488 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [January i, 1889. 
brown, sold at Is 3d to Is 7d per lb. The exports 
from Ceylon for the month of October have been, in 
1888 16,451 lb ; 1887, 24,946 lb ; 1886, 13,651 lb. 
Cinchona. — Ten cases fine heavy cultivated Bolivian 
Galisaya, in long silvery quills, were bought in at 
Is lOd per lb ; Is 6d being suggested as the price. 
Of 17 packages Guayaquil, a certain portion sold at 
Is 8d to Is 9d per lb for fine O.Z. quills, and at 
lOd down to 5d per lb for ordinary qualities of flat 
Calisaya. Thirty serons, imported via Havre, were 
mostly bought in, one lot fine bright hard selling at 
2s 3d per lb. The exports of cinchona bark from Java 
are officially reported as follows : — 
July 1st to September 30th. 
1888 1887 1886 
| kilos. § kilos. |t kilos. 
Private Plantations 916,363 864,391 444,692 
Government... 148,479 170,295 168,550 
Total...l,064,842 1,034,686 613,242 
Quinine. — The present week has been one of the 
quietest on record and in the absence of any trans- 
actions of importance prices remain virtually un- 
changed, though the B. S. agents today quote Is 5d 
per oz and say that they have reason to expect 
higher prices. 
THE AMERICAN MARKETS. 
New York, November 14th. 
Quinine. — Though the cable reports of last week's 
bark sales were more favourable for the position of 
quinine, the only effect there was the expression of 
somewhat steadier views, without, however, material 
difference in the price. The demand does not increase 
nor quicken in the least, all speculative interest being 
suppressed for the time, buyers following the plan 
of providing only such quantities as absolute wants 
make necessary. In this way Gold and silver is quoted 
33c, Brunswick 34c, and B & S 35c to 36c ; the litter, 
however, is scarce. — Chemist and Druggist. 

Typhoid Fever and Cholera. — Brovardel, one of 
the first authorities on the subjeot in the world, de- 
clared that outbreaks of typhoid fever are due, in 
ninety cases out of a hundred, to drinking water. 
Also, that the most distinguished experts have come 
to the conclusion that contagion by the air which we 
breathe is most rare. Pasteur and his disciples have 
failed to establish a single case of chicken cholera 
contagion by the air. M. Chamberlain goes so far as 
to deny altogether the presence of pathogenic 
microbes in the air. — Chemical Trade Journal. 
Successful Cardamom-growing. — The best dis- 
tricts for cardamoms in Ceylon are un- 
doubtedly to be found on our north-east ranges, 
and although taking the planting country as a 
whole, the cultivation of this spice seems to have 
fallen off of recent years, attention being so gene- 
rally given to tea, yet we are glad to hear of fresh 
and prosperous clearings in the favorite quarter 
referred to. The Mysore variety has proved so 
well-suited to the climate and soil in one case 
where clearings of 10 to 15 acres are judiciously 
opened that at 3£ years old, a crop of 500 lb. per 
acre has been gathered ; a year later over 500 lb.; 
and this last year, about 600 lb. per acre. The 
latest shipment was sold at 2s 5d a lb. — a rate 
which enables cardamoms to beat all but the very 
best tea fields. Curiously enough, we learn that 
the boxes of oardamoms are carried in to Kandy 
for 30 miles on the heads generally of Sinhalese 
villagers who are fond of the work, because apart 
from paying them well — three days' pay for the 
journey — it is the sort of independent employment 
that suits them. In this way the cardamoms leav- 
ing the estate the morning of one day catch next 
morning's train for Colombo and the minimum of 
risk of injury to the cardamoms, is thus incurred. 
