May i, 1882.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
925 
But the labour is in the country. Supposing coffee to 
be at a price that cannot pay the Brazilian planter, 
what can the labour be employed on, if taken olf 
coffee cultivation? This can only be answered by 
asking anoiher: what was the labour empLyed _ on, 
before it was concentrated on coffee-growing:? 
Cotton was only grown in Brazil during the Ameri- 
can war and for two years afterwards, but 
now the production of cotton by free blacks in 
the United States is greater than it waa before 
the war and before the slaves were emanci- 
pated. Already in the valley of the Parahyba, in 
the Province of Bio de Janeiro, many coffee drinkers 
are devoting their attention to sugar-cane growing. 
This shows the direction to which agriculture would 
incline. The coffee lands are all suitable for sugar- 
cane. Those in Silo Paulo could be very ea ily culti- 
vated by the plough. No doubt coffee fields that are get- 
ting exhausted will be abandoned, and somethng 
else will be cultivated. We would suppose that coffiee 
clearings will for a time be neglected, while coffee 
does not show prospects of giving a profit on capi- 
tal invested. 
I must now draw my remarks to a close. I hope 
I will not be understood to have advanced opinions 
of my own as regards the future of coffee planting. 
My object has been to place the facts concerning the 
coffee enterprise in Brazil before your readers, leaving 
them to form their own opinions. They will par- 
ticularly note that the emancipation law, which we 
all looked upon as having an effect on Brazil's labour- 
supply, has not answered the expectations formed of 
it at the time it was passed. This need not sur- 
prize wt much, when we see that the tr'aty of 
1825 with Great Britain for the suppression of the slave 
trude; the law passed, in Brazil in 1831, declaring 
all Africans imported after that date free ; and 
a Birailar one in 1850, were all wilfully evaded. 
I do not require to draw the attention of Ceylon 
planters to the railway system of Brazil, for you 
vourself have over and over again done so. We have 
here a convincing proof of what railways can do lor 
uew countries 
You will note also that, since the production of Brazi- 
lian coffee has t.0 exceeded the demand for consumption, 
the price has fallen. It will bo exp-cted, if the cost 
of production amounts to more than the selling price 
of the article, the producer will transfer his skill, 
energy and capital to something else. 
I noticed before that Ceylon coffee has not fallen 
in the sume proportion as Br zilian. Ceylon with her 
cheap labour and her freedom from export duties, if 
it could get rid of leaf-disease, could afford to wait 
for prices to rise again. I do not apprehend such 
disastrous effects on her ag icnlture, as 1 fear for that 
of Brazil, owing to the present low price of coffee. 
It will be well for us all to wateh carefully the 
course of events. A. SCOTT-BLACK LAW. 
1st Feb. 1882 
P. S.— Tho latest returns I have scon from Rio de 
Janeiro give the total exports for year ending 31st 
Deer. 1881 at.. ... 4,217, GOO bags 
1 have uot seen returns but, Santos 
and other ports will be ... 1.500,000 ,, 
5,717,600 „ 
equal to 0,700,000 cwt. There is over 6U0.0U0 cwt. 
stock 00 hand in Bio and Smtos. 
( KYLON PUODUCTS-NIiW AND OLD-IN LON- 
DON. 
London, K. C, 16th February 1SS2. 
Dear Rut,— Wo have to report ft continued dullness 
in our coffee market, although Wt traco a bettor furling 
during tho last.day or two. tWua with the etagua. 
tion of demand, the wish of holders to realize, drooping 
prices in Brazil, and downward tendency in New York, 
the inactive position here is sufficiently accounted for. 
The turn of the year has brought forward a good many 
annual circulars from competent authorities, which go 
fully into the prosp cts for the ensuing year. All 
agroe in ascribing the present situation to over-sup- 
ply, but it ie stated also that consumption is increasing 
at a considerable rate and that the reduced prices must 
needs greatly restrict the use of all substitutes. Re- 
markably enough, however, this country makes one 
exception from the experience as to the world at 
la-ge, the consumption of coffee having, during the 
past thirty years, rather decreased a little, while that 
of tea has augmented manifold This is a fact which 
should not be lost sight of by those engaged in the 
younger industry. As the excess in present stocks in 
the United Kingdom is estimated at as equal to only 
about one month's consumption, the situation does not 
look so gloomy; only tbe uneven location of these 
stocks will render their distribution and absorption 
a matter of greater time and difficulty. 
There is nothing to report in the quinine market, 
nothing worthy of note having been sold. Sulphate 
of quinine continues quiet, Howards is quoted at 10s, 
French 10s, and German 9s 6d peroz. 
We have received from Barranquila, South America, 
the following information in reply to our inquiry for 
rubber and cinchona seed : — 
"We shall with much pleasure try to comply with 
your wishes. This, however, will only be partly possi- 
ble, as you will see by tbe t.qjlowing information, which 
we take the liberty to give you on the subp ct. The 
cinchona ledgeriana originates from seeds of Peruvian 
calisaya by fructification with other kinds, and is an 
irregular hybrid, ' which very seldom gives seeds, and 
is, theiefore, to be propagated by cuttings. The cin- 
chona calisaya Sta Fe has nearly been extirpated, years 
ago; therefore no seeds can be got of this kind. The 
seeds we could get you would be of the ; cuprea,' 
but this species, as well ap the 'quina of Payta,' 
which came to the markets a few years ago, are not 
real cinchonas, and are the only false cinchonas 
(cascarillas) which contain quinine, and it is there- 
fore probable that the cupreas from seeds are 
valueless. The seed of the ciuchona lancifolia. tbe 
only valuable kind which grows here, is very difficult 
to get, and then in a condition that does not 
germinate. 
"Witn regard to rubber, it is fouud in some a- 
bundaoce and of good quality throughout the Central 
Andes, which form the western boundary of this state, 
and grows at an elevation of 5,000 to 7,000 feet. The 
bes' class is found near the latter figure. We have 
desired several of those who bring in tbe rubber to 
procure the seed you wish, aud hope to send you 
some at an early date. 
"A gentleman brought at one time some seed of 
the ' Lancifolia Roja.' which is one of the best varieties, 
aud ha» started a plantation on the high plains. We 
hope to receive some teed from him per return post. 
With regard to Ceylon tea. there has been a little sold 
during the last week :— R, 1SSI, 33 case* (tiu canisters) 
pekoe souchong at (>'.4d per lb.; Agarsland, '27 boxes 
pekoe souchong at lifd per lb. For sale next week, 
theie are 14 ualf-cho.sta souchoug under mirk Court- 
hope, Boaauquct ifc Co The tea tir«tincntn>ued under 
mark R waa of very bad quality and make,— Yours 
faithfully, HLTCHISOX A Co. 
BOPvFU IN COCONUT TREES. 
Noakhally, Bengal, 23rd Feby. 1882. 
To the Editor of the " 77 UxU AgriculturM." 
Df.au Sir,— With referent • "K. K. A. s " letters 
anontboror iu cooouut trees in ur isaueoi Foby., page 
