120 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
DRUG REURT. 
(Fioin the Chemist and Druggist.) 
Loiido.u, May 27. 
Cardamoms show an advance of from Id to 4d 
per lb,, according to quality. S. Amer. Loxa bark 
sold chfrply. Croton seed neglected and tending 
easier, 'n mzibar olovr s flat. Cochin ginger is dull, 
Jamaica in large supply and about 2s lower. Nut- 
megs are firm, but mace is slow of sale, yuillaia- 
bark is much nearer. 
CARD.iMOMS.— It is said that the last shipments of the 
recent crop of cardamoms have now been made from 
Ceylon, and that there is imiy about 160 cwt. of the 
drug left there, the Inilk of which will be required for 
consumption in India. At auction today the supply con- 
sisted of t.4 boxes only. It was evident ihrt buyers 
had recovered from the shock of the recent " monster 
supply,” for bal dug was very brisk, and prices were 
higher all round, good to fine qualities being from 3d to 
4d, small kinds id to 2d per lb. dearer, while for seed 
an advance was also obtained. About 66 boxes sold as 
follows : — r eylon-Mysore, medium to bold fine pale 3s 5d 
medium i aie 3s id to as 2d t small 2s 2d to 2s 4d t smal 
to medium fair yellow is -.d ; very s nail pale Is lid to 
2s per lb. Ceyloii-.Malabar, medium to bold fair but light 
2s & per lb. Seed, according to quality, from 2s od up to 
2s lid per lb. 
Cinchona.— At today's auctions only .'l juth American 
barks were offered. Twenty serous Loxa sulrl cheaply at 
7d to 8d per lb. for fair quality, and at 3jd for ordi- 
nary damaged ditto. Twenty-tiuee bales of Jiolivian- 
Calisayaii, thin orange pieces, were bought in at Is per 
lb. One bale of Red bark, in small thin chips of little 
colour, at bs per cwt., and 10 bales fair Caiahagena at 
6d per lb. Of a new arrival of 58 bales Guayaquil, 2 sold 
at 7d per lb. fur fair, partly mossy, and 4d per lb. for 
very ordinary dull quality. 
Croton-seed.— liuyers are holding off, evidently fearing 
that further supplies will come iu. E'ght packages were 
bought in at auction today, fair quality from Bombay at 
75s per cwt. ... ^ t> 
Quinine.— The situation is very uncertain. The Bruns- 
wick factory still quotes 9jd nominally, and Howard's 
only 9d per oz. for bullc, but the makers are very cart- 
full to whom they sell, as they do not wish to encourage 
speculation. The Auerbach factory is not a seller at pre- 
sent, but on .Holiday B. & S. offered for July-August delivery 
at S^d per oz. ihey have sold several suialUois to drug- 
gists, but they refuse to deal with brokers and .specula- 
tors. Among other business which was rejected was one 
Ol d j'r for lU.OuO oz. for shipment to America. T day they are 
,11 <l selling at all. On the spot the mar'ket is firm, and 
I IS doubtful if much can bo had below yd per oz., 
lu 'eve 1 at that figure. At auction one case of ten 100-oz. 
tins of Tallaiidier’s realised 8|d, and a case of twenty 
iOU-oz. tins Dubose 8jd per oz., tlie last-ii imed figure being- 
subject to approval. , 
OIL (essential).— Bor 3 cases f.iir Cinnamon oil ai, auction 
today Is 5d per oz. is to be s-ibnutteil. 
Kola-nuts, 2I packages changed hands at 3d, good dry 
dsecription. 
INDIAN TEA ASSOCIATION AND 
LABOUR SUPPLY. 
A meeting of the Indian Tea Association of 
London was lield on Tuesday, Junc4tli, at 14, St. 
Mary Axe, to consider the que.stion of [iro- 
moti'ng a movement of the lirdian [jopnlatioii fioiii 
the congested districte for the purpo.se of culti- 
vating the waste lands in tlie As.sain Valley. 
General iioiikinson (late Agent to the Governor- 
Gen'.'i’.il in Assam) presided, and- said he thought 
it clear that the immense area in Assam could 
only be eultiva'ted by iudependenC immigration. 
