742 THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [May i, 1889. 
South American Bark. — Of 58 bales Oarthagena 
b rk ouly 6 were sold at 3^d to 4d for partly damaged 
to sound. A supply of 59 packages cultivated Oalisaya 
quills was nearly all bought in, 6 bales, of 100 lb each 
being sold by private contract. 
West African Bark. — Seven bales, together about 
980 lb, from the island of San Thome, fair medium to 
stout brown quill of Succirubra character, partly da- 
maged, brought from 4d to 5|d per lb ; weak ditto 3d 
per lb. 
Quinine. — It is reported that at the end of last week 
very considerable transactions were made in some 
German brands at Is 2d per oz. for forward delivery, 
but we have reason to believe that the quantities named 
as having changed hands are much exaggerated. At 
present the market is firm at Is 2d for forward deli- 
very for German bulk, B & S Brunswick or Auerbach. 
On the spot second-bands lots could no doubt be hnd 
at Is Id per oz. Howards' brand has been reduced to 
Is 6d for bulk and Is 7d per oz. for vials for large 
quantities, and Whiffen's to Is 5d and Is 6d per oz. 
respectively. The Oil, Paint, and Drug Reporter, which 
has been interviewing the American dealers on the 
quinine situation, with the usual result of eliciting a 
number of irreconcilably different opinions, is respon- 
sible for the statement that the Brunswick factory de- 
clared a dividend of 40 per cent last year, and that 
the owners of another quinine works have expressed 
themselves as being " perfectly satisfied with the situ- 
ation." It is understood that the dividend in the first 
case was made from quinine, and this alleged fact has 
caused considerable comment in certain circles, where 
the belief is firmly fixed that all makers are constantly 
losing money. It is stated that the two bark auctions 
held this year in Amsterdam represented together about 
550,000 oz. quinine sulphate, against about 900,000 oz. for 
the four corresponding London auctions. 
THE DUTCH MARKET. 
Amsterdam, March 12th. 
Cinchona Bark. — The sales to be held at Amsterdam 
on March 21st will consist; of 1,856 bales and 227 
cases; total about 169 tons, made up as follows: — 
Java bark, from Government plantations 368 bales aud 
33 cases ; about 33| tons. From private plantations 
1,434 bales and 194 cases; about 131 tons. British 
India bark 54 bales ; about 4| tons. There are of 
Druggists' Bark— Succirubra, quills 10 bales 119 cases ; 
brokeu quills and chips 316 bales 14 cases ; root 90 
bales. O. Schuhkraft, quill 15 cases ; broken quills 
and chips 29 bales; root 27 bales. Manufacturers' 
Bark (about 137 tons) : Officinalis, broken quills and 
chips 34 bales ; root 9 bales. Ledgeriana, broken quills 
and chips 952 bales 68 cases ; root 265 bales 11 cases. 
Hybrids, broken quills and chips 84 bales; root -40 
bales. The manufacturers' bark contains about 
tons of sulphate of quinine, or 3-82 per cent on the 
average. About 16 tons contain from 1 to 2 per cent 
of sulphate of quinine ; 33 tons, 2 to 3 per cent ; 47 
tons 3 to 4 per cent; 12 tons 4 to 5 per cent; ,11 
tons 5 to 0 per cent ; 7 tons 6 to 7 per cent ; 7 tons 7 
to 8 per cent; 4 tons 8 to 9 per cent. 
Cubehs.— A small lot of 4 bales good genuine berries, 
recently imported, was sold today at 3-25f. per |-kilo. 
equal to 211, per cwt. The new crop has been bought 
up in Java for American account at very high prices 
and it is generally believed that this year's crop will 
again be a small one.— Chemist and Druggist. 
THE SEASON IN MADRAS. 
The following is a summary of reports for the week 
ending 16th March: Rainfall very slight in Madura 
,ui<1 Salem; nil elsewhere. Rain wanted in Ganjam, 
Vizag»patam,TrichiDopoly, Tinnevelly and Ooimbatore. 
Standing crops generally good ; withering in parts 
Ouddapab, Trichinopoly, Ooimbatore; affected by 
disease in parts Bollary. Stock suffering very badly, 
chiefly from rindei/peBt* in South Arcot and Tinnevelly 
g,nd badly in Cuddapah, Kistna. Anantapur, Trichi- 
nopoly, Tanjore and Madura. Pasture deficient in 
Ganjam, Ooimbatore, IVllary, Salem, and Tinnevelly. 
Pric , rising in eight districts, falling in six, and 
stationary in others. General prospects favorable, ex- 
cept in Ganjam; improving in Ooimbatore.— Madras Mail. 
