32 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[July 1, 1899. 
THE WEATHER AND CROPS. 
The effects of the trying drought, which 
ahiiost all parts of the Island experienced 
during the first quarter, have not quite dis- 
appeared yet, so far as the Export Tables 
are an index. We are now in the last 'week 
of the fifth month ; and the Chamber of 
Commei'ce tables, made up to the 2:^i'd May, 
which we published for our Overland edi- 
tion and issued as a Supplement afford 
an interesting and instructive study. The 
form, in whioh we publish the Export 
Tables, enables our readers to ■• see at it- 
glance how the leading exports at the 
end of every week compare with the quan- 
tities sent away for the corresponding period 
of the three previous years. The tea shipped 
this year, so far, is 43,836,3201b., and is for the 
fii'st tijne, we lielieve, in 1899 ahead of the 
quantity shipped last year ; and that only ))y 
about 220,000 lb., Avhile it is still short of the 
exports to 23rd May in 1897, which reached 
44,782,320 ! We know no reason for tlie fall 
ing-olf, except the drought at the beginning 
of the year, coupled to a small extent with 
the frost in the highest districts. The last 
ground which has been already made u]i, 
gives promise of the realization of estimates 
for the year — though it is too early to pro- 
phesy confidently, or to revise the estimate. 
Coffee, curiously, has outstripped last year 
by nearly 1,000 cwt., albeit the quantity 
sent away is a miserable 6,344 cwt.; but the 
drought which told so disastrously on tea 
flushes was precisely what would bring out 
a blossom on coffee ; and who knows but 
that the season may literally bear fruit 
next year, and help to swell the exports of 
the now despised berry ? Cinchona, too, 
exhibits a leaf, with 336,700 lb exported, 
which is about 50,000 lb. in excess of last 
year, and 3,000 lb. in excess of 1897. The 
rise is probably due, rather to the iipward 
tendency of quinine early this year, and 
the slackness in tea plucking and manu- 
facture which set labour free for barking, 
than to any increase in the acreage 
imder cinchona, or any greater attention to 
cultivation. Cocoa, 20,5.5.5 cwt. exported, is 
5,400 short of last year, but the fall may be 
explained by the rule of alternate big and 
small crops. This year is 5,000 cwt. ahead 
of 1896 an'' 1897. So that the chances are 
against d 'sease having had been much to do 
with th'* jutgoing crop. Cardamoms, which 
are no immediately affected by drought, 
are ahead by about 18,000 lb., of last year 
when 202,021 lb. were sent away, but only 
8,3001b. in advance of 1897. 
It is on low-country products, however, that 
thedroughthas told with the greatest severity. 
Only 583,339 lb. of quilled cinnamon have been 
sent away, or nearly 200,000 lb. less than 
last year, 300,000 lb. less than in 1897, and 
1.50,000 less than in 18961 The deficiency in 
manufactured bark — which is available only 
when the weather favoiirs a free flow of 
sap, without which "peeling" is at a stand- 
still — has, however, been more than covered 
by excess in chips — generally coarse baik 
W'hich does not peel, and which can be 
liarvested (scrapcid off the sticks) all the year 
round. The 942,777 lb. of chips exported 
represent an excess of 370,000 lb. yvet last 
year, 400,000 over 1897, and 600,000 over 1896 ! 
Wliether this immense quaiititj^ will tell ou 
the prices of quilled bark is doubtful as 
fine bark is put to special uses for which 
chips are not suitable : and the deficiency in 
quills is really heavy. The prices now ruling 
confirm these doubts. The hand of the 
drought is to be seen in all the products of 
the coconut palm ; for although oil shows a 
slight increase of 3,200 cwt., as compared 
with last year, previous weeks showed a 
deficiency, and the increase now recorded is 
scarcely projjortiouate to the gi'owth of the 
palm industry, nor is it sufficient to com- 
pensate for the falling-off under other heatis. 
Thus, in copra, which showed such splendid 
possil)ilities last year, there is a falling-off 
this year of 17,(X)6 cwt. from the 114,4;i5 of 
1898. Desiccated coconut, in which there 
had been a steady jirogressive increase year 
by year, after the leaps and bounds <jf the 
earlier years of the new industi-y, exhibits 
a fall of 800,000 lb. as compared with 1898, 
and almost the same figures as 1897. In 
coconuts there is a fall of 2(J0,0(X); and in 
poouac of 36,000 cwt. The two heaviest ci'ops 
of nuts for tlie year have yet to be picked ; 
but there is no rea3(jn to believe that these 
will be larger than the coiresponding cro|)s 
of the last two years. It is feared tliey will 
be smaller. If so, jjrices must go up, as the 
demand for copra is steady, and is generally 
stronger in the latter part of the year. The 
drought we have gone through will tell ou 
the early crops of next year, too, — another 
reason why jirices should be maintained, or 
even rise. 
A product which shows a decided advance 
is one that is not grown, but dug up. 
We have sent away 210,280 cwt. of plumbago, 
against 161,255 cwt. last year, 123,398 in 1897, 
and 129,267 in 1896. 
4» 
Ash OF Cinnamon Bauk.— A fair amount of 
adulterated powdered cinnaiuon has Deen found in 
connuerce in Germany, recently. Examination of 
a large number of samples of the pure drug ha^ e 
sliowed tliat the maximum quantity of ash should 
be five per cent, with not more than one per cent 
of silica. — From 5. and C. Drugqist, for May. 
Salt as a Plague Peeventive.— E. A. H. 
writing from Nice to the Times of India, expresses 
confidence in salt as a plague-preventive, and 
ascribes the immunity from sickness which he 
had enjoyed, during 'So years' residence in India, 
to a liberal consumption of salt witli food. Even 
if the cheap and common condiment is not a 
direct preventive, there can be no doubt that an 
adequate use ot salt goes a good way to sustain 
liealtli ; and it is the weakly ones who are 
susceptible, not a'one to plague, but to all diseases. 
In this connection, it is interesting to learn that 
" furtlier experiments are this suiDnier to be made 
in the German Army with the object of ascertain- 
ing the exact value and sustaining p*.wer of sugar 
Two companies of two regiments from different, 
army corps are to make long marches, and the 
more intelligent men will be provided with pure 
sugar and with pastilles of sugar to which' coffee 
or lemon will be added, and which will be dis« 
solved in the water which will be carried in tins 
by the men. Comparisons will then he made aii4 
tue lesttlts reported ujion." 
