Sept. i, 1893.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
Pbgs. 
Pkgs. 
Ceylon cinchona 
East Indian cincbona 
West African cinchona 
Javan cinchona 
Cuprea bark 
617 of which 548 were 3old 
216 do 216 do 
3i do 32 do 
28 do — do 
153 do 163 do 
1,046 
DJ9 
The aesortmeut was an exceedingly poor one, the 
bulk of the lots shown consisting of low class natural 
Succirubra and Ledger barks, probably containing less 
than 2^ per cent of quinine. The highest price realised 
for any lot at the auctions was Hd per lb. The tone 
was a very dull one, and prices fell considerably in 
sympathy with the heavy decline established at ihe 
lust Amsterdam auctions. A ra'her larger proportion 
than usual was bought by druggists, but the average 
unit cannot be placed above gl per lb., the lowest on 
record. The following were the prices paid for sound 
bark : — 
The average unity obtained at last Thursday's auctions 
in Amsterdam is the lowest on record in the history of 
the bark. The total quantity-equivalent of sulphate oE 
tuinine sold was 12..38o kilos, at an average unit of 3-5.^ 
qents, but including 7^4 kilos at 3 cents, and ranging 
chence'up to 4-25 cen's, at which last-named figui-e-ise 
I'ilos found buyers. The greater part of the bark offered 
(representing 1^,728 kilos quinine) was bought in. The 
tone throughout the auctions wag one of increasing list- 
lessuess, the unit being 0-5 cent lower at the end than 
at the beginning. The principal buyers were the Phar- 
macy Trading Company 3,218 Hlos, Mr. Gnstav Briegleb 
3 164 kilos, Mr. H. A. O. Wischerhoff 12,655 liilJS. the 
Amsterdam Quinine Works 1,837 kilos, and .1. J. Louet 
Feisser 1,512 kilos. Druggists' bark were in rather betier 
request, and fine quills were held for comparatively high 
prices. The next Amsterdam sale will be held on Aug. 
3i8t The richest parcel in the sales was one of 7 bales 
Ledger stem i ark, testing 9-58 per cent sulphate of quinine 
for which 37 cents {'7^d ' per half-kilo was paid. 
Coca-leaves.— There have been heavy arrivals of good 
bright green Trnxillo leaves in Liverpool : Is has been 
ashed for them, but it is doubtful whether more than 
lOd could be obtained at present. Advances from Peru, 
on the other hand indicate the sciroity of cocoa-leave8, 
and report higher prices as likely. 
PLANTING IN BRITISH CENTRAL AFRICA. 
COFFEE NOTES. 
(By an ex-Ceylon planter.) 
Milanji, June 20th. 
Oar ooffee juat two years planted out, has oherry 
ripe (rem November blossom. 8uoh grand clusters, 
which please the eye ani tell in an estimate. 10 
to 15 beriies ! ^ 
There is evidence of an autumn crop a blossom 
just slatting. We have doubtless an Uva climate 
here which was always considered the home of 
the coffee tree. 
Mr. Johnstone, H.B.M. Commissioner, is reported 
to have gone down to the Gape Colony to meet 
Mr. Rhodts. 
All is quiet now in the country. JSatiyes 
are swarming here in want of work having 
come some hundred odd miles in searjh 
of calico. Unfortunately, they only come from 
a distance during the dry season aft( r their crops 
are gathered ; they are in time, however, for Un 
coffee crop although not available for planting 
purposes. 
Our rainy season is just over, and it totals up 
in inches about 80- During the dry season very 
little falls, only a few showery days per mensem. 
p,g._pieuBe let it be known that 1 am not the 
B. who advertises for men for Africa, as I 've 
had letters applying.— I am sending you a local 
Mibsion publication from which you will learn a 
good deal. H. B. 
W6 quote (LB follows from the publication referred 
to, albeit it is older than the letter a good 
deal : — 
Ooffee which threatens to bless or curse men with 
orlunes is this }tar crowded with berries. The 
feason has also been a splendid one for nurseries end 
for jtlanting out. The River has shown no flood and 
we cannot tell what is going on in the North, but the 
rains here could not be better. 
We hear that eonie of thofe who have be( n helpful to 
the German Expedition stand the chance of re- 
ceiving the decoration of the Red Eagle. At any 
future levee held in the Shice capital and given by 
his Excellency the Governor we shall see an African 
brilliance of no meau lustre. 
With a Civil Service for Africa ; a hall of learning 
at Blan'yre ; eccli sfastical, civil, naval, militarj and 
geogra( liieal degreec, we shall soon be a community 
of kings and knights and professors, with not one 
amoi gst us who does not boast a spur or a hood or 
some other peacefal weapon of inspiring awe. And 
it is quite as it ought to be. We need kings for 
Africa atid any kintfS going a begging may apply — only 
we need real kings. 
The native villagers are coming down from the hills 
to build upon the plains, beside the streime, and 
beside garden ground. Local snpply almost sufficed 
this year for ccffee planting, and if seitlement of 
villagers bt gins and if garden plots are judiciously 
arranged, there should bo a local snpply in almost 
every plantation. 
We mast not drive them away by the terror of 
armed eoldiery and taxing raids : the country 
will soon lie to and run with willing hands the Unioa 
Jack up to the mist bead. 
We are almost, as far as man can promise, sure of 
a railway now, to connect in some way the upper 
with tbo lower Shire. Of course there are many 
ideas as to how such a railway ought to run. After 
long consideration of the subject, we hold the opinion 
that the old Katunga road is certainly the cheapest 
and wo believe the Lest. The only real difficulty is 
tbe first Kalunga hill, and this could easily be over- 
come by a cogged wheel and wire rope arrangement. 
It would take very little cutting to bring the Mbiime 
hill into good order, and the Mtonda hill is already 
overcome ny Captain Sclater'ii new portion of the road. 
The 3,000 feet must be got over some way, and 
there is not aunther spot where twenty times tbe 
amount of cutting and engineering, and six times 
the length of road w^ uld not be necessary. The Mlanje 
plain is a inarah in tbe rains, and necesbitates a 
long journey through a malarial region. 
The interlacing with railroads of tbe Shire bigh- 
lai^ds thomselveH is an afterthought in any case and 
will come in equallv well witb any route. A very 
slight dredging would clear the Shire and Zambesi, 
for they are splendid rivers. We mu t not discount 
real water resource already there, laid down for us 
and ready to hand by nature, beoanse some of tbe 
natives who chance to guide the ves-els are not so 
good as some others and the Europe.in guides are 
new to the woik. Think of a run down to Ohinde 
from Cbiromo being pofsible in 24 lionrs with our 
present means of oonveyince ! Think ot two days 
from Katunga to the sta ! And yet we have not 
ioiiched the river channel nor the river bauks, nor 
(!r dgtd a foot of sand, nor even learnt the river 
channel as we might. 
I need not say that the railway will pay. Coffee iu 
i's green dress forms as good if not as gaudy an 
nsTer as gold, and the land and the people, which 
aie the real banquet will be served well after this 
j ' ic ons hors d'oeuvre. 
.V most surprising speech has been made by Mr. 
Ilhodes iu England, and news of it has just reaohe 1 
us here. It is about as fine a piece of audacity as wo 
could well have eonctived. Against the reiterated 
pledges of OUT Commissioner that tbe country is 
Bllti^b,aud would be so, against the assurances of the 
Foreic" OtScc that we are nnder " misappreheUMon'' 
and •■ n.'s.-onception " iu thinking auythinit else, Mr. 
KUoaoB Buys, " Our understanding with the British 
Government is lb»t we shall gradually reli eve it q 
