THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
Ill 
Aug.  I,  1896.] 
solution  of  tlic  problem  lies  more  in  the  careful 
traininp;  of  the  bushes  in  pruning  ;;o  as  to  ensure  as 
far  as  possible  a nuiform  surface,  but  to  arrive  at 
this  clesicleratum  would  entail  the  employment  of 
trained  intelligent  men,  and  garden  coolies  can  hardly 
be  said  to  come  under  such  a denomination.  Uowever, 
once  a lolerably  level  surface  was  obtained,  it  seems  to 
us  that  a modiheatiou  of  the  common  grain  reaper  could 
be  brought  into  play,  and  though  a good  deal  of  course 
leaf  would  be  cut  off,  for  the  fine  shoots  would  most  prob- 
ably bend  before  and  slip  through  the  teeth  01  the, 
reaper  rendering  it  necessary  to  cut  low  down  to  the 
more  rigid  stem,  sifting,  after  a few  minutes  1 oiling 
would  remove  the  greater  portion  of  this.  The  diffi- 
culty lies  in  dealing  with  the  sides  and  centres  of 
the  bush  for  table  pruning  (as  it  used  to  be  called)  has 
its  drawbacks  which  increase  as  the  season  progres 
ses,  and  by  the  end  of  July  or  thereabouts-it  would 
probably  be  found  necessary  to  resort  to  the  knife 
to  thin  out  interlacing  stems.  The  nut  no  doubt  is  a 
hard  one  to  crack,  and  as  few  planters  have  time, 
or  possess  the  necessary  aptitude  for  experimenting 
with  intricate  mechanics,  it  would  be  better  to  offer 
the  reward  \ve  suggest,  taking  care  thafour  reqirire- 
ments  are  brought  to  the  notice  of  machinists  in  all 
civilised  countries.  Though  not  without  hopes  that 
India  or  Ceylon  may  secure  the  honor  of  intro- 
ducing an  efficient  plucker,  it  is  more  than  probable 
that  America  or  some  of  our  semi-tropical  co- 
lonies may  be  first  in  the  field  with  one,  for  though 
tea-planting  is  now  being  attempted  in  various  parts 
of  the  world,  the  high  rates  ruling  for  labor  outside 
India,  preclude  the  possibility  of  successful  competi- 
tion with  us;  unless  the  cost  of  out-turn  can  be 
brought  down  to  our  standard.  This  can  only  be 
accomplished  by  the  aid  of  machinery  and  necessicy 
being  the  mother  of  invention,  the  ingenuity  of  the 
colonists  will  compel  them  to  pay  the  closest  atten- 
tion to  the  subject.  This  was  the  case  in  Ame- 
rica some  sixty  years  since,  the  paucity  and  con- 
sequent high  price  of  hand  labor  eventually 
giving  us  all  those  admirable  inventions  that  have 
tended  so  greatly  to  lessen  the  cost  of  iiro- 
duction  of  the  necessaries  and  luxuries  of 
life.  It  would  matter  but  liitle  to  the  Indian 
planter  whence  the  machine  came,  for  he  would 
evontually  obtain  it,  and  as  there  must  still  remain 
the  noces.sity  for  employment  of  hand  labor  to  a 
considerable  extent  on  all  tea-plantations,  we  .should 
still  remain  masters  of  the  position  on  account  of 
cheap  labor.  It  is  certainly  too  Utopian  to  reckon 
upon  dispensing  with  the  coolie  altogether. — Indian 
Plant erts'  Gazette,  June  20. 

THE  UNITED  PLANTERS’  COMPANY  OF 
CEYLON,  LIxMITED. 
The  Directors  now  present  to  the  Shareholders 
their  Fifth  Annual  Report,  with  the  accompanying 
Accounts  to  the  Mst  December,  1895,  and  are  glad 
to  be  able  to  show  continued  satisfactory  progress, 
the  yield  again  showing  a slight  increase  and  prices 
lip.ving  been  well  maintained. 
