Sept. 1, 1899.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 195 
crop this year was 92,000, so that 1 shall be safe for 
about 325,000 this year. I shall be quite content 
to get 750,000 nuts from my 250 acres ; but 
prices here are generally good. Uajakadaluwa 
seems more hopeful; and the experience recorded 
with a 10-year plantation fairly justifies it; while 
mine is 18 to 28 years." 
We have had the pleasure of visiting the estate 
referred to, and may add tliat the trees, doubtless 
as a result of utmost care expended on them, 
show an exceedingly solid build. The straight- 
ness of the trunks was remarkable, and, 
though slow of bearing, on the older trees almost 
without exception we saw fine clusters of large 
nuts. The grass beneath the |)alms seemed of 
excellent quality and kept exceedingly clean, 
so much so that it brightened up one's dimmer 
recollections of an English garden far more than 
the bare earth of the tea-lield could ever do. 
The cinnamon shrubs looked exquisitely fresh 
and green, and the prospering verdant growth 
of these bushes seemed to drop into the place 
of the border of laurels beside an emerald lawn 
in the home country— the land of many a spacious 
park and smiling hedge-row. 
THE FUTUKE OF CINCHONA. 
The note which we published last week regarding 
t'le trouble in the Company which established the 
Bandong Quinine Works, was fair evidence that all is 
not happy there, but more recent news which has come 
to hand indicates that the trouble has been smoothed, 
if not settled, and, a decision arrived at which will 
have a far-reaching inffuence upon the supply of cjn- 
chona bark and quinine to the world. On the IGth 
ultimo, a meeting of bankers and cinchona-plantprs 
was held at Bandong to consider the whole question 
of the export of cinchona and quinine, when it was 
decided to establish in Batavia a regular cinchona 
market, whence the bark will be sent and sold by 
auction to exporters. At the same time an agree- 
ment was entered into with the Bandong Quinine 
Factory, under which that Company agree to send to 
the Batavia market before the end of January, 1900, 
not less than 10,000 kilos. (350,000oz) of quinine sul- 
phate for disposal by auction, and the Company also 
undertake to supply advance samples of the quinine, 
so that samples may be distributed to bayers in 
the neighbouring colonies, and in Australia in October 
next. These are the brief details which have come 
to hand by cable. Brief as they are, it will be seen 
that they embody a principle which has not hitherto 
been recognised by the cinchona planters, and it is evi- 
dent that, if the planters are all in it, and stick to- 
gether, the days of cheap bark and quinine under Is per 
oz. are practically over. It is well known that the 
planters live by virtue of advances made to them by 
bankers and financiers, who have always grumbled at 
the want of control over the European markets. 
This Dew proposal seems to supply what they lacked, 
for it will at least give them the grip on the local 
market, and ensure minimum rates for the bark— 
alwaps assuming, of course, that there is in Batavia 
a suiiictent number of buyers to ensure the competition 
requisite for fair prices. The Java people have learnt 
by the incidents of this year that the world is prac- 
tically dependent upon them for this indispensable 
drug, and although speculators are mainly responsible 
for the great appreciation of baik and quinine, the 
speculation was based upon the iosnfiiciency of Java 
supplies. Seeing, therefore, that the supplies to the 
European market will, in future, pass through the 
Batavia gauge, and that that gauge will be controlled 
by those having pecuniary interest in keeping it big, 
it does not seem likely that we shall see a return to 
penny units. India and Cey'.cn are now out of the 
running in cinchona prodaotion. They cannot grow 
the rich Ledger trees for want of the suitable soil at 
the requisite elevations. Gradually India is dropping 
all the species except Officinalis, and although Mr. 
Standeo's visit to Java may help him to more hopeful 
experiments on the Indian Government plantations, 
no market inflaence can be looked for from that 
qnaiter during the next dozen years — if ever. We 
are in the hands of Java, and the Batavians know it. 
When the new Convention comes into force the 
despatch does not say, but we imagine that it ia 
forthwith. — Chemist and Druggist. 
Science and Tea.— Replying to various 
enquiries inade by Sir Patrick Playfair, Dr. 
George Watt, Economic Reporter toj the 
Government of India, has stated at some 
length his views in regard to the employment 
of a scientific officer for the tea districts. His 
remarks — says the Madras Mail — will be of 
considerable interest to planters throughout 
India, for they are an exposition of the need 
that there is, not for one scientist but for 
several. Dr. Watt says, in fact, that he would 
urge '• that there is not scope for one scientific 
expert for a few years but for half a dozen for 
a life-time." As, however, it is improbable 
that the Indian Tea Association can afford 
to employ more than one, and as the Govern- 
ment does not appear disposed to do more 
than assist the Association in regard to one 
scientist, we need not at present travel 
beyond the question of what particular branch 
of agricultural science that one should deal 
with. After showing that one man could not 
1)6 an expert in the several very important 
branches that need investigation in the tea 
districts of Northern India, Dr. Watt brings 
the matter to a point by saying that if funds 
will not admit of the whole question being 
dealt with, the Association should decide 
whether it wishes to secure a biologist (a) to 
investigate pests and blights and discover 
remedies ; (b) to bring to light practical im- 
jirovements in the quality and treatment of 
the plant, or (c) to suggest improvements in 
methods of manufacture. As regards the 
investigations conducted by himself in Assam, 
Dr. Watt explains that they lasted only two 
months and a half and were conducted in 
only one district — Assam. On the point of 
probable cost he states that if an officer were 
employed permanently, it might be possible 
to get a Doctor of Science with special quali- 
fications in the chemistry of plant-life for 
R1,000 rising by aimual increments to Rl,500. 
If only engaged for a term of five years, 
the expert should receive not less than Rl,5(;0 
a month, all expenses paid to and from India, 
and customary travelling allowances. A 
central head-quarters is desirable — Shillong, 
if work is to be conducted in Assam alone ; 
if it is to extend to Darjeeling, the Duars. 
Asiram, Cachar, &c., Darjeeling might prove to 
be the best place for the head-quarters labora- 
tory, if Calcutta be thought too far off : but 
in that case there should be small laboratories 
also at DHirugarh and one or two other cen- 
tres. A distinct period of every year should 
be spent on tour, and every garden under the 
Association visited in turn. A hard and fast 
rule should also be made that every discovery 
made by the scientist becomes the property of 
the Association, and that he should not be 
allowed to patent any process or method 
within a fixed term of years. 
