484 
THE TEOPICAL AGPJCULTUEIST. 
[Jan. ], 1900- 
SPURIOUS OR WILD CINNAMON. 
Colombo, Jan. 6. 
Sir, — In support of the action originally 
undertaken by the Chamber of Conuiierce, 
I beg to enclose copy of letter from Messr.s. 
Darley, Butler & Co. to the Londoji Produce 
Brokers' Association. At foot of letter I ap- 
pend particulars of the result of effort to 
sell the wild cinnamon shipped. — Yours, &c., 
R. W. NUNN,— Secretary. 
RESUI/rs OF SALE REFERRED TO. 
2,280 bales offered, none sold, stuff valued before 
sale at 4d to old per lb., vainly sought buyers after 
at 2id. Principal marks oft'ered were : — 
H. M. S. &Co. ... 325 bales 
D. B. C. ... 020 „ 
M.D.J. ... 214 ,, 
M. A. K., D. S. S. and U. L. M. 
Later news quotes |d per lb. offered for some of 
the above. 
Tlie Chairman, General Produce Brokers' As- 
sociation of London, Commercial Sale Boom. 
SPURIOUS OR WILD CINNAMON. 
London, Dec. 1st, 1899. 
Dear Sib,— -As importers of Ceylon Cinnamon 
we wish to call the attention of the General Pro- 
duce Brokers' Association of London to the impor- 
tation of various kinds of bark not in fact cinna- 
mon under tlie classification of cinnamon, and to 
ask that the Association will, if possible, take up 
the matter with a view to preventing such bark, 
whether imported as quills in bales or as chips in 
bags being included in the imports, deliveries and 
stocks of cinnamon and cinnamon chips. 
There is no doubt that the shipments of this 
spurious cinnamon from Colombo have done much* 
injury to the trader in genuine cinnamon, and we 
commend the following facts to your considera- 
tion 
(a) It is estimated that some 3,000 bales of quills 
of spurious cinnamon have been shipped from 
Colombo during the present year, the bulk of 
which has come to London and appears in the 
imports of cinnamon ; probably the bulk at the 
present time remaining in stock. 
(b) Though some of the barks sm shipped as cin- 
namon are of a genus belonging to the same family 
(Lauraecae or laurel family) as genuine cinnamon, 
they are not of the same genus making them in 
fact quite distinct from genuine cinnamon, while 
some belong to an entirely different family alto- 
gether — in the one case the difference in genus 
differentiates the bark entirely from genuine 
cinnamon, in the other there is no connection at all. 
(c) The use of such bark, if it is used at all, 
must be for the purpose of adulteration. In this 
connection we would ask you to ascertain from 
those who are selling this spurious cinnamon the 
relative value compared with genuine cinnamon. 
In order to give you all the information we can, 
on the subject we enclose herewith : — 
(1) Copies of correspondence in Ceylon in- 
cluding a report from Mr. A Schulze to the 
Chamber of Commerce. 
(2) Letter from the Secretary, H M Customs, 
to tlie Secretary of the Ceylon Association in 
London, in reference to action which the Cus- 
toms' authorities may take here. 
We are indebted to' the Secretary of the Ceylon 
Association in London, for these documents, and 
are assured of tlie support of tlie Association in 
any steps that it may be desirable to take to 
protect tbe Cinnamon 'I rade of Ceylon.— We are, 
&c. Darley & Butler, 
CACAO CULTURE AND DISEASE: 
PRICES AND PROSPECTS. 
London, Dec. 22, 1899. 
Dkar Sir, — I enclose two cuttings out of tlie 
"Port of Spain Gazette" (Trinidad, W.I) re diseased 
cacao bark from which the Trinidad planters 
seem to be liaving a good deal of trouble just now. 
As theremedy seems highly poisonous, I consider Dr 
Proctor's (who is also a cacao planter) letter very 
cLpropos.* If, asMr.Ma.ssee says, the di.sease is caused 
by damp, stufly conditions, this stiengiiiens niy 
idea that many people grow their cacao under 
much too damp circumstances ; under tlie idea that 
the damp humid banks of tlie Brazilian rivers 
are the habitat of tlie original trees, many 
seem to think cacao cannot be too damp and 
liot. It ife a great mistake, which, however, the 
(Jeylon planters seem fully allive to. 1 also 
enclose my notes on the London Cocoa Market. 
One of ray cacao planting friends in Trinidad 
writes me that, judging from all the estates he 
lias visited, there will be practically no cocoa 
about for Christmas ; except, perhaps, a little, 
small proprietors scrape together ; the promising 
pods that were coming on a little time back having 
turned blacl';. Another reliable authority bears this 
out by saying he does not expect London will see 
any appreciable quantity of Trinidad cocoa until 
tlie middle or end of February, so evidently the 
crop will be a full month late." The weather, 
when the mail left was showery and generally 
more promising tor agriculturists. 
The Government not being buyers, no sales were 
held last week, and I don't think we should 
have had any this week, but for the desire of 
one broker to realise some cocoa belonging to 
a Guayaquil house who is in difficulties; but prices 
are firm to Is higher all round, and considering 
it is Christmas week, it has been a busy one. 
Privately a fair quantity of Ceylons have been 
sold, anything at all decent being quickly taken 
up, and even inferior stuff sells ;better. Prices 
privately lia\e ranged from 63s 6d to 68s for 
common to fair native, up to 7Gs for good red. 
Fine red still commands fancy rates, and at this 
week's sale some good bold, rather dark break 
sold at 85s, good small 60s to 65«, and fair red 
75s, 73 bags good dull red Java, very whitish 
in break also fetclied 85s, which I consider a high 
price. There is no doubt any falling off in pro- 
duction this year, which in the face of 1899's 
bumper crops, is not unlikely, will cause some 
excitement among buyers, especially if the war 
continues, and the Government are steady buyers, 
which seems likely to be, for I see by the press, 
every soldier carries 4oz. cocoa paste as "emergency 
rations, " besides what is given out in lieu of tea 
and cofl'ee. — Yours truly, H. H. S. 
Wild or Spurious Cinnamon.— With re- 
ference to the correspondence in the o^Yiev 
column sent us by the Chamber of Com- 
merce, surely no one, after this exposure of 
the pecuniary as well as intrinsic value of 
the stuff shipped as wild cinnamon, will repeat 
the operation ? We suppose 2d a lb. is re- 
quired to cover cost of shipping, freight, 
charges, &c. — so that to get only Jd must 
mean a heavy loss. Such a trade should 
surely die out at once? 
See page 478.— Ed. T. A., 
