June i, 1889.] THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
819 
timated by our most competent experts that the 
present crop, which may be said to have terminated 
will exceed last year's by at least 15,000 tons, and thu 
figure would have been higher if all the estates had 
been able to cut their canes at the most opportune 
moment. It is worthy of note that notwithstanding 
the unprecedented quantity of water that has fallen and 
which can be verified in our meteorological intelligence, 
the island has been free of all signs of cyclones at any 
rate of those signs which canes object to. 
Vanilla. — Owing to favorable news received from 
Europe by last mail, the market is firm and the de- 
mand has been very brisk for fine qualities. We have 
to quote the sale of a few small lots, first quality at 
R24 per kilo above 6 inches. A lot of about 110 kilos 
fetched at auction from R18 to R24 per kilo according 
to quality and length. Green vanilla has been sold 
at R3 to R3.50 per kilo, but holders are unwilling to 
accept today this price and demand R4 per kil. As 
mentioned in our last the outturn of the coming crop 
will be inferior to that of last year. 
Coffee. — Prices for good qualities have improved 
and we quote these from last siles R58 to R60 per5 0 
kilos and mixed "triage" qualities K35 to R45 per 50 
kilos, according to quality. From Bombay we received 
80 bags, from Singapore 5 and from Pondichery 10. — 
Commercial Gazette. 
« 
QUININE, COCAINE, &c. 
Waldhof near Mannheim, 5th April 1889. 
Quinine was extremely dull last month and only a 
few transactions in first hand took place. The second 
hand sold more freely though at prices which must 
have involved serious losses, some parcels being disposed 
o£ at the remarkably low figure of is per oz. Near the 
end of the month a better tone prevailed ; the bark sale 
on the 25th ultimo went off at an advance of about 5 
per cent and Is ljd to Is 2d was subsequently paid for 
Sulphate. Since there will be only one auction this 
month on account of the Easter Holidays we may expect 
the improvement to make further progress. 
The reports on the manufacture of Sulphate of Quinine 
by the cold oil process, recently issued by Messrs. J. A. 
Gammie and Lawson, superintendents of the Sikkim and 
Milgri Government Cinchona plantations respectively, are 
of considerable interest in more points than one. It is 
anticipated that the production of Quinine at the above 
places, after the erection of new machinery, will amount 
to 80,'JUO oz during the first year viz. from April 1889 
to April 1890, all of which will be supplied to the Go- 
vernment hospitals and dispensaries. Humours to the 
effect that certain quantities would be sold in the open 
market arc contradicted by a private communication 
which we received from a reliable source. The Govern- 
ment purposes to charge this Quinine at 21 Rupees pet- 
lb or about Is 9d per oz for the present. 
There can be no doubt that the object H. M. Govern- 
ment has in view is a noble one, however, we may be 
permitted to ask: Are the English and Indian subjects 
really benefited by this new departure'? These 80,00o 
oz could have been bought in London at any time this 
year at s .y Is 4d per oz all paokages free, delivered 
in India (we purposely do not take the lowest price) 
which compared with the above figure would have meant 
a saving of at least ... ... ... £1,667 0 0 
to this has to be added the difference between 
income and expenditure according to the official 
estimate Rupees 33,400 ... ... ... £2,226 0 0 
making a total of £3 893 0 0 
which the Indian population has to pay " extra" tor the 
privilege of being provided with "homemade" Quinine. 
But the loss extends yet in another direction since the 
English merchants and manufacturers who have hitherto 
almost exclusively supplied the Indian market will find 
this outlet tor their Quinine closed against them. We 
feel convinced that even the most strenuous advocate of 
ihe measure tinder discussion will be forced to ad- 
mit that from a commercial point of view the enterprise 
must be regarded as a somewhat costly emancipation 
from European supplies. 
Cocaine.— Our anticipation of an early reaction has 
been fully borne out by the recent events in the market. 
A very extensive business has been done in crude Cocaine, 
prices advancing at each sale, until thev now have at- 
t ined the figure at which a short time ago inferior 
brands of Hydroehlorate were offered. Having advant- 
ageously contracted for the raw material at the right 
moment we are pleased to give our friends the benefit 
of our foresight, and offer our superiot brand below the 
figure justified by the value of Crude Cocaine. 
