Oct.  I,  1895.] 
THE  TROPic-VL  AGRiCULTURlS  P. 
235 
that,  altliough  the  cultivation  of  leinongrass  and 
citr  uiella  plants  for  distilling  purjtoses  had  at- 
traeced  much  attention  in  the  western  and 
southern  provinces  of  tlie  island,  yet  at  the  price 
tlicn  ruling  a European  distiller  (;ould  make  no 
other  i)rofit  than  was  obtainable  from  the  sale 
of  the  manure  made  from  the  grass  after  dis- 
tillation. In  that  year  the  area  under  citroiiella 
ami  lemongrass  in  t'eylon,  was  estimated  at  about 
lOjOUu  acres,  but  in  I8t'2,  in  spite  of  the  un- 
enviable market  jtosition  of  the  article,  the 
estimated  area  under  cultivation  had  increased  to 
about  ‘Jo, 000  acres,  and  it  was  then  believed  that 
over  450  native  stills  were  employed  in  the 
industry.  The  subjoined  figures,  imlicating  the 
e.vports  of  citronolla  and  lemongrass  oils  in  ounces 
(an  old-fashioneil  way  of  (| noting  the  article 
which  ought  to  have  been  abolished  long  ago) 
during  the  last  fourteen  years  attbrd  an  indica* 
tion  of  the  enormous  development  of  this  in- 
dustry !— 
1831 
1,!).50,501 
ISsG 
0,745,71)1 
1882  1883 
2,940,043  3,910,398 
1887  1888 
8,828,578  10,5.39,405 
1884  1885 
4,997,333  0,570,133 
1889  1S90 
10,203,433  14,559,075 
1891  1892  1893  1894 
1.3,203,581  13,312,020  10,090,481  15,015, .332 
The  statistics  here  given  refer  to  citVHmella 
and  lemongrass  oils  together,  no  sei>arate  records 
being  kept  of  the  two.  but  as  the  use  r,f  lemon- 
gra-ss  oil  is  insignilic.ant  compared  with,  that  of 
citronella  the  first-named  oil  may  Vj  left  out 
of  account  for  practical  purposes. 
Until  last  autumn  the  price  of  citronella  oil 
showed  little  or  no  improvement,  but  a moderate 
advance  then  began  to  take  pl'ace,  and  within 
the  last  two  montlis  there  ha\s  been  a further 
imjiortant  rise,  the  quotation  0^1  “fair  native  oil”' 
in  drums  having  advanced  fr  jm  9.^d  per  lb.,  c.i.f. 
terms,  last  March,  to  Is  3d  per  lb.,  c.i.f.,  terms, 
at  the  present  moment.  'This  unusual  rise  is 
partly  due  to  .speculatio'.i.  Citronella  oil  has 
long  been  a favourite  ar  tide  of  si>eculation  ivith 
a few  Mincing  Lane  hr  uses,  and  this  spring  two 
or  three  of  these  firm'  j a[>pear  to  have  .sohl  oil 
on  contract  for  future  d.elivery  without  a.scertaining 
whether  there  would  l)e  any  difficulty  in  obtaining 
the  material  in  the  country  of  production.  When 
the  time  came  for  o.overing  their  sales  it  was  found 
that  citronella  olP  had  suddenly  become  scarce  in 
Ceylon.  It  is  said  that  the  drought  of  last  season  had 
destroyed  part  of  the  crop,  and  as  both  citi’o- 
nella  and  lemor.igrass  require  a great  deal  of  mois- 
ture, though  they  grow  in  poor  .soil,  that  stiite- 
ment  may  bo  true,  but  as  the  grass  is  cut  and 
distilled  twice  a y'ear  a prolonged  scarcity  is  not 
jirobable.  Anyhow,  the  speculators  were  caught. 
They  succeeded  in  piu’dia-sing  a jjortion  of  the 
rpiuired  supj)lie.s  in  America,  where  the  u.se  of 
citronella  oil,  formerly  very  large  (in  1892  the 
States  imported  nearly  6 oiillions  of  ounces,  in 
1893  only  23  millions),,  has  greatly  <leclincd  in  the 
last  two  years  ; but  "when  tlie  j\mericans  realised 
the  real  position  of  affairs  they  became  buyers 
themselves,  and  witln  tliis  fresh  demand  the  Cey- 
lon shippers  have  Iw’Kji  able  to  nin  up  their  quo- 
tations still  fiirthea;  The  first  shipments  of  the 
summer  distillation  aa  e due  in  London  in  August, 
and  in  all  probalwitity  pri-ces  will  again  recede  tlicn, 
although  a selling-price  of  less  than.  Id.  ]ier  oz- 
seems  to  be  an  abuo  rmaJiy  low  oaie  for  the  article. 
It  is  said  that  tlie  •consumption  of  citronella  oil 
has  increa.se<l  enonii-ously  .since  Ifvst  year,  when  tlie 
manufacturei’s  of  a 3uuch  ailvqrtised  soap  began  to 
use  it  laagely, — ChQniist^  ami  Vrmjqist, 
THE  U.  l>.  A.  S. 
