January i, 1889 ] THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST, 
493 
Secretary, is, as you know, our present Governor. 
For a conscientious hard worker and one who 
thoroughly understands all the requirements of Fiji 
and tlio natives, no better selection could have 
been made. From the speeches he has made ho 
seems to sympathise with tho state of the planters, 
and ia anxious to do what ho can to ameliorate 
mutters. There is no doubt he has many great 
difficulties to contend against, and the principal 
one is want of money, the exchequer being in a 
bad way ; but, nevertheless, we shortly hope to 
aoe some practical good done to help on the 
agricultural industry. — The T. A. is often read 
hero by visitors, and many go away saying they 
intend taking it in. The new is an improvement 
on the old form. Tho work is certainly full of 
most interesting and valuable information for all 
planters, and one I should recommend them to 
regularly take in. There are more subjects I should 
like to write about, viz., land, nativo question, 
<fec. ; but my letter has already reached a length 
yuii will be grudge in your paper I fancy. Wishing 
old Ceylon a prosperous year, A. J. S. 
DEUG TRADE REPORT. 
London, December Gth. 
West African Cinchona. — Amoi.g the bark offored 
for sale at the London auctions this week was the 
unusually large consignment of 50 bales from the 
island of St. Thomas, in the Gulf of Guinea, West- 
urn Africa. This Wark which generally reaches us via 
Lisbon, has been met with at the auctions several 
times before new, lull, never, we believe, in so large 
a quantity at any single salo. On Tuesday 5,253 lb. 
were offered, the average weight of each package being 
about 1 cwt. Tho bark appears partly in thin twigs 
and partly in dull orange-coloured tbinnish quills, about 
H in. to 10 in. in length, covered with a slightly silvery 
epidermis, and bearing a very great resemblance to 
tho "Iluauoco" bark from South America. It is ob- 
tained from sucoirubra-trees, which have, however, 
slightly altered some of their characteristics in the Afri- 
can climate. 
We understand that the St. Thomas plantations have 
now arrived at a state of maturity which will enable 
their owners to send the produce to the market iu 
much greater quantities than they have done hitherto. 
Cinchona Auctions in 1889. — At the London public 
sales on Tuesday it was decided to hold the first ciu- 
ohona auctions in 18S9, on Tuesday, January 15th, and 
from tiiat day forward on overy alternate Tuesday. 
The Amsterdam sales for 1889 have been fixed at Janu- 
ary 17th, February 21st, March 21st, May 2nd, Juno 
llUh, July 18th, September 5th, October 3rd, November 
7 th, and December 12th, always on Thursdays following 
the London auctions. 
Cinchona — At the public auctions on Tuesday a some- 
what larger quantity was offered than that shown at the 
preceding hides, but the assortment was of an iuferior 
character. Tho catalogues included : — 
Packages Packages 
Ceylon bark ... 1,115 of which 1.1S0 wore sold 
Kast Indian bark ... 209 „ 152 „ 
Java bark ... 71 „ 62 „ 
Smith American hark 1,725 „ 595 „ 
Wont Coast African bark 50 „ 50 ,, 
Total ... 3.-170 „ 2,039 ,, 
Tho auctions opeoed wi h a very weak tono, and 
although a Utile mure spirit was put into the bidding 
sunn afterwards, there cannot be said to have been 
a .s Milntaetial improvement as coinpareu well the 
priTi din Mill's, t hit unit remaining practically nucha up d 
at 3d la '.'), I pi r lb. The following are the approximate 
qu intit I -. ..I bark purchased by the various buyers 
ul the auctions : — 
Lb. 
Agents I'm- tin' Ann rican, Trench, .Vc, works 1 |i »,.'.*■; 
,, He Mannheim ,\ A luulorUurn world Ho, 127 
„ tie Aucrhach works ... 03,885 
Messrs. Howards k Sons 
Agents for Messrs. Jobst & Zimmer 
,, the Brunswick works 
Mr. Thos. Whiffon • ... 
