August i, z 888 1 
THf. TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
127 
Ouinink.— Early in tho week a rather considerable 
business took place in 15. & S. quinine, both on the 
spot and for August-September delivery, at Is 5d per 
oz., and on Monday Is 5£d per oz. was actually pnid, it 
is said, for a small lot ; but there is no backbouoiu the 
movement, and it has been a very short-lived one. The 
market closes much quieter, with sellers of German bulk 
quinine at Is 5d per on., but no buyers at that price. 
The English makers have not varied their quotations.— 
Chemist and Druyyiit, July 14th. 
THE DUTCH CINCHONA AUCTIONS. 
Amsterdam, July 12th. 
\t the periodical auctions of cinchOLa bark held here 
today a total of 1,509 packages was ottered. Ot this 
quantity 1,486 packages were sold with lairly good 
competition at a slight advance, the unit averaging 
10c. to lie. per * kilo., or 1 4-5th d. to 2d per lb. Drug- 
gists' bark in qudls, brokeu quills, and chips fetched 
from 16c- to 6lo. per A ' kilo. (3d to lid per lb.); ditto 
root, *lc. per ' kilo. (Sjd per lb.); manufacturers' 
bui ks, quills, broken quills, and chips, !)c. to S6c. per A 
kilo. (ljd to Is 3d per lb.); and maaufactureis' root 
from 25c up to 76c. per * kilo. ( 4Jd to Is l£d per lb.). 
Tile principal buyer was the Auerbach Quinine-Factory, 
the Amsterdam Quiuiue-works coming second. — Chemist 
and Druggist. 
NOTES ON TEA. 
The utilization of waste products has of late at- 
tracted much nttentim. The latest effort iu this 
direction 19 to extract caffeine, on an industrial scale, 
from llie damaged and inferior tea imported into 
this couniiy — tea unlit for human consumntion, and, 
of course, not worth paying duty on. Mr. T. Christy, 
r.L.s., hi s been engaged in making experiments, under 
the auspices of the Chemical Trade Section of the 
London Chamber of Commerce, with a view to as- 
certaining what can be done in this direction. As 
the Customs authorities are unwilling to waive the 
duty on such tea, and also make provision against 
its entering into consumption without paying the duty 
to which the revenue is entitled, efforts were made to 
ascortain a means for " denaturing " the tea in order 
to make it unfit lor human consumption, but at the 
same time to preserve the constituents from which 
caffeine may bo oxiraetod. A request was made to 
tho Customs to asceitaiu whelkei, it tho tea were 
•' denatured " by chemical means, it would be allowed 
to ho takon out of bond and treated iu a factory for 
obtaining caffeine. The reply was that unless tho tea 
paid (id per lb. duty it could not bo allowed to pass 
out. Samples of tea, treated with petroleum, were 
then presented at the Custom house, and although 
the tea was *' deuatured,'' it was evident this 
ingredient was unsuitable, because the wharfingers, 
for several reasons, would object to petroleum being 
on tho premises. Experiments were then made with 
tea treated with lime and assafojtida, which were 
approved of. Mr. Christy has subsequently received 
a letter from tho Board of Customs, to the effect that 
the Lords of tho 'J treasury have sanctioned delivery 
of tea free of duty for tho manufacture of caffeine 
out of bond, subject, of course, to all necessary precau- 
tious, and that the board will at once formulate the 
needful regulations. On tho 3rd iust. the Customs 
finally decided on tho whole of tho details, and tea 
ha* actually been purchased from tho wharfingers in 
large quantities for tiealineut.— //. and C. Mali. 
HOW TO MAKE CEYLON TEAS KEEP. 
