648 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[March i, 1898, 
the home charges. We, as producers, would infinitely 
prefer to submit to a direct tax than suffer this 
indirect loss of 60 per cent. 
8. Our proposition, therefore would be that the 
Government of India be requested to re-open the 
mints that refrain from tampering in any way with 
the rate of exchange, and that it should refund 
itself for the losses caused by this policy by the 
imposition of a 5 per cent, export duty. 
Requesting that you will favour me with your views 
at an early d ite, — I am, dear sir, yours faithfully, 
(Signed) A. Ron ALDSO.M, Acting Secretary, U.P.A., S.I 
^ 
MINOR PRODUCTS REPORT. 
Cinchona Bark.— The first London auctions of the 
year took place this week. They began quietly, and 
the average unit selling price at the beginning of the 
auction was IJd ; competition grew keener afterwards, 
and rates rose till at the close the average unit for 
the whole auction worked out at fully IJd, or an 
advance of jd on the last London and Amsterdam 
auctions. The purchases of all the principal buyers 
ate stated beneath, first in packages and then in kilos 
of quinine equivalent : — 
09 
. 
o 
CO 
Si 
, o 
g § H 
‘u 
• 
e>> 
- ^ o 
^ a • 
09 
'p 
oS 
= •3 
<1^ c3 
oj o> 
o 
o 
c3 22 
“ s s 
sc? 
be 
O 
W 
a 
116 
386 
777 
438 
219 
565 
1,196 
2,190 
885 
1,060 
71 
360 
n 
<v 
O 
24 
The following shows the days at which other descriptions 
were sold : — Ledgeriana, Javan sold at 7Jd to 7fd for 
rich (“Hybrid-Ledger”) chips, fi^d for good dusty 
chips, and 2Jd to 2|d for poor dusty chips; East 
Indian sold at 6Jd )to 7d for rich, part broken quilly 
chips, 5§d for good chips and quills, 5§d to 3^d for 
good to poor stem chips, 4|J for root chips, and 4d to 
4jd for branch chips. OJficinalis, East Indian sold at 
5Jd to 5jd for renewed broken quills and chips, 4|d to 
5d for original ditto, 4Ji to 5Jd for renewed chips, 
3Jd to 5d for original chips, 4d for original chips and 
thin broken quill, !4d for root chips, 3gd to 3Jd for 
poor thin chips; Ceylon sold at 9d for rich shavings, 
4|d for original quilly chips, 3|d to 4d for original 
chips, and 3jd for renewed chips. Succiruhrn, Ceylon 
sold at 4|d for good bold chips down to 3d for fair 
small chips, 3|d to 3Jd for renewed chips, Igd to 3d 
for mixed chips, shavings, and broken quill, 2^d to 
2|d for chips and shavings, 2^d for poor thin quill, 
and Id to IJd for the lowest parcels. 
Cinnamon. — Chips sold this week at auction at 2|d 
and cuttings at 8Jd. 40 bags of the former out of 
210 offered were disposed of, and all the 14 bags of 
the latter put up were sold. As regards Quills, a very 
good business has been done since the last auctions. 
The spot prices for the various grades are unaltered, 
but very little is to be had at what we quote, viz. 
lid for firsts, 10|d for seconds, lOdT for thirds, and 9d 
for fourths ; the price for the usual assortment to 
arrive is 9d c.i.f. 
Oin OF Cinnamon.— The cases which were taken out 
of last drug sales were offered together with others at 
public auction this week, when the whole of the 
67 put up were sold “without reserve and with all 
faults” at from l|d. per ounce to 3|d. per ounce, 
the lower price being for oil mixed with water. All 
of these cases were “ salved ” from the Kawacbi 
Maru. 
Oil op Lemongrass. — The present circumstances of 
the market are favourable to the currency of conflict- 
ing reports. It is known that pretty strong efforts 
are being exercised in opposing directions, one to 
advance, the other to depress the price, owing to 
a cause which we spoke of a fortnight or so sgo. It 
seems clear, however, that very little actual business 
is taking place, through many inquiries are said to 
be about. For good oil some holders asked lOd. spot 
whilst a medium quotation is 8d., and in one quarter 
6d., is being named, bat for what sort of stuff we do 
not know. 
Vanilloes. — The tins of these taken out of the last 
drug sales, a^ explained in a previous issue, were put 
up at auction last Friday, when practically the whole 
of the 159 offered were so d at unchanged rates. 
The following shows the range of price for the 
descriptions sold. Set/chelles, fair to good beans sold 
at from 25s. to 26s. 6d. for 8 to 8i inches, down to 
18s. to 22s. for 4J to 65 inch. Mauritius, fair to good 
beans sold at from 21s. to 22s. 6d. for 6J to 7 inch, 
down to 16s. 6d to 18s. for 3 to 15 inch. — 
British and Colonial Druggist, Jan. 29. 
PLANTING NOTE.S. 
“ Sorting Tea.” — We call the attention of 
]Janters to a deliverance on thi.s subject from 
the Indian Planters Gazette given on page G44. 
It is the fir.st of a series of papers on a topic 
which is of practical interest in connection with 
Factory operation®. 
Basic Slag for Manure.— In the course of 
last year arrangenionts have been perfected at 
Rotherham by the Parkgate Iron and Steel 
Company tor the utilisation of the waste or 
by-products of the manufacture of b;..s'c or open- 
earth sl.eel. Plant has been erected in : specially- 
constructed building for the purpose of ,i rinding 
the basic slag as fine as flour, extracting the 
metal, and leaving a valuable phosphate manure, 
which is used in this country and on the Con- 
tinent. The company’s plant is adapted to turn- 
ing out some 20,000 tons per annum. — British 
Trade Eevieic, Feb. 1. 
Ceylon Planters in Hawaii.. — Mr. Hawke, of 
Orion, who is constantly making trips abroad from 
Ceylon, returned yesterday, after visiting a part of 
the world that Ceylon men do not often reach. 
Leaving Ceylon his intention was to travel via 
China and Japan to America, and so to Europe 
China he did not like ; but he thought Japan 
pleasant, and he stayed there two months. Going 
on to San Francisco via Foioluln. On his way to 
’Frisco a fellow passengers on the steamer revealed 
himself to him as Mr. Caine, formerly of Ceylon 
and told him how well he was doing as a coffeo- 
planter in Hawaii. Mr. Hawke was so interested that 
when he reached ’Frisco he went back to Hawaii, 
and he now returns from there perfectly enamoured 
of the place. He says the island is most suitable 
for Coffee planting, and a good acreage is already 
under cultivation, growing in rich volcanic soil — a soil 
that could not be found in Ceylon anywhere. 
Labour was plentiful, shipping facilities excellent, 
and Hawaiian coffee was fetching 80s a cwt.. He 
secured 400 acres of land at an elevation of 2,000 ft. 
from the Provisional Government, and he returned 
at once to Ceylon to make arrangements to sell 
Otien estate and settle down in the Sandwich Isles 
to plant up his new property. Almost all the 
coffee there is Arabian. 
nCALMCQQ essay describing a really 
ULnllNLUOi genuine Cure for Deafness. 
Ringing in Ears, &c. , no matter how severe or long- 
standing, will be sent post free. — Artificial Ear- 
drums and similar appliances entirely superseded. 
Address THOMAS KEMPE, Victoria Cham 
BERS, 19, Southampton Buildings, Holborn, 
London. 
