?54 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[MaV 2, 1898. 
MARKET FOR MINOR PRODUCTS. 
London, March 17. 
Zanzibar Vanillas.— Vanilla was introduced into 
Zanzibar by Jack Savey, an old sailor, who planted 
the vines at his house more for decorative purposes 
than anything else ; but the plants have done so well 
that Savey has had more than one crop of good 
vanillas off them. His place is in the Mwera Valley. 
A local journah referring to the matter, says “ plan- 
tations may be put down with the reasonable cer- 
tainty that they will in due course come to flower 
and fruit. If the industry were seriously taken up, 
there is no reason why Zanzibar should not in time 
become a large exporting-country, and run in harness 
with Eeuuiou and Seychelles,” 
CINCHONA. 
Classification. — Before the commencement of the 
sales on Tuesday Mr. David Howard, speaking as 
a manufacturer, drew the attention of the buyers to 
what he considered a defect in the classification of 
barks as regards the terra “ slightly country-damaged.” 
As matters stood now the question of damage was a 
confusing one, he said. It ought to be clearly un- 
derstood and adhered to that a slight discolouration 
of manufacturing bark, such as principally arose 
through defective collection, should not be classed as 
” country-damaged ” unless the bark was musty or 
damp. “ Sea-damaged ” should remain as at present. 
Also slightly musty bark should not be classed as 
'■country damaged.” Another point was. Would the 
druggists be prepared to allow any such licence ? Mr. 
Woodhouse suggested that Mr. Howard should sub- 
mit his proposals in the form of a motion at the 
next sales, and this he agreed to do. Mr. Howard 
also complained that the August bark-sales in London 
followed very closely on the Amsterdam sales, and 
it was a great strain to analyse two lots of samples 
in so short a time. The whole matter will come up a 
mouth hence. 
Lower Prices.— The auctions were then proceeded 
with, the tone being better than a month ago, and 
buying fairly good, especially for the American market 
and druggists. Altogether there were eleven catalo- 
gues, which included 2,826 packages of bark, divided 
as follows : — 
East Indian cinchona 
Java cinchona 
Ceylon cinchona 
South American cinchona 
African cinchona 
Packages 
Packages 
offered 
sold 
2,335 
1,641 
240 
43 
105 
105 
89 
26 
57 
5 
2,826 
1,820 
j. 1,0 — o I of gd to 
Jd per lb. the unit being generally ^d to 
Id— a sensible decline. The principal buyers in order 
of the quantities of bark putchtfsc-d by them were as 
follows : — 
Agents for the American and Italian 
factories 
Agents for the Brunswick factory . . 
Messrs. Howards & Sons.. 
Agents for the Frankfort and Stuttgart 
works . . ; • • • 
Agents for the Imperial Quinine 
factory 
Agents for the Auerbach factory 
Agents for the Mannheim and Am- 
sterdam factories 
Druggists, &'c .. 
Total quantity sold .. 
Bought in or withdrawn . . 
Lbs. 
12i,6S3 
72,592 
43,010 
30,085 
24,750 
23,128 
16,921 
108,450 
440,619 
213,534 
Total quantity of bark offered ( 51,153 
The following prices v, era real. sed Java, ledger 
stem chips, 4gl to 4Jd per lb. ; South American , Boli- 
vian cultivated Calisaya quill, 5d to 5^ci ; 25 bales 
artagena, 4 bales Pitayo, and 29 Maracaibo were 
bought in. Five b.rles of African chips, 3|d ; Ceylon 
Succirubra, natural stem chips, 2^d ; fair to good 
renewed shaving, 4id ; hybrid root, 3jd to 4Jd ; East 
Indian, natural red chips and shavings, 2d to 2^d ; fair 
to good 2|d to 2|d ; fine, 2|d to 2Jd ; ordinary renewed, 
1§ to 2jd ; fair to good, 2yd to 2Jd ; druggists medium 
quill, 3Jd to 4|d : fine bold silvery, 7.td ; small crown 
chips, ijd to l|d ; medium to fair, 2§d to 2§d ; good, 
2Jd ; to 3Jd ; good rich renewed, 4d to 5fd : ordinary, 
3d to 3fd ; small ledger chips, ltd to 2d ; medium to 
f <ir, 2|d to 34d ; and renewed, 2;Jd to 3Jd per lb. The 
offeiiugs in the drug-auctions today are reported 
under that section. The arrivals this week include 
1,724 packages fioin Calicut aud 342 from Beypore. 
