136 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST.  [Aug.  i,  1895, 
dkik;  report. 
(From  Chemist  and  Drufjgist) 
The  Amsterdam  Cinchona-auctions. 
June  13th. 
Our  Amsterdam  correspondent  telegraphing  on 
Thursday  night,  states  that  at  the  cinchona-auctions 
held  in  that  city  5,930  packages  of  .Java  cinchona 
were  offered,  of  which  only  3,474  sold  at  an  aver- 
age unit  of  2-87c  per  half  kilo,  or  about  9-16ths  d. 
per  lb.,  a decline  of  about  *2  per  cent  on  the  auc- 
tions of  May  9th,  when  the  average  was  2-9‘2e.  The 
result  of  the  sale  was  a great  disappointment  to 
many  holders,  who  had  expected  a slight  advance.  The 
approximate  quantities  of  sulphate  of  quinine  (in 
kilos)  purchased  by  the  principal  buyers  were  as  fol- 
lows; Philadelphia  and  Paris,  8,2*27  ; Rrunswick, 
984  ; Mannheim  and  Amsterdam,  461 ; Frankfort-on- 
Main  and  Stuttgart,  2,471 ; Auerbach,  1,791  ; Howards 
& Sons,  2,445.  The  range  of  prices  for  manufacturers’ 
barks  was  from  IJc  to  ‘29c,  foi-  druggists’  from  7ic 
to  75ic  per  half  kilo.  The  general  tone  is  dull  and 
depressed. 
London,  July  4. 
Caffeine— Very  firmly  held,  and  almost  unobtainable 
on  the  spot — 27s  per  lb  being  the  nearest  quotation.  For 
delivery  21s  to  22s  per  lb  is  asked. 
Kssentiai.  Oil— (Jitronella  oil  is  very  firmly  held  at  Is 
4d  on  the  spot  for  fair  native  brands  in  tins  or  bottles, 
and  Is  4Jd  for  ditto  in  drums.  The  prices  for  arrival 
are  Is  3d  for  tins,  and  Is  3Jd  for  drums,  c i f terms— 
shipment  within  the  next  six  months.  Lemongrass  oil 
rather  scarce  and  firm  at  l|d  per  oz  on  the  spot  and  ]4d 
c 1 f terns.  Bids  in  the  last-named  position  slightly  be- 
low the  quoted  price  have  been  refu.sed. 
Quinine- Rather  easier.  .Small  sales  have  been  made 
this  week  at  12sd  per  oZ  for  IIB  brand,  second-hand. 
B A .S  brand  in  the  same  position  cannot  easily  be  had 
below  12Jd  per  oz. 
— — 
INDIAN  TEA  SALES. 
(From  Watson,  Sibthorp  <t*  Co.’s  Tea  Report.) 
CalcUTT.V,  July  *2;h*(l,  1,S9."). 
14,857  packages  changed  hands  in  the  sales  held 
On  the  18th  instant.  There  Was  an  active  demand 
from  various  markets  and  prices  for  all  grades,  ah 
though  somewhat  irregular,  were  very  firm  With 
here  and  there  an  inward  tendency,  especially  oil 
the  better  grades.  The  demand  for  the  Colonies 
and  Bombay  was  stronger  than  it  has  been  lately 
and  kept  suitable  teas  very  steady. 
'The  average  price  of  the  14,857  packages  sold  is 
As.  8-0  or  nearly  8^d  per  lb.  as  compared  with 
15,531  packages  sold  on  the  19th  July  LS94  at 
As.  10-.5  or  about  lO.^d  per  lb.  and  15,607  packages 
sold  on  the  20th  July  1893  at  As.  8-0  or  about  9i(d 
per  lb. 
The  Exports  from  1st  May  to  20th  July  from  here 
to  Great  Britain  are  22,968,603  lb.  as  compared  with 
19,426,878  lb.  at  the  corresponding  period  last  season 
and  17,162,847  lb.  in  1893. 
Note. — Last  sale’s  average  was  As.  8-3  or  about 
8Jd  per  lb. 
Exchange. — Document  Bills,  6 months’  sight.  Is 
l-.5-16d 
Freight. — Steamer  £1-16-3  per  ton  of  .50  c.  ft. 
(From  William  Moran  <f*  Co.’s  Marhet  Report.) 
C.VLCUTTA,  .Inly  2.’Jr(l,  189.5. 
TE.\. — During  the  past  fortnight  there  has  been  a 
rather  better  feeling  in  the  market,  and  at  both 
the  weekly  auctions,  hold  on  the  11th  and  18th 
, instants  there  was  more  spirit  in  the  biddings.  Good 
to  fine  teas  have  sol.l  at  firm  prices,  occasionally 
showing  some  sliglit  advance.  IMedium  sorts  have 
been  very  steady,  excepting  good  leaf  pekoes  with- 
,out  much  liquor,  which  have  gone  a trifle  easier. 
.Common  and  ordinary  sorts  are,  if  anything,  a 
sliade  highsr. 
Tlio  quality  generally  has  been  ratlicr  better, 
though  the  proportion  of  really  good  and  fine  teas 
•has  not  been  largo.  Tlie  quantity  offered  was  30,916 
jiackages,  of  whicb  30,609  were  sold. 
Total  quantity  of  Tea  passed  through  Calcutta 
FROM  1st  April  to  21ht  .July. 
