75° 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[May I, iSgt. 
THE AMSTEKDAIiI CINCHONA AUCTIONS. 
Amsterdam, Feb. 26tb. 
The followicg are the analjses of the cincliooa bark 
offered here today : — The manufacluring bark con- 
tained about 9 tons sulphate of quinine, or 3'8C per 
cent., on the average ; about 1§ tons contained 0-1 
per cent, sulphate of quinine; 20 tons, 1 2 ; 42 tons, 
2-3 ; 66 tons, 3-4 ; 60 tons, 4-6 ; 19 tons, 5-6 ; tons, 
6-7 ; 9 tons, 7-8 ; 2 tons, 8-9 ; 2 cwt., 10-11 ; Ig ton, 
12-13 per cent. Of the total quantity offered 2,385 
packages were disposed of at a decline in prices, the 
unit averaging barely seven cents, or not quite Ijd. 
per lb. The following was the range of prices : Manu. 
facturing barks in quills, broken quills, and chips, 8 to 
91 cents (IJd. to Is. 4|d. per lb.); ditto root, 15 to 50 
oents (2|d. to 9d. per lb.) ; druggists’ bark in quills, 
broken quills, and chips, 14 to 140 cents (2Jd. to 2s Id. 
per lb.); ditto root 12 to 13 cents (2J.i. per lb.) The 
principal buyers were the Auerbach and Brunswick 
actor ies. — Chemist and Druggist. 
COFFEE IN NEW CALEDONIA. 
The Fiji Times, in advocating the revival of the 
coffee enterprise in Fiji, notices its success and 
probable extension in the French convict settlement 
of New Caledonia. We quote as follows: — 
Another matter, which was almost abruptly abandoned 
before it had received a fair trial on anything like a 
comprehensive scale, also might well come to the fore. 
That is — Coffee. Notwithstanding the effects of the 
disease to which it is subject, there can be no doubt 
that it can be made a highly pro6table production. 
Fiji need not look far for assurance in this respect. 
Her near neighbour, New Caledonia, is making a 
snccess of it. From a recent number of the Times, 
we learn that “ in an oflBcial report upon the con- 
dition of that colony the Governor states that agri- 
cnlture, which has hitherto been of only secondary 
importance, seems to be entering upon a period of rapid 
development under the influ.-nce of the fresh means of 
action afforded it by the immigration from the New 
Hebrides, and New Caledonia will produce in this year 
(1890) 400 tons of coffee, while it is expected that in 
four years’ time the production will exceed 1,000 tots 
* * * The Governor reports that what New Cale- 
donia is most deficient in is labour, bnt be adds that 
the work done by the convicts, especially at the Thio 
penitentiary, is much more satisfactory than that of the 
convicts in Guiana, while the men who have served 
their time and who choose to work can always find em- 
ployment at wages of from 4s. to 5s. a day, while at 
piecework they in many cases earn 10s. a day.” 
It has been proved beyond question that this colony 
can produce coffee in perfection. Machinery is here, 
and skilled knowledge. Yet coffee ceases to count 
among the exports and home consumption has become 
a thing of the past, simply because the industry has 
been given up. It is puzzling to arrive at a comprehen- 
sion of why this should be. Of course there is the ready 
answer that it “does not pay.” But why should that be 
the case. If New Caledonia can grow at a profit why 
cannot Fiji do the same. That the French settlement 
is doing this may he gathered from the expectations 
entertained of progressive production. An anticipated 
increase at the rate of 150 tons per annum is by no 
means despicable; while at the same time it warrants 
the belief that no oversanguine estimate has been made. 
It means a lot of m ouey, however, and this colony is not 
BO superabundantly supplied with that evil of life, hut 
that she can cheerfully bear a heavier burden. 
So far as labour is co noerned, no reason exist why Fiji 
shall not bo reckoned a s on a par with New Caledonia. 