The first thing to be done toward.s promoting such 
a movement was the adoption by the Goyerment 
of India of the recommeudatioii of the Chief Com- 
missioner of Assaui that the Assam-Bengai il.-iil- 
v.'ay should he extended from Go'vvhalty so as to 
ioiii the Northern Bengal Kailwc.y system. ^'lea 
planters would be reiieved to liiui that the Chief 
Commissioner was fully alive to the necys.sity of 
adooting prceautioiis Do prevent any lacilitie.sgiveii 
for ' bi'iaghig laud under cultiv.i,ti )u resuhing 
in the enticement oi coolic.s from the tea gardens, 
lie would not himself incur tlie responsibility of 
[AUG. 2, 1897. 
founding a colony of Bengali coolies in Assam, as 
he believed the country as a whole to be unfitted 
for tlieir occupation. The Hon. P. Playfair spoke 
of the importance of the Indian Government adopt- 
ing some sclieme for transferring .‘igriculturists 
from the congested districts to the Assam Valley. 
He thought such a policy would be iu the in- 
terest of the Assam tea companies, as it would 
probably relieve them of the necessity of keej)- 
ing for 12 months cnolies who were serviceah'e for 
only ii\e or six months in the year. Tlie jute 
trade of Dundee would al.so he benedted because 
tlie yliurs in A.ssaiii were well adopted for grow- 
ing jute of a Higli quality. A disenssi.ir. f-d- 
lowed, and on the motion of Mr. K. B. lagor, 
seconded by Air. A. C. Sweeting, it was ev.-iiiually 
resolved tliat as the subject di.sciissed was of such 
importance, iis further consideration sliould be 
postponed to a future meeting. 
HOW TO RE-INTRODUCE CHINA TEA 
INTO PUBLIC FAVOUR. 
To the Editor of the 
North-China Daily News. 
Shi,— -I venture to address you on the necessity of 
employing the sirocco in the manufacture of tea. 
To develop malty flavour and good keepingqualities, 
samples which were charactered by London brokers 
on urrival as “ flat, dull, and wanting in fragrance,” 
were put through a Sirocco, and in each instance' 
were enh.inced in value, flavour, and character by 
quite twopence per pound. It has been demonstrated 
that a rich malty flavour can be developed upon any 
teas by proper treatment of them in the Sirocco, 
even aftyr their arrival in London, but of course the 
process gives better results if done in the mauufac- 
Muing districts, than if done after the teas have been 
kept thiee or four months in an imperfect condition. 
It is a great pity when every possible care has been 
given to the manufacture of the leaf from plucking 
to packing, that the fullest benefit should not be 
obtained therefrom, simply because of imperfect per- 
formance, which can be easily acquired by firing for 
• he development of flavour, and for giving “good 
keeping ” qualities to the tea. It is in the final 
siroocoing of the tea before packing that the best 
flavour is developed, and the apparatus can produce 
it upon teas which have received their primary dry- 
ing over charcoal. Careful attention to the process 
may easily effect a difference of twopence or three- 
pence per lb. in the value of the teas for the London 
market. Properly siroccoed teas' actually improve by 
a few months’ keeping iu well closed chests, whereas 
teas improperly treated before packing “ go off ” and 
depreciate before arrival in Loudon, and continually 
go from bad to worse. 
The process is really a roasting more than a dry- 
lug process for, at a low temperature, the tea could 
be made perfectly and absolutely dry, without iu the 
slightest degree producing the richness of flavour that 
a ^suitably high temperature will develop. 
it is the ohomioal action of hot air upon the tea 
which produces the rich flavour referred to, and air 
at about 150 to 220 F., according to elevation, de- 
velops it better than at any other temperature. 
^ Pure hot air has a more energetic and perfect 
cnemical action on tea than air which is impreg- 
nates with fumes of coke or charcoal fires. It is 
absoiUoeiy necessary that the hot air should get at 
every leaf prqp.eily, so that the tea itself be raised 
to the requisite temperature ; it will not do there- 
to hurry the roasting process. 
With flue broken teas a less quantity should he put 
in^ each tray, because the leaves lie so close th-at they 
offer a muon greater resistauce to the passage of the 
through the trays than is the case with open 
leaf, like Pekoe or Souchong. 
