546 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
[Feb,  i,  1893. 
Colombo  etooks,  the  attraction  being  not  bo  much 
better  prices  at  home  as  the  very  low  exchange 
and  freight  which  have  latterly  prevailed.  Of 
course,  in  this  connection,  it  would  be  interesting 
to  know  what  stock  of  bark  remains  in  Colombo 
and  what  prospeot  there  is  of  further  harvest- 
ings upcountry.  About  the  latter  we  may  have 
reliable  information  a little  later  ; but  meantime 
we  think  we  may  confidently  say  that  there  is 
no  probability  of  Ceylon  exporting  6,  or  even  5 
millions  lb.  of  oinchona  bark  during  1893.  There 
oan  be  no  doubt,  that  the  quinine  and  bark 
markets  are  once  more  approaching  an  interesting 
stage  ; for  while  the  consumption  of  quinine  has 
very  largely  increased,  owing  to  its  cheapness, 
and  big  profits  are  once  more  made  by  manu- 
facturers, it  is  very  doubtful  if  Java  or  the  other 
bark-supplying  countries  will  be  able  to  go  on 
shipping  all  the  bark  now  required,  at  any  rate 
without  the  inducement  of  better  prices.  There 
are  not  many  in  Ceylon  now  to  profit  to  aDy 
great  extent  by  an  improved  bark  market  ■ but 
still  a rise  in  the  unit  of  from  25  to  50  per  cent, 
even,  during  the  current  year,  would  be  aooeptable 
to  those  who  hold,  or  are  able  to  harvest,  bark, 
The  following  review  of  the  “ Quinine  and  Cin- 
chona ” markets  during  1892  from  the  Chemist  and 
Druggist  is  of  interest,  in  this  connection  : — 
The  quinine  and  cinchona  traders  have  not  been 
greatly  disturbed  this  year.  “ Association  ” and 
“syndicate”  rumours  were,  indeed,  as  plentiful  as 
usual,  but  up  to  the  present  nobody  is  one  penny  the 
worse  or  the  better  for  them.  In  April  it  was  reported 
that  a syndicate  of  bark-buyers,  with  a capital  of 
25,0001 , had  been  formed  in  Amsterdam,  but  that 
syndicate,  like  certain  chemical  combinations,  existed, 
if  at  all,  in  the  nascent  state  oDly,  sod  was  never 
heard  of  again.  About  a month  afterwards  an  elabor- 
ate preliminary  prospectus  of  the  “Oinchona  Asso- 
ciation (Limited,)'’  burst  upon  the  world,  which  did 
not  seem  to  be  greatly  disturbed  by  its  apparition. 
The  “Association”  was  to  have  its  headquarters  in 
London  and  Amsterdam,  and  was  intended  to  embrace 
all  mercantile  firms  and  planters  interested  in  the 
bark-trade.  Its  actual  incorporation,  however,  was  not 
to  come  to  pass  until  the  unit  had  fallen  below  Id 
per  lb.,  and  as  that  contingency  has  not  yet  been 
realised,  the  Association  still  remains  an  ethereal 
essence.  The  direct  consignments  of  cinchona-bark  from 
Java  to  one  of  the  German  factories  have  ceased,  and 
there  has  been  a good  deal  of  talk  of  the  desirability  of 
founding  a quinine-factory  in  Java.  Elaborate  plans 
have  been  drawn  up,  showing  that  the  profits  of  such 
an  enterprise  would  probably  be  very  great,  and,  with 
an  improved  market,  might  become  almost  fabulous. 
The  Java  planters’  enthusiasm,  however,  has  not  yet 
reached  the  practical  height  of  planking  down  the 
cash.  Meanwhile  the  low  quinine  prices  continue,  and 
yet  one  of  the  principal  German  factories  has  paid  a 
30-per  oent.  dividend  to  its  shareholders.  We  have 
not  heard  much  of  any  discoveries  of  processes  for 
the  manufacture  of  artificial  quioiae,  although  an 
attempt  to  prepare  methyl-cuprcine,  which  is  identical 
with  quinine,  from  cuprea-bark  proved  successful.  Un- 
fortunately for  the  discoverer,  it  is  at  preseut  much 
oheaper  to  manufacture  quinine  direct  ia  the  usual 
way. 
& 
THE  GEMMING  AND  MINING  CO.  OP 
CEYLON,  LIMITED. 
A BETTER  YEAR  AND  AN  IMPROVED 
OUTLOOK. 
The  third  ordirary  general  meeting  was  held  at  the 
offices  of  the  Company,  184,  Gresham  House,  Old 
Broad  Street,  on  Thursday,  the  22nd  ult. 
ME.  THOMAS  DICKSON 
presided. 
