June i, 1881.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
5 
ones affirm that before very long our surplus stock 
will disappear altogether. To put Coffee in Europe 
on a better foundation, it is necessary that not only 
should the surplus disappear, but that a very decided 
deficiency should be apparent, as it must ever be 
remembered, when comparing this year's statistical 
position with that of a year ago, that the stocks in 
May, June, July, and August last year were unhealthily 
large. As regards the current Ceylon crop many of our 
friends advise us that the total will be even less than 
is expected. There can be little doubt but that the 
smallest crop known for many years is now being 
shipped. It is therefore with great satisfaction that 
we note that the crop for next season promises to 
be a good one. The last Dutch sale was, say £ to 
1 cent below valuations. Good ordinary fetched say 
35|| to 36J cents, or say to 2 cents under the 
prices paid at the last sale. Such a low price has 
not been known for ten years. Stocks in Rio and 
Santos are fairly heavy, and the daily receipts in 
the former port are for the time of year unusually 
large. The estimates for the 1881-82 crops are about 
3,200,000 bags from Eio, 1,500,000 bags from Santos, 
200,000 bags from Nord, giving a total of 4,900,000 
bags. The market on the spot is very quiet, and 
the auctions daily are in favour of buyers. Privately 
business recently l as been of quite a retail character." 
As of still greater interest to our planters, we give 
prominence to the monthly coffee report of Messsr. 
Robert von Glehn & Sons. This firm makes the pro- 
bable deficiency in the coming, as compared with the 
last, Brazil crop equal to 1,200,000 cwt., and shews 
altogether a total deficiency of coffee crops in 1881 82 
of 2,270,000 cwt. :— 
"London, March 7th, 1881. 
Since the date of our last circular, prices of coffee 
have declined as follows : — 
Middling Plantation in London from 
92/6 to 90/ ... say 3 per cent. 
Good ordinary Jamaica in London 
from 56/ to 53/ ... 6 per cent. 
Rio Coffee in New York 13 cents to 12 cts. 8 ,, 
Good ordinary Santos Coffee in Havre 
70 cents to 65 cts. 7 
Haiti Coffee in Havre 67 ,, ,, 62 ,, 8 
Santos Coffee in Hamburg 60 ,, ,, 57 ,, 5 ,, 
Java Coffee in Holland 38 „ ,, 36 ,, 5 „ 
The causes of this decline are not far to seek. 
Hopes had been confidently entertained that during 
the present half year the receipts of coffee at Rio 
and Santos would fall off, and that under the in- 
fluence of small stocks in New York and reviving 
trade, the bulk of these reduced receipt would be 
taken for the United States Markets. These expecta- 
tions have not been realized and during the last five 
week receipts of coffee have amounted at Rio to 
14,950 bags per day, against 5,223 bags per day in 
February last year and against 13,650 bags per day 
during the last 6 months of 1880 ; at Santos to 4,450 
bags per day against 800 bags per clay in February 
and against 3,327 bags per day during the last 
6 months of 1880 ; and moreover so far from 
the United States taking more, they have taken 
less than their usual share of the supplies of Brazil 
coffee, in consequence no doubt of the stringency of 
the New York money market, and the shipments 
to Europe have therefore increased in proportion, 
causing a temporary glut of this kind of coffee in 
the European markets. There have not been want- 
ing, besides, the usual exaggerated reports of the 
future supplies which always accompany times of de- 
pression. Take as an example the letter signed 
"Common Sense" in the Shipping and Commercial 
List of New York, in which the writer predicts 
that "we shall enter upon the crop of 1882 witli a 
surplus of over 3 million bags of Brazil coffee," and 
states it as his opinion that the price of fair Rio iu 
New York should fall to 10J cents before 1st July. 
We will not class with exaggerations such as this 
the opinion expressed by some of the Rio firms, that 
receipts will continue up to 30th June at an average 
of 15,000 bags per day, and we advance with some 
hesitation an opinion contrary to such authorities, 
but we do not believe the Rio receipts will con- 
tinue on so large a scale, and we know that our 
opinion is shared by the most competent authority 
on this side of the Atlantic. 
As regards the future of the Coffee market, we 
think there are unmistakeable signs that we are ap- 
proaching the turning point. In the first place, 
present low prices are evidently everywhere stimulating 
consumption ; witness the increase in the deliveries 
for the month of February. 
From London 902 tons Plantation Coffee, against 504 
tons in February, 1880. 
From Holland 87,000 bags coffee against 64,000 bags 
in February 1880. 
From Havre 85,799 bags coffee against 56,535 bags 
in February, 1880. 
From Trieste 11,130 quintals against 9,150 in Feb- 
ruary 1880. ;.«ss*<q 
Secondly the large crops of 1880-81 are rapidly 
coming to an end, and our stocks in Europe show it is 
true an excess over last year of 20,000 tons, but the 
crops of 1881-82 do not promise to be anything like 
so abundant as those just coming to a close. 
The following statement shews the difference between 
some, of the principal crops of coffee just coming to 
a close, and the new crops : — 
Crop 1880-81. Estimated crop Deficiency. 
1881-82. 
Rio ...4,570,000 bags 3,200,000 bags — 
Santos 1,356,000 ,, 1,700,000 ,, — 
Brazil. ..5,926,000 bags 4,900,000 bags 60,000toiw 
Java ...1,259,960 piculs 618,000 piculs 38,000,, 
Ceylon 31,000 tons 25,000 tons 6,000 „ 
Manila 90,000 piculs 70, 000 piculs 1,250,, 
East India — 
Plantation 10,000 tons 4,000 tons 6,000,, 
Native 7,000 „ 5,000 „ 2,000 „ 
Total 113,500 tons, 
Allowing for exaggerations and increase of produc- 
tion of coffee in some of the other countries of growth, 
from which returns are not so easily obtained, we 
contend that we have enough before us to show 
conclusively that the production of coffee has not out 
stripped the consumption of the world. 
New Galway. — Some days ago I saw a note of 
yours in re " Tea from Uva, ' in which you said 
you thought the tea referred t > would be the first 
shipment from Uva, The first shipment from Uva, 
I believe, was from this (New Galway) district. 
In the beginning of 1880 or late in 1879 New Corn- 
wall sent some. Early in 1880 Warwick sent some to 
England. I also sent a packet to Ireland, and this 
year Warwick has sent some more. We have bad a 
fine blossom out for the last few days, and some nice 
showers to set it. Cinchona same as last. Tea, a 
few trees dying out. No other new products. Can 
you suggest any that would pay at this elevation '! 
Elk fearfully destructive to cinchona and grass. Ele- 
phants, a few seen now and again. There are some 
cheetahs in the neighbourhood. Occasionally we hear of 
a bullock or cow beiug killed. I caught a cheetah a short 
time ago, 7 feet 6 inches from tip of nose to tip of 
tail. Bug is gone on the hills and will nae come 
back again (1 hope). Leaf disease, none to speak 
of. Grub, catch 'em if you can. Railway, a longtime 
coming. General prospects, fair. 
