Nov 1. 1898.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 
353 
QUININE IN JAVA: 
AND THE PROSPECT FOR THE WORLD S 
SUPPLY; 
CINCHONA-PLANTING IN JAVA 
RECOMMENDED. 
Sydney B.Everett, United States Oonsul atBatavia, 
makes the following Report under date of June 17, 
1898 : 
Although for some years Java has been the prin- 
cipal country for producing cinohona bark, yet the 
actual manufacture of aulphate of quinine here hai 
only just begun ; it nevertheless, I think, deserves a 
passing notice. 
My attention was first called to the matter by an 
invoice being brought to me on January 18, to be 
certified for a shipment to the United States, of 
10,000 ounces of sulphate of quinine. This is the first 
■bipment on record and marks the beginning of a 
new, and, I hope, very profitable era iu the trade 
relations between Java and the United States. 
Since then there bav« been other shipments, and 
op to the present date there have b«en shipped, or 
rather invoiced for shipment, to the United States 
48,300 ounces of sulphate of quinine, valued at 
§11,395.55; and I have every belief that more will 
follow. 
There is at present only one factory for working 
the oihohona bark in Java and it has been running 
a very short time ; but, in spite of the drawbacks, 
ita owners ate full of energy, and the success of the 
enterprise ia possible. 
Just now things look especially bright, as the war 
has resulted in the rise in quinine quotations. 
Quinine from this factory (BandoengscheKinina-fabrik), 
which the latter part of April was at $6.15 per unit* 
had risen by the middle of May to $7.54. 
I think I can best describe the industry, its history 
and its proipects by enclosing a letter written by Mr. 
F. W. Sijthofit, the manager of the factory above- 
mentioned, who has been very courteous and has 
offered me every facility for acquiring informition. 
He describes matters better and more graphically 
than I could. 
As regards the cultivation of the cinchona bark, 
the result of the Government plantations here does 
hot bear out the common opinion that commercial 
veatnres are better managed by private enterprise. 
An official report just published shows that the Go- 
vernment in 1896 cleared a profit of over $38,500 
from its cinchona estates while the same year was, 
aa a rule, a very poor one for planters, owing, Mr. 
SijthoS says, to the manipulations of a particularly 
unscrupulous European trust. 
I cannot conceive of a better investment than the 
tflanting of cinchona in Java. The shortage in pro- 
dnction in a few years will be very large, and prices 
will take a big jump. Concessions of land are not 
hard to get here if one is on the spot, and the climate 
of the interior of Java is as perfect as that of the 
coast cities is bad. 
EXTRACTS FROM TRE LETTER OF MR. 
SIJTHOFF TO MR. EVERETT. 
I shall gladly give you the information requested. 
At first it was claimed that no quinine could be 
made in the tropics, and that, even in case we could 
make quinine, we could never sell it, because the 
quinine trade was entirely in the hands of the manu- 
facturers iu Europe. 
The first year was for us one of adversity and 
disappointment; now we have not only succeeded in 
delivering a good product, but can sell it to advan- 
tage, the ileniaud increasing constantly. 
• The unit of quinine means the perccntnge of sul- 
phate of quinine in half a kilogram (I.IU puund») of 
cinohona bark; thus, bark yivldiug 1 per cent, with 
the unit price 4 cents wocld bring 4 cents per half 
kilogram, while bark yielding G per cent of sulphate 
of quiaiue would bring 20 cents per half kilograni. 
Our factory is now producing 90 to 100 kilograms 
(198 to 220 pounds) of quinine a day, which is sent 
to America, England, Amsterdam, Straits Settlements, 
Hocgkong, Japan and Australia. 
For a few years after cinchona plantations were 
laid out in Java, fabulous pcofits were made. Ceylon 
transformed all its bid coffee enterprises into cin- 
chona plantations with the result that the production 
kept pace with the consumption, and prices declined. 
When the Ceylon plantations were aovGn to nine years 
old, it appeared tnat the soil and climate of that 
island were not good for the tree. Afi;er 1891, Ceylon 
was entirely exhausted, and the production fell oft 
very sharply. A Trust that had been formed in the 
mean time, and that had already fixed a price for 
manufactured quinine, fixed also the pi-ice of cinchona 
bark. Thus quinine planter.-, .ilthough coming to the 
market with a moderate crop and one not .satisfying 
the consumption, always got inferior prices for their 
product. 
Our factory buys no bark and carries on no trade 
in it, still less in quinine. We work the bark for a 
commission of 7 florins per kilogram (|2.81 per 2.2)16 
pounds) of quinine, the actual proceeds of the finished 
product going to the planter. 
•Just now the production ia considerably short, so 
that the deficiency is made up from the stock of 
quinine on hand, and bark of very bad quality, which 
has already been lying piled up for twenty years. 
In another two or three j'ears these stocks will be 
entirely used up, and the world will have to face a 
shortage of quinine. 
I am firmly and sincerely convinced that now is 
the time to begin a new Quinine Enterprise which, 
with the benefit of a long experience, will be a model 
estate and yield in a few years great profits. 
Mr. England, in the Chemist and Druggist, saya 
that North America in 1897 imported in cinchona 
bark and quinine 10,000,000 ounces of siilphate of 
quinine. Tlie rest of the world needs some also ; 
let us say 300,000 kilograms (661,380 pounds), which 
makes the total 585,000 kilograms (1,289,691 pounds). 
The world's output is only 385,000 kilograms (788,771 
pounds), of which Java produces about three-fourths. 
When Africa aud China are opened up, the con- 
sumption will naturally increase, especially in the 
latter country with its 460,000,000 inliabitants. 
Java has attained its highest crop yield, and it 
will be some years before we can expect any .satis- 
factory enterprise to be undertaken. 
The quinine made by American houses comes from 
bark which is first sent from .Java to Amsterdam 
for sale and then shipped over to the United States. 
We certainly could produce satisfactory raw quinine 
for use in America, which would make that country 
entirely independent of Europe. The transportation 
of the crude quinine would be simpler and less 
costly. — Drug lleporter of Keiv Toi l:. 
STROBILANTHES IN CEYLON. 
The v.ariety of strobilaiithes which has lately 
come into blossom on our Indian hills is well- 
known in Ceylon. It is called the yulloo by the 
planters (from nil, blue) ; and I have been told 
by them that they liave as many .as seven difi- 
erent kinds which are toleialjly common in their 
juiif;lps. The commonest of all is the /y tinthiaiius, 
which has a llower of the most delicate lavender 
tint. Of the oilier si.\ I can sayliltle e.xcopt that 
they vary very nuicli in a|i|iearaiice an.l the flowers 
are not all blue a.s their name should ii.dicate. 
One is while and another has a pale yellowish 
blossom. They all form an undeiiirowih in the 
jungle and are said to blossom periodically in 
Hushes ; bnt none of thom e(i\ial the lavender 
variety in beauty or inofiision tif llowers. The 
hKiifhiaiiKu blimms ill C'cylcn at iliU'erent periods, 
varying fnmi seven to twelve ycai.-. Tht.' period 
is not the same lliKinjihont the l.'-land : one Dis- 
tnct will have its Hush iu a year when another 