THE  SECOND  (iENElUj/  MEEl’INtf  of  the 
U lined  Planters'  Association  of  Southern  India  assem- 
bles at  Bangalore  011  Monday  (.10th  inst.)  The  most  im- 
p rtant  question  that  will  have  to  be  dealt  with  con- 
oenis  the  Labour  Laws.  The  draft  Bill  for  the  Com- 
pulsory Eegistration  of  Maisiuies  is  another  important 
question,  which  will  occupy  the  attention  of  the 
delegates  for  several  hours.  Freights  is,  we  see,  put 
down  for  discussion.  If  the  United  Association  could 
devise  a schenre  which  would  enable  planters  to  ship 
their  crops  home  at  the  cheaper  freight  than  hereto- 
fore, nothing  could  be  better ; but  for  the  Association 
to  try  aud  squeeze  the  merchants  who  take  on  them- 
selves the  risit  which  the  chartering  of  special  steamers 
necessarily  entails,  is  a petty  and  unworthy  action. 
The  Ceylon  import  duty  on  Indian  teas  is  to  come 
forward,  and  we  anticipated  that  some  action  will  be 
decided  on  which  in  every  probability  will  meet  with 
the  approval  of , the  authorities  in  Ceylon  and  permit 
the  removal  of  the  present  inequitable  impost  in 
coui’se  of  tiine. — d/.  Mail. 
SELANUfJK  PLANTERS’  ASSOCIATION 
AND  THE  LABOUR  (QUESTION, 
Minutes  of  a general  meotihg  held  at  the  Selan- 
gor Club  oir  Saturday,  ‘27th  .Jufy,-  1895.  Present : 
Mr.  E.  V.  Carey  (Chairman),  Mr.  Tom  Gibson  (Hon, 
Secretary),  Messrs.  G.  Meikle  and  E.  B.  Skinner 
(Committee  Members),  and  Messrs.  Hiirth,  C.  G. 
Glassford,  K.  C.  Meikle,  B.  Nissen  and  A.  C.  Ilendle. 
Messrs.  H.  C.  Ilendle,  H.  M.  Darby  and  J.  Tait 
were  elected  members  of  the  Association. 
Proposed  by  Mr.  Carey,  seconded  by  Mi-.  Gibson 
“ That  the  Hon.  Secretary  be  requested  to  ascertain 
from  the  Government  whether  the  followin'^  rules 
(a)  All  recruiters  arriving  in  India  with”  a letter 
from  the  Indian  Immigration  Agent,  and  those 
appointed  by  the  agents  of  tlie  Planters  there,  shall 
take  out  licenses  in  India ; 
(b)  No  agent  or  recruiter  shall  receive  any  com- 
mission on  coolies  not  entered  in  the  list  of 
Indentured  coolies  (Form  A)— in  Circular  dated 
Penang,  8th  November,  1887,  and  distributed 
amongst  the  Planters  of  the  Straits  Settle- 
ments and  Native  States,  are  still  in  force  - and  if 
so  that  the  hardship  of  Planters  not  being’  able  to 
recruit  free  coolies  in  India  through  paid  commission 
agents,  be  brought  to  the  notice  of  the  Government  • 
and  that  the  Government  be  asked  to  make  excep- 
tion in  the  case  of  mercantile  firms  of  standing  and 
other  recruiting  agents  of  accepted  respectability  " 
Mr.  Carey  read  a report  of  his  visit  to  Southern 
India,  fully  and  clearly  explaining  the  necessity  of 
the  above  resolution,  which  on  being  put  to  the 
meeting  was  carried  unanimously. 
Resolved  that  the  Hon.  Secretary  take  steps  to  have 
the  report  printed  aud  distributed  to  members  of  the 
Association. 
■ — /■’.  i'rc.is, 
PLANTING  AND  PRODUCE 
Gatching^the  PIIOMOTEU’S  Eye.— The  meetings  of 
tea  companies,  which  fell  so  thickly  a few  weeks 
since,  are  now  nearly  over.  The  present  year  i.s 
marked  with  a red  letter  in  the  history  of  Indian 
and  Ceylon  tea  enterprise,  and  although  the  tide  of 
success  18  high  we  will  trust  that  it  is  still  rising, 
and  has  yet  to  touch  high-water  mark.  After  allow- 
ing for  favourable  conditions  in  the  form  of  low 
exchange  and  other  advantages,  there  is  a great 
deal  to  be  said  for  tbo  energy  and  adaptability 
of  the  planters  on  the  spot  and  the  representa- 
tives of  the  industry  at  home,  who  have  placed  the 
tea  industry  oil  such  a satisfactory  footing  The 
exercise  of  prudence  as  regards  increased  cultivation 
and  perseverance  about  the  question  of  new  markets 
are  points  which  have  now  to  be  steadily  borne  in 
mind.  The  success  from  a financial  point  of  view 
of  the  leading  Companies  has  caused  the  profea- 
