagerly 
sought for, and that those who arc fortunate enough to 
get allotments will make a good thing out of them. 
We notice that Prodnco Brokers generally are 
opposed to the formation of tho Company. There is 
only one of them amongst the founders. We are 
rather surprised to see so many capitalist mer- 
chants amongst the promoters. We should have 
thought it would have been confined to the large 
foreign agency firms, whose business was being in- 
terfered with by their Continental competitors. 
+. 
CINCHONA IN JAVA AND IN BADULLA 
DISTRICTS. 
Mr. Maefarlaile of Cannaverella may well write 
witli some exultation, with such splendid results 
before him from his fields of cinchona— which we 
pronounced about the finest in the island over two 
years ago when in Badulla helping to inaugurate the 
new province. We remember we urged Mr. Mac- 
farlane to commence shaving his five years old 
trees in 1886, and we are glad to see he has done 
so to such good purpose. In Java, it is said, the 
shaving and renewing process is not a success. 
We quote from Mr. Macfarlane as follows : — 
" I have been reading all about cinchona in Java 
iu the Observer. As far as Cannaverella is concerned 
I don't fear Java in the least. 12,000 lb. of bark from 
here analyzed 511 piT cent sulphate of quinine the 
other day iu Colombo, this being the fifth time the 
trees from which the bark was takeu had beeu shavod. 
Only 1-8G of rain bus fallen hore since 1st Jauuary." 
4}-—. 
PEARL FISHING. 
THE INDUSTRY IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA — HOW THE OEM 
IS FORMED— CUB10SITIES AND IMPORTANCE OF A DBEP- 
SEA CALLING. 
An important industry of Western Australia is the 
pearl shell and pearl fishery. It is only of late years 
that the presence of the pearl oyster in this part of the 
world has been dir-coverel, tbe coasts of Oeylou au.l 
other parts of the Kast Indian seas, and also tho Gulf 
of California, having previously supplied, ns, indeed, 
they probably still do, the larger part of the pearls ut 
commerce. But the number of vessels fishing off tins 
north-west coast of Australia has beeu increasing 
rapidly during the last few years, and there are prolific 
hanks there in abundance, on which are found both tho 
large oyster, the sboll of which is principally valuable 
for the mother-of pearl of which it is composed, and 
the smull oyster, which is the true pearl-bearer. 
The larger kind is from tiin. to in in. in. diameter, 
ami the pair of sbo'U weigh from 2 lb. to 1 lb. or some- 
times moro. These oysters not infrequently contain 
pearls, but it is for their shells that they are sought. 
The true pearl-bearing oyster is txircofy larger 
than an ordinary oyster, and tho shell IB of vrry 
littlo value. Single pearls have been Found on this 
const valued at 7,500 dot. ami 3,500 dol, but the most 
curious pearl discovery that has been made either here 
or elsewhere, was made on this coast a few yours ago, 
whon the now turnout ''Crux Australis," or" Southern 
Cross pearl, was rovealed. This is a perfectly natural 
cross of uiuo pearls, all iu ouo piece. The fin J or of this 