The  Secretary  having  read  the  notice  convening  the 
meeting, 
The  Chairman  moved  the  adoption  of  the  report 
and  accounts,  and  said  that  although  the  year  1891 
hidnotbeen  so  prosperous  a«  they  lould  have  wished, 
the  directors  bad  done  their  be6t  by  cutting  down 
expenses  and  leasing  the  gemming  ground  to  make 
both  ends  meet.  The  plumbago  mining  bad  enafied 
thi  m to  tide  over  their  difficulties  anil  put  them  in 
funds  to  the  present  time;  and  he  wss  happy  to  find, 
from  a supplementary  statement  which  had  been 
prepared  and  was  now  laid  betore  the  meeting,  that 
th«  receipts  this  year  from  all  sources  amounted  to 
1,2467.  12s.  8d,  whilst  the  expenses  had  been  only 
8477.  14s.  Id,  leaving  them  with 
A CASH  BALANCE  IN  HAND 
this  day  of  3987.  18s  7d.  He  hoped,  therefore,  that 
the  year  1892  would,  when  completed,  compare 
favourably  wi  h 1891. 
A Shareholder  suggested  that  in  offering  to  lease 
the  gemruiDg  land  for  another  year,  the  Company 
would  do  well  to  fix  a minimum  sum,  as  there  was 
no  doubt  a disposition  on  the  pait  oftbe  natives  to 
get  it  as  cheap  as  possit  ie,  wliht,  perhaps,  they 
might  have  soeh  good  finds  in  the  shape  of  sapphires 
and  rubies  as  to  bring  their  profits  up  to  a 1,(U07. 
or  more.  He  also  thought  as  the  mtetiug  was  very  late 
in  the  year,  the  supplementary  statement  of  accouuts 
might  have  been  i>sued  with  the  audited  accounts, 
so  that  the  shareholders  might  see  tt  at  the  pro- 
perty was  really  doing  better  tliBn  they  w<re  ltd  to 
suppose  from  the  accounts  brought  up  to  the  end  of 
1891. 
Tee  Chairman,  in  reply,  s ated  that  the  suggestion 
as  to  placing  a minimum  figure  on  the  lease  should 
be  attended  to.  They  wtie  slready  a'ive  to  the  de- 
sirability of  getting  the  natives  to  compete,  6nd  had 
instructed  their  age>  t at  Cukmbo  to  have  the  p o- 
perty  advertised  in  Cingalese  and  Tamil  in  tbe  local 
papers.  With  regard  to  the  meeting  being  later  than 
lass  year,  tins  was  owing  to 
A CHANGE  IN  THE  MANAGEMENT, 
whioh  caused  an  interregnum  i.i  the  accounts,  and  aa 
the  auditors  could  not  pass  them  in  the  form  rendered 
the  books  and  accounts  had  to  be  leturned  to  the 
present  manager  for  completion-  These  hi.venow  been 
put  111  order  and  duly  auAied,  as  will  be  sten  fiom 
the  audi’ors’  ce  t.ficate  to  the  balance-shr  et. 
Ti  e directors’  report  and  acc  ounts  were  ihen  put  to 
the  meeting  and  carried  unanimuuily. 
Mr.  James  Wiseman  was  ie-elected  diiector,  and 
Messrs.  Lovelock,  Whiffen  and  Dickenson  re-ap- 
pointed  auditors. 
ORANGE  FLOWER  WATER. 
The  orange  growers  in  the  south  of  Fiance  have 
long  be.  n dtsea  isfied  wnh  the  terms  pad  them  tor 
their  produce  by  the  local  distillers,  who  aie  their 
only  possible  cusiomers.  They  have,  therefore,  decided 
to  form  s cc-opeiative  sccie'y  for  tbe  distillation  of 
their  produce  and  the  sale  of  oil  of  neroli,  orange 
flower  water,  and  the  like.  Each  share!  o der  will 
undertake  to  deliver  the  whole  ot  his  produce  to  tbe 
society,  and  it  is  estimated  that  the  output  01  the 
first  season's  work  will  be  600  kilos  of  oil  of  Dero  i 
and  600,000  liters  of  orange  flowir  water.  Tbe  sale 
price  is  expected  to  be  300f  per  kilo  for  the  oi',  and 
0'50f . per  liter  for  the  water,  and  upon  this  basis  'he 
society  will  be  able  to  pay  the  grow.  1 s 0 65f.  per  ki  o 
for  their  flowers  and  a divideno  of  7 to  8 per  cent, 
oa  the  capital. — Oil , Paint  and  Drug  Repoiter. 
FARMYARD  MANURE. 
A neat  little  pamphlet  printed  at  the  Happy 
Valley  Orphanage  Press  is  “ An  Essay  on  Farm- 
yard Manure,”  a copy  of  which  we  have  received 
from  the  writer  Mr.  E.  T.  Hoole,  agticultural 
instructor.  The  essayist  has  carefully  studied 
the  opinions  of  home  authorities  for  and  against 
manure  as  a fertilizer  and  he  gives  a very  good 