THE PROSPECTS OF CEYLON AND INDIAN 
TEA FRO.vl THE DEALERS' POINT OF 
VIEW. 
We make no apology to our readers for occupying a 
considerable space with a wholesale quotation from I he 
able review issued by Messrs. Reinach's Nephew & Co. 
We consider this circular of such iuterest tu Ceylon and 
India that we trausfer it bodily to our present report. 
Some idea of tbe importance of such a frank and full 
recognition by such an authority of the altered position 
of China, as compared with Ceylon and Indian, lea may 
be formed by those who are not familiar with the Messrs. 
Reinach's Circular, when we point out that China has 
been always the prominent feature in their quotations. 
In the present circular the prices of seveuiy-nve qualities 
of Chiua tea are quoted, as compared with five qualities of 
Ceylon, five Assam, and four Java. 
The following is the text of the circular we refer to :— 
" We have uochange to report in the tone of our market 
for China cargoes, as the depressed feeling we signalled 
during the past months is still the main feature. Better 
grades of Foochows have again declined in value and tbe 
market seems to be quite disorganised, fine Soomoo cost- 
ing Is 5d in China selling at Is, and Is 3d tea realising 
9d iu public sale. This may, as is argued in some quarters 
be partially attributed to the very poor crop ana owing to 
so-called fine teas having been driven out of consumption 
by the high prices paid for them ; but we are inclined to 
think that whatever the quality might have been, the 
result would not have been very different. The chief cause 
must be looked for in the change in the taste of the 
public which evidently prefers the flavour of fine Assams 
and Ceylons to that of China tea. This opinion is sub- 
stantiated by the fact that although the Hankow teas 
were fully up to the average of late years, the con- 
sumption of fine Monings iu England has fallen off nearly 
as much as that of Kaisows, and had it not been for the 
unexpected Russian demand, we should probably see at the 
present moment fine Monings in a very similar position to 
that of fine Fooehow teas. If we compare Indian and 
Ceylon growths with China teas we can ouly come to the 
conclusion, taking the intrinsic value of the article, that 
the public are right, and although we hear of the wonder- 
ful teas China used to produce in the old East India 
Company's days, we are somewhat sceptical on that point. 
The teas were fine because there was no other standard 
to gauge them by, and as China produces at the preseut 
moment as fine Oolongs and as fine green tea6 as we 
have ever seen, there is no tangible reason why black teas 
should have so much deteriorated. We are not in a 
position to judge whether the climate and soil in India 
and Ceylon are more favourable to the growth of the 
tea plants than the respective districts in Chiua, hut it 
is evident to tbe least iuitiated that the difference in the 
handling of the leaves after they are gathered must be of 
paramount influence. 
" As we have on previous occasions pointed out there 
are no large tea gardens in China, very small grower 
gathering his own leaves, which are left uueared for 
and exposed to the inclemency of the weather till they 
are collected by middle men. When they fiually reach 
the Hongs where they are prepared, they have often lost 
the best part of their quality ; and if we compare this 
to the manner in which teas are prepared in India or 
Ceylon and the careful way in which the leaves are 
gathered, sorted, protected against rain and damp, it is 
not surprising that the result is shown by a more de- 
sirablearticle. 
" But we go further, and believe that even if Chiua 
Teas were as fine as India or Ceylons, the latter, through 
the nature of the cultivation, have a marked advantage. 
Although the consumer is the final judge of the article 
the caterer who provides it to the consumer is a very 
important factor. We all know by experience that teas 
— particularly fine teas — are generally at their best within 
two, say the outside, three months, after they have been 
prepared. Iu China fine teas are gathered and prepared 
within one month of the opening of the China season, 
and arrive all on this market nearly simultaneously. We 
have for three months crisp fresh China teas and during 
the remainder of the year a more or less stale article, 
whilst with Indian or Ceylon teas we have gathering and 
preparing of fine teas for fully six mouths during the 
year.* The distributing trade naturally buys the freshest 
aud most fragrant article it can get, and it stands to rea- 
son that for many months in the year their choice falls on 
Indian or Ceylon in preference to China tea. 
" We do not pretend that the days of Fooehow teas are 
passed, we only mean to prove that unless the Chinese 
entirely change their mode of making teas, they must be 
satisfied to supply the English market at least with com- 
mon to medium sorts. With regard to fine Hankow teas 
the position is very different, the London market having 
become of secondary importance. Russia so far has not 
taken to lnlian or Ceylon teas, and Kussian buyers, will 
particularly if the exchange keeps so high, continue to 
compete keenly for all line teas. 
* In the case of Ceylon, all the year round practically.— Eu 
