July 2, 1888.] THT. TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 
1 
Peppermint oil, at 82s. per pound, and oil of Cubebs, 
at 58 s. per pound, or Ylaug-Ylaug, at 20s. per ounce, 
besides many at intermediate prices, all of which 
however, are liable to considerable fluctuation 
according to the supply and demand. Thus, at 
the close of last year it was stated that the ship- 
ments of (Jitrouella oil from Oeylon were the largest 
in record, having amounted, from October 1 to 
November 17, to 1,057,752 ounces against 313,632 
ounces in the previous year. This oil always fetches 
to low price here, being quoted at the present time 
at about 2d. an ounce. It is largely used in per- 
fumery. This forms a striking contrast to another 
perfume oil, Patchouly, which ranges from 2s. 3d. to 
8ft. per ounce. 
Amongst other well known products that have 
attracted much attention of late may be mentioned 
Coca leaves (E'-ythroxylon coca), Kola nuts, the seeds 
of Cola acuminata, and Ipecacuanha. Of Coca leaves 
it was reported in December as follows : — " Of 
forty-eight bales of Huanoco leaves, mostly rather 
dark, five bales, the best of the lot, good greenish, 
of new import, sold at Is. 4</. per pound, one 
penny more than was recently paid ; fourteen bags 
of low brown, badly sea-damaged, 1 cwt. each, 
were offered at 2s. 6</. for half the lot, but could 
not find a buyer. A commission which was appointed 
some time ago to report upon a scheme for assist- 
ing the development of minor planting indu-tries in 
Guadeloupe, has recommended the introduction of 
Coca cultivation into the island, and suggests that 
loans upon easy terms of repayment be granted to 
planters embarking in this industry. It is suggested 
that 400 francs per hectare (equal to about £7 per 
acre) should be the maximum amount lent." The 
latest quotation for fiir Huanoco was Is. 4d. per 
pound. Regarding Kola nuts, very large quantities 
of freshly gathered seeds have recently found their 
way into the market, realising 9d. per pound for 
very fine quality, 4V. to 5(7. per pound for good, 
and 2J<7. to 3Ja. for ordinary mouldy. 
Some time since four bales — in all about 400 pounds — 
of a root imported from Bombay as " Medicine 
Root, " appeared at Mincing Lane, and was sold 
for Ipecacuanha at from Is. lid. to 2s. per pound. 
It was soon found, however, not to be Ipecacuanha. 
The root occurs in pieces about an inch long, 
and an eighth of an inch in diameter. It is not 
so regularly anulated as Ipecacuanha, and is 
apparently more brauching, or with stronger root 
fibres ; internally it is nearly white, with a very 
pale ring, and apparently very starchy. It has very 
lit Me taste when first chewed, but shortly reveals an 
acrid and biting taste. The root has been proved 
to contain neither emetine nor any other alkaloid, 
ami its botanical affinity cannot, at present, be 
determined. This false Ipecacuanha has created 
a good deal of interest amongst pharmacists, and 
all those interested in the purity of drugs. The 
Ipecacuanha supply has bcon exclusively brought 
from Brazil until a short time since, when a 
sample of very good quality found its way to the 
London market from Singapore, where it had been 
cultivated. It having thus been established that 
the drug can be grown in the East, no doubt led 
the buyers to believe that this new root was Indian 
grown Ipecacuanha. 
Speaking of adulteration, we may refer to the 
fact that Cubebs are now so frequently mixed with 
various other berries having so similar an appearance 
externally, that it is difficult to ensure the purchase 
of the genuine fruit. Quite recently it was reported 
that the supply of genuine berries is very small, 
and that as much as £29 has been privately paid 
for them. 
