346 
THF TROPSCAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[November i, 1890. 
flows undisturbed across North Africa, will also, 
it is urged, be broken by the establishment of 
French influence iu a Northern and Southern line, 
and the new f roe of the Senoussiya be thus 
prevented from communicating itself to the 
Mahommetans of Morocco. The commercial advan. 
tages of the railway are of course made the most of. 
But possible alternatives for the direction of the line 
seem numerous enough to be likely to keep the 
const? u;tion yet a long tio?e from the range of 
practical enterprise. — Revie.w of Revieivs, 
■ -0 
COFFEla MIXTUEE LABELS. 
The thirty-third Export of the Commissioners of 
H. M. Inland Eevenue, for the year ended March 
31st, 1890, has just been published, and contains 
statistical and other information of interest to the 
trade. As regards coffee m x'ure labels, we note 
that the following table gives the number of coffee 
labels issued up to March 31st, 1890, and the amount 
of revenue received : — 
|d Labels 
Id labels 
Net amount 
received 
No. 
No, 
£ s, d 
England 
518,917 
269,084 
2,264 15 2 
Scotland 
12,782 
6,286 
52 16 5 
Ireland 
45,864 
4,820 
115 12 8 
697,663 
280,190 
.£2,443 4 3i 
Year 1888-89 
670,030 
309,828 
2,086 17 9 
Decrease...! 
62,487 
29,638 
£2:3 13 5i 
The following table g'ves the receipts since 1883-83 
in which year the duty was first imposed 
5 lb. Labels Id labels Net amount 
received 
Year No. No. £ s. U 
1882- 83 1,440,303 802,434 6,314 2 2J 
1883- 84 1 432,203 645.129 5,673 0 10| 
1884 85 1,1 1 0,664 5:W,893 4,563 8 9 
188.5-86 1,031,868 446,525 3,989 8 3 
1886- 87 799,914 370,971 8,212 4 0 
1887- 88 704,862 332,921 2,8.55 12 8 
1888- 89 670,060 309,828 2,686 17 9 
18'9-90 607.563 280,190 2,433 4 
The inland Eevenue Commissioners add to these 
tables the foil iwing significant note; — “The con- 
tinued reduction in the revenue arising from these 
tables still, in our opinion, results from the un- 
popularity of coffee mixtures and substitutes for 
coffee.” — Grocer, Sept. 6th. 
« 
THE FOOCHOW TEA TEADE : GKEAT 
COLLAPSE. 
If one half of the stories reaching us about the 
trouble and distress amougst the Teamen are true, they 
reveal a very sad state of affairs. Men, hitherto well 
to do, are r.iined. Homes have been broken up by the 
score. Wives and children have been sold, and many 
Bu cides committed. One of the most painful cas s 
brought to our notice is that of a whole family of eight, 
reduced to a state of utter destitutioia, taking their own 
lives by eating opium. But indeed all the stories are 
more or loss heart rending. These men luve our sym- 
pathy. They have never come into contact with for- 
eigners and therefore had no opportunity of hearing 
what was going on in the outside world. They knew 
nothing of the great, depreciation of values in the foreign 
markets, any more than they did of the great Ameri- 
can Silver bill which was to affect their intere.sia so 
dibiistrously. All they had to guide them was the 
cour"e of prices in this market last season. They could 
not fores? 0 that they would have to take 30 to 40 per 
cent under those piic? s on the average, as they have 
had to do. If wi? are righly inforiin d, there are few, 
if any, of th'?se men who can escape ruin. Capital has 
been sunk, and what remaius is now iu few hands ; and 
credit will be very charily given after late experiences. 
There will be changes and probablv very important 
changes in the working of this part of the iudiastry. It 
goes without saying that the ruin of tne teamen has not 
come about without very considerable loss to the hong- 
men. Several of the Hongs indeed will have to close 
their doors. The consequence will be, that we shall 
have the small supply of this season still smaller next; 
and if the aunual falling off is to continue on its pre- 
sent scale, the future of Foochow is gloomy in the ex- 
treme. But we will not despair. We have before 
given it as our opinion that, with these high ex- 
changes, we can lay down tea cheaper in London 
than the India and Ceylon producers, and if 
we can only fight those countries with their own 
we.r pons, and pander to the. popular taste by sending 
them machine made teas, we should have better times 
to look forward to. The foregoing consideration of 
getting the natives to make tea by machinery suggested 
itself after hearing of a telegram from London advising 
that ‘ Foochow Congous were not wanted.’ It is evi- 
dent that S“meth?ng in the shape of nove ty is necessary 
to catch the popular taste, and this form of n??veity or 
reform would appear m;>re easy ot attainment than the 
previous suggestion of the government employing 
Indian planters to instruct the natives in their special 
mode of cultivation and manufacture which has pro ed 
so successful. The proposal is to make a trial. It would 
not apply to our Specialities, namely Souchongs an?i 
Flowery Pekoes ; and probably some other district teas 
sh?>uld cont nne to be made as they are at present. — 
Foochow Echo, Sept. 18th. 
BAEK AND DEUG EEPOST. 
(From the Chemist and, Druggist.) 
London, Sept. 11th. 
Cinchona, — At Tuesday’s auctions a moderate quantity 
of bark was offered, the total being as follows : — 
Packages Packages 
Ceylon cinchona i,169 of which 877 were sold 
East Indian cinchona 
282 
do 
199 
do 
Java cinchona 
55 
do 
55 
do 
S. American cinchona 
1,202 
do 
81 
do 
Total 
2,699 
do 
1,212 
do 
Among the bark offered were a good many second- 
hand parcels of Eastern growths, and nearly 700 bales 
Cuprea, which were n ice more placed on sale in the 
hope that the improved value for the article would en- 
able holders to obtain their limits. Such was not in- 
variably the case, however, and several parcels were 
bought iu at more or less nominal rates, though a small 
concession on the part of the holders would iu several 
instances have led to business. The Cuprea bark appears 
to be held at prices considerab'y in excess of the present 
mark' t value, and uone of it was sold. 4 very satis- 
iactory amount of competition was manifested during the 
auctions, although only one firm bought very largely; 
and the general opinion is that prices, though slightly 
irregular, were on the whole fully up to the previous 
auction rates, the average unit being placed at l|d to 
2d per lb. 
The following are the approximate quantities purchased 
by the principal buyers 
Lb. 
Agents for the Mannheim and Amsterdam works 100,346 
Agents for the Auerbach factory ... 35,047 
Agents for the Brunswick factory 33,209 
Messrs. Howards & Sons ... 30,757 
Agents for the Frankfort o/M and Stuttgart works 25,943 
Agents for the Pelletier factory ... 21,483 
Agents for the American and Italian works 16,961 
Mr. Thomas Whift'en ... 5,650 
Sundry druggists ... ... ... 19,105 
Total quantity of hark sold ... 288,506 
Bought in or withdrawn ... ... 19,723 
Total weight of bark offered ... 480,229 
South American Cinchona. -Of cultivated Bolivi?in 
Calisaya 499 packages were offered, of which 81 (13,230 
lb.) were disposed of at 7|d to 9.1d for bold quilly chips 
and somewhat in egular grey quill. A large quantity of 
old Cuprea bark (699 packages) was bought iu, the price 
asked 3^d per lb., being unobtainable. Pour oases low 
Red bark, dull colourless quill, were also bought in only 
3d per lb, being offered for it. 
