Nov. 1, 1901.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
|09 
CINNAMON IN LONDON. 
The news brought by a recent mail touch- 
ing thf last quarterly sale of cinnamon reads 
better than the telegram we published three 
weeks' back. The prices realized for the 
finer qualities of spice are decidedly encour- 
aging—being almost on a level with the 
highest prices recorded in recent years ; 
while those obtained for lower marks and 
" unworked " were by no means bad. The 
result was probably due, in great measure, 
to the moderate offerings, only 834 bales 
having been catalogued last month, against 
1,141 at the corresponding sale last year, and 
1,088 bales in May last. Our export tables 
for the last seven or eight months showed 
that there had been a wholesome check to 
the steady increase in production, whose 
effect on prices is naturally depressing ; and 
the consequence was a catalogue of reason- 
able proportions. The demand for fine 
cinnamon, which can bear the cost of the 
operations of iinbaling, examining and re- 
baling, known to the trade as " worked," 
was such as to have ensured the clearing 
of the whole of the 395 bales which offered, 
at prices which were in some cases as much 
as a penny in advance of those realized 
at the second quarterly auction for the 
year — Firsts realising as high as Is 7d, 
Seconds Is 5d, Thirds Is 4d and Fourths lid. 
Of "unworked," 300 bales changed hands at 
prices ranging from 85d to ll|d — leaving less 
than one-half that quantity unsold by 
auction ; but such leavings are generally 
taken off almost immediately at sales' rates 
underhand. Any way, the statistical posi- 
tion of the spice is gooi, as will been seen 
from the figures appended to the Report 
we give below— both quilled bark and chips 
showing appreciably lower stocks than at 
this time last year. Only of so-called " wild 
Cinnamon " is the quantity greater ; while 
the fact that the enormous quantity of wild 
chips, 8,037 bags, which was shown in last 
year's stocks, remained unaltered this year, 
confirms the report that this recent and 
discreditable addition to our exports is quite 
neglected. The discovery by importers and 
exporters that the prices offered are insuffi- 
cient to cover even the Dock charges in- 
curred, is likely to give the quietus to a 
trade which should never have begun, and 
which, we are glad to think, has not benefited 
those who doubled in it. 
While the restricted output of the first 
seven months of the year has undoubtedly 
helped prices, it nmst be noted that there 
has been quite a rush of shipments the last 
few weeks ; and the exports to date for the 
last four years compare as follows :— 
Total Export from 1st Bales. Chips. 
Jan. to 16th Sept. lb. lb. 
1901 .. 1,627,200 915,156 
1900 ... ... 1,602,639 1,040,414 
1899 ■ .. .. 1,509,545 1,403,288 
1898 .. .. 1,722,301 794,539 
The following is Messrs. Forbes, Forbes & 
Co.'s Report on last sales in London 
London, 27th August, 1901. 
CINNAMON.— The third series of auctions for 
the ye&x were held ^esteKcl&yi when ddi ^ales 
39 
Plantation kinds were offered against 1,088 bales 
in May, and 1,141 bales at this period last year- 
Of this supply 395 bales were " worked " and 439 
bales '■ unworked," 
There was a very fair demand and the whole of 
a 395 bales " worked" spice changed hands at 
last sales prices to occasionally one penny per lb. 
advance. For the " unworked " the demand was 
not so good, barely 300 bales being cleared, good 
sorts going at firm prices, but common sorts a 
shade cheaper here and there, 
" Worked " Firsts ranged from lid to la 7d ; 
Seconds 9a to Is 5d ; Thirds S^d to Is 4d ; Fourths 
Sid to lid per lb. "Unworked" Firsts 9|d to 
lljd ; Seconds 8d to lid ; Thirds 8|d to Hd ; 
Fourths 8Jd to 9d per lb. Of so called " "Wild" 
Cinnamon 687 bales and bags were offered, but 
were quite neglected, a few bags only meeting a 
bid of a half-penny per lb. not sufficient to cover 
the Dock charges incurred. 
Chips, d'c— 664 bags offered, about 160 bags 
less sold ; chips 2gd to 3id. Quillings 7d to 8id 
per lb. The ss. " Prometheus " with some Cinna- 
mon on board arrived in the River on 24th inst. 
too late for the sales. 
1900. 
Stocks of Ceylon 1,736 bales 2,544 bales. 
Do do chips 3,236 bags 5,205 bags. 
Do Wild 2,633 bales 2,581 bales. 
Do do bark, &o. 8,037 bags 8,037 bags. 
The next auctions will be held 25th November. 
THE BURLIAR GARDENS. 
I observe that you would like to know the 
situation, elevation, etc., of Burliar. Burliar 
is situated on the Coonoor Ghat, within 
a few miles of the S. E. base of the Nilgiris, 
at an elevation of about 2,400-2,500 feet. 
The garden is only about seven acres in ex- 
tent, and a considerable variety of tropical 
and sub tropical plants are cultivated in it. 
— K. E. P. 
TESTING PRECIOUS STONES. 
The United States Consol-General at Frankfort in 
his last report, calls attention to a lecture on pre- 
cious stones, recently delivered before the Indus- 
trial Association of Berlin, by Dr. Immanual Fried- 
Isender, in which it was stated that the testing of 
diamonds is comparatively simple. The common test 
for hardness suffices. If the stone resists strong 
attacks, it is certain to be genuine ; if it does not, the 
damage is insignificant as only an imitation has been 
destroyed. The test, however, is doubtful with rubies. 
It a ruby can be affected by a steel file or by quartz, 
it is not genuine, but such a test with a topaz is likely 
to injure a valuable stone. The test for hardness is of 
no avail with emeralds, as these stones are not much 
harder than quartz, and in addition possess the quality 
of cracking easily. For examining rubies and emeralds 
the optical test is best. A glass magnifying about 
one hundred times suffices. Every expert knows that 
almost all precious stones have, according to Dr, 
Friedlaeader, little flaws. Nearly every ruby, and all 
emeralds have many defects, which are so character- 
istic that the genuineness of the atone is readily 
established. Such a test is necessary with rubies, 
because the imitations are very deceiving. Their 
colour is absolutely durable, and often much finer than 
that of the genuine stone, although it may be stated that 
a somewhat yellowish tint is always auspicious. The 
only reliable way in which genuine rubies can bo dis- 
tingushed from imitations, is by the minute air 
bubbles of the latter, which become clearly visible 
under the magnifying glass. These are not to be 
{ouad in the gem ; Q4 (be othec tiand> tbQ 