Regarding Vanil'a, it was stated during December 
that the cultivation of the plant in Madagascar 
was progressing, and that a splendid crop had been 
secured during the past season on two new planta- 
tions in tho island, one of which is owued by an 
Euglishmau, and the other by a Frenchman. The 
former is laying out plantations on a very large 
soale, aud it may now bo considered certain that, 
under favourable circumstances, Madagascar Vanilla 
will ere long be placed on the European markets in 
considerable quantities. The beans cured last year 
are said to be by far the best ever produced in 
Madagascar. In connection with tho spread of 
Vanilla culture, we learn from Zanzibar that it his 
been successfully tried at one of the East Africau 
German settlements, and that 55 lb. of Vanilla 
from the Knigaru (Usaubara) settlement are ready 
for shipment to Germany by the first steamer. 
Some time since a good deal of interest was ex- 
cited by the statement that 537 packages, amount- 
ing to about 50 tons, of gum of the Arabic cha- 
racter, had been received in London from Para, 
under the name of Brazilian Gum Arabic. We now 
learn that only an overland sample has bean received, 
and that the bulk is shortly expected. Referring to 
this gum, The Chemist aud Druggist said : — Since 
the great advance took place in value-; of g ims 
generally, certain varieties of gums found in Brazil 
have received considerable attention at the hands of 
merchants in that country, who recognise! iu the 
product an article well worth collection aud ex- 
portition. Accordingly, during the past two years, 
regular supplies of gum have been received at 
Liverpool from various Brazilian ports— M iranham, 
Paranhybu, and Para. These imports at first realised 
as much as 85s. per cwt., but it was found on 
trial of the quality that this was too high a value 
compared with other descriptions of gum, and as 
the imports increased, the price declined to 65s. 
per cwt. for good quality, at which figure the 
article sold very readily, until latterly tbe supply 
has some-what exceeded the demand, and stacks 
have accumulated to about 95 tons, the market 
value of good quality being thereby reduced to 55s. 
or 57s. 6'/. per cwt. Hitherto the Brazilian gum 
has been chiefly bought up by export druggists, but 
recently consumers in this country have turned 
their attention to it, and employed it successfully 
for various purposes. The tree yielding Brazilian 
Gum Arabic is called ' Angico ' by the natives of 
that country. " 
The writer of the foregoing in The Chemist and 
Druggist suggests the source of the gum as Bowdichia 
major, but the Angico tree is referred to Acacia 
angico, Martius=Piptadenia rigida, Benth., which is 
described as yielding a gum very similar to Gum 
Arabic. — John R. Jackson, Museum, Kew.— Gardeners' 
Chronicle. 
» 
NOTES ON COCA LEAVES. 
We announced a few weeks ago that Dr. H. H. 
Rusby, of New York, had been lecturing at the 
Philadelphia College of Pharmacy on South American 
drugs and remedies, as investigated by himself duriug 
a recent journey through parts of Brazil aud some 
of the adjoining republics. When describing coca the 
doctor showed specimens of the two principal 
commercial varieties, viz., Bolivian and Peruvian coca, 
and explained the difference in their appearance. 
The specimen of Peruvian coca Dr. Rusby gathered 
at the confluence of two rivers, one coming from 
Cuzco, in Peru, and the other from La Paz, in Bolivia; 
but unfortunately the names of these rivers are not 
given, nor are there, so far as we are aware, any 
rivers originating near Cuzeo aud Li Paz which meet 
at all on Peruvian or Bolivian territory, Judging, 
however, from the doctor's subsequent remarks, the 
River Turns, which divides the two countries, is meant. 
All tho way down this river, coming from Bolivia, 
continued the lecturer, we find the wild coca. It is 
of tho Boliviau form, but soon as we strike the other 
river we find tho larger leaves, the Peruvian form. 
There is also a form of diseased coca, called Taja. 
It is probably a fungus which produces this peculiar 
condition. We know the disease can be produced in 
the leaf by simply picking them carelessly so that tho 
twigs are wounded. Then when tho new leaves are 
produced they present this appearance. This is r 
sufficient comment upon tho idea which has lately 
been advanced by a writer, to tho effect that some 
