July 2, 1888] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
71 
RUSSIAN PETROLEUM. 
From a Consular Report it is evident that over- 
production in Russia has led to flooded markets 
and low prices in Russia as much as the United 
States, so that petroleum ought to be now obtained 
at very moderato prices. We quote a few details : — 
RUSSIAN PETROLEUM INDUSTRY FROM 
1883 TO 1886: 
BY CONSUIj ERHAKD BISBINGER. 
Ab compared with the year 1883, 1880 shows 
au increased production of over 250 per cent. 
Not taking into account the local consumption, 
the export in the former year amounted to less 
than 30,000,000 pud— 150,000,000 gallons— (at 5 gallons 
per pud equal to 30-113 United States pounds); 
in 1884 it rose to 261,210,710 gallons ; in 1885 to 
300,149,775 gallons, while in 1880 it reached the total 
of 377,000,120 gallons. 
It has already been shown how the Russian home 
market was glutted with petroleum, due partly to the 
many new refineries that were called into existence in 
Baku after the completion and opening of the trans- 
caucasian railway, which eagerly bought up and pre- 
pared for the market the extraordinarily cheap raw 
naphtha, but also because of the want of sufficient 
means of transportation, so that in the beginning of 
1880 the accumulation of oil in the Russian Empire is 
said to have amounted to 40,000,001) gallons; half of 
this was stored in Zarizyn, the other half in Domniuo 
(the principal depot of the refineries of Nobel Brothers 
near Orel), in Mosoow, iu St. Petersburg, in Warsaw, 
etc., mostly in tanks. In the year 1886, 115,000,000 
gallons more were added lo this supply, so that the 
stock for the market amounted to no less than 
155,000,000 gallons ; only 80,000,000 of this enormous 
quantity are said to have been disposed of duringthe 
year, so that there was carried into 1887 a stock of 
75,0011,000 gallons. 
It is not very difficult to realize that under such 
conditions the price of raw naphtha has been very 
much depressed; it fluctuated between l}- and 1£ 
oopecks (a copeck is 777 cents) per pud ot 5 gallons 
at the wells ; the cost of transporting it the refiners 
by rail is 1J to 2 copecks (113 to 15 5 cents) per 
pud, or £ to ii copecks ( 38 to 59) by pipe line, making 
its net cost at the refinery If to 3£ copecks (1-3 to 
8'6 ceuts) per pud- 
As 3J gallons of raw naphtha yield 1 gallon of 
refined petroleum, and as the employment of the re- 
sidue, besides affording the requisite heating material, 
produces also.lubricating oil, etc., in sufficient quantity 
and value to about cover the expenses of refining, it 
follows that the net cost of a pud of Russian petro- 
leum in Baku is about from 6j to 12{ copecks (5 to 9*7 
cents.) 
The market price of prime quality refined petroleum 
in Baku shipped to Russia via Astrachau was 12 to 
15 copecks (9-3 to 1TG ceuts) in the latter part of 
1880, wbilo iu former years it ranged between 22 to 
27 copecks (17 to 20 9 cents) then gradully fell to 20 
to 24 copecks (15 to 18 6 cents), and in the beginning 
of 18SU declined to 14 to 10 copecks pet pud (10*8 to 
12-5 ceDts). Second quality petroleum in the latter 
part of 1880 sold at 8 to 12 copecks (6 to 9 3 cents), 
while in the winter of 1885-80 it still commanded 
1- to 13 copecks (9 3 to 10 cents), and during the 
period of navigation in 1885 readily sold for 18 
to L'l copecks (14 to 16 cents). It will be observed 
from the foregoiug that under the most favorablo 
conditions, the margin on refined Russian petrol'-um is 
merely nominal. 
From those figuros it will be observed that Russian 
naphtha costs but about one-half of American refined 
pit> oleum iu (lie St. Petersburg markets. 
Of the naphtha products carried by the railway 
DJ lar tho greatest part is exported, notably via 
Butooin. The increase iu this traffic has been a most 
desidod one, and do pnins or expense aro being spared 
to And new markets outside of Russia. 
