ccT. I, 1 897. ; 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
^45 
arrivals of coffee in Europe and the United States, 
and 77.00 per cent, of the arrivals in the United 
States : — 
The exports from Eio and Santos for the year- 
ending .Time 30th, 1897, compare with the preceding 
seven years as follows ; — 
To. U. To Total 
States. Eurojpe Exports. 
Bags. Bags. Bags. 
J Rio, Vic , etc. 2,016,070 
1896-97 
1895-96 
1894-95 
1893-94 
1892-93 
1891-92 
1890-91 
1889-90 
( Santos 
i Rio and Vic. 
( Santos 
C Rio 
I Santos 
j Rio 
( Santos 
(Rio 
(Santos 
( Rio 
( Santos 
f Rio 
( Santos 
f Rio 
j Santos 
8,634,000 
1.081 000 i 
3.369.000 
899.000 I ygg Q^Q 
2.067.000 ) 
687.000 I 
t ,565,000 
1.746.000 
1.050.000 
1.816.000 
1.347.0 :0 2,551,000 
1.641.000 606,000 
797.000 972.000 
1.972.000 953,000 
1.102.0 0 2,268,000 
2.556.000 1,148,000 
997.000 2,556,000 
1.556.000 7.50,000 
798.000 2,253,000 
1.767.000 724,000 
512.000 1,567,000 _ 
It is a matter of interest to note the irregularity of 
the Brazilian crop In 1890 91 there was an export 
of 7,267,000 bags ; two years later, of 4,016,000 bags. 
If two heavy crop years, such as 1896-97 and 1897-98 
(as now estimated), are succeeded by a light crop, 
as is not improbable, we may anticipate a sudden 
marked rise in cost. Nature is not a confirmed pro- 
digal. 
6,401,000 
■ 4,016,0u0 
■ 6,295,000 
j- 7,267,000 
■ 5,537,000 
• 4,570,000 
STOCKS. 
The total stock of all kinds in the United States 
July 1, i896, was 375,113 hags; July 1, 1897, 676,856 
bags— an increase of 301,743 bags. Stocks of coffee in 
Europe July 1, 1896, 1,569,080 bags; July 1, 1897, 
2,332,024 bags, a gain of 762,944 bags. 
The total visible supply of the world, as reported 
by the New York Coffee Exchange. July 1, 1897 was 
3,975,880 bags, against 2,588,193 bags July 1, 1896, an 
increase of 1,387,687 bags. 
The gain in supply will fully offset the estimated 
reduction in the Brazil crop of 1897-98, while the 
probable increase in other countries will result in 
a world’s supply this year more than equal to re- 
quirements of 13,500,000 bags as follows : — 
Visible supply, .July 1, 1897 .. 3,975,880 
Brazil crop, 1897-98 .. 7,000,000 
Other crops .. .. 4,800,000 
Total estimated supply 1897-98 .. 15,775,880 
— American Grocer, July 14. 
THE MADRAS GOVERNMENT CINCHONA 
PLANTATIONS. 
The late Mr. M. A. Lawson, who for twelve 
years had controlled the Cinchona Plantations of 
the Madras Government on the Nilgiris, died early 
in 1896, and Mr. W. M. Standeu, a planter of some 
sixteen yeo.rs’ experience and of established reputa- 
tion was appointed to succeed him. It is an open se- 
cret that this appointment, though passed in Cal- 
cutta, did not find favour at the India Office. The 
Secretary of State, preferring doubtless that he 
should select an officer as he had selected the late 
Mr. Lawson, withheld his sanction and in the 
euphemistic phrase of the Madras Government, the 
matter “ was under corre.spondence” during the 
.year. Finally the authorities in London gave way 
and agreed to the Madras Government's nominee 
holding office, at least on a five years’ trial, it must, 
therefore, be a considerable source of satisfaction 
to the Government to find, as appears from the 
Annu.il Report on the Cinchona Plantations during 
1896-97, that the results of that year’s working under 
Mr StRii'len’s control have been so satisfactory as fully 
to justify its selection. During the twelve years of 
tlie late Mi-. Lawson’s control, the revenue of the 
Department only twice exceeded the expenditure, 
and then only by a sum of abvut Rl,500. In the 
year 1896-97, on the other hand, a surplus of R69,000 
has been shown, the expenditure being reduced while 
the receipts were R42 ,lOO more than in the previous 
year. The Government, never very lavish of praise 
remarks that the administration of the Depart- 
ment must, ill these circumstances, be considered to 
have been eminently successful.” 
