THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
501 
Jan, r, 1898 . J 
and with downward tendency. The American and 
English manufacturers bought 5,372 kilos ; the Auer- 
bach factory, 2,613 kilos ; the Brunswick factory 6,069 
kilos ; Mannheim and Amsterdam factories 1,552 
kilos ; Frankfort and Stuttgart factories 2,421 kilos ; 
various other buyers 4,921 kilos. The prices realised 
for Manufacturing bark ranged from 10-Jc. to 60Jc. 
(equal to 2d to 12d per lb.) and for Druggists' barks 
from 10c. to 99c. (equal to 1 3-8thd. to Is 6d per lb). — 
Chemist aad Dniggist. 
THE AMSTERDAM DRUG-MARKET. 
Our Amsterdam correspondent writes, under date 
of December 8, that the Cinchona market remains 
firm, everybody anxiously awaiting the result of the 
heavy auctions (equaling 40.793 kilos sulphate of 
quinine) on December 9. Quinine shows no change, 
busines.s in this article being very restricted. There 
has been ralhermore speculative demand for Cubebs, 
and ofier of 12c. per half-kilo have been refused for 
fair bold berries. But the stock, both in first and 
second hands is very heavy. A parcel of 186 kilos of 
Java Vanilla has been sold by tender at a secret price. 
The lot was valued at from 6f. to lOf perbalf-kilo. There 
has been some trade in .lava Cannaga oil, of which 
about 100 bottles have been token by dealers. The 
present value of good quality is about 7'50f. per bottle. 
Cassia fistula iu pods is somewhat lower. About 200 
baskets have lately b ensold, but the price has not 
been made public . — Chemist and Druf/cjist. 
THE SCHOOL OF AGRICULTURE IN 1897. 
During the past year the Scliool of Agriculture 
has been the subject of much criticism. Owing 
to the lack of encouragement on the part of Gov- 
ernment and the reorganization of the Technical 
School as a Tiaining College for employees in 
the various scientific departments of the Colony, 
the numbers of students in the School of Agricul- 
tural fell considerably. This state of ail'airs gave 
rise to a good deal of comment, some going the 
length of advocating the suppression of agricul- 
tural education, but the large majority rightly 
demanding the i-eorganization of the institution 
ou a more liberal scale. The scliool has undoubt- 
edly been neglected by the State and given small 
opportunity for carrying on the useful work 
which is expected of it owing to a want of funds 
and any kind of support from Government. It 
has been officially announced that a Commis- 
sion is at present dealing with the school, and 
the result, if the interests of the Colony be 
consulted, should be that the institution will be 
set on a proper footing with wider scope for doing 
the good work which ibis cajiable of doing. The 
School of Forestry for training students for the For- 
est Department has proved a useful adjunct to the 
Agricultural School and now sujiplies the neces- 
sary technical education, which was much required 
for employees in the Forest Department. 
The Veterinary Surgeon attached to the School 
has been given an A.ssistant who is stationed in the 
N.C. Province, and between these two officers 
some progress has been made towards the sup- 
pression of cattle disease in the Island. 
The Government Dairy has proved an unqualified 
success both as a source of revenue to Govern- 
ment and as an agent in the improvement of the 
indigenous breeds of cattle in Ceylon. 
OUR COMMERCE FOR 1897. 
(Special Report by a European Merchant.) 
Although returns for the year will not be com- 
pleted till some time in January, yet those figures 
jfhich fire available new are complete to a point 
sufficient to draw fairly accurate comparisons with 
those for 1896 : — 
A. Expoets. 
1. — Coffee. — In 1896 Ceylon exported 22,747 cwt. 
,, 1897 ,, exports not 
likely to exceed 19,250 ,, 
showing a falling-off, of 3,497 ,, 
2. — Cinchona. — In 1896 Ceylon exported 1,309,560 lb. 
,, 1897 Ceylon exports 
not likely to exceed 650,000 ,, 
showing a falling-ofl:, of 659,560 ,, 
A temporary increase in export of this bark might 
be looked for in 1898, as prices in London are 
dearer by 100 per cent than what they were about this 
time iu 1895. 
3. — Tea. — In 1896 Ceylon exported over 108,000,0001b. 
,, 1897 Ceylon exports not 
likely to exceed 114,500,000 ,, 
showing an increase of 6,500,000 „ 
4. — Cocoa. — In 1896 Ceylon expoi'ted a 
little over 31,000 cwt. 
,, 1897 Ceylon exports ex- 
pected to amount to 35,000 ,, 
showing an increase of 4,000 ,, 
Market for cocoa steadily improved during the last 
six months of this year. 
5. — Cardamoms. — In 1896 Ceylon exported 
a little over 452,000 lb. 
,, 1897 Ceylon exports 
will, it is thought, ex- 
ceed 515,000 „ 
showing an increase of 63,000 ,, 
Prices for cardamoms show a sharp decline as the 
year closes, but for most of the year prices have 
been exceptionally good. 
6. — Cinnamon. — In 1897 exports of quills and chips 
considerably exceed these for 1896, and prices have 
gone back quite Id per lb. both in Europe and 
locally, during the closing months of the year. 
7 — (jocoNUT Oil. — In 1896 Ceylon exported 
a little over 343,000 cwt. 
,, 1897 Ceylon export 
is expected to exceed 410,000 ,, 
showing an increase of 67,000 ,, ' 
Exports of oil to India in 1897 are double those of 
1896. Exports to the Straits also show a large in- 
crease in 1897. Rupee values have not fluctuated 
violently during the year, 
8. — Copra. — In 1886 Ceylon exported a 
little over 50,000 cwt. 
,, 1897 Ceylon exports will 
probably aggregate 107,500 „ 
showing an increase of 57,500 „ 
The large increase in export of copra this year 
is almost entirely due to a strong demand from 
Hamburg, where other copras were in smaller supply 
than usual. 
9. — Desiccated Coconut is expected to show an 
increase in quantity exported, of 12J per cent over 1896, 
Prices unfortunately for this industry remain at a 
very low figure. 
10. — Plumbago.— Exports for 1897 will show a slight 
increase over those for 1896. Prices during 1897 have 
ruled higher all through than for many years past, 
and owners of pits must have made good profits. 
The market closes very firm and dear prices seem 
likely to rule for some time. 
11. — Coconuts. — Exports this year will be much 
about the same as for 1896. 
12. — Coir Goods, Rope, Yarn and Fibre all will 
show an important increase, but Yarn and Fibre es- 
pecially so. 
13. — Ebony and Sapanwood, both will show a large 
decrease, 
14. — PiALMYEA Fibre and Kitul Fibre will also show 
a falliDg-off. 
