April i, 1898. J 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
69s 
Mexicau is rich in miaerals, gold, silv ?r, lead, iron, 
copper, quicksilver, tin, cobalt, antimony, aulpher 
coal, petroleum, being either worked or known to 
exist. There in the country (April) 1, 1834) .8,167 
mining enterprises, of which two-thirds belong to 
Mexico companies or individuals, and the rest to 
foreigners. 
In 1893 there were in Mexico 2,899 factories for 
sugar and brandy; 123 for woollen and cotton yarns 
and textiles ; 41 for tobacco ; the total number of 
factories being 3,844. 
In 1893 there were nearly 7,000 miles of rail- 
way open, and 127 miles of tramway, besides 
a large mercantile marine. Telegraph lines covered 
41,000 miles and there were 1,560 Post offices. 
All this will show how far advanced Mexico 
already is, and yet the scope for further deve- 
lopment agriculturally — and especially in tropical 
planting— is very great ; while the proximity to 
American and European markets gives an im- 
mense advantage to producers. 
RUSSIAN TEA BUYERS IN CEYLON. 
Mr. Isgaresoff and Mr. Daniloff, representatives 
of the well-known firm of Messrs. Popoff, 
arrived in Colombo by the ss. “ Polynesien” 
and were met by Mr. A H. Thompson, the tea- 
maker, with w'hom they have been engaged the 
greater part of the day testing tea for Wednes- 
day’s sale. Mr. Isgaresoff proceeds to China and 
Mr. Daniloff remains in Ceylon to do business in 
the Colombo market. 

AMSTERDAM BARK MARKET. 
Our Amsterdam representative wires us this after- 
noon that the result of the bark auctions in Amster- 
dam today was a drop in the unit of 1.4 Dutch cents, 
per half kilo., the average unit today working out at 
5h cents. (Id. per lb.), against 6.9 cents, at the last 
auction, a decline of over 20 per cent. It must be 
remembered, though, that only 2,953 packages 
were sold out of 6,547 offered, so that a large pro- 
portion of the bark appears to have been firmly held. 
The lowest price obtained for Manufacturers' bark was 
10 cents, and the highest 46 cents, and the lowest 
iox Di-u(j gists bark 8 cents, and the highest 90 cents. 
The tone of the auctions was quiet. Below in tabular 
form we give the total quantity of quinine (in bark 
form) offered and sold, and the names of the chief pur- 
chasers with the amount of bark they purchased stated 
in quinine equivalent English and American Quinine 
factories (principally) 1,891 kilos. Auerbach factory, 
1 282 kilos. Brunswick factory, 3,248 kilos. Mann- 
heim and Amsterdam factories, 4,269 kilos. Frankfort 
and Stuttgart factories, 70 kilos. Miscellaneous buyers, 
1 533 kilos. Total sold, 10,690 kilos. Bought in or 
withdrawn, 18,257 kilos. Total offered, 28,947 kilos.— 
British and Colonial Druggist, Feb. 25. 
PRODUCE AND PLANTING. 
The Tea Tbade op Formosa. — Mr, Davidson, the 
United States Consular agent at Tamsui, Formosa, 
in a report to his Government, gives some interesting 
particulars about the tea trade of the island. It is 
stated in the report that, out of a total yield of 
some 450,000 half chests (18,900,000 pounds) for the 
season, more than half have been settled on the 
Tamsui market for foreign firms the remainder having 
been consigned to the native ,brokers tag Amoy (a 
Chinese port lying directly across the Channel from 
North Formosa) for disposal on that market, where 
teas are sold in blocks of several hundred each, and 
the buyer is obliged to take the whole string, good and 
ad. Such of the purchase as is below the standard 
then usually returned to Formosa, where it is mixed 
with a good quality of green leaf and takes its place 
later with the others as a grade np to the standard* 
Of the total export, it is estimated that over 90 per 
cent goes to America and the balance is distributed 
between Great Britain and the Straits Settlements. 
The Chinese control the Straits Settlements trade, so 
that for all practical purposes it may be said that the 
foreign tea houses are exclusively engaged in supplying 
the American market. The handling of the trade 
is divided among five foreign firms, who, with one 
exception, have their head offices in Amoy and 
branch offices in Formosa. For several years none but 
English firms have been engaged, but two years ago 
an American firm succeeded an English firm in Tamsui 
and they have already been able to obtain their share 
of the trade. There has been no serious attempt 
made on the part of the Japanese to enter the tea 
business either as planters, packers, or exporters, 
with the single exception of one company, which 
packed some 12,000 half chests to be disposed of to the 
foreign firms and made two small shipments totalling 
some 800 half chests (33,600 lb) of autumn teas to 
America via Kelung and Yokohama, It would seem 
difficult at the present high rates for freight first to 
Kelung and from there to Japan for Japanese to com- 
pete with the other exporters, if the Japanese con- 
tinue to send their tea via Kelung and Japan, instead 
of Amoy, as is done by the foreign exporters. 
Amoy and the Formosa Tea Trade. — Amoy, 
China, is dependent to a great extent upon the 
Formosan tea trade for its prosperity, and there 
has been some apprehension in that port as to the 
likelihood of Formosa absorbing a large share of 
their business by making direct tea shipments to 
America It would appear, however, that there is no 
probability that such will occur for some years to 
come. In order that this may be understood, it is 
necessary, said Mr. Davidson, to explain the peculiar 
condition existing in North Formosa. The present 
centre and most convenient station of the tea dis- 
trict is Twatutia (a suburb of Taipehfu, the capital). 
After the tea has been packed and rolled sufficiently 
to permit of its transport, it is carried to the hongs 
at Twatutia where it is fully prepared for foreign 
markets. Down the river to Hobe, where the ship- 
ping is done, is an easy sail of some ten miles for 
the cargo boats, a'^d there the steamers, lying in 
quiet waters, are loaded with perfect ease and 
convenience. The cargo-boat charge to Hobe is 
about |d per half chest, and the freight to Amoy2Jd. 
At Amoy the large American-bound steamers find it 
not much out of their way to call in for the tea which has 
there been packed ready for the foreign markets. 
"With the facilities for loading in that harbour, they 
are only detained a few hours. Formosa can offer 
no such advantages. Tamsui harbour (Hobe) ad* 
mits only vessels which draw less than 13 ft., while 
Kelung, in the present condition of its harbour, is 
unsuited. The harbour is being improved, but it 
will require many years before the work is finished, 
and even then there are other difficulties nearly as 
great. At to the suggestion that the final packing 
of tea be done in Japan it would seem necessary 
that railway running to Kelung be prepared with 
big trains, useful only during the tea season, to 
carry the tea to Kelung at the same rate as the 
cargo boats charge to Hobe — Jd per half chest — 
and that steamers carry it to Japan for the same 
rate as it is now carried to Amoy, 2|d per half- 
chest — for the reason that the rate from Japan to 
America and Amoy to America are about the same. 
Steamers cannot, however, carry tea from Kelung to 
Japan proper for 2^d and pay expenses. Again, it 
has been said that the American steamers would 
call at Kelung and pick up the teas as they do 
at present at Amoy. But it seems unlikely that 
Kelung can be made as safe and quiet a harbour 
as Amoy, and even were ic accomplished, it seems 
improbable that the American steamer would 
care to take the journey around the storm-ridden 
shores of North Formosa, if the tea could be ob* 
taiucdflit Amoy. 
