024 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [January 2, 1882. 
This table ia of considerable interest as shewing, 
among other things, the relative importance of the 
coast ports. On the whole Tellicherry seems to have 
the largest share of coffee shipments, although in 
respect of plantation coffee especially Mangalore is a 
close rival. In fact the trade of the Wynaad and 
Mysore districts seems pretty equally divided between 
Mangalore, Tellicherry, Calicut and Beypore. Farther 
South, Cochin has the shipping of the produce from 
the Peer made Hills, which during the past season 
shewed a falling-off for coffee of nearly one-half on 
the previous year, while the Pepper crop had largely 
increased. Travancore, through its port Colachel, was 
steady for the two seasons with a crop of a little over 
11,000 cwt., a poor outturn for so large an acreage— 
in fact not much more than 1 cwt. per acre. Alto- 
gether the shipments of coffee (plantation and native), 
which equalled 392,583 cwt. in season June 30th, 
1879 to June 30th, 1880, fell off to 257,745 cwt. for 
the year ending June 30th last ; while the crop of 
pepper showed more than a corresponding increase. 
Messrs. Alstons & Co. would greatly oblige us by 
sending the export return for a series of years : for as 
many indeed as reliable records are available. 
itSL 
nfd. 
Is Old. 
CEYLON TEA IN THE LONDON MARKET. 
Undoubtedly, there is a great difference in this 
preparation and value of different Ceylon teas as evid- 
enced by the infallible index, the result of open 
sales in Mincing Lane. An experienced tea-broker, 
who had been consulted in October last by a Ceylon 
merchant as to the value of our teas, gave a very 
unfavourable report, remarking on the need for Bpecial 
improvement before much attention could be paid to 
them by the trade. He pointed to the miserable prices 
paid for some lots sold a few weeka previously. 
A few days after, the following note reached the 
merchant from the same broker, an entirely disinter- 
ested party :— 
Dear Sib, — As an exception to what I said the other 
day regarding Ceylon teas, a capital little invoice, some 
99§ hf-ch. were sold yesterday ex " Hankow " from the 
" Loolecondura" tea plantation. The teas were really good 
and I should say fetched remunerative prices. I enclose 
you three samples. 
Prices realized for Loolecondura tea on Oct. 25th: — 
39 half-chests Souchong at 1/6| 
6 „ Pekoe dust „ /9 
2 „ Dust ... ( , /6J 
15 „ Broken Pekoe ., 2/ 
29 „ Fine Broken Tea „ 1/8^ 
2 „ Pekoe Souchong „ 1/7 
6 „ Bed Leaf ... „ /ll 
99 ex " Hankow. " 
By way of contrast we have the result of a sale 
on the 2nd November of a quantity of Ceylon tea 
which was described by the same broker: — "Value 
as Javas ; burnt and sour ; very badly cured." The 
sale was as follows : — ■ 
CEYLON TEA. 
At Cutler Street warehouse. Per "Compta," at Colombo, reported 
October 1881. 
13UXKED. 
WES Season 1881.— 16 half -Cheats broken tea 255 at 270 
Av. gross 2 qr. 9 lb. 9M. 
37 chests broken tea 271 at 307. 9|d. 
37 half-Cheats broki.-u Pekoe 308 at 311 Av. gross 2 qr. 
12 lb. Is Od. 
30 half-chest broken Pekoe 345 at 374, 30 do. 
375 at 404 Av. gross 2 qr. 11 lb. 
29 chest Souchong 405 at 433. 
23 chests Pekoe Souchong 434 at 456. 
S. E. & Co., November 2nd, 1881 
Ceylon tea, per "Compta" (C S) without reserve, on account of 
the importers. 
WES Season 1831.-12 chests Congou 457 at 468. lOd. 
15 half-chests Pekoe dust 469 at 483. 6*d. 
15 half-chests Pekoe dust 484 at 498. 6|d. 
24 half-chests broken Pekoe 499 at 522 Av. gross 2 qr. 
15 lb. llfd. 
PLANTING IN NETHERLANDS INDIA. 
(From the Straits Times, 16th November.) 
In the official report on the Government Cinchona 
culture in Java for the 3rd quarter of 1881, it is 
stated that on the 30th September last, the number 
of cinchona plants in the nurseries was 635,400 and 
that in prepared ground 2,072,070. During the said 
quarter the collection of bark was vigorously pro- 
ceeded with, this year's crop being estimated at 
150,000 Amsterdam pounds. The crop for 1880 was 
sold at Amsterdam on the 12th July at an average of 
13S cents per half kilo, the highest rate being 586 
cents per half kilo for Ledgeriana bark. Owing to a 
decline in the Cinchona market at the time of the auc- 
tion, the amount realized was less than at the sale in 
1880, when the average brought was 216 cents per 
half kilo In August last, the cinchona plants on 
elevated and exposed situations suffered greatly from 
frost at night, tbe temperature having fallen to very 
near freezing point sometimes. 
The Java Bode, in a series of articles calls attention 
to the Bachan or Batchian islands in the Moluccas 
as a more promising field for commercial enterprise 
than Java, the condition of which is thus set forth : — 
" In Java, which was formerly termed both by 
Netherlanders and foreigners the "pearl" of our 
possessions, and which, very untairly, as demonstrated 
by experienced men, had for a long time attracted to 
itself almost exclusively the attention of Government 
and capitalists, the prosperity of former times has 
greatly diminished. The supply of European labour 
is overabundant but the demand for it is small. Wages 
are falling. Great numbers of overseers, managers, 
and mercantile employed are rambling about without 
employment. Tobacco cultivation, which formerly gave 
work to so many hands and yielded such profits, .is 
dying out. The tobacco growing provinces of Keclirie 
and Kadu are but ruins of vanished greatness. Whole 
estates have been abandoned or sold for an old song. 
Trade also has seen its best days. Though at present 
there is noticeable a welcome and unusual manifesta- 
tion of enterprising spirit in tramway construction, 
and though many banks have increased their capital 
greatly, and a new bank has even been established, 
this does not do away with the fact that the im- 
pression made by Java when viewed from an indus- 
trial point of view, is anything but encouraging." 
The consequence of the foregoing, state of affairs is 
increasing attention to the other long neglected islands 
of Netherlands India. One result is, the formation of a 
company in Holland by Messrs Elout, Giebert, and 
Hope with a capital of 2,400,000 guilders, to turn 
to account the vegetable, mineral, and maritime re- 
sources of the Bachan islands, on along lease granted 
them by the Sultan of the same and sanctioned by 
the N. I. Government. Bachan, the main island of the 
group, is in 0' 13' to 0' 55. S., and from 127° 22" to 
128° E., aud is extremely productive. Immense areas 
are covered with sago trees, and nutmegs superior to 
the Banda variety grow wild. Dammar also abounds, 
its collection being inexpensive. The land has bfen 
found extremely suitable for coffee, cocoa, pepper, and 
cloves. Immense tracts of level land watered by un> 
