May I, 1891.] 
THE TROP^OAt. AGRItfUT-TURlST. 1^9 
QUININE AND JAVA CINCHONA, 
Tho market value of quinine has now cleclioed to a 
point unprecedented even in the history of the Fallen 
Drug. Yet in Mincing Lane there are still many who, 
more uuteaohable than the Bourbon kings, appear to 
have learnt nothing, and forgotten all of its previous 
commercial history. Every other man ono meets, no 
matter how ludicrously his forecasts have been falsified 
in the past, still clings to his own pet theory on the 
subject of the future of the quinine market, »nrl the 
number of those who, with “Athena's wisest son,” 
are frank enough to admit “ all that they know is, 
nothing can be dona,” seems scarcely greater than that 
of the just men in the Cities of the Plain. 
A favourite assertion just at present is that the 
price of quinine fluctuates altogether independently of 
the movements of cinohona bark, that, in fact, the 
two articles now revolve in different spheres. 
We i^re no adherents to that theory. On the 
contrary, we have more than once stated our 
view that tho natural causes which have operated 
to depress both cinchona bark and its derivatives have 
been assisted by the unwise contracts made by certain 
Java planters with Continental quinine manufacturers 
of a speculative turn of mind. Full particulars of 
these contracts were published in this journal last 
year, and their substantial accuracy stands unchallen- 
ged. A variety of minor causes, such as the condition 
of tho money market, the avowed, if unintelligible, 
policy of at least one of the English manufacturers 
to depress quinine, and so forth, have accentuated the 
state of limpness from which that drug is now suffer- 
ing, but we sec no reason to alter our opinion that the 
primary cause of the depreciation of quinine lies iu the 
excess of the bark supply, and that a curtailment of 
the production of cinchona must precede any lasting 
improvement iu the quinine market. So far as Ceylon 
is concerned the output of bark is already visibly dwind- 
ling away, and will continue to lose importance year by 
year as a factor m tho calculations cf the quinine 
dealer. The official export figures, which wo quote 
below, are eloquent on this point: — 
Ceylon Expokt.s. 
1836 1887 18»8 1889 1890 
lb, lb, lb. lb. lb. 
14,675,663 12,805.003 12,482,817 9,455,641 8,779,140 
The displacement of Ceylon by Java, as the centre o* 
cinohona production, is now as much au accomplished 
fact as the dethronement of Chinese by Ceylon and 
Indian teas in the British markets. Until 1890 it seemed 
doubtful whether Java would ever gain the mastery 
of the cinchona market. But in that year 4J million 
ounces of quinine in the bark were sold by public 
auction iu Amsterdam against 4 million ounces disposed 
of at the cinchona sales in London. That fact marks 
the commencement, of the era of a Dutch supremacy in 
the cinchona market. There is uo use whatever blink- 
ing it, however unpalatable it may be to Loudon 
importers and brokers ; and if the recognition of it 
should lead to the exercise of greater care and dis- 
crimination by the Ceylon planters, and the mederui- 
sation of London sale methods, our present lo.ss may 
prove our fnturo gain. We are induced to make these 
observations apropos of the aunnal report of the Soeka- 
boemi (.Java) Agricultural Association, just published. 
From this report, which is compiled with thu greatest 
possaible care, and forms a valuable guide to those inter- 
ested in tho progress of oinchona, it appears that tho 
total crop of Java cinchona, for manufacturing pur- 
poses, iu 1890 was 3 million kilos. Tho estimated 
crop for 1891 is 34 million kilos. Tho average equi- 
valent of sulphate of quinine iu the bark was 3 94 
per cent, last year, and is estimutod at 4'07 per cent, 
for 1891. The total quinine yield of the Java manu- 
facturer’s bark of 1890 was 120,000 kilos, lully one- 
half of the world's estimated consumption. This year 
it will be 140,000 kilos., or about four-'-oveutbs of the 
world’s estimated consumption for 1891. Wc have 
tested two former estimates pnbliabed by the As- 
sociation ill 1890 and 1889, and iu eaoli case found them 
to bo somewhat below tho actual yield. Tuere 
IS therefore no reason to believe that tho estimated 
yo 
figures for 1891 are exaggerated. There are now 114 
known cinchona plantatkns iu Java — iu 1889 there were 
115 — and cf these only 30 neglected to send full 
particulars of their cultivation to the secretary of the 
Association. Fifteen plantations wilt yield uo crop at 
all this year, mostly because the trees are as yet too 
young, and only four or five are reported to have been 
“ abaucioued ” or “ uprooted.” The facts are that, in spite 
of lour or five seasons of starvation prices, the number 
of cinchona plantations in Java has not lesseued. In 1888 
thero were 10,622 bouws (1 bouw = IJ acre) under cin- 
chona in Java, iu 1890 tlieie were I8,lii6 bouws. Another 
fact worthy of oonsiaeration is the existence of a tend- 
ency to a decUno in productivity in the larger plantations. 
