November i, 1888.] THE TROPICAL 
It seeras a question whether steps might not be taken 
to lessen in some degree proceedings so detrimental to 
the regular trade. The Canadian Government, according to 
a paragraph some time since in the Times newspaper, 
recognising the evil, passed an Act making gambling in 
stocks and merchandize a misdemeanor, punishable by five 
years' imprisonment and a fine, no doubt a very extreme 
course, and, one would think, scarcely practicable. 
Exchanges, though encouraging undue- speculation, give 
a certain degree of safety by enforcing payment of de- 
posits, and for importers purposes they have many advan- 
tages. Many who have been recent operators in Hamburg 
are more likely for the future to divert their attention 
to the London Clearing House, and if this could in some 
respects be remodelled, it would have more success th in 
hitherto. It is a mistake that Brokers, or in fact any 
one, personally intertsted in the Coffee Trade, should be 
selected as directors. It seems to us also a mistake that 
the Clearing House should limit dealings simply to those 
who pay a subscriber's fee or pass contracts only through 
special brokers. As long as brokerage is paid and de- 
posits held the Clearing House retaining the option as at 
present of refusing the registry of contracts, is not their 
position secure? Another main point which we think 
would add to transactions would be to admit contracts for 
smaller quantities than ."00 bags, and allow, as in New 
York, the salo of Brazil Coffee, either Rio or Santos, 
unless specially stipulated by the contracting parties at 
the time, based upon three samples of Rio and three of 
Santos, disregarding altogether the term " good average," 
which is variable, and permitting delivery of either class 
of coffee, within a given limit, at a market difference. 
NOTES ON PEODUCE AND FINANCE. 
Mr. Consul Alabaster, of Uanton, reporting on the 
subject of the export of tea from that port, says : — 
" Tim competition of Indian, anil moro especially of 
Ceylon teu is felt to some extent; indeed, in congous 
it is felt most seriously, but tho art of preparing the 
liner-scented teas, for which Canton is noted, has not 
been acquired by the Indian planters, and so long as 
the quantity tlirowu on tho London and American 
markets is not excessive, there is always a good demand 
there for it. It is worthy of note, also, that it seemed 
the general opinion of experts, at a meeting hold to 
di OUSfi the question, that tho quality aud flavour of 
( lanton teas has not doterii rate during the past ten 
.,. irs at least, as is said to l.e tho case- at other ports ; 
and although there has been some slight increase on the 
lil.in, the power exercised by thu Tea Otiild has been 
abb- to previ nt its being crushed liko other articles of 
in i i by too overwhelming taxes. The merchants 
say that the extinction of the Uu.u is merely a matter 
of time, and that unless the export duties and likin 
are very materially reduced, or abolished altogether, 
it cannot continue to oompeto with Indian and Ceylou 
teas; but in this I cannot agree with them. So long 
as the quality is maintained) the taste for good teas 
will continue, aud although tho commoner sorts used 
only for mixing will be supplied from this, there should 
bo a good demand for the higher grades for many 
years to come." 
The condition of tho tea trade of Japan is not al- 
together satisfactory. The export figures for the port 
of Yokohama for tea showed a slight falling-nff last 
season as compared with ISHti, both in quantity and 
value, being 2i'<,C">7.l'il(HI>., v iluod it 67 '•:! I I, m aii.st 
27,s:tti,'.i:».> lb., valued at £829,688, in 1888, or a decrease 
of I ,-i!»,30U lb., and £07,120. The trade is described as 
haviug been an unsatisfactory one to exporters, as 
they had not only a somewhat inferior crop to handle, 
owing to the weather during tho growth of the leaf 
not being 80 favourable as in tho preceding year, but 
a considerable portion of the previous season's supply 
remained over on tie American and Canadian martlets, 
nod as a oODSequenoe, the new loaf did nor meet with 
tin di man i anticipated by some buyers. Tots reacting 
upon the Jup'iii market caused d illness and lower 
for what remained of the crop, but the Japanese 
d.ah rs kept prices up, and shaped a considerable 
quantity of tm on tfir : in aeoount, terming several 
companies for tho purpose. These shipments haviug 
no h'gitiumt outlet, and biing thrown upon tho markets 
from unaccustomed ehannots, wore recklessly sold in 
the oo&lral markets of Now Yolk and Chicago, and, 
as they nvivod to increase tha previ. .us eXOi Itivq supply, 
AGRICULTURIST. 33S 
— — — ■ ILU 
they produced a depression and low range of prices 
such as had never beforo been experienced in the 
United States and Canada. 