During  the  year  191!  acres  of  land  have  been  planted 
in  'I'e.'’,  and  aio  reported  upon  satisfactorily. 
The  accounts  now  presented  show  a Balance  of 
profit  of  i’7,()70  Oh.  iOJ.,  after  paying  an  interim 
dividend  at  the  rate  of  5 per  cent  jicr  annum,  all 
current  expenses  p.nd  upkeep  of  machineiy  and  build- 
ings, and  after  writing  t'2,000  off  the  Factories  ar.d  Ma- 
chinery account,  tT,50O  off  the  new  clearings  account, 
and  making  further  provision  for  the  Superintendents’ 
fund. 
The  Directors  now  propose  to  add  t'2,000  to  Re- 
sei’vc  Account,  bringiig  the  amount  of  that  account 
up  to  .i'7,000,  to  pay  a final  dividend  of  i!^  per  cent, 
free  of  income  tax,  making,  (>  per  cent  for  the  year, 
li’id  to  cany  forward  a balance  of  £791  Os.  lOd. 
The  Directors  have  again  to  express  their  satis- 
faction with  the  hearty  co-operation  received  from 
the  Superintendents  in  the  management  of  the  es- 
tates. 
DRUG  REPORT. 
fl’T'orn  the  Chemist  and  Jtrufjfjist .) 
London,  .June  11. 
ClNt'lION’A.  - The  monthly  cinchona  auctions  were  held 
on  Tuesday,  when  a fair  (luantity  of  bark  wa-s  oH'ere(l. 
A moderately  animated  tone  prevailed  throughout  the  salej 
ami,  with  scarcely  an  exception,  the  bulk  offered  was 
sohl  at  firm  rates,  higher  prices  in  some  instances  being 
paid  for  Druggists’  varieties,  notably  West  African  bark. 
The  unit  average  |d  per  lb. 
The  eight  catalogues  comprised  2,111  packages,  whicli 
were  divided  as  follows 
Packages.  Packages. 
East  Indian  cinchona 
Ceylon  cinchona 
African  cinchona 
.South  American  cinchona 
.Java  cincliona 
1,4(15  of  which  1,358  were  sold 
532  „ 510 
212  „ 212 
195  „ 195 
2,411  „ 2,282 
The  following  figures  represent  the  apjn'oxima.te  qu, an- 
tities of  bark  purchased  )>y  the  principal  buyers : — 
Lbs. 
Agents  for  the  Auerbach  factory  123,784 
Agents  for  the  llrunswick  (jui  nine- works  110,700 
Agents  for  the  Mannheim  and  Amsterdam  works  111,075 
Agents  for  tlie  Frankfort  and  .Stuttgart  works  49,397 
Agents  for  the  American  and  Italian  works  30,255 
Messrs.  Howards  & Sons  33,405 
Agents  for  tlie  Paris  works  22,730 
Agents  for  the  Imperial  (Quinine  Company  4,800 
Various  buyers  - • 42,437 
Total  quantity  sold  - 540,649 
Jlought  in  or  withdrawn  • 28,140 
Total  quantity  of  bark  offered  508,789 
Ceylon  and  East  Indian  barks  realised,  according  to 
quality,  from  Id  to  3^d  per  lb.  for  Ledger,  Ijd  to  SJd 
tor  Otheiiialis,  ^d  bo  8d  for  Hybrids,  ami  Id  to  2Jd  for 
Succirubra.  For  Java  Ledger  2^d  to  2jd  was  paid,  ami 
for  Hybrid  from  4J  to  4jjd  per  lb.  African  succirubra 
quills  realised  2d  to  3d  per  lb.  At  today’s  drug-sales  20 
serous  of  Uuayaquil  Loxa  sold  readily  at  from  Ifd  to 
lod  per  lb.  for  fair,  partly  bright,  partly  broken,  mossy 
quill,  and  from  4tl  down  to  Id  for  ordinary  dull  quality. 
