Nov. 1, 1902.] THE TKOPICAL AGRICULTURlSr; siS 
CINCHONA BARK AND QUININE: 
JAVA SWAMPINU THE MARKET. 
(C M & C Woodhouse's Circular, 21st August.) 
On the 16th inatant the exports of Bark from Java 
for first half of August were cabled as 3,227,000 
Arast. lb. ! As this riuantity would have been con- 
sidered heavy for the whole month, the question anked 
everywhere is, " What does it mean"? In the hopes 
of getting Planters in Java to keep the market supplied 
with moderation and to avoid excessive harvesting of 
Bark which must end disastrously to all oonoerced, we 
think the following statistics may be found useful as 
showing roughly the position at the end of last year : — 
1901. 1900. 1899. 
Eng. Eng. Eng. 
Imports of Bark into lb. lb. lb. 
U.K. & Holland 18,208,030 15,770,000 16,321,000 
Exports of Bark from 
U.K. & Holland 15,271,000 16,243,000 15,82^000 
+ 2,937,000 —473,000 
Estimated Bark con- 
sumed by English 
and Dutch Manu- 
facturers 2,000,000 2,000,000 
H- 493,000 
2,000,000 
Estimated difference 
in Stocks of Bark 
in London and 
Holland -t- 937,000 
-2,473,000 —1,507,000 
Quinine equivalent Ozs. 
at 4/; per cent. -1-675,000 
Increase in Stocks 
of Quinine in Lon- 
don during the year 201,000 
Ozs. 
-1,781,000 
503,000 
Ozs. 
-1,085,000 
997,000 
Estimated difference 
in Stocks of Bark 
and Quinine +876,000 —1,218,000 —88,000 
From the above it appears that, owing to the in- 
creased supplies of Bark froin Java, the Production was 
last year in excess of the Distribution, but this would 
not have mattered much in view of the large reduction 
iu Stocks during two preceding years, if consumption 
i adbeen maintained, but the feature for some months 
past has been the large falling-off in Imports of Bark 
(ind Quinine into United States. Estimating the Bark 
as containing 4i per cent. Quinine on average, the 
Imports of Bark and Quinine into United States com- 
pare as follows, viz. :— 1901/2, 1900/1. 1899/1900, 
Ozs. O.-is. Ozs. 
Ist July to 31st May 5,227,000 6,(588,000 6,193,000 
Now it is not likely that actual consumption has fallen 
off to anything like the above extent, but it is unfortu- 
nate that, when the market is suffering from a 
dimnished trade, the exports from Java should show a 
tendency to increase. We trust that the Planters 
there will be warned in time, as the future is almost 
entirely in their hands. 
QuWiNE.— During the earlier part of the month the 
market was steady at lO^d to lOfd per oz.. with a 
moderate business doing to the Trade. This week, 
however, after the heavy Bark shipments were known, 
prices gave way Id to LVd per oz., and considerable 
sales were made at 9id to 9Jd per oz. on the spot. The 
further decline again brought in buyers and there has 
since been a firmer tone, the latest quotation being 
9id to lOd per oz. 
Besides various conclusions come to concerniDf» 
fjreea maniirinf^, weeding, etc., he lays stress 
upon the necessity for a well-balanced, complete 
nianuie. He prefers for good soil, or for land 
wiiere natural manures are employed, a fertiliser 
containing 
Phosphoric acid ... ... 8 
Potash .. ... " .. 13 
Nitrogen ... ... 4 
whici) should be used, nob for each tree but for tiie 
whole field. With green manuring a fair supply 
of cheap nitrogen is obtained, bub phosphoric acid 
and potash are wanting and should be supplied. 
Phosphoric acid increases the yield, but when it 
is in an easily soluble form the greatest care 
musb be taken, for, if given in quantities too 
great, ib forces from the tree one or two large 
harvests only to rush it to certain deatli unless 
a heavy nitrogenous manure is employed as an 
aatidote. Potash acts on the wood and leaves. 
The coffee plant stands greatly in need of potash. 
When this fertiliser is nob used the want is im- 
mediately noticed in the tree. I^litrogen shows 
its elFect in strong fleshy branches of fruit wood, 
dark leaves and slow ripening. Lime unibes for 
a shorb time the action of pobasli and phosphorous, 
the stout, long woody appearance resembling the 
efFecb produced by potash while the disinbegrabing 
effect upon the soil and the early ripening pro- 
duced resemble the action of phosphoric acid. 
The usual course in fertilising is bo waib till bhe 
impoverishment of the soil is pabenb to the naked 
eye, generally after some years, when the coffee 
roots have penetrated bo a soil that starves 
them. As to the manner of manuring I think 
the advice is sound, and the only rational one 
is to fertilise the field as a whole and not the 
single tree If a part of the plantation is lost, 
and dying trees unfortunately show in different 
places, the point f')r decision is whether the 
whole must be given up or bhe whole mainbained, 
and bhe only way bo keep bhe vaeanb spaces 
from increasing year by year is bo grow green 
manure on them and bo keep bhe whole field equally 
well manured. 
As far as I have seen, great taith is held in 
superphosphates and the quickly acting and as 
quickly lost saltpetre, but few planters resort 
to a steadily acting, well-balanced complete 
manure such as a mixture of bone meal and pobash 
with stable manure or poonac, 
Ilanipet, 2lst Aug. JoHM KeNNV. 
—Madras Mail, Aug. 27. 
MANURE COFFEE. 
I have before me a pamphlet by Gasbav 
Helmricli on experimcnbs in manuring coffee in 
Guatemala. Ib shows blie perseverance, deber- 
niined ellorb and acienbidc attention of a coffee 
planter amidst difiiculbies such as hail and rain 
thib measured ISO m. in 2 hours and resulbaut 
landslips that caiiied aivay faiivsiised tlelda. 
COLOURED AND UNCOLOUKEU GREEN 
TEAS. •■ 
To the Editor " Home and Colonial Mail.'* 
Sir, — Mr. Koberb Harb's able lebter in your 
issue of the l!)th July should set at rest the many 
misconceptions that have grown up on bhis subjectj 
Ib cannot be too Widely known among British 
])lanber3 and Directors of Companies that green 
teas, on whatever system they are made, come 
out coloured, or uucoloured, according to the 
style of the tiual firing. If this is carried out on 
the ordinary hot-air drying machines, the tea 
will ass\ime the olive colour that has misled 
some tea experts into calling the Oeylon preen 
teas.made in this manner "Oolongs" or " Na- 
niunas," which they cannob be, for these de- 
scriptions are semi fermented, whereas the Ceylon 
green teas produced on Mr. Drumniond Deane's 
well-knowu system are entirely uaferuieated, Xh« 