Thus, the nina largest estates on the island, including 
the Government plantations, yielded a crop of 1,168,156 
kilos, bark in 1890, but they only estimate their ouput 
fur 1891 at 912,000 kilos. The Government plaiua- 
tions produced only 240,000 kilos, bark last year, instead 
of au estimated yield of 300,000 kilos. This yield 
included 95,000 kilos, iihannaceutical bark. But the 
reduced output was nut owing to natural causes so 
much as to partial compliance with the desire of the 
private planters that the Government gardens should 
temporarily cease to put forth their full strength, and 
thus help them to tide over a bad season. TheiesuU 
of this accommodation on the part of the Government is 
that they will have to get rid of their surplus in 1891 
and tho succeeding years. Hence their output tor 
1891 is estimated at 212,000 kilcs. manufacturing, and 
150,000 kilos, pharmaceutical bark. Two other possible 
portents of things to come lie in the facts that nearly 
all the medium-sized plantations in the western cin- 
chona districts of Java are anticipating a considerable 
incica e in their output, and that tho figures deuoting 
their area under ciuchona cultivation point to a further 
decided increase in the near future. Take, for instance, 
the nino principal plantations alluded to above. They are 
among the oldest iu the island, and their bark is the 
beat known in the markets. Their total area under cin- 
chuna covers 3,687 bouws, and their yield of dry ba- k iu 
1890 has been about 317 kilos, bark per bouw. Now 
select nine other typical plantations from among the 
laige number of those which have not yet attained their 
full producing power. These nine plantations cover an 
aggregate of 3,747 bouws. In 1890 they produced 46,400 
kilos, bark or about 124 kilos, per bouw. In 1891 they 
are estimated to produce 536,000 kilos., or 143 kilos, per 
bouw. When they sh ill have attained the ripeness and 
producing power (317 kilos, per bouw) of the nine most 
fully matured estates iu the island, they ought to pro- 
dtico 3,187,799 kilos. These figures do not look as if the 
supply of bark from Java is about to dwindleaway. Yet, 
iu spite of the tale they tell, a number of Mincing Lane 
people affect to treat the Java bark-produotion as a 
factor of no account iu the quinine market. There is 
room in the drug market for un “ Ancient Manner,” 
who stoppeth some of these, and for his hearers’ owu 
ultimat' benefit, if not present delectation, keeps din- 
ning into their ears the truu moral of the story from 
the islands of the East. — Chemist and Dnit^gist. 
4 
LIBEEIAN COFFEE IN THE STIUITS. 
The statement we append will be read with interest 
by 1 hose planters and proprietors who are now turning 
their attention to the cultivation of this product. 
Tho Native States of the Malay Peuinsula which 
have beeu opened up to coffee cultivation by European 
enterprise — principally through planters ot Ceylon 
experieuoe — are si uated on the Western slopes of the 
mountain chain which traverses the entire Peninsular 
from North to South, forming as it were a backbone,’’ 
rising from 2,000 to 4,000 ft. in height, but decreasing 
on proceeding to the South. The surface is well 
watered, and very heavily timbered. The coffee, solely 
Liberian, is planted on the slopes of the main range, 
and on isolated hills, of wliioh thero are a vast 
number studded over the couutry. Estate bungalows 
are con.structed entirely of timber obtained on the spot, 
ai d roofed in wi'h atta^is, the jiliiited fronds of a 
palm which grows in several vurielies, The timber 