Sundry buyers ... ... 
Total quantity sold ... 
Bought in or withdrawn 
30,822 
25,000 
10,009 
10,388 
18,883 
429,200 
178,577 
007,837 
Total offered 
The moderate supply of East Indian barks did not 
offer many parcels of great value. Original Crown chips 
dull and small, brought 3d ; renewed chips from 6d 
to Is per lb ; Succirubra, dull twigs and shavings 2.',d 
to 3id ; good bold shavings 6id to 0^d ; a few cases 
fair mossy druggists' quill sold at 9d per lb. Of Java 
Hark a poor assortment was partly disposed of weak 
and damaged split, partly hold red quill 3£d to 5d ; 
very ordinary 'damaged papery ditto 1/,-d per lb; good 
Crown branch chips 7!,d ; dusty ledger twigs 3d to 
3.Jd per lb. Fifty bags West Coast Africa Bark sold 
as follows :— Succirubra, quill, fair bright hard, about 
§ to I foot long 5id to 6d for soun 1 ; 5d for damages ; 
broken and mixed with branch 3d to 4id ; twigs 2d 
to :',}jt\ ; very low damaged I'd per IbT Of South 
America Bark, large parcel of Ouprea, Hard Pitayo, 
and Soft Colombian were offered for sale, most of these 
being of old import, and having boeu offered very many 
times before already. None of these parcels were sold, 
Ouprea being generally held at 4d to 4^d per lb, Hard 
Pitayo at 3d to 3.L-d, and Soft Colombian at 2£d to 
3^d per lb. But of the Calisaya quills from the Bolivian 
and more or less irregular, and lOd to Is per lb for 
good strong silvery quill. One small bag fiuo but 
damaged flat red bark sold, with good competition at 
8s per lb. 
Cocainf.. — One of the German manufacturers 
(Schering) has suddenly reduced his price to 10s 3d 
per oz. for bulk, iu consequence, it is said, of reports 
from South America stating that another manufacturer 
has commenced making crude cocaine there. However 
this may be, tho other German and the English makers 
have not yet followod suit, and quote 18s 0d per oz. 
for B.P. hydrocbloratc. Messrs. Bohringer &c Sons 
inform us, with reference to the reported synthetical 
manufacture of cocaine that long before the publica- 
tion of this process they have carried out the same 
idea iu practice, though under a somewhat different 
form, for which they applied for a patent. The ex- 
pectation that this discovery will greatly influence the 
price of eocaiue is erroneous, as the amouut of tho alka- 
loids iu question is too small. 
Cudkhs firm here at unchanged prices. Tho latest 
Java mail advices state that the long-prevailing drought 
there has greatly hindered the growth of the berries. 
The next crop will be very late, und if the rainy season 
should not set iu shortly, a considerable proportion of 
the next crop will be totally lost. 
Qotnink. — There were rumours early this week of 
transactions of some importauceat an enhanced price : 
Brunswick quinine iu bulk being reported sold at Is 
•C.d per oz. for March-April delivery, and on Tuesday 
we heard that another 50,000 oz. of the same brand 
had changed hands at Is 4d per oz. Smaller sales 
of B. Hi S. quinine, also second-hand at Is 4dperoz. 
are likewise reportod ; but we should think there 
would be some dilliculty to sell at that price, All the 
other makers' quotations remaiu unchanged. 
THE AMERICAN MARKET. 
New York, November 21th. 
Quinine continues dull, at least so far as regards 
the sale of quantities, the basin km passu g hi iug wholly 
oi a jobbing character. "'Gold and Stiver " uffani in 
a small way at 32c for largo bulk, Brunswick 33c, 
and B. &S. 34o. 
THE DUTCH MAKKET. 
Amstkhdam, December Ith. 
The next public sales of Java cinchona will tnko 
|'l>e i I' niber l lth.aud will comprise about 1S9 
