Feb. I, 1898.] 
PHE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
S73 
TEA RECRUITIIsG IN INDIA. 
In connection with the proposed Central Tea 
Recruiting Agency, a meeting W8s held on Tues- 
day at the Calcutta Chamber of Commerce to 
receive the Report of the Provisional Committee, 
to elect a Board of Management, and to consider, 
certain Resolutions. Sii- Patrick Playfair pre- 
sided, and in a short but appropriate spi ech 
introduced the busines.s of the meeting. The im- 
portant function of electing the live Calcutta 
members of the Board of Management was then 
proceeded with, and the result of the voting was 
in favour of the following firms: — Messrs Begg, 
Dunlop & Co., Messrs. 'Williamson, Magor & Co., 
Messrs. Sliaw, Wallace & Co., Messrs, Finlay, 
Muir & Co., and Messrs. Octavius Steel & Co. 
The last-mentioned firm tied with Messrs. McLeod 
& Co. but the latter retired in its favour. The 
remaining resolutions were then submitted and 
carried unanimously. The newly-formed Board of 
Management will proceed to formulate the details 
of the scheme, so that all may be in readiness to 
start the agency by the 1st of Ncvember next. — 
M. Mail, Jan. 29. 
INDIAN TEA SALES. 
(From Watson, Sibthorp rfc Co.’s T(a Report.) 
Calcutta, Jan. 27. 
11,285 packages of tea changed hands in the sales 
held on the 21st instant. The market was quiet, 
good liquoring teas, which were in small supply, 
were wanted and sold fairly well, all other kinds 
sold irregularly hut without material change. There 
was a fair amount of businessidone for Australia, but 
the Bombay buyers were again very quiet. 
The average price of the 11,285 packages sold is 
As. 5-2 or about 7d per lb. as compared with 
11,249 packages sold on the 21st January, 1897 at 
As. 5-8 or about 7d per lb. and 1.9,649 packages 
sold on the 22nd January, 1896 at As. 6-3 or about 
7d per lb. 
The Exports from 1st April to 24th January from 
here to Great' Britain are 128,444,645 lb', as compared 
with 126,925,775 lb. at the corresponding period last 
season and 116,655,415 lb. in 1896. 
Note, — Last Sale’s average was As. 5-7 or 
about 7id. 
Exchange. — Document bills, 6 months’ sight, la 
4-5-168. 
Freight. — Steamer — £2-1- 3 per ton of 50 c ft 
PLANTING NOTES. 
Understanding amongst Cinchona Impor- 
ters. — ^We hear from Anist* dam f at aconference 
of importers of Java cinchona bark was held 
there a few days ago ."^f which an understand- 
ing was arrived at to endeavour to regulale the 
price of the article to a certain extent, by 
offering only moderate quantities at the auctions, 
and by agieeing not to .sell below a fixed mini- 
mum price. The aucti ns of Januaiy 20, at which 
only a moderate quantity is likely to be offei’ed 
will show w'hether this understanding is a fact 
or not. — Chemist and Dniggist. 
The Next Batch op Teout Ova. — The next batch 
of trout ova are expected about the 10th proximo, 
and the necessary pieparation, are being made for 
u u'-'" Nuwara Bliya. The trout-house 
behind the Kachcheri premises has been thoroughly 
overhauled under the supervision of Mr. Elhait, 
iji® plant in the building is all being attended 
to. Of the four hatching boxes now in readiness 
three are new ones. New piping has been got out, 
and every precaution is being taken as regards the 
nltermg of the water and the seeving of the sand • 
while the two ponds which supply the water have 
been cleaned out. — Cor. 
Colombo Coppeeah Mabkbt. — This market is practi- 
cally lifeless owing to the scarcity of copperah. During 
last week the arrivals were few, and this week the market 
opened with blank disappointment. There was a 
fairly good demana both from shippers and millers, 
and prices ranged from JR32 to 38'75 per candy. Ac- 
cording to the present maiket value of oil, which 
forms the basis ot the price of copperah, and leaves a 
maigin for the scarcity of crops, prices paid are fair. 
But with a reduction on them, they wiil compare 
favourably with ibe price Iti <,i!. 
Cinchona in Bengal. — Two months ago we re- 
ferred to the manufactuie of quinine and cinchona 
febiifuge by the Bengal GovernmeDt during the 
last official year. It is to be observed in this con- 
nection that the cinchona plantations are gradually 
being enriched by the planting of Cinchona Ledgeriana 
seedlings, no fewer than 24t, 750 of such plants'having 
been put into the ground, as compared with 20,000 
seedlings of the hybrid cinchona. The policy now 
adopted is to plant the quinine-yielding Ledgeria.na 
almo.st exclusively, and the result eie long may be 
that the Government will he able to supply all its 
own needs, i' not more exclusively from its own 
plantations . — Chemist and Druggist, Jan. 15. 
The Tbade in Tea Seed.— The gieat demand for 
Tea seed in the season 1896-7 led to a strong rise 
in the price of imported seed, and large profits were 
made by far-seeing importers. This brought about 
the usual consequences. Seed has been brought down 
in large quantities from Calcutta during the last 
two or three months, the market has been flooded 
and at the same time the demand has declined! 
The price of seed has fallen rapidly, and we hear 
that heavy losses have been incurred by Colombo 
firms, one firm alone having dropped E10,000. The 
latest news is that s.nother firm, who imported largely, 
have had a very large consignment of seed left on 
their hands, it being found to be rotten on arrival at 
Colombo. 
“The Ageicultdeal Gazette” of New South 
Wales, issued by direction of the Hon. Sydney 
Smith, M.P., Secretary for Mines and Agriculture 
Volume VIII. Part 12. Edited by W. H. Claike 
Contents for December, 1897, are the following 
Useful Australian Plants ; The Grading of Wheats 
Judging ihe Milling Qualities of Piize Wheats at 
Shows &c. ; Chemical Notes; The Kerry Crw • 
San Jose Scale ; Some Notes on Draining ; Green 
Manuring; ’X'he Importation of Dairy "Prouuce 
to Great Britain ; The Iiiflueuce of Bees on 
Crops; Bee Calendar for January; A Sulphuring 
Bung ; Orchard Notes for January ; Practical 
Vegeiahle and Flower Gardening for Jannery • 
General Notes ; Replies to Correspondents- List 
of Agricultural Societies’ Shows ; Label for Spe- 
A Substitute for Coffee.— The United 
States Coni-ul at Crefekl writes Under the 
name of Kailierine’.s Malz-Kafi’ee-Fahiiken, fac- 
tories have been established in Geimany— of 
which one exists in this consular district, at 
Merdingen-on-i'ie-Rliine, and others at Munich and 
Berlin— lor the puipo.'-e of manufacturing a coffee 
substitute from cereals. The invention relates to 
an impioveuient in piepering the same, which 
con.-ists in appl'^fing to the grain, duiing the 
steeping process, an electric current proportionate 
to the quantity and quality of tlie grain, wdiere- 
by the proteiit suhstance.< existing in the grain 
are altered in such a manner that, in the' sub- 
sequent roa.sting pioce.^s, only a small quantity 
of the products ot decomposition (as pyridine and 
its deri\aii\ c.', which aie ohjectianohle to the 
taste) cati 1 <. lorined, a suh.'-litute idcasant to 
the taste Itii.g obtained. Under tins patent, 
fiictoiies liiive also been established in Ausiiia^ 
Italy, France, Switzerland, and Sweden. The 
inventor has also ap))litd lor a patent in the 
United States . — British Trade Journal, 
