March r, 1895. J 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
625 
DRUG REPORT 
(From Chemist and Druggist. ) 
London, February 7th. 
AltUCA— Thirty bass were bought in, good quality at 
lis per cwt. An offer of 7s 6d per cwt for fair partly 
damaged areea nuts is to be submitted The market is 
dull, and prices arc likely to remain low for some time. 
CINCHONA— Of South American bark 175 packages Cali- 
saya were shown, 92 of these sold at very low prices for 
genuine cultivated bark ; ordinary thin fiat of dark colour 
realising lOd per 11) for sound, and from 7ifd down to 
45-d per lb for damaged quality. A parcel of nice bright 
thick orange-coloured pieces was bought in at 2s per lb 
nominally. Guayaquil bark was also cheap, 4 serous good 
quilly rather dark partly silvery mixed sold at 7d per 
lb. Huanoco neglected, 8jd is required for good bright 
quill, and at auction a bid of 7d per lb was refused. 
Loxa is also dull of sale and easier. A few parcels changed 
hands at from Is to Is 2d per lb for fair slightly silvery 
mixed quill. 
COCAINE — On February 1th the expected announcement 
of an advance in the price was published. Hydrochlorate 
of cocaine is now quoted at 18s per 6z for 100-oz lots, 
at 18s 3d per ox for lots from 25 to 100 oz, and 18s 6d per 
oz for smaller quantities. 
Coca-leaves— Fourteen bales good bright green Truxillo 
leaves were offered today. For these Is Id per lb was 
asked, but no bid was made at the auctions. 
Ckoto.vseed— Very scarce, and still selling at high prices 
from 27s to 29s per' cwt being paid for 16 bags of small 
seed from Ceylon, partly very dark mixed. 
Kola— About 2d to 3d per lb lower. Three packages 
fine bright brown 'West Indian kola-nuts sold at Is 3d per 
lib, and of another parcel of 28 packages, only 1 box 
slightly mouldy realised about lid per lb. 
Ksskntial Oils— The chief feature in essential oils in 
today's auctions was Cinnamon oil of ordinary quality is 
difficult to sell. Of 11 cases offered, i sold without re- 
serve at from 4}d to 5}d per oz. 
CJl'lMNE— The market has steadily improved since 
our last report, about 80,000 oz being reported sold in 
second-hand, at prices ranging from lid to lljd per oz 
for HH, and B. and S. Since then a sale of 2,000 
oz is sud to have been made at ll§d, and the market 
Closes firm. 
Vanillv— Fim quality, which is. very Scarce, realises 
Very high prices, but common grades were from Is to 
2S "per lb lower toil 1 y. Tile following prices were paid: 
7 to 7i inches, 19s 6d ; 5 to 55 inches, 17S to 1SS ed ; 
fiiir chocolate, 4 to 5 inches, US od to 16S ed : and ordi- 
nary bi-fiwii. 5} to 7} inches, 12s 6d to 13S 6d per lb ; 
common Fiji vanilla realised 3s 9d per lb. 
A FEW WORDi OS TEA, COFFEE, AND 
CACAO. 
(By an old Planter.) 
Feb. 2:1. 
On reading an article in the Qkiaroei' the other 
day by Mr. A. G. Stauton of London, my attention 
was drawn to two or three rather novel and curious 
remarks. One speaker recommended that tea should 
be drawn from two tea-pots, to draw the tannin 
that is found in tea that is not used quickly, and 
which is extracted from the tea leaves. I presume 
this gentleman would have one tea pot so elevated 
that by a syphon it could supply the lower one. 
Such an arrangement would lie elaborate and rather 
expensive for the humbler olasai .-^ who are quite satisiled 
with an old black tin pot or even one of earthenware 
of russet brown. They know nothing about tannin — 
it is an unknown word to them ; nevertheless, they 
appreciate a cup of tea of good flavour. 
That it is inspiring — and believe it lengthens life's 
winded thread. And now tint coffee is so scarce and 
dear in the old country, the humbler classes are 
obliged to In- contented with one home daily decoc- 
tion, and that is tea, whether from Ceylon, India, 
or the Flowery Land. In Ceylon and in the East 
generally the natives are fast becoming tea-drinkers, 
and though 1 1 1 »• Moli.uuniedan will doubtless have his 
cup of coffee as Iqng as he can procure it after his hookah, 
yet on ordinary occasions lie drinks witli gusto of 
his brow that cheers but not inebriates. The scarcity 
of coffee, I may • i\. in most parts of Europe and 
th ' East must have been a potent factor in bringing 
about the greater use of t _>as, be they from Ceylon. 
