April 1, 1899.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
689 
CINCHONA BARK AND QUININE: 
MARKET CONDITI©NS AND 
PROSPECTS ; 
ENCOURAGEMENT TO CEYLON 
PLANTERS. 
Messrs. C. M. and C. Woodhoiise of 
Mincing Lane have published an unusually 
interesting annual report on "bark and 
quinine"— at one time products of great im- 
portance in Ceylon. The Report opens with 
ji table shewing the wonderful contrast in 
the imports and value of bark between 1878 
and 189S. In the first-named year every 
pound of bark imported into the United 
Kingdom was worth more than 2s per ft. 
Last year, the average value was about -U 
per lb. the highest price ever paid for bark 
in the London market was in 1877 when 
renewed Officinalis from the Nilgiris fetched 
15s 8d per lb. We may add that the hig-h- 
est price got for Ceylon bark was tor Olli- 
cinulis (luill from Loolecondera. which reahzed 
10s 2d per lb. ; from Bogawatte, over 400 lb. 
Officinalis root bark (eight years old) realized 
10s uer lb. Howard's (luinine at this time 
was ir,s per oz. In 1897, the price fell to 
lOd an ounce. The cause of the gi'eat tali 
is divided between the discovery of Cuprea 
bark and the enormous export (15 million 
lb ) from Cevlon in 1886. India never ex- 
ported more than four million lb. Of more 
importance is it to learn about the Present 
condition and prospects and Messrs. Wood- 
house shew that the statistical position is 
exceedinglv strong. This is proved by the 
fac-t that whereas in 1893-9o there was left 
eight miUion lb. of bark in the United 
Kingdom and Holland for the qumme manu- 
facturers after deducting exports, in 1896-98, 
there were only 2:54,000 lb. ! In tact the ex- 
ports from Holland last year greatly ex- 
ceeded the hnports and consumption has more 
than overtaken production. 
On .lava alone do quinine manufacturers 
now depend for the supply of their wants 
in bark; but there is no evidence that .Java 
can meet an increased demand and India 
and Ceylon count for very little, and so 
ani)arently do South America; while Africa 
is exj>ected to be a large consumer of quinine 
rather than a producer of bark. 
It is ((uite clear that the price of bark 
as well as of (piinine must lise during the 
next few years. There is, therefore, very 
much encoiiragement for CJeylon iJanters 
to plant cinchona (from fresh seed got from 
India or .Java) on every available part of 
their properties, likely to be suitable. We 
would especiallv recommend planters in tlie 
Uva and Northern districts to follow this 
counsel ; but, indeed, we know, a-s a fact, 
that it has alreadv been acted on to a 
considerable extent" and that, quietly but 
surely, Cevlon proprietors have been adding 
rindiona as fai- as Ihey could to their pro- 
ducts within the i)asf twelve months. M.iy 
a due reward meet their enter])rise is our 
verv sincere wish and h<n)e fur lliem. 
PLANTING NOTES. 
Messrs. Finlay, Muiu & Co. have tried the 
expe iment on one oi their tea gardens, Iiimija- 
iiintti, in tiie Dooars, of having a lari^e electric 
plant fitted up for electric tea drying. Jt is 
purely an experimental departuie, and the result 
ot the trial of this new nietliod will be looked for 
with great interest by all concerned in this in- 
ilu-stry. — The Western Star. 
The Chkmistry of Mate Tea.— Polenske and 
Busse have examined a number of commercial 
samples of this tea, and lind that the percentage of 
caffeine varies from •-5 to "88 percent. Oi great 
interest is the discovery tl at small quantilies of 
vanillin are almost always present, Thissubstar.ee 
has never, we believe, been found in any of 
the caffeine containing i)lants before. — British 
and Colonial Druggist, Feb. 24. 
Discovery of Mica in Zululaxd,— The 
Natal Advertiser is responsible for the state- 
ment that Mr. Dike has discovered some 
really fine mica in Zululand. The samples, 
says our ecntemporary, are almost pure and quite 
transparent. The discovery was made in the 
Kkandhla district. Ground to the extent of 
1,800 square yards has been secured, and of this 
laroe area, mica, about six feet wiile, can be 
traced in about 1,200 yards, 
Artificial Pearls.— An artificial pearl doesn't 
sound very valuable, but when you are base enough 
to make the oyster himself secrete it the case is 
rather different. Art stinjulates nature in many 
directions, and the latest example in the proposal 
of Signor Comba, a distinguished Italian natura- 
list, to cultivate the pearl oyster on the ("ala- 
brian coast. Signor Comba, it appears, has been 
for nearly forty years experimenting with pearl 
oysters. He treats them with his process (s. 
process of heating), and they i)roceed to make 
pearls. From eleven oysters he has taken thirty- 
nine pearls. It is proposed to acquire 10,000 pearl 
oysters, of which oOO will be set aside for breed- 
ing purposes. Making all necessary allowances, 
it is expected these will give annually 5,020 tons 
of motlier-o'-pearl, which, even were it all of the 
third quality, and worth but 1,500 tr. a ton, would 
yet bring in a sum total of 7,5.SO,000 fr. To this 
may bs added the worth of the pearls, which 
might be produced artificially from t'le 9,300 oysters 
not used for breeding. The Signor is floating a 
company with acapital of two million lire. — Pastime. 
Curious Tree-growth. - On the invit;.ti)u of 
oue ot the partners, we, {Indian Gardening , paid 
a visit to Messrs, Monleith and Co.'s Tani.ery at 
Ballygunj Calcutta, the other morning to inspect 
an extraordinary tree of the common "Pipul" 
(Ficus religiosa) growing in the tannery grounds. 
About 25 years ago a wooden gateway arrange- 
ment was put up, that is, two upright posts and a 
third connecting the two at the top. A bird seems 
to have dropped a seed of thici Fiens ou one of 
the u| right posts, which germinated, and sent 
down its roots aloni; the post ; and, growing for 
25 years, it has amalgamated the posts with its 
own trunk. While making this growth, the tree 
threw out a lateral branch along the horizontal 
beam, and, on reaching the other post, threw ont 
an aerial root, which descended down the other 
upright, and has now absorbed the i>ost into its 
tecond trunk, .as it were. The tree is very healthy, 
and is likely to grow into a great size. In time 
the diy wood of the uprights will become entirely 
absorbeil into the tree, and there will be nothing 
lett to show how it origiaated.— Pioiu'c 