Caffeine. — The "cutting" between the German and 
English manufacturers has led to ridiculous prices which 
however have not stimulated the demand. To those who 
did not know before it must have become clear by this 
tune that the consumption of this article has been greatly 
overestimated. C. P. Boehbingeb & Sohjie. 
♦ i ■ 
CEOP PROSPECTS IN MADRAS. 
The following is a summary of the report on the 
state of the season and prospects of the Crops in 
the Madras Presidency for the week ending 13th in- 
stant : — No rain in Godavari, Kistna, Nellore, Cudda- 
pah, Bellary, Anantapur, Kurnool Madras, and South 
Oanara ; very slight in Ganjam and Vizagapatam ; 
fair in Travancore ; and slight elsewhere ; standing 
crops generally good ; but suffering from want of raiu 
in Ganjam, Vizagapatam, and parts of Bellary, North 
Arcot, South Arcot, Tinnevelly, and Coimbatore. Wet 
crops withering in parts of Ouddapah, Anantapur and 
Ohingleput. Pasture deficient in Ganjam, Vizagapatam, 
Ouddapah, Bellary, North Arcot, Madura, Tinnevelly, 
Coimbatore, Nilgiris, Salem and Malabar. Prices 
almost stationary in Ganjam and seven other districts. 
In Mysore and Coorg the state affairs for the week 
euding 17th is thus summed up: — No rain in Mysore. 
Crops in parts of the Kolar district are suffering 
from want of water. Elsewhere they are reported to 
be in good condition. Prospects generally favourable. 
Water-supply diminishing in parts of the Mysore and 
Kolar districts. No material change in prices. Rain 
wanted for coffee blossoms in Coorg. — Madras Times, 
April 27th. 
* 
THE INDIAN GOLD MINES. 
The prospects of the leading Indian gold mines were 
never more rosy than they are now. The four great 
Colar properties are developing steadily and the results 
shown in the first two months of this year far surpass 
those of 1888, though these were extremely hopeful and 
satisfactory. The Mysore continues to show the way 
to its neighbours by progressing by leaps and bounds. 
Its returns for January aud February were much better 
than any last year ; for, though the January crushing 
produced 70 oz. less than that of last May, the yield in 
money was £9,2S3 as compared with £8,9(13 in the best 
month of last year. The steadily progressive nature 
of the work and the great improvement in the nature 
of the quartz now being milled is shown by a glance at 
the figures for the past four months, which were as 
follow : — 
Tons. Ounces. Value. 
November ... 1,47G ... 1,335 ... £4,923 
December ... 1,034 ... 1,506 ... 5,850 
January ... 2,06(3 ... 2,193 ... 9,283 
February ... 2,023 ... 2,933 ... — 
These mines, to say nothing of the smaller properties 
vhich ace making conspicuous headway, such as the 
Nine Reefs, the South-East Mysore, and others, prove 
the sound basis upon which the Indian gold industry 
stands, and the capacity of the Colar Gold field to keep 
up a steady, if not a sensational, yield of the precious 
metal. The Indian gold mines are in an incomparably 
better position now than they have been for many 
a day. — Financial News. 
♦ 
WOOD USED FOR TEA BOXES IN 
CALCUTTA. 
We quote, as of local interest an article on the 
above subject from ihe Indian Forester: — 
A dispute between certain Shipping Agents and 
Merchants in Calcutta regarding the quality of cer- 
tain wood u eil for tea b> xes was lately referred to 
the Director, Fori at School, for decision as to the 
species of the wood, by Mr. Bleehynden, the Secre- 
tary to the Agri-Horticultural Society of India. 
The wood, which is locally called kaura; and comes 
from Mouluiem, or Assam, resembles that of seuial 
(Bombax maiabaricum), but has a dark-brown but soft 
heartwood, which i9 said in Gamble's Indian Timbers 
not to exist iu semal wood, and all the specimens 