Among the new markets into which Russian pet- 
roleum has recently made its entry may bo mentioned 
Syria; Egypt, Algeria, Belgium, Denmark and East 
India. 
Tlie number of steamers carrying the naphtha pro- 
ducts from Batoum has lately been greatly in- 
cre ised. Freights by steamers from Batoum to 
Trieste is 10 copecks (7'7 cents) per pud, and to 
Hamburg, 15 copecks. 
The extension of the Transcaspian Railway and 
the consequent opening up of new markets have de- 
volped a considerable increase in the consumption of 
petroleum in the region traversed by the railway, and 
a still greater demand for Russian naphtha is there- 
fore expected, all the more so as it is proposed to 
complete the construction of the road. 
Nitrogen in Veqf.table Soil. — Following on the 
researches of M M. Bcrthelor and Scbloesing, already 
mentioned by us, M M. A. .Gautier and Drouin have 
presented to the Academy of Sciences a paper embody- 
ing the experiments carried out by them to determine 
the fixation of nitrogen by tho soil and plants. The 
paper only refers to tbo variation of the total quantitii e 
of azote in the the bare soil, and comes to the follow- 
ing couculsion : — " Salts containing organic matter can 
alone fix free nitrogen or the ammouiacal nitrogen 
of the atmosphere, even in the absence of plants. 
Again, organic matter existing in any arable soil is the 
necessary iactor in this fixation of nitrogen. — Universal 
Press Assolctition. 
Coffee. — The British Consul at Vera Cruz tells 
us that whatever their faults, the Mexicans know 
how to make good coffee. He says " that the 
worst coffee of the worst inn in Mexico is superior 
to the best coffee of the best hotel in England, 
because it is better prepared, and is not adulterated 
with chicory or other nauseous ingredients. By 
the Mexicans it is generally roasted, ground, and 
drunk within twenty -four hours, or at most forty- 
eight hours, and is thus consumed at its best ; 
whilst in England long intervals elapse between 
roasting and grinding, and between grinding and 
consumption, so that little of the coffee's flavour 
or aroma is enjoyed at the British breakfast-table, 
and that little is often lost entirely in the coarse 
flavour and smell of the adulterating root chicory. 
Whether the United Kingdom will ever recover 
the lost art of making coffee depends, Mr. Baker 
considers, on the reform of a vitiated taste, and 
on whether people can be induced to take the 
trouble necessary for making coffee instead of in- 
dolently spoiling it, as at present." — H. &■ C. Mail. 
4 
DISTRIBUTION OF CEYLON EXPORTS. 
(From 1st Oct. 1887 to 28th June 1888.) 
OOUNTHIKS. 
Coffee 
0 chona 
Branch 
&Truuk 
Tea. 
C'coa 
Carda- 
moms. 
cwt. 
lb. 
lb. 
cwt. 
lb. 
To United Kiugdom 
;>'.i-j 
8230570 
14150966 
7 ion 
135108 
,, Marseilles 
::: 
831 
3841 
608 
,, Genoa 
49 
987 
„ Venice 
1898 
416937 
::: 
„ Trieste 
4849 
"'818 
,i Odessa 
200 
., Uamliiirg 
"l4i> 
43112 8u 
"'558 
,, Antwerp 
12 
700 
G12 
10(1 
,, Ifreraen 
8 
10020 
,, Havre 
I960 
"8174 
fy 
„ Rotterdam 
6 ■ 
4490 
,, Africa 
293 
2166 
4 IS 
,, Mauritius 
61 
13950 ... 
,, India k Eastward ... 
8852 
ma 
HIS 
i2;22s 
,, Australia 
844- 
313465 ... 
30 1 
,, America 
371 
68790 
18u7U< 1287 
Total Exports from Oct.l, 
1887 to June 28, 
lS.ss 
103962 
8715237 
1 1570855 10081 
2ii.WJi 
Do lt>86 do 
1 ss ; 
145697 
14144319 
B8999S7 1520' 
LToiol 
Do 1886 do 
1886 183019 18880590 
(864T08JL018I 
I99.W 
Do i - i do 
is*5 aoaso 
8390317 
2143*15 5109 1J2-U1 