Iudia or China ; tlui ■ can be little doubt of 
this fact being Uu s : so that it is an ill wind that 
brings no good with it, and ones a taste is created; 
a habit indulged in it is not easily bauished or eradi- 
cated. The first tea shrub I remember to have seen 
was in Ceylon, 30 years ago, in the Governor's 
gardens in Kandy. The highly respectable Mo- 
handiram with his lofty comb was friendly to 
me, and had for years charge of the Gardens, and after 
pointing out to me the various tropical trees he said, 
" Come, I will show you a real tea tree — I think 
it was of the Chinese variety — : froni which I make 
tea for myself and very good it is, and I can tell 
you that the tea bush will grow well in Ceylon." I 
think this was in the year 1860 or thereabouts. Little 
did I anticipate then that coffee would receive its 
coup-dc-t/race in Ceylon, and that its rival tea would 
usurp its place. Many old residents will remember 
that Messrs. G. W. & Co. supplied tea to upcoimtry 
purchasers for some years in small chests of 10 lb. 
weight at, I think, a rupee per lb., and good tea it 
was ; and there was also a famous brand sold in the 
sixties by Miller & Co. of Kandy called Firr- 
cham's brand. Fincham, I believe, was a tea mer- 
chant in India, and his brother a coffee planter in 
Ceylon. 
It is surprising that cocoa or chocolate does 
not promise to become a Britisher's national bever- 
age. No doul-t during the last 4 or 5 decades the 
use pi cocoa in various ways has greatly in- 
creased. The flavour of a good cup of cocoa is deli- 
cious, and the decoction, when plenty of cream or 
rich new milk is added makes the beverage very 
warming and soothing to the stomach and nourish- 
ing too. I have miny times tried strong coffee and 
tea and have always, I may say, found well-made 
chocolate or cocoa to strengthen the inner man more 
than tea or coff ee. When its nourishing properties 
are fully known it will be used mo;e extensively than 
at present. Sixty years ago, I can remember, cocoa 
nibs w'ere retailed by one or two grocers in our towni 
the second then in the Unitsd Kingdom, and only 
nibs were then offered for sale. It was a great 
novelty and only one or two old travellers returned 
from foreign lands used it in 0111' suburban viF 
lage. An old soldier particularly, who was suffering 
from weaknes-, of the stonnch, was allowed by a Dii 
Ransome, I think, to drink cocoa with milk and 
eschew tea and coffee. Sometime ago I had ground 
some ripe cocoa pods on a clean stone, then the cocoa 
powder was slightly roasted and afterwards on making 
a decoction of it I found it Was first-rate ; so easily 
can it be prepare!. In some islands the young 
women go round of a morning' celling sticks of cocoa 
for 2d each. The roasted cocoa is mixed with a little 
flour and fresh buttor and made up into sticks about 
the size of a stick of Spanish juice and then offered 
for sale. Old Traveller. 
TEA AND SCANDAL, 
See round yonder table a party at tea, 
They appear quite as friendly as friendly can be ; 
Some talk about this thing and soihe about that ! 
Now listen awhile, if you please, to their chat. 
" Your tea is agreeable, ladies, I hope." 
" Quite, perfectly so, my dear Mrs. Cone ; 
The flavour delicious, pray where was it bought 
"At Mr. Le Pruen's." "Ah! who could have thought ? 
Whyj Madam, that man is a terrible cheat ; 
Few ever can there a good article meet. 
Anil then to his wife he's so shockingly near, 
I'oor woman, she scarcely is tit to appear: 
Might tell you nun h 111 ire. but always take care, 
TradiHSng the absent is not very fair.'' 
Tea Tabic Clinl, by Mr. 10 Parks. 
When good Queen Elizabeth sat on the throne, 
Kre coffee, or tea. or such slip-slops were known, 
The world was in terror if e'er sue did t'nnvn, 
Oil the roast beef of old l'.ngland. 
And oh ! the old F.nglish Roast Beef ! 
Yankee Dooble bad a wife. 
And she said, pray, consider. 
Woids is wind, bill blows do hurt. 
And war makes me a widder. 
Johnny Bull will bum New Vork, 
Steam up PotMUic, all hot, 
He'll hoist his Bag at Baltimore, 
And snush your Boston Teapot, 