Of  I3l  packages  cultivated  Bolivian-Calisaya  01,  in  quill, 
fair,  but  damaged,  realised  from  2Id  to  3d  per  lb. 
'i'hroe  packages  .8011111  American  red  bark  were  bought 
ill  at  3s  Od  per  lb.  'The  exports  of  cinchona  from  Puerto 
Cabello  (Venezuela)  in  1895  were  14,005  kilos.  In  1894 
they  were  2,205  kilos. 
CiiOTON-SEKD  is  again  dearer,  and  imports  of  good 
quality  would  no  doubt  realise  liigh  rates.  At  auction 
8 packages  (about  7 cwt.)  of  rtither  dark  mixed  Ceyiou 
seed  brougiit  60s  per  cwt.  'The  last  price  ptiid  at 
auction  on  Jlay  2nd  for  a better-looking  parcel  was  65s. 
Ki.xo.— A new  shipment  of  about  300  Ib.  of  East 
African  kino,  upon  wliich  we  have  recently  commented' 
has  been  received.  No  definite  price  is  stated,  but  it  is 
said  that  the  holders  are  not  disposed  to  sacrifice  it. 
'The  otterings  of  auction  included  2 packages  of  dark 
astringent  East  Indian  gum,  one  of  which  was  bought 
in  at  lO.s  per  lb.,  and  three  packages  of  a bright  red 
and  woody  mixed  gum  from  Bombay,  for  which  no  price  was 
mentioned. 
Kola-nuts  are  being  pressed  for  .sale  owing  to  lieavy 
arrivals.  Fair  bright  West  African  arc  ofi'oring  privately 
at  .3;fd  to  4d  per  II).  while  for  fresh  kolas  very  low 
figures  are  meu.ioiieil.  At  auction  29  hags  of  diied  nuts 
Were  bought  iu  at  Old  to  9il  per  lb.,  and  20  baskets  of 
fresh  at  Od  per  lb. 
Vanilla. — At  today’s  auctmus  the  demaml  was  only 
moderate,  and  holders  accepted  a general  decline  of  Is 
to  2s  per  lb.  Fine  I\Iauritius,  slightly  crystallised,  0 to  8,^ 
inches,  realised  from  28s  to  33s  ; fresh  plump,  4j  to  8 
inc;.es,  21s  Od  to  27s  Oil  ; 8 to  81-  indies,  31s  ; ordinary 
pale  to  common  from  ISs  Oil  to  8s  Od  per  lb.  Good  Fiji 
vanilla  reali.sed  1 s per  lb. 
Vauiouh  DlUKiS. — Good  qualities  of  Cuttle-fish  bone 
are  scarce,  ami  are  firmly  held.  At  auction  19  packages 
of  low  to  ordinary  dark  mixed  (]uality  from  Bombay  .sold 
readily  at  jd  to  2jd  per  iD.  I'.venty-seven  b.iles  Coca 
leaves,  Huanoco  character  were  bought  in  at  from  is 
111  to  Is  3d  per  lb.,  and  20  bags  (Jocculus  Indieus  at  8s 
per  lb.  Five  eii-^es  dark-brown  Fatchoiily  leaves  from 
Fenang  sold  at  ; 1 pe-  lb. 
A.xnatto.— Good  bright  seed  is  now  in  ve  y large 
supply,  hut  difiicult  of  sale.  About  00  packages  East 
Imliaii  were  oll'ered  today,  Imt  only  8 sold,  at  Od  per  lb. 
for  fine  bright,  and  l:,'d  for  ordinary  damaged.  A parcel 
of  West  Indian  a.nnatto-paste,  imported  via  New  ^'ork,  was 
also  ottered.  It  consisted  of  10  eases,  and  was  bone  lit 
in  at  2s  per  lb. 