1895. 
1894. 
1893. 
Great  Britain 
23.074,574 
20,455.878 
17,575,502 
Foreign  Europe 
81,033 
38,7*20 
32,419 
America 
55,940 
46,170 
23.3:40 
Asia 
Australia  and  New 
611,408 
349,312 
;473,.586 
Zealand 
1,077,244 
855,236 
835,480 
24,900,199 
21,745,316 
18,810,317 
VARIOUS  PLANTING  NOTES. 
Camphor  is  one  of  the  articles  which  have  of  late 
been  mounting  up  in  price.  From  about  75s  to  170s 
per  cwt.,  such  is  the  extent  of  the  recent  rise  in  the 
value  of  this  article.  For  years  past,  it  appear.^,  a 
wholesale  destruction  of  the  camphor  tree  forests 
has  been  going  on  in  order  to  obtain  the  product, 
and  to  such  an  extent  have  tlie  depredations  been 
carried  that  there  was  considerable  danger  of  the 
tree  a few  years  hence  becoming  completely  extinct. 
With  the  object  of  preventing  this  it  has  been  de- 
cided that  in  future  the  trees  are  not  to  be  felled, 
but  only  bled,  and  as  a consequence  supplies  are 
likely  henceforth  to  De  on  a smaller  scale.  Already 
the  imports  have  greatly  decreased,  only  3,355  tubs 
having  been  landed  this  year  in  comparison  with 
6,410  in  the  corresponding  period;  but  consumption 
is  likewise  adapting  itself  to  the  restriction  of  sup- 
plies, the  deliveries  having  fallen  from  6,710  to  3,550 
tubs,  and  so  stock  show  very  little  alteration  from  a 
year  ago,  being  now  4,015  tubs,  compared  with  4,585 
in  May  last  year. — Dandee  Arh^ei  tiser. 
Moth-catching  Plant. — Read  letter  from  Rev.  G. 
Richter,  dated  Mercara,  22nd  February,  1895  (at 
Agri-Horticultural  Society,  Madras,)  forwarding  a 
cutting  from  “ Public  Opinion”  dated  January  18th, 
of  a Moth-c.atching  plant  and  recommending  the 
Society  to  introduce  the  plant ; — 
“ This  plant  {Aramjia  albenn),  which  is  a native  of 
Southern  *Afrioa,  was  introduced  to  New  Zealand 
quite  accidentally  about  seven  years  ago,  and  since 
then  it  has  been  extensively  propagated  there,  on 
account  of  its  effective  service  as  a killer  of  destruc-  , 
tive  moths.  Wherever  the  climate  is  mild  the  plant 
is  an  exceedingly  free  grower ; it  twines  and  climbs 
with  great  luxuriance,  and  produces  immense  num- 
bers of  white  or  pinkish  flowers,  which  have  a very 
agreeable  scent.  These  flowers  attract  innumerable 
moths.  On  a summer  evening  a hedge  of  araugias 
will  he  covered  by  a perfect  cloud  of  moths,  and  in 
the  morning  there  will  not  be  a single  flower  that 
does  not  imjnison  one  or  two,  and  sometimes  as  many 
as  four  insects  of  various  sizes  and  genera.  The  action 
of  the  araugia  is  purely  mechanical.  The  calyx  of 
the  flower  is  rather  deep,  and  the  receptacle  for  its 
sweet  juices  is  placed  at  its  base.  Attracted  by  the 
powerful  scent  and  the  prospect  of  honey,  the  moth 
dives  down  the  calyx,  and  protrudes  its  proboscis 
to  reach  the  tempting  food.  But  before  it  can  do 
so  the  proboscis  is  nipped  between  two  strong,  hard 
black  pincers,  which  guai’d  the  passage  and  once 
nipped  there  is  no  escape  for  the  moth,  which  is  held 
as  in  a vice,  by  the  extreme  end  of  the  proboscis, 
and  dies  miserably.  The  rationale  of  the  process  is 
not  yet  explained.  A plant  of  araugin,  covering  a 
space  of  ten  yards  in  length  will  destroy  many 
hundred  moths  every  night,  and  consequently  pre- 
vent the  ravages  of  fifty  times  as  many  larviu.  It 
is  however,  a singular  fact  that  in  New  Zealand, 
where  the  plant  lias  often  been  cultivated  for  the 
express  pnrjiose  of  destroying  the  detested  codlin 
moth  ( ('ar/iinipna.pnmenal/a ),  that  wily  insect  declines 
to  enter  the  trap. — Detroit  I rcc  Dress. 
m HE  BEST  SOAPS  FOR  WARAf CLBf ATiTs 
‘ 1 arc  CAT.VERT’S  TOILET  KOAl’  ((id.  T.a- 
hlets)  and  I’RH 'KLY-M  E.VT  SO,\  I*  (6d.  .and  Is. 
bars),  pleasantly  perl'niiied,  I'nr  Rath  or  Toilet, 
(loiitaiiiiiig  to  per  cent  , of  I ’lire  Uarholic. 
sorviucahie  as  preventatii cs  of  Rriekl^’-licat  and 
ullior  skin  in  italion.  bold  at  Clieiiiisl.-*,  Stores,  (.k’c. 
f.  C*  CALVERT  & CO.,  Manchkster,  - 
