I 
Feb. 
1895.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
509 
TEA IN INDIA. 
Cold weather operations are in full swing, and 
theie will be but little material for this portion of 
the paper in respect of the tea districts for the 
next three months, such is the uniformity of the 
December to March routine. — The Planter. 
DRUG REPORT. 
(From Chemist and Druggist.) 
London, Dec. 20th. 
CAFFEINE — The O, P, and D Reporter discussing the 
position of caffeine from data largely, though without 
acknowledgment, drawn from this journal, concludes that 
it would not be possible for America to manufacture a 
sufficiency of caffeine for its own requirements, inasmuch 
as the States consume about half of the total output of 
the drug, At the same time, with a 25 per ceut duty, 
sufficient caffeine may be made in the States to supply 
the requirements of a few large consumers. Our contem- 
porary states that at least one of the chief Ameri- 
can users of caffeine makes all he needs of the drug 
within a few miles of New York, though it does not 
know where the raw material comes from, for in hand- 
ling tea in the States there is very little waste. The 
fact that the States levy no duty on tea accounts for 
the small percentage of waste, as the packages do 
not need to he opened in the same manner as in London. 
It is barely possible, however, that some of the tea-dust 
sold at the tea-auctions in New York and other places 
is employed. About 100 tons, more or less, of Japan tea- 
dust may he obtained from that country per annum, at 
a uniform price of 4£c per lb., though, at times, odd lots 
can be picked up in the open market at a lower price. 
The London market is quiet, 10s, however, has been paid 
from second-hand holders on the spot. 
Cardamoms— It is reported that the cardamom crop in 
Ceylon is a very small one this season, the plantations 
having suffered much from dronght. Increased supplies 
from Southern India, however, will probably more than 
countervail the dificiency, the cardamom harvest in that 
country having been unusually abundant and of fine 
quality. 
( [NCHONA.— Detailed accounts of last Thursday's Java 
cinchona-bark auctions in Amsterdam state that less than 
one-half of the quinine value of the manufacturing bark 
was sold, the equivalent of 15,858 kilos sulphate of quinine 
being disposed >>f 1^ the manufacturers (American agents 
bought over one-half of this), and 18,390 kilos being bought 
in. Of the quinine in the bark sold, 2,167 kilos realised 
a unit-price of 2i'C, 7,509 kilos one of 2Jc, and 4,299 
kilos one of 3c per half -kilo. The greater portion of the bark 
which was bought in was held firmly at a minimum price 
equalling 4c per unit. The richest parcel of bark in sale 
was one of 22 bales of crushed Ledger bark from the 
Gamhoeng plantation (O in star). This bark contained 
the equivalent of 12'23 per cent sulphate of quinine, and 
realised 32Jc per half-kilo — or, say, Od per lb. Druggists' 
barks were in plentiful supply, put the demand, especially 
for really tine bold quill, was quite satisfactory, 
Co< UNE. Vei'3 firmly held. The agents profess to ex- 
pert a further advance in price shortly , raw material in the 
Shape of ei ude cocaine being practically 'unobtainable at 
present. It is also said that no important arrivals of 
cocoa-leaves are likely to reach us from South America for 
some months to come. 
Kssentiai, Oils. -Cassia Oil is dull of sale, 4s 2d to 
Is 8d per lb. is the spot quotation, while for arrival 4s 
pi 11. "c.i.f." might be accepted. Citronella oil still offers 
iit lid to llVd per lb; Lemongrass oil at l{d to ljd 
per oz. 
l}i i\m:.- No business is reported, but second-hand 
German quinine in bulk could probably be benight at 114.(1 
per oz. today. 
CASTOR SEED — COPRA AND PALM OIL 
IN FRANCE. 
consular reports: francf. : — Marseilles : — MB. percival. 
There is a small decrease in imports of castor 
seed which have been 20,700 tons, against 24,500 tons 
in 1892, but this may be attributed to less favourable 
crops as, otherwise, the >mills which produce this 
special oil havo been in full activity throughout the 
year, and crushers found a ready clearance of their 
ils, chiefly to England and Scotland among cloth 
manufactt 1 era, Prospects are reported very favourable 
tor tho new crops from Bombay as well as f rem the 
jUadras Coast. 
