534 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [February i, 1889. 
CINCHONA BARK AND QUININE. 
Not reassuring to Ceylon owners of cinchona trees 
for the bark of which they expect high prices, is the 
a rtiele we quote from the Chemist and Druggist, 
in which quinine at one shilling per ounce is 
anticipated ! We fear the vaticinations regarding 
Java as becoming erelong the great bark producer 
of the world, that bark being of superior quality, may 
he accepted as correct. The alkaloidal value of the 
Ceylon bark is, doubtless, largely diminished by the 
large proportion of poor twig bark which our plan- 
ters persist in exporting. But Java and Bolivia 
grow better kinds than those which have been 
so largely cultivated in Ceylon and India, as is evident 
from the comparisons made. The yield of quinine 
, ulphate in the various barks is stated to be : — 
Java ... ... 4' 16 per ';ent. 
Ceylon ... ... M „ 
India ... ... 2J „ 
Bolivia ... ... 4§ „ 
As the climate and soil of Java and Bolivia seem 
specially suited for the production of the best species 
of cinchonas, there seems no encouragement 
to Ceylon planters to persevere in the competi- 
tion for the supply of the bark market. 
Our contributions to it, hitherto so enormous, 
are likely to become " small by degrees and 
beautifully less," while those from Java, chiefly 
Icdgeriwna, go on increasing. What we have 
specially to guard against is the repetition in 
the case of tea of the process of production in 
excess of demand which swamped the quinine 
market. 
CHINA AND JAPAN TEA EXPORTS 1888-1889 : 
GOOD PROSPECTS FOR CEYLON PLANTERS, 
Our planting readers will remember that when 
we last wrote on this topic we estimated the 
export to Great Britain for the current season 
at 105 millions of pounds, against the London 
estimate of 100 millions. Wo have received the 
China and Japan statistics to the end of the 
year, and a consideration of the figures satisfies 
us that we overestimated the probable supply. They 
unmistakeably point to the season's export to the 
United Kingdom being under 100 millions instead of 
over that figure : it will probably be 96 or 97 million 
lb. By the subjoined returns it will be seen that 
the export to the end of tho year is only 93,916,735 
lb. against 111,479,462 lb., a deficiency of 17J 
millions. Last season 11 millions of pounds were 
shipped between the 31st Dec. 1887, and 31st May of 
last year, tho latter date being the end of the 
season ; but no such quantity can be shipped this 
year during the same period, as the stocks at all 
ihn shipping ports arc reduced to insignificant 
proportions. This season's deficiency comprises 
millions from Canton and Macao, 10 millions 
frotn Foochow, and about 5 millions from Shanghai 
and Hankow. Considering the large decrease in 
the exports last year as compared with the pre- 
vious one, tho falling-oif in the China supply is 
remarkable and very encouraging to Ceylon pro- 
ducers. For it isevident, that during the first half 
of this year, at any rate, there is every probability of 
tho supply of tea to the United Kingdom not being 
equal to tho deliveries up to the 31st May : 
Export from China and Japan to lb. 
United Kingdom ...1888-9 98,916,735 
» ,, „ „ ...1887-8 111,479,462 
» „ „ „ ...1886-7 138,713,929 
to America ...1883-9 55,576,373 
„ ...1887-8 53,773,077 
„ ...1886-7 60,125,753 
». .. to Australasia.. .1888-9 23,933,924 
». „ „ ...1887 8 23,043,186 
>. .i „ „ ...1886-7 19,453,498 
The increase to the Australian Colonies is certainly 
not a satisfactory feature to Indian and Ceylon 
planters who are anxious to win the Southern 
Colonists from the "posts and rails" of inferior teas 
chiefly imported at present. In our own case, the 
exports to Australia are slowly but surely improving 
in quantity, as the following figures will show:— 
Exports from Ceylon to Australia. 
1st Oct. 1886 to 10th Jauy. 1887 = 49,082 lb. 
Do. 1887 „ 1888 = 106,311 „ 
Do. 1S88 „ 1889 = 363,403 .. 
But this is the day of small things ; we want to see 
exports by the million lb. a month to Adelaide, 
Melbourne and Sydney from Colombo ; and if as 
" old Colonist " says there is an " unlimited " 
demand for Ceylon teas at Is the lb. in bond at 
Melbourne, there ought very soon to be a rapid 
increase in our shipments. 
ESTIMATES OF CROPS FOR SEASON 1888-89. 
In the Overland Observer of 3rd October last year, 
at the opening of the current season, we gave our 
estimates of the total Exports for 1888-9 as follows : — 
Tea 32,000.000 lb. 
Cinchona Bark 9,000,0001b. 
Cocoa 17,000 cwt. 
Coffee (less than) 100,000 cwt. 
Cardamoms 250,000 lb. 
Our contemporary as the result of recent inquiries 
and with the advantage of referring to the exports 
for one-quarter of the season which has expired, 
as a guide, arrives at the following estimates : — 
(Local "Times" Jan. 11th.) 
Tea 34,000,000 lb. 
Cinchona Bark 9,000,000 lb. 
Cocoa 14,000 cwt. 
Coffee 80,000 cwt. 
Cardamoms 220,000 lb. 
It must be confessed that this is a singularly 
• close approximation to the information we afforded 
over three months ago. 
Since October, we have been instituting an elaborate 
inquiry, district by district, more particularly with 
reference to cinchona bark, and we have received 
a large amount of valuable information which 
will shortly be discussed. From remote districts, 
some of the returns only reached us a few days 
ago. It is too soon, therefore, to revise our October 
estimates, but as advised at present, we scarcely 
think that they need much alteration unless ic be 
that we should bring Cardamoms down to 200,000 
lb. But the result of our inquiry in respect of 
"bark" cannot fail to be interesting, even if not 
conclusive as to the quantity remaining in the 
country. 
♦ 
RAINFALL AND TEA YIELD ON AN 
ESTATE NEAR NANUOYA, BETWEEN 
5,700 AND 5,800 FEET ABOVE SEA-LEVEL. 
Tho averagcu established by six years' measure- 
ment of the rainfail at Abbotstord upper bungalow 
(which the railway levels show to be considerably 
under the figure of 5,800 derived from aneroid ob- 
servations) are, iu rouud numbers 92 inches, of rain. 
