March 2, 1S91J 
TTSl^ TPtWlbAL AdRieULtUmST. 
639 
about two-tbirds of them being; in the province of 
Mapiri near the northern border whose business centre 
is Sorrato. 
The export of Cinchona bark from the 0‘ber South 
American states is inconsiderable. 
Expoet from Mabacaibo. 
1889 195,750 lb. 
Exports fbom Savanilla. 
1889 198,660 lb. 
1888 385,836 lb. 
Jamaica. 
hoe not yet realised the exprolations entertained. The 
Government plantations yielded only : 
1888 3,321 lb. 
1887 17,000 „ 
1886 12,541 „ 
Peicb or Cinchona Bark in London. 
on 1st Jannarv 1891 l|d to IJd per unit 
' 1890 l|d to 2 d do do 
1889 l|d to l|d do do 
1888 2jd to 2Jd do do 
1887 3id to 3|d do do 
1886 4^d to 5 d do do 
1885 6 d to 7 d do do 
The supplies from the other expcrting; countries are 
about sufficient to cover the demand for druggist quills. 
Stocks of bark in London about 2,000,000 oz. 
Consumption in 1890 ,, 9,750,000 „ 
estimated „ „ 1891 „ 7,000,000 „ 
With the help of the given data it will not be found 
difficult to form an opinion concerning the position of 
quinine. 
Cocaine. — The profits of manufacturers, alike of 
crude cocaine and of the hydrochlorate, that were 
greatly reduced already in 1888, were still further cur- 
tailed last year. At times indeed, sales could only be 
effected at a loss to manufacturers, for whilst the high 
rates for coca leaves were fully maintained, the price 
of crude cocaine and bydrocnlorate fell steadily still 
further from month to month. We referred already 
last July to the disproportion between the rates for 
raw material and the manufactured article. Since 
then however the position has become greatly changed. 
Not only coca but also cocaine has risen very consider- 
bly in price* 
Avbbage Percentage of Sulphate of Quinine. 
Ceylon Cinchona bark 
East Indian 
Java 
Galisaya cultivated 
1890. 
1889. 
1888. 
2J 
2| 
24 per cent. 
2 
2 
24 do 
4 
4 do 
44 
44 do 
a crnsideiablo decrease : 
31st Dec. 1890 
1889 
1888 
1887 
pkgs. 
48,213 
67,181 
66,754 
59,619 
31st Dec. 1886 
1885 
1884 
1883 
Estimated in English pounds 
American Java, Ceylon, Indian 
1890 3,360.000 5,000,000 
1889 4,126,069 5,700,960 
1888 4,404,960 5,332,800 
1887 5,174,365 4,485,600 
pkgs. 
62,350 
61,690 
80,600 
99,667 
Total. 
8,350,000 
9,827,019 
9,737,760 
9,659,965 
Herewith is included a considerable quantity of bark 
unsuitable for manufacturing purposes. The percentage 
of the stocks of bark in London, on 31st December 
1890, does not probably exceed 2,000,000 oz. sulphate 
of quiuine. Regarding the quantity of quinine held at 
second band in London, opinions differ greatly. It is 
however supposed that the major portion is held firmly, 
and will be brought into the market only at consider- 
ably higher rates. Stocks of bark and quinine elsewhere 
are unimportant. 
The consumption of quinine by the world in general 
is steadily increasing at the rate of about 10 per cent 
per annum, and under normal conditions (without 
influenza) is estimated for the present year at about 
seven million ounce s- 
Tbe large and constantly growing share of America 
in the general consumption is best shown by the fol- 
lowing figures: 
Import of Quinine in North America. 
oz. oz. 
1874 
(fiscal year) 68,097 
1882 (fiscal year) 
794,495 
T875 
12,279 
1883 
1,055,764 
1876 
... 22.746 
1884 
1,263,732 
1877 
75 804 
1885 
1,390,126 
1878 
17,649 
1886 
1,251,556 
1879 
... 228,348 
1887 
2,180,157 
1880 
416,998 
1888 
1,603,936 
1881 
408,861 
1889 
2,825.008 
from 1st Jan. to 
20th Deo. 1890 
3,374,300 
We herewith give a resume of those statistics as ore 
ef chief importance, reduced to ounces of sulphate of 
quinine. 
Export of bark 
from Ceylon Ih. tz. 
1890 abt. 8,800,000 c. 2^ per cent. abt. 3,000,000 
Export of bark 
from Java lb. oz. 
1890 abt. 5,280,000 o. 4 per cent. abt. 3,380,000 
Total 6,880,000 oz. 
TEA PREPARATION IN CHINA. 
It is rumoured, says a Foochow correspondent of the 
North-China Herald, that a few wealthy natives intend 
to purchase maobinery for preparing tea, and set up 
an establishment for that purpose in Rien-ning Fn. 
No charges, we understand, will be made to owners of 
tea for the first year, and thereafter *the charge wil. 
be far less than the cost of manual labour. The idea is 
undoubtedly an excellent one, as many tea growers can- 
not purchase such expensive machinery, and no doubt will 
be only too glad to avail themselves of an opportunity 
to have their teas manufactured in a better way than 
at present, especially if the cost would be, as is said, 
far less than band labour. We sincerely hope that 
the promoters will carry the above plan through, when, 
we doubt not, many others will follow suit. 
THE NON-KPEPING QUALITIES OP 
CEYLON TEA. 
Some months ago our fo’.uorns contained correspond- 
ence and discussion on the subject of the non keeping 
qi alit'es of Ceylon tea, and the effect of long or short 
fermentation as the result. It ivas held by many that 
the longer the fermentation ths longer would the tea 
keep its fiavonr and condition, while the opposite 
theory was held by more than one experienced tea- 
taster, and, to test the matter as well as it could be 
tested, we obtained few samples of tea manufactured 
from the same roll but subjected to difl'erent periods 
of fermentation. One sample had only half-an-hcur’s 
fermentation ; another two houis’ ; a third four hours’ ; 
and a fourth six hours’, 'riiese four teas were tasted 
by Mr. Herbert Tarrant on the 29th of August, 1890, 
and he gave his opinion that the tea fermented for 
two hours was decidedly better than that fermented 
for half-an-hour, and that that tea had better quality 
than the four hours’ fermented tea, but was much 
inferior in strength. The six hours’ fermented tea, he 
said, was much the worst. It should be stated that the 
length of fermeutation was not known to Mr. Tarrant 
when tasting. 
These samples were enclosed in lend and put in tin 
cases sealed and kept by us in a dry place till yesterday 
(so that they have been over five months in lead), 
when they were opened and again liquored. The re- 
sult was that the half-hour fermented tea was declared 
to be much the best, having gone off least, and 
retained its flavor far the best. There was little 
to chcose between the two hours’ and fouc hours’ 
fermented less. Both bad gone off about "qually, 
whilst the six hours’ fermented tea had gone off more 
thon any of the others. The following is a tabulated 
statement of the result : — 
Samples manafaotuied from leaf; medium plucking 