Tho correspondence on tea in the Standard has gone 
on now for a fortnight, and were all the letters re- 
ceived, published, it might go on for a year. Let us 
hope the readers of that paper have profited by the 
various opinions put forth. There have been one or 
two stupid at tacks on Indian tea, and Ceylon tea has 
come in for some adverse criticism also, but, as a rule, 
cheap China aud packet teas have bad the lion's 
share of ahuse. Those interested in the Ceylon tea 
trade have, as usual, been very wide awake, and have 
not lost an opportunity of sco;iug on behalf of them- 
selves. In fact, at present, the whole controversy 
seems to have been carried on in their interest. We 
have noticed before that the good people who push 
Ceylon teas do not lose an opp irtunity of making a 
point. — TT. $ ('■ Mail, Sept. 21st. 
HINTS TO CINCHONA-PLANTERS. 
In October last we referred to a paper read ut a 
meeting of the Agricultural Society of Bindoeng, in 
Java, in which tho question was discussed at what 
lowest salo price it would be possible to grow cinchona 
at a profit to the planter. At that peiiod the price 
of bark had fallen to the lowest level yet recorded, 
aud the question, "Does cinchona-growing still pay?" 
gave rise to the enunciation, in trade journals aud 
circulars, of the views of experts, their consensus of 
opinion being that, at the unit then prevailing, the 
closest possible margin of profit had been about 
reached. 
Mr. B rkhout, who read the paper in question, 
has published it in in cxtenso in a Dutch-Indian 
planters' journal, and his advice t > the Java cinchona- 
growers to conduct their operations upon a more 
systematic basis and sounder scientific principles than 
have hitherto been followed deserves the attention 
of others than his own countrymen. 
Mr. Berkhout's principal aim is to impress upon 
cinchona-growers the necessity of learning to form 
as accurate an estimate as possible of the exact period 
at which it will pay them best to harvest their bark. 
That time, of course, depends upon several factors, 
partly of a speculative nature — such, for instance, 
as the unit value in Europe — but the tendency 
among planters generally has undoubtedly been to 
harvest too soon, and thus to overfeed the markets 
with young and imperfectly-developed cinchona, which, 
if left upon the trees for a few more seasons, would 
not only have increased in size, but also inalkaloidal 
richness. Unfortunately no statistics are yet available 
showing the exact progress, season by season, of all 
the Java cinchona plantations over a number ot years; 
but Mr. Bcrkhout, in support of his thesis, quoted 
figures, partly based upon the working of a large 
plantation of LedyeHantt trees in the: Preanger dis- 
tricts (South- Western Java), as typical of the average 
results which might be expected from a well-managed 
concern. 
The figures are given iu Dutch florins (12 florius=lr'. ) 
per bahoe, a Javanese superficial measure, and appear 
to bo all based upon practical experience, with the 
exception of the unit value, which, of course, ha* 
been higher in reality than Mr. Borkhout puts it, 
a fact which only makes bis results more tavaurablo 
to tho planter. The expenses of planting, including 
roads, buildings, cost of management, &c, would bo 
.'iOOU. per bahoe duriug the First year, to which, at 
tho end of tho year, 3011. would h ive to bo added 
for intorest at 10 per cent, on the capital invested. 
During the second and third years 50fl! would be 
annually expeuded per bahoe for repairing of rcwids, 
buildiogs, and all working expenses, tho ssnie it. -in 
during tho fourth year amounting to 30U. per bahoe- 
At the end of the latter J ear. therefore, a sum of 
fiiHlll. per Inline (including ..>■)' und Intel m it III 
per cent, per annum) won . ..ivu been expeuded 
on the plantation, but during thit ytM the Br 
harvest ot bark, amounting to 1,200 halt-feno-. (40| 
kilos. - 1 owt .). would be obtained. This bark may 
