Feb 1, 1900.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
529 
be further depleted. Now, as for several years 
past, the future rests wiih the Java planters, 
British possessions being unable to furnish any 
important quantity. At an established unit of 2d 
and upwards, a certain quantity of cultivated Cali- 
saya coald be imported, but it would require 3d the 
unit to encourage any shipments from the old 
districts in South America, whence the market was 
originally supplied. 
The following are the Java shipments for December, 
with the totals for the past four years ; the short- 
ness of the shipiiients last month, and the fact that 
the total for the year has I'nly exceeded the pre- 
vious year by 250^000 ib. has created a great im- 
pression and strengthened the belief that the 
maximum output from that inland has been seen; — 
Java Shipments, December. 
1899. 1898 1897. 1896. 
pounds, pounds, pounds, pounds. 
Amsterdam 626,000 1,018,000 7S1.000 890,000 
Java Shipments, January-December. 
Amsterdam 11,390,800 11,133,000 8,511,000 10,079,000 
From the table below of the movements in Loudon 
during the past year, it will be seen that the Stocks 
iu this port have been decreased by 4,000 packages, 
and are now at the lowest point touched during 
modern memory ; the deliveries during the year have 
been exceptionally heavy, while the imports are 
consideriibly below 1898. 
Stock in Loi.don on December 31st. 
1899. 1898. 1897. 1896.- 
Pkgs. Pkgs. Pkgs. Pkgs. 
Bast Indian 6,620 ) 7,440 ) 4,450) 8,310 ) 
South American 9,480 ) 12,550 j 12,240) 1,380 j 
Imported in the year. 
East Indian 14,830 7 20,600 ) 10,180 1 16,920? 
South American 4,580) 5,470 J 3,410 ) 2,770) 
Delivered in the year. 
East Indian 15,670 I 17.640 t 14,010 I 18,050 I 
South A.merican 7,630 ( 4,930 1 5,050 ( 6,190 1 
SULPHATE OF QUININE.— The market has de- 
veloped strength since the bark shipments for 
December became known, and a further advance of 
Jd to |d per oz- has taken place, spot having sold 
up to Is 3Jd, March up to Is 4d, and May up to 
Is 4Jd per cz. Following the fluctuations of the 
bark market this article has experienced during the 
past year some sensational movements, the value 
rising and falling in a manner which has not been 
seen for many years. The volume of business has 
been enormus, and largely in excess of any pre- 
vious year, due in great part to the attention 
which it has attracted as a medium for speculation. 
Like the raw materia! the price at the commence- 
ment of this year is about 50 per cent higher than 
at the same time la=t y°ar, and unless speculation 
again carries the value highr than the parity in bark, 
its future movements must be governed by the fluc- 
tuations iu that iirticle. Commencing the year 
with a spot value for " second-hand " German of 
10|d, the price was rapidly driven up to Is 9d at 
the end of March, future months being proportion- 
ately dearer. Is lOJd being about that time paid 
for 'October delivery ; with many fluctuations the 
value gradually fell from this point, until the lowest 
point was touched, at the beginning of October, 
viz., lOJd. A brisk rise then followed, under the initi- 
ative of manufacturers, who raised their price sueces- 
sivelv from lljd to Is Sid, and the year closed wiih a 
value for " spot '' iu second-hands of Is 2jd per oz. 
A feature in the history of this article will be the 
commencement in Febrary of periodical public auctions 
in Java of tjuinine manufactured iu the factories there. 
The landings during December exceeded the deli- 
veries by nearly 160, Oi 0 oz., a good deal of new 
manufacture being imported from the factories, 
against an increase in December, 1898, of 70,000 oz, 
The slocks in London are now returned as 
2,793,056 oz., against 1,795,984 oz., 1,539,264 oz., 
1,407,264 oz. and 1,972, 43'2 oz. in the four preceding 
years. The excess in the stock is thus one million 
ounces, ro equal to one month's estimated world's 
consumption. 
The total imports into London last year were 
1,973,000 oz., against l,0-32,.372 in 1898, 640 000 
oz. in 1897, and 233.000 oz. in 1896 while 'the 
total deliveries v/ere 976,050 oz., against 775 660 oz., 
508000 oz., and 798,000 oz. in the three pre- 
vious years. 
PLANTING NOTES. 
The Agricultural Commission's recom- 
meudations have, to a covisiderable extent, 
already been dealt with by the Governor. 
The Scientific Stalf, for instance, is now 
well-filled, the last requirement i>eing secured 
by Mr. Carruthers' appointment as Deputy- 
Director and Mycologist ; and we learn that a 
Departmental Committee — of the Director of 
Public Instruction, Conservator of Forests, 
Director of Botanic Gardens and Government 
Agent — is now looking into the feasibility 
of the proposed transfer of the Agricultural 
vSchool to the neighbourhood of Kandy. There 
remains the question of appointing a Director 
of Agriculture or an Agricultural Board, 
and we believe the latter is the more likely 
Executive decision as the outcome of the Com- 
mission's labours. 
Visitors prom Madagascar.— Dr. Lacaze, 
from Madagascar, had an interview lately 
with His Excellency the Governor. The 
object of the present visit to the East of 
himself and colleagues— one being an 
administrative, and the other an agri- 
cultural officer— is to collect information in 
Ceylon, the Straits and Java that may be 
of service in the administration and deve- 
lopment of the big island-colony now 
entirely under French rule. Dr. Lecaze and 
Messrs. Guyon and Prudhomme have been 
securing a large number of our island and 
planting publications ; and they mean to 
visit different parts of the island, more 
especially the Botanic Gardens and certain 
select plantations of the different staple pro- 
ducts, before going on to Java. We bespeak all 
possible attention to our French visitors who 
will be found exceptionally intelligent with 
a fair command of our language and who 
are anxious to profit by local experience. 
Ceylon Tea in America.— We are in- 
debted to Mr. W. Mackenzie for copies of 
several newspapers showing what the Ameri- 
cans are doing in the way of pushing the 
allies of Ceylon tea. The Toronto Globe de- 
votes almost an entire page with illustra- 
tions to a description of the work done by, 
and the premises of, the Blue Ribbon Tea 
Company which was formed in 1896 for the 
purpose of putting up, in the now well- 
known package form, the produce of the 
finest tea gardens in Ceylon ; and " The 
Weekly Common-wealth" published in 
Covington, N.Y., has a column principally eu- 
logising Lipton's teas ; while in others 
" Salada " tea is promineiatly advertised in 
English and French, a good word being 
put in for Ceylon greens. In one of 
the illustrations, typical representatives of 
Ceylon and Japan are shown lying prosLr;ite: 
the verdict of the medical man, who has his 
finger on the pulse of Japan, being " beyond 
human help." Ceylon tea is held alofc by 
a figure of victory and. there is the inscrip- 
tion : " Barbarous methods disappear before 
civilization." 