Imports of copra and palm kernels only aggregated 
the end of June 20,000 tons of copra, against 31,000 tons 
04 
during the same period in 1892. For the 12 months the 
total imports were 46,634 tons of copra and 18,806 
tons of palm kernels against 61,844 tons and 17,523 
tons respectively in 1892, or a deficit of 15,000 tons. 
This deficit falls chiefly on imports from Singapore, 
Penang, and Java. As copra yields 65 per cent oil 
on the average, a shortage of 15,000 tons raw material 
means about 10,000 tons diminution in the output of 
oil. The natural consequence of this deficit was a 
proportionate enhancement in' values, and from 35 fr. 
for copra and 52 fr. for oil at which the year 
opened prices rose unabatedly to 40 fr. 50c. and 63 
fr. at the end of July. These prices were 
maintained without serious fluctuations until 
towards the end of October when larger sup- 
plies began to arrive, and prices receded steadily until 
the end of the year, closing on December 31 at about 
the same level as in January, viz. 35 fr. 50 c. for 
copra and 52 fr. 50 c. for oil. 
The trade has been, on the whole, profitable, as 
athough the largest mills did not work their full 
capacity over the first 6 months, crushers, gained full 
compensation in the fuller values at which they sold 
their products. Prospects for the coming year are 
much more favourable in respect of supply, as from 
all parts of the Malay Archipelago as well as from 
Java crops are said to be very promising. This year 
Java had no crop of importance, and very 
little was available for export, whereas the tree9 are 
now said to be in full bearing, which may mean 
an export of 25,000 tons to 30,000 tons about the same 
as in 1891. 
Imports of palm oil regained their average and 
attained 16,235 tons, against 13,000 tons in 1892. 
Tallow shows a deficit, only 4,904 tons, against 5,494 
tons in 1892. 
The bulk of these imports has been consumed by 
local stearine and candle manufacturers, and, in ad- 
dition to these, it must be mentioned that among 
the imports of oil-seeds are comprised about 12,000 
tons of motirah seed and illipe nuts, which yield a 
concrete oil containing a large percentage of stearine. 
In round figures the yield of these 12,000 tons of 
seeds and nuts may be put down at 6,000 tons oil, 
which sold considerably cheaper than tallow, and 
were all consumed by the same candle manufacturers 
as a good substitute for tallow and palm oil. 
About 75 per cent, of ths imports of palm oil are 
shipped by French factories on the West Coast of 
Africa owned by Marseilles firms, and the other 25 
per cent come from English factories on the same 
coast. A new product was also imported from China 
this year, called vegetable tallow, which is obtained 
from a nut grown in China and crushed in the 
country. In substance it is much the same aa 
mourah and illipe oil and w 7 ell suited for mixing 
with these. About 2,000 tons have been imported 
and there is promise for a large increase. 
By reason of the plentiful output of other oils 
from local mills, ana also large supplies of olive 
o^s, there has been less demand for cotton oil, and 
imports have been 12,522 tons, against 15,974 tons 
in 1892. 
THE MOON'S INFLUENCE ON 
WEATHER. 
(From "Hanehj Bool: of Meteorology by Alex. 
Buchan, M.A., Secretary of the Scottish Meteoro- 
logical Society, 2nd edition. J 
It is an opinion which has been long and 
popularly entertained that the changes of the moon 
nave so great an influence on the weather that 
they may be employed with considerable confidence 
in prediction. That the moon's changes exercise an 
influence so strongly marked as to make itself almost 
immediately felt in bringing about fair or rainy. 1 r 
settled or stormy, weather, an examination of 
meteorological records, extending over many years, 
conclusively disproves. 
Sir John" Herschol states, in his ' Familiar Lec- 
tures,' that the moon has a tendency "to clear the 
sky of cloud, and to produce, not only a serene but 
