April t, 189S.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
7 •? 
bine for their )vvn gooci. They have even seriously 
set on foot and brought to a head at one spot an 
attempt to hindle their product all along until it 
is ready to go in the most easily used form to 
the consumer. Such an effort, if wholly successful, 
would be little short of disastrous to the already 
established makers of quinine, and these are using 
every means to break down such an organisation. 
They wish to show the bark sellers that it is no 
good their combining to keep up the price, for the 
latter is twice reduced, just after the combination 
is effected. And then ween Java quinine, as we told 
our readeis last week, has reached Amsterdam, 
and as we hear is now’ in London, in New A'ork, 
and in Havre, they take the readiest means of reducing 
the value of the Java alkaloid by dropping the price of 
their own, at the same time leading the planters in 
Java to think that it would be better te como to 
terms with them, say by supplying bark to the pro- 
posed factory in Java, or in any other way which tho 
manufacturers wish. 
That is our deduction from information we have 
published aud more which we have received and not 
published from various sources. The drop has no 
doubt come as a disappointment to many second- 
hand holders of quinine, but in spite of this dejec- 
tion they show a noteworthy determination to hold 
on to their stock, and for this course they have 
good grounds to support them. There is much to 
indicate that this decline can be only of a temporary 
character, and that quinine must go forward again 
very shortly. — British and Colonial Druf/gist, March 4. 
QUININE DOWN AGAIN. 
“Never prophesy if you don't know” is an adage 
peculiarly applicable to quinine. The cheapening of 
cinchona-bark at the Amsterdam auctions last week 
suggested a fall in quinine, but manufacturers of the 
alkaloid have not been in the habit of fluctuating its 
price with the rise and fall of b.irk. That is a fact 
of which statistics are eloquent. Why, then, did they 
reduce the price of the alkaloid 2cf. per oz. on Tues- 
day ? Several reasons are given, the mo-t likely being 
that, owing to the almost entire absence of purchasers 
during the past three months, the manufacturers are 
getting full up with the alkaloid, and, as second-hand 
holders have been quietly unloading at about Is. per oz., 
the reduction is intended to meet them. It is also 
known that one or two small makers h.ive benefited 
by the recent comparatively high price, but the 
threatened invasion of Batavian quinine is the most 
serious thing for the manufacturers’ convention. Up 
to the present, little of this quinine has been seen ; 
but it is on the spot, more is on the way, and its 
increase is only a matter of time. Therefore the pre- 
sent is the best time for the Enrop an manufacturers 
to squeeze it out. Our information from Java is to the 
effect that at least one quinine-factory is in full 
swing there, and another is in the course, of fitting, 
BO that the competition from that source is real, and 
has to be reckoned w'ith, It would, however, be 
folly to calculate on a period of gradually-diminishing 
prices in the near future. Rises aud falls in quinine 
are now chiefly of interest to speculators, who have 
been so often bitten that they are now exceedingly 
judicious in buying. The consumers’ interests are 
not seriously threatened so long as the bark- producers 
and the quinine-manufacturers are contending parties. 
It happens that the end of the three months’ trial 
of the bark-sellers’ combination is synchronous with 
the fall in quinine, and it may be that bark will go 
cheaper ; but, as wo have already pointed out, there 
is little relation between the unit and the price of 
quinine. The unit now is 5.ic., quinine \\d , ; at this 
time last year the unit was barely 3c. aud quinine was 
8|(f. ; and when the nnit doubled (6io.) quinine was 
12|cL But quinine has been sold at that when tho 
unit was 3c. We must look to the men, not to tho 
materials, for a solution of the riddle. Wo do not 
happen to be gifted with second-sight, but the falling 
clause, which one manufacturer aunouuces that he 
will add to contracts, seems to be significant of much, 
■Jr^ChmiBt and Druggist. 
UECIiINT PATENTS. 
The following are abstracts of recent specifica- 
tions of i .ve.’Uions for which English patents are 
applied for. The complAe specification of any patent 
can be obtained by purchase through any money- 
order office, where, postcards price 8d. each, for ordering 
patents are obtainable. The number of the patent 
and year are specified at the end of each paragraph : 
Preparation of Tea for the purpose of rendering 
the infusion more digestible.— J. A. Martin, grocer, 
aud F. Davis, analytical chemist, London. Moisten 
tea with a solution of gumarabio, or gelatine; or 
albumen, and, while it is still moist, sprinkie with 
a powder composed of Tartrate of soda, 2 ; neutral 
tirtrate of potash, 1 ; sulphate or soda, 1 bicarbonate 
of soda, 2; and dried carbonate, 1C; with the object 
of preventing the prejudicial effect of tho tauniu. 
(27,460, Chemist and Druggist, March 5, 
NEW METHOD WITH CHINA TEAS. 
A Shanghai oorre.spondcnt writes us by last mail : 
It may possibly interest you to learn that a company 
IS b3ing formed to mako tea by machinery entirely 
under Chinese auspices, to be under the safe nro. 
tection of H.E. the Viceroy Ohang-chi-tung, aud the 
finances to be controlled by the foreign Commissioner 
of tlie Imperial Customs at Hankow. 
The scene of operations to be commenced is in the 
Oopack district of Yunglow-toong, some distance 
above Hankow, where godowns are already in exist- 
ence, which were used by Russians some years aeo 
Capital R80,000, in 800 shares of RlOO each, grant-^ 
able to and holdable by respectable Chinese. 
_ Experts are to he engaged from Ceylon, in fhe first 
instance, to instruct the natives in the method of 
working machinery. Some machinery has been 
ordered Lorn home, and more, we understand, is to 
be ordered in Ceylon where a gentleman has gone to 
have a look all round at the situation there.- A and 
6 . B.rpress, March 4. 
THE MADR.VS PADDY CROP. 
The Madras paddy evo)) is reported to be dam- 
^ed by msects 111 parts of the Coda very and 
Ma abar Districts diseased in North A, col, an 
witheniig in the Carnatic District. Elsewhei’e the 
condition of tlie crop is reported to be fair The 
average outturn for tlie wliole Presidency i.s estL 
mated at 66--the normal being represented by 100 
It IS probable that the total area cultivated during 
the whole year may come up to 0,068,200 acres 
5/,944, /OO cut. of cleaned rice, or about -Vj dpi 
M'u'cli'lir ^ P‘ovious year.-J/, ~ Mail, 
I’LANriNO NOTES. 
(’OCOA-BUTTER -The result of the Amsterdam 
auctions IS leportedin a separate paragraph. At 
the l.ondon auctions, 50 tons of CadburJs make 
were sold at fluctuating prices, the averse work 
mg out at about 9fd, against 9Ad, in February and 
9 9-16th d in January .— Colonial Drug, 
gist, March 4. 
Lemon Grass Oil.— The botanical origin of this oil 
IS a matter of some doubt, audit is probable tha 
various spemes of Audropogon are used in its pro- 
paratioii. biedler states that various species of fhesp 
grasses belonging to the Audropogon fkinily flourish 
in GcTmaii Last ana West Africa as wefl-as in East 
India, which yield an essential oil. It is possible tha 
these colonies may shortly export this oW.-British and 
Cowf^ioc March '1. 
