Oct. 1, WOO] THE TROPiCAL AGKICULTURIST. 
•253 
THE CEYLON PLUMBAGO INDUSTRY. 
We have read with interest the various 
letters which have recently appeared iu the 
columns of the local papers regarding the 
position of our one commercial mineral of 
imporLance, plumba.o-o. At first a gradual 
but latterly a sudden and enormous rise in 
values, has been followed by a no less sud- 
den collapse ; and it is no doubt the duty of 
all interested in the industry to consider 
very carefully the present state of so 
important an article of export from this 
Colony. With this object in view, let 
us see what figures there are to help us, 
A reference to the export returns gives the 
following plumbago as exported, in tons, 
to different countries :— 
To Con- Else- 
In. U.K. America, tinent. where. Total. 
1893 .. 5,059 8,192 3,4G9 160 16,880 
1894 .. 7,518 5,104 4,267 97 16,976 
1895 .. 6,113 7,489 3,074 70 16,746 
1896 .. 5,767 7,813 3,295 149 17,024 
1897 .. 7,983 4,440 5,333 106 17.862 
1898 .. 8,025 9,335 6,164 79 23,653 
1899 .. 9,296 15,027 6,378 118 30,819 
The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce values 
are given as follows per ton : — 
Date. 
7th Jan. 1895 
I'dth do. 1896 
5th do. 1897 
11th do. 1898 
5th July 189« 
10th Jau. 1899 
4i,h July 1899 
9th Jan. 1900 
3rd Sept. 1900 
(U CD 
•7^ !- 
R. 
300 
330 
310 
365 
600 
700 
1,0 10 
1,000 
700 
R. 
280 
290 
260 
345 
560 
650 
950 
1,050 
600 
|6 |q 
Tc o .Bf o 
is'" M*" 
K. 
95 
90 
90 
145 
200 
300 
500 
550 
300 
R. 
170 
140 
120 
220 
370 
500 
650 
8U0 
4?0 
From these figures it will be noticed that, 
until early in 1898, no movement of great 
importance took place either as regards 
increase in exports or rise iu prices There 
can be little doubt now that the plumbago 
required by crucible-makers and others, had 
been bought so sparingly towards the close 
of 1897, that when a special densand set in 
at that time for the article, there was 
practically none found on the spot unsold, 
either in London, New Y^ork or the Conti- 
nent Consequently, orders came out to 
Ceylon from buyers in Europe and America, 
who hitherto had generally got all their 
supplies from the older and larger importers 
there, and the latter apparently having 
nothing to spare had to decline business. 
This led to a much larger and much more 
widely distributed demand in Colombo, and 
with keen competition to fulfil orders on 
hand, prices advanced rapidly. 
The advance iu prices in Ceylon was stimu- 
lated not only (1) by keen competition to get 
plumbago to fulfil legitimate orders ; but (2) 
the excitement which follows an unusually 
large demand, combined with rapid advance iu 
prices, led to numerous purchases being made 
with the sole object of such being turned 
over locally at a profit. Then again (o) dealers 
who had made forward contracts with tlis 
older and more regular exporters, found the 
market had gone dead against their being 
able to fullil such contracts witliout serious loss 
and this led to orders at higher rates being 
given by exporters to enable them, if possible, 
to fulfil their engagements in Europe and 
America. The local Law Courts have given 
us some confirmation of this state of things. 
The his'h prices, however, led to an 
inevitably large output, and the exports for 
1899 re.iched 30,819 tons against 17,862 tons in 
1877. With such a great increase in export, 
prices could not be kept up and it only 
required a few large buyers to suddenly hold 
off the market, in order to lead to the inevit- 
able collapse. 
What is of most importance now, however, 
is, not what has taken place in the past, 
but what is to be the future of plumbago ; 
and our reason for glancing over the past 
is solely that this may enable us tc 
bring some light to bear on the future. 
The exports for the year 1900 (1st January 
to lOtli September) aggregate 12,573 tons, 
and we would ask our readers to careftdly 
compare these figures with the corresponding 
periods of IS97-1899. These are :— 
1897 . . 1-2,160 tons. 
1898 .. 16,988 ., 
1899 .. 21,944 „ 
1900 .. 12,573 „ 
— showing that for the year 1900 there has 
been a falliug-off of 9,371 tons compared with 
the year 1899, and a falling-ofl: of 4.415 tons 
compared with the year 1898. In short our 
exports have already gone back to those of 
the year 1897— before the great rise in priceis 
commenced. The demand for crucibles must, 
of course, continue, and crucible-makers 
must continue to buy plumbago, and there- 
fore it may be safelj' aflirmed that prices of 
])lumbago are not going back to those ruling in 
1895-97. But plumbago,even at present prices, 
must show good returns to most of the pit- 
owners. Surely, if during the year 1897, 
plumbago could be purchased in quantity 
and sold at from R2S0 to R365 for high- 
grade lumps, — high-grade lumps at R600 
to R700 in the year 1900 should show a 
handsome profit for the pit ; while all other 
qualities are in proportion. It is easy tq 
get people who will say that labour has 
gone up, and so it has; also that "this," 
'• that " and " the other " have gone up in 
price, and that it will not pay owners now to 
work most of their mines. It will require 
some very clear statistical statements to be put 
before us, before we can accept that view, 
or be convinced that pitowuei^s of local 
experience will not continue tofind plumbago 
mining a very profitable invest- ment, if 
values remain at or near those now current. 
Of course there are pits and pits, and 
no doubt the recent boom led to wild specu- 
lation in plumbago land and to the rapid 
opening up of some mines vvhich will prob- 
ably never pay. Then again it has yet to 
be made clear to those interested, what the 
cost is of opening up and keeping free from 
water mines in the very low country, com- 
pared wi*^h the cost of such as are to be 
found on the hillsides in the Kurunegala 
and other higher plumbago districts. 
On one property iu J.Iaskeliya 1-50 tons of 