If growers there can affo rd to pay reasonable wages and 
find a fair margin of profit, why should not similar con- 
ditions prevail here. Soil is at least as fruitful and cli- 
mate quite as favorable. In fact, it would be bard to 
state wherein this place is not at least equally well-off 
with her neighbo ur in those constituents.* 
* So far the Fiji journalist, — but not a word is said 
as to whether leaf disease has reached New Ca'e- 
donia. Its absonco would make all the diffecence iu 
the world.— Eu. T, 
POETSWOOD teas AND LOCAL SALES 
The proprietor of Portswood is not inclined 
further to support local Tea Sales. His experience 
is not favourable as may be seen from the following 
extract which we venture to make from a letter 
before us, not however, written for the printer : — 
"You know that some of us have often been asked 
to sell our teas locally. I have done it twice or three 
times and each ti me with a loss. At a recent 
sale in Colombo 86 66 and 57 cents were bid for 
Portswood teas — all were left unsold, being considerably 
under my values — but since the sale, they have b een 
sold privately by the Brokers at Bl, 72 and 62 cents 
and theie prices are 1 '■ to 17 cents under the average 
price I received iu LiuJon on 17t!i Feb. last. Why 
therefore should 1 continue to sacrifice the estate 
interests ?’’ 
I’HE TUTICORIN PEARL FISHERY OF 1890. 
Pearl-oysters require rest ; and after one fishing 
a pearl- bank is left in undisputed possession of the 
young oysters for a certain number of years, to enable 
them to grow and to settle down on the bed. Following 
the wisdom which teaches that some years’ rest to the 
beds should be insured after each fishing, the officers 
and authorities who had the reviewing of the Pearl 
Fishery Report lor the past year have allowed them- 
selves sufficient rest and have proceeded in a leisurely 
manner to bring into perteetion the pearl of a G. O., 
which now lies on our table. The first report of Captain 
Baker, the Superiniendeut of Pearl Fisheries, is dated 
the 20th of March last 3 ear, and his second report the 
15 th of May the same year, The Acting Oolleotor of 
Tinuevelly submits his narrative of the Pearl Fishery 
to the Commissioners of Land Revenue on the 16th 
Jane, and the Commissi jners submit the same with a 
review thereon to Government on the 22nd August. 
The Government deals with the Pearl Fishery on the 
19 th January of the present year, and the whole pro- 
ceedings, after enjoying a comfortable rest in the 
Government office like the oyster on the recently fished 
up bank, come to us now. 
The fishery, as appears from the report, was com. 
menced on the 27th January, 1890, and lasted until the 
8th March, when it had to be closed, as the divers went 
over to Ceylon. It was recommenced on the 23td 
April, but it had to be closed again on the 4th May on 
account of a panic among the divers, two of whom 
had been bitten by sharks. The number of days during 
which the fishery was conducted was 40 and the 
Government’s share of the takes amounted to 1,204,816 
oysters. The price at which they were sold ranged 
from R16 to R36 per 1,000. The total amount realized 
was R24, 701-6-10. To this amount has to he 
added R359-12-0, being the value of loose pearls and 
the sale-proceeds of the materials of the temporary 
buildings erected for the fishery. The charges amounted 
to R17, 257-11-6, so that the net profit to Govern- 
ment was only R7,803-4-5. This is a very disappoint- 
ing result, especially when compared with the net 
profit of R158,483 which was obtained during the 
fishery of 1889. The cause of these poor results as 
explained at length by Captain Baker are chiefly com- 
petition by Ceylon, the panic caused by the appearance 
of sharks, and the extremely low prices. The two last 
are to be regretted, but could not be avoided, say the 
Commissioners of Land Revenue. As regards the com- 
petition between the Madras and Ceylon fisheries, the 
Madras Government agrees with the Board of Revenue 
that effort should be made to come to some amicable 
arrangement. It is, of course, open to either side to bid 
for the services of the divers by the offer of better 
terms, but the Government declares that it would be 
most averse to entering upon any such system of 
rivalry, which in the end could not fail to be very dis- 
advantageous to both Governments. This Government 
has acourdingly decided to ask the Government of 
Ceylon whether it will consent to any arrangement 
under which the interests of both fisheries will be safe- 
guarded, The questions of claudestine opening of oysters 