The East Borneo Planting Company, Ltd.— 
At a meeting of shareholders of this Company in 
Hongkong on the 3rd instant, Hon. B. Layton, Chair- 
man, it was carried to buy a second block 5,000 acres 
selected land, making in all 10,000 acres, and the fol- 
lowing account of the work done was given : — 
Mr. Abrahamon — With regard to the work done, 
Mr. Chairmau,I may state that two large coolie- 
houses and a godown have been built, and the mana- 
ger's house is in course of construction. I may say 
the managers when they came to the place were far 
more sanguine of the likely results of the Company's 
planting than I was, and fully bore out my idea that 
the soil was quite equal to, if not better than, what 
they have been working oa in Deli. The Company 
have been fortunate enough to secure the services of 
a capable manager in Mr. Schuit. He is a Dutch 
planter who has been managing properties that have 
always paid a very high dividend. Mr. Schuit's idea 
is that we ;an produce tobacco in quantities that will 
pay very well. At the outset we have had a splendid 
labour force, and, what is more important than any- 
thing else, the health of the coolies is first-rate. I esti- 
mate that at an expenditure of from §50,000 to §60,000 
we shall reap from 800 to 1,000 piculs tobacco, the 
value of which may be taken from §80,000 to §100,000. 
The reports concerning the sale of last shipments of 
tobacco from the country are also highly satisfactory, 
although this tobacco did not reach the market in a 
satisfactory condition owing to its having been mil- 
dewed. It averaged at the rate of R1.26, Deli tobacco 
being at the rate of Rl.ll, and as Deli tobacco pays 
handsomely at that ours ought to pay much better, es- 
pecially aB the cost of production with us will be 20 
to 25 per cent less than at Delhi. Altogether I con- 
sider our prospects are satisfactory (Applause.)— Over- 
land China Mail. 
Coffee in Eastern Java. — The Soerabaische-cou- 
rant of 19th Nov. contains a note, dated 16th Nov. 
which we translate as follows : — 
" Malang Coffee Reports. — A couple of months ago 
the anticipations for the 1889 crop were very bright. 
The first blossom, which come out early, set well ; 
the weather was so favorable, that good hopes were 
cherished for the succeeding blossomings. The too pro- 
longed drought however did much damage to the plan- 
tations, and to add to the disaster a couple of severe 
wind-storms were the unwelcome cause of reducing 
somewhat the crop estimates on several estates. On 
the .Southern Mountains, the Karvi and the Ardjoeno, 
the first showers of rain fell in the second week of 
this month, on the meroe and the Tenger mountain 
somewhat earlier, but still too late to do any good to 
the existing crop. One or two secondary blossoms are 
still expected. In some places the larger part of the 
blossom has not set to form fruit, in others the greater 
part of the blossom is withered. The trees which last 
year produced the most will some of them give very 
little and others only a moderate outturn. Leaf-dis- 
ease is more visible in the younger than in the older 
gardens, but does not cause anxiety. Supplying and 
planting will soon be commenced." 
The Russian Coal ane. Coke Industry. — The basin 
of the Don is ready to provide fuel of every kind, 
whether for industry or domestic purposes. The coal- 
beds have been worked since I860, during which year 
the first railway, that of Kursk-Oharkow-Azove, was 
made through the southern basin. The annual produc- 
tion of tb6 basin of the Donetz amounts to about 100 
millions of pounds (36 lb. =1 pound), about eight-tenths 
of which were forwarded hy railway. In 1888, however 
there were, it appears, 180 million pouds disposable, 
without including the quantities which still remain at 
the pit's mouth, and those which are intended for con- 
sumption in the neighbourhood. The progress in the 
manufacture of coke is important. In nine of the coal 
pits of the region, 192 kilns are in working order, and 
52 are being built, so that the manufacture of coke 
will soon occupy 244 kilns. In i887 there were 
produced 8,470.000 pouds of coke, whilst for the 
present year it is estimated that the product will 
exceed 12 million pouds. If we allow that a fixed 
quantity of coke demands the employment of 50 per 
cent, more of coal, then this industry absorbed in 
1887 about 17 million pouds, and will require in 
1888 25 million pouds.— Chemical Trade Journal. 