The remarkable improvement in the results of the 
Government’s Cinchona enterprise during ) 896-97 ap- 
pears to have been due to a very simple cause. The quan- 
tity of bark used in that year was practically the same 
as was used in the previous year, 238,000 lb. as compared 
with 234,000 lb. But the quantity of drugs extracted 
has risen from 5,900 lbs. to 11,241 lbs., or by very nearly 
cent, per cent. The percentage of the yield of quinine 
to bark was 3'3 as against 1'5 in the previous year, 
or more than double ; and the effect has been to 
turn the operations, which for years had been con- 
ducted at a loss, into a very paying concern. The 
increased yield from the same quantity of bark was 
of course, due to the more thorough extraction of the 
alkaloids * and it certainly does not say much for 
the efficiency of the previous re'gime tliat it was left 
for Mr. Standen to discover this. The other results 
of the working of the Cinchona Department in 1894-97 
appear to have been equally good. The quantity of 
quinine manufactured and the quantity sold during 
the year rvere the highest on record. The sales of 
the drug are now mainly conduoten through 
the Post Office. The quinine is made up in 
five-grain powders and there are 1,550 Post 
Offices in the Presidency where these are kept. The 
idea is to bring the alkaloid to tlie doors of the 
people and to supply it at cost price and in small 
quantities. Apparently this plan is likely to suc- 
ceed, for though it was only started in July, 
1895, 4,180 packets were sold in 1896 97 as com- 
pared with 664 packets in the preceding year. As 
the diffusion of the use of quinine among the native 
population can hardly be other than beneficial, this 
aspect of Government’s enterprise in cinchona can 
be entirely applauded. If the wh le output of the 
Government plantations is thus utinzed, most of the 
objections to the growing of cinchona by the State 
will be met, for the system of Post Office distribu- 
tion reaches a public which, otherwise, would never 
use the drug at all. The most difficult thing to 
ascertain from an Annual Report such as that under 
notice is the actual state of the plantatious; and 
this is doubtless the real crux of the in.'ui rgement. 
It is stated, however, that there were 31,500 more 
trees at the end of the year than at the beginning 
and that a new system of transplanting seedlings 
was introduced which is expected largely to reduce 
casualties. As the good financial results were 
produced without any increase in the amount of 
bark consumed, there is no reason to suijpose that 
the plaiitations were overcut, and ihe general im- 
pression left by the Report is a highly favourable 
one.—Jf. J/ail, Aug. 20. 
NEW AREAS OF CULTIVATION IN 
PUTTALAM DISTRICT. 
Tlicre was no marked jirogres.s in tlii.s respect. 
Capitalists are on the lookout for land for coco- 
nut- cultivation in the south of tlie district, hut 
up to the end of the year no land hail been 
set free for sale. Tliere are very exten.-ive tracts 
of suitable land, hut the equally extensive pro- 
jects of the Forest Department in the matter 
of forest reserves tied np all til's land. The 
limitation of tlic.^e jiroposais within re.asonable 
hounds was rwailing decision, wliieli was ex- 
pected early in 1897, when it may he hoped 
that some suitable land may heconie available 
for sale. About 35 more acres were opened 
under Miilia Uswewa, the largest tank in the 
district. — Mr. G. A. Bamnejartner's lieport 
/or 1896. 
* And the greater age of the bark. — En. 7\A. 