The advantages of being able to make tea that will 
!;i t |., that is that Will retain its tl ivour and generul 
vharaoteiihtics tor a long tune, are universally admitted, 
li is asserted that iu this respect the machii e-madu 
Was of ludia and C eylon do not equal those ol Cliin.i, 
but so far no satisfactory reason fur this stnt - of t'ougs 
h i 1 been adduced, Most teamnkers iii Ceylon 00m- 
plain that iholr tea goes off in the bin and loaei its 
point and tluvor, no that com phi lets mnde at QQOtl 
regarding the non-keeping qualities of our tea are only 
natural. As directly touching this point a suggestion 
made by Mr. E. M. Hay, an old and experienced tea- 
maker, 18 worthy of careful attention, in his opinions 
the deterioration in quality, too often noticeable iu tea, 
that have remained long in the bins, is due to the 
moisture absorbe I by the tea in the process of sortiug 
— between its first filing and its binning. That tea 
gains a little in weight iu the bin is well-known, and 
this is due doubtless to its absorbtion of the 1110 sture 
in the air during the process of s rting and picking 
over, anil from the co dies themselves, who go out into 
the fresh air .and bring in a certain auiuuut of moisture. 
To prevent this Mr. Hay adopts th ; following plan : — 
Win n firillg-off his leaf he dues not keep it in the 
Sirocco long enough to make it very crisp, but just a 
little so. The tea is then sorted and picked over, and 
previous to being placed, iu t/te bin refired, but very gently, 
the tea being wanned to about blood heat. Before 
repacking the tea is finally fired, so that it thus gets 
three instead of two firings. This plan is also adopted 
by Mr. Barber, of Blackstone, we believe, and Mr. 
Hay allegi s he has never had auy complains as to the 
nou-keoping quality of his tea. By firing generally 
after the tea has been sorted and picked over in tho 
factory all moisture absorbed during the process is 
driven away and the tea put w.irm into the biu, as it 
is into chests when packiug. Tea very ol tea is left <a 
month iu the bin, a period nearly as lengthy as that 
which elapse * between the dale it is packed, and the time 
it is sold in Loudon. Yet it is considered necessary to 
refire iu the oue case and not in the other. This is 
tho argumeut usol and suggestion made by Mr. E. M. 
Hay, and it certainly seems a mo<t sensible one, involv- 
ing possibly a little extra trouble, but trouble that 
would be amply and abundantly repaid if it enhance, I 
the keepiug qualities of our tea. — 'Local "Times." 
MULBERRY CULTIVATION IN FORMOSA. 
The following is from the Shih I'ao, translated by 
the Chinese Times. "We mentioned this proclamation 
of the Governor of Formosa some time since : — 
H. E. Liu Ming-chuan, together with Lin, Assist int 
Commissioner, have issued a joint proclamation ex- 
horting the people to plant the mulberry, with the 
view of creating a silk industry in Formosa. Their 
Excellencies state that the soil of Formosa is exceed 
iugly fertile, the crops abundant, an 1 in general, 
agriculture is much more profitable ou tho island 
than on the mainland. But hitherto the cultivation 
of the mulberry has been neglected, and it behoves 
the authorities to urgently exhort tho people to give 
their attention to that brauch of industry. It is found 
that iu various districts iu nortb.cn Formosa, and in 
regions in the interior that have recently been 
developed, wherever the mulberry has been plaired 
the trees are large and hardy, resembling those 
grown in (Jlickiang, and affording excellent food for 
tho silk-worm. Already both Formosans and mer- 
chants from the maiulaud are experiment -illy rearing 
silkworms, with great success. The cocoons woven 
by the worms possess a thick, velvety coveriug, 
which yield fibres of a strong and elastic quality. 
Judging from these experimentel operations, the 
rearing of tho silkworm could be made a most ex- 
tensive and profitable industry in Formosa. The 
planting of young mulberry trees is an easy mattor, 
BS they will grow almo-it anywhere, by the road-side 
as well a* in gardens and fie'd-. It can be carried 
on concurrently with fanning, as the work of pru- 
ning and watering the trees requires b it litH*> time. 
The rearing of silkworm- c.i 1 be ontint.d ro the 
women, who outside of the to* Sra<on are without 
an} inipjrtaut employment The profits of the silk 
industry, if successfully carried on, are far greater 
thau those or the tea trade, or of r co culture. 
Previously men were sent to the mountains in the 
interior of the Tamsui district to procure joii g 
mulberry trees for distribution among the farming 
population, and measures were taken to engage • v. 
perienc m! mulberry growers from the iu tenor to 
come to Formosa and instruct flic people iu the 
