700 
THF. TROPiCAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[April i, 1891. 
CINCHONA IN THE DUTCH MARKET. 
Amsterdam, Febiuary 6tb. 
The Amsterdam auctions on February 20tb will 
coiis'st of 2,941 bales, 156 cases (about 239 tons) divided 
as follows : — Java bark : From Government plantations 
323 bales, 37 cases, about 28'5 tons ; from private 
plantations 2,618 bales, 116 cases, about 210'5 tons, 
African cinchona bark ; 3 cases, about 4 29 owt. Drug- 
gists’ bark : Succirubra quills, 132 cases ; broken 
quills and chips 63 bales ; root 23 bales ; 0. Sohuhkrafft 
qoills 6 oases ; Lancifolia quills 5 cases ; broken quills 
and chips 11 bales. Manufacturing bark : Ledgeriana 
quills 10 cases ; broken quills and chips 2,165 bales ; 
root 408 bales ; Hybrids broken quills and chips, 200 
bales; root 56 bales ; OflBcinalis broken quills 10 bales. 
Total 2,941 bales, 153 cases. — Chemist and Druggist. 
NOTES ON PRODUCE. 
Coffee and Chicory. — A Liverpool firm have been 
accustomed to sell the so-called “French coffee” in 
pound canisters, price one shilling; end, as they took 
the precaution to affix a label warning the purchaser 
that he was bujdng a mixture of chicory and coffee, 
they probably considered themselves free from either 
legal or moral offence. As their legal representative 
virtually put it: “Some people prefer chicory; we 
sell the mixture; they know what they are buying, 
and there is an end of the matter.” The Liverpool 
magistrates, however, reason differently, and insist that 
even under the e circumstances “ fully one-third, or 
probably much more,” chicory is excessive. Hencj they 
have imposed a fine, but the Liverpool firm have 
determined to appeal. — H. and C, Mail. 
♦ 
TEA IMPORTS, DUTIES AND PRICES 
IN AMERICA. 
Tea importers and dealers are not a little interested 
in the bill before the House of Kepresentatives to 
re-establish the former discriminating duty on tea 
shipped from ports west of the Gape of Good Hope. 
Prior to 1883 the following provision stood in the 
tariff law : “ There shall be levied, colftcted and 
paid on all goods, wares and merchandise of the 
growth or produce of the countries east of the Cape 
of Good Hope, except wool, raw cotton and raw silk, 
as reeled from the cocoon, or not further advanced 
than tram, thrown or organzie, when imported from 
places west of the Cape of Good Hope, a duty of 
10 percent, ad valorem in addition to the duties im- 
posed on any such article when imported directly 
from the place or places of their growth or produc- 
tion.” This discrimination in favour of direct inipo ts 
came down from the early days of the Union, hav- 
ing been established originally for the purpose of 
encouraging the carrying trade with the East Indies 
and China. The opposition to it has been 
based in part at least upon the belief, which the 
statistics confirm, that it was in reality special legis- 
lation against imports from Loudon. Atthe same time 
rival commercial interests have come to be involved 
in the matter. 
The imports of tea into the United States in 1889 
amounted to 79,575,984 pounds, of which 40,751,789 
pounds came from Oliina and 33,303,437 pounds from 
Japau, 260 927 pounds from the British East Indies and 
203,825 pounds from Hong Kong. This leaves but 
5,056,006 pounds from ports other thau the places of 
production, and of this quantity England furnished 
4,673,864 pounds. The remaining 352,142 ponnds is the 
only evidence which can ho famished that tho law 
would have u general meaning and not a specific one. 
Under free entry the increase of indirect imports has 
been very small, but such imports being forced upon 
tho market at critical times have bad considerable 
influence, it is claimed, in breaking values. 
Tlie disturhii.g indueuces in the tea market have 
hcoii many, and it is therefore difficult to specify 
any principal cause us having affected declines or ad- 
vanocs in values. The rooout itdvancc in silver has 
j natundly disturbed prices in the East, silver being the 
i sole circulating medium in China. The financial 
I stringency in this country and England has likewise 
compelled many holders ot tea to liquidate, though it 
is to be said that the fact that failures among tea mer- 
chants have been so few is a forcible illustration of the 
strength of the market. These financial troubles have 
caused a weakening in prices and checked the advance 
started through the rise in silver. 
The stock of tea in this country is at present very 
heavy, and prices are iu consequence lower here than 
in England. Hence Loudou merchants are now buying 
tea in New York. The promoters of the now 
legislative agitation hope by means of it to buoy up 
prices and prevent a further decline. But many 
dealers have been free to predict that no such legis- 
lation will bo passed by tho present Congres?; 
It is claimed by the advocates oi the measure 
that under free entry London merchants are able to 
place here large quantities of tea whenever the market 
shows a tendency to advance. London merchants 
derive en advantage over our importers through the 
difference in cost of transportation. Freight rates are 
lower between Ohina and London than between China 
and the United States. The former duty, cf course, 
benefited to some extent steamship lines tunning be- 
tween tea centres in China and Japan and the porta 
along our Pacific coast. Canada formerly bought the 
larger part of her eupply from the United States, but 
tince 1883 ihe tendency to buy of London merchants 
has increased, while the trade with the United States 
has fallen off. Our imports from London, which com- 
prise about 5 per cent, of the total annual receipts, 
are mcstly inferior teas. To prevent a further weaken- 
ing in values by iorcii g large quantities of tea upon 
the American market shippers are now holding 70,000 
half-chests of Formosa tea in Amoy. 
The annua! imports ot tea between 1880 and 1889, 
inclusive, were as follows : — 
1880 ... 
19,782,631 
1885 
... 14,047,583 
1881 ... 
21,004,813 
1886 
... 16,020,383 
1882 ... 
19,392,102 
1887 
... 16,771,802 
1883 ... 
17,302,849 
1888 
... 13,360,685 
1884 ... 
13,636,053 
1889 
... 12,654,640 * 
Secretary 
Rusk thus speaks 
in his 
annual report of 
the investigations of hia department in regard to the 
adulteration of beverages: “ These investigations show 
that the adulteration of such articles is not very ex- 
tensive, and, exc.pt in the case of tea, is easily distin- 
guishable. The most frequent one is the introduction 
of substances to give additional weight, such substances 
as will attach themselves readily to the leaves, and yet 
not be easily distinguished by the eye. These sub- 
stances are mostly of a harmless character, although 
some of them have been found to he deleterious.” 
Importers axd dealers declare that no foreign 
substances are added, and the use of the 
term “adulteration” is misleading. AVheu the leaves 
of the tea plant become mature no more nutri- 
ment is furnished them by the plant except what is 
just sufficient to maiulam life, the sap being supplied 
to the younger leaves and buds. The older the leaf the 
less valuable it is, as it becomes hard and woody, and 
thus loses its nutritious properties. These leaves are 
frequently worked in with more valuable products, but 
they are not adulterants under the common meaning 
of that terna. The chemical solutions to which the 
leaves are subjected, it is claimed, are to give them a 
uniform color and not to add to their weight. An 
expert can ca-ily detect the presence of the old leaves. 
The yield is so almndant that the necessity of adul- 
terating tea is thought to be very small. The production 
is constant, and not, as in the case of vegetables and 
cereals, subject to the seasons. — Bradstreet’s. [True of 
Ceylon, but uotof India and China, which havea winters, 
—Ed. T. a.] 
* The figure for 1890 will he over 14 millions of 
dollars.— E d. 2', A. 
