4^0 
TilE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[Jan. j, 1894, 
them properly to value the teas, and also to give time 
to the warehouse-keepers properly to prepare the par- 
cels for sale. As there are always some ill-conditioned 
members of every trade who will accept every benefit, 
but seek only their own interest by holding aloof from 
any arrangement, the scheme included the formation 
of an association to prevent such persons from 
sacrificing the interest of the whole trade for their 
own individual benefit, by binding buyers to abstain 
from purchasing at any irregular sales held by such 
individuals. The scheme, which appears to have 
uunecssarily frightened the Association, was in the 
interest of all connected with the trade, but chiefly 
of the growers and importers. Buyers of tea will, 
no doubt, protect themselves by ceasing as much as 
possible to hold stocks, which may at any time be 
seriously depreciated by excessive quantities sud- 
denly being thrown upon the market. It is rather 
difficult to understand this treatment of the question 
by the importers. 
A Trade View of Last WEEK'i Tea Mabket.— 
Indian tea hes not been eo liberally offered, says the 
Produce Markets Ueview, and In the earlier part of 
the week prices ruled steady to firm, but at the later 
sales there was an easier tendency. Exceptionally 
good value is now offered in the medium grades, a 
large business haviog been traneacted, and it is doubt- 
ful if these teas will be obtainable at the present 
Jow quotat'ons later on. At any rate, buyers ap- 
pear convinced that the present is a favourable 
opportunity for holding stocks of fair dimensions, 
and Ib this it would seem that they are quite 
jaatified, as it is doubtful if teas of similar quality 
will be forthcomii.g in the later imports at the 
current low quotations. The commoner descriptions, 
although ehowing no appreciable change in value, 
will, from all accounts, be plentiful, and prices 
may not be maintnined, as the future uuppliea bid fair 
to be quite equal to the demam]. Pekoes and broken 
Pekoes between Is and Js 6d are now being freely 
brought forward, and can be bought cousiierably 
under the prices ruling a few weeks ago, while as they 
have probably touched about the lowest point the 
trade is purohasing more freely; The market conti- 
nues to be only moderately supplied with Csylonp, 
and prices show no alteration, the improvement in 
the value of all good deecriptions being well main- 
tained. Of the quantity offered at auction a large 
proportion was of very indifferent quality, and there 
18 still a dearth of broken Pekoes possessing both point 
and strength under about Is per Ib. There has been 
more demand for Common Pekoe Souchongs. 
Cinchona Cultivation. — The cultivation of cinchona 
bark in Ceylon has rapidly given way before the more 
profitable cultivation of tea. Java, on the other hand, 
is goiug ahead with great strides with oiochcna. 
Javacinohoaa proves too strong a rival for the Ceylon 
bark, as its riobness, being to a great extent Led- 
getiana, naturally commands the demand. It i^ 
obviously more remunerative for a consumer to 
purchase at a little higher price a bark yielding 4 to 
5 per cent, instead of 2 to 8 per cent,, as is the average 
yield now of the Ceylon cultivation. Almost in the 
same measure as the exports from Ceylon have 
deoieased those of Java have increased, as is shown 
Jby the following figures : — 
Export from Ceylon. From Java. 
1890 lbs. 7,195,713 ... 7,291,169 
1893 3,096,277 about 9,000,000 
Java has not been able to make up for the reduced 
Buppliea from Ceylon, hence a yearly decline in the 
total figure of imports and a steady reduction of 
Btock8.— if, and C. Mail, Dec. 1. 
THE DUTCH MARKET. 
Amsterdam, Nov. 23- 
(The oinoiiotia Buclions to be held in Amsterdam cB 
December 14th will consist of 6.047 bales and 195 
cases, weighing about 544 tons gross, divided as 
follows :— From the Government plantations 343 bales, 
•bout 33 tons ; from private plantations 5,704 baled 
195 cftseB, ftjjpat 5ll tons. Xhis (maatity conlaim : 
Of drnggiste' bark— Suocirubra, quilU 128 oasei ; 
broken quills and chip8 59 btlt-H and 67 oaeeS ; root 
58 bales. Of manufacturing bark — Le'lg^riaua, broken 
qnills andcbipg 4,587 bales ; root bSO balos. Bybriden, 
broken qnills and chips 44H bale* ; root 4 b»le<. Of- 
ficinalis, broken quills and chips 11 balta. — Chtmut 
and Dru<jgist. 
THE LAST CINNAMON SALES. 
We quote as follows from Mf asrs. Wm. Jas. and Hy. 
Thompson's Circular, to hand by last night e mail :— 
Locdon, 27th Nov. 18y3. 
Monday Afterooon. 
The quarterly sales today comprise j the following 
assortment : — 
478 bales, against 435 bales let sort Ceyloo last year. 
570 do do 753 do 2nd do do 
370 do do 485 do 3rd do do 
227 do do 185 do I nn«ort«d 
( unworked. 
690 do unworked 687 do unworked. 
2337 bales Ceylon, against 3495 bales Ceylon. 
— bales Telliobcrry do do 
431 bags chips do 938 bags Chipa 
Since the last f ales there has not been much ba«ine«i 
done on the spot, but ceveral parcels Hgain sold to 
arrive latterly at CJd per lb., c.f. & i, terms. 
Today there was very little demand throughout, and 
only about half the above quattity sold at ^d t<j Id 
decline upon carreut qualities. Good and fine went 
slowly at Id to IJd per lb. reduction. 
Quotations as follows :— Per lb. 
B d 8 d 
Ceylon let sort, fine and superior ... 0 9 <S 1 4 
do do do fair to good ... 0 7i do 0 8 
do 2od do good to fine ... 0 74 do 1 1 
do do do low to fair ... 0 61 do 0 74 
do 3rd do do fine ... 0 54 do 0 10 
clo 4th do ... ... 0 5 do 0 bit 
do Unworked ... ... 0 4J do 0 Ci 
Chips went at 2id to Catting and QailliDcB 
4:21 to 64d per lb. 
The next sales are to be held on the 26th Feb. 1894. 
— Local '■ Examiner." 
THE VISIT OF SIR JOHN MUIE, BART. 
HIS IMPKESfilONS OF CEYLON. 
ThojP. & 0. SB. - Chuean" which left on the 2l8t 
Dec. for Calcutta took away Sir John Muir who had 
been in our midst for over a fortnight on buaints3 
connected with the Sylhet Tea Companies of 
which he is the distinguished head. Lady and 
Miss Muir oame out from home by the " Cfiusan" 
and along with Sir John were the guests during 
the day of His Escellenoy the Governor and 
Lady Havelock at Queen's House. In the 
course of the afternoon Sir John, aooom- 
panied by Lady and Miss Muir, visited the 
offices of Messrs. Finlay, Muir 61 Co., who are 
the local agents for the Sylhet Companies, and 
there a representative of the Observer bad the 
privilege of a few minutes' conversation with the 
doughty, shrewd, and genial Baronet, and Mr. Bucha- 
nan with whom Sir John visited our tea 
districts, spending altogether ten days upoountry. 
Sir John expressed himself as extremely de- 
lighted with his stay in the " spicy isle " and 
spoke in most grateful terms of the kind and 
cordial welcome that had been extended to him on 
all hands. Speaking of his trip upoountry he 
said that he had visited Dikoya and Bogawan- 
talawa, where he saw very fine tea indeed and 
had the pleasure of meeting the Hon. L. H. Kelly 
and Mr. Clements ; Dimbula where he met a very 
good speoimen of a Scotohmau in Mr. Sin- 
clair of Beaiwell i Nuwara Eliya and the Warwick 