J.rv.A Cinchona. — The Dutch Indian Government 
report on the Java cinchona-plantations for 1897 
has just been issued. A good part of the report is 
devoted to consideration of the influence of mossing 
and different methods of culture upon the quinine 
value of the bark. During 1897 152,000 seedlings were 
planted — viz., 35,000 Ledgerianas, 77,000 Succirubras, 
aud 40,000 hybrids of these two species. The total 
number of trees iu the plantations at present is 
2,749,570, consistiug of 1,718,495 Ledgerianas, 496.534 
Succirubras, 476,846 hybrids of these two species, 
and 57,695 officinalis. We have also to note that the 
Dutch Indian Government has issued a decree, 
stating as a preliminary measure for the conversion 
of the Government cinchona-plantations in the 
Preanger residence of Java to a mere experimental 
station it has been decided gradually' to uproot those 
parts of the plantations which it is the intention to 
abandon. The post of assistant-director of the 
Government cinchona-plantations is abolished, and 
until the reforms for restricting the Government 
undertaking to an experimental station are com- 
plete, there will be appointed an official botanist at 
a salary equal to 5U0'., 580/., aud 670/. per year 
respectively, with free house. 
Brazil Cinchona. — Should South America ever 
regain the position she once held in the supply of 
cinchona to Europe depends upon whether she will 
ho able to grow the richest bark, and secure cheap 
transit and labour. In this conuection we notice 
some progress in the first requirement, the cinchona- 
plantations in Brazil having put into the ground close 
upon half a million Ledgeriana seedlings, and 20,000 
seedlings of hybrid cinchona. The plantations are 
under Government supervision, and the immediate 
intention of them is to provide an adequate supply 
of quinine-yielding bark for home use. It is not 
inconceivable that in course of time sufficient birk 
may be produced to permit of exporation. 
Castor-seed. — Small sound seed sold at 4s per cwt. 
Croton-seed. — Good bright sold at 54s per cwt. 
Vanilla. — Nearly 500 tins offered, of which about 
three-fourths sold : good to fine crystallised chocolate, 
8 inches to 84 inches, 24s fid to 25s.; 7J inches to 8 
inches, 22s; 64 inches to 7J inches, 18s 6d ; to 20s fid 
4 indies to 6J inches, 16s to 18s ; good fresh, 4| in- 
ches to 6 inches, 16s ; medium brownish 12s 16d, to 
16s and dry foxy at 10s to lOs. tiA.— Chemist and 
Dru(jqist, March 91. 
EXPERIMENTS WITH RAMIE. 
KURUNEGALA ESTATES COMPANY. 
The directors of the Kurunegala Estate Company 
laid their annual report before the shareholders ou 
the 29th ultimo. The Company is a private one, but 
a few particulars are available. The estate is all 
young, and the tea planted is very promising. In 
tea there are acres, rising three years, and 102 
acres rising two years, and 120 rising one year. 
Of Liberian coffee there are 140 acres rising 3 years, 
aud of cacao there are 1 l 8 acics from 3 to 5 years 
old, and most of the laud is iuterplanted with 
coconuts. This year it is intended to plant up 
the Liberian coffee in tea and also about 40 
acres of new laud. The total acreage is 1 , 11:9 
acres. There are about 10 acres of Rhea fibre, 
and the Company has imported a detorticating 
machine, and is going to make some experi- 
