July i, 1891.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
II 
Toiai. ExroRTSs or Tea fbom Calobtta, fuom 
Ibt Max 1890 to end Apbii, 1891. 
Great Britain... 
AusiraiiH and New Zealand 
Amt‘nua ... ... 
Bombay ... ... 
Sundry Porta... ... 
1 8110.91. 
4,»;tr,yy8 
131,818 
1889-9'. 
9,8.3u;{.1Iq 
3,69rt,(;4rt 
1.133,974 
419,601 
104:,319,b31 103,0^u,U^ 
FLOODING TUE FKODUCE AlAEKETS. 
The followiag editorial from the ChcviUt and 
Druggist (April IBth) coutamd a grave lesoon to 
Ueyiou planters, who, indted, know too well already 
from their experience of cmuhona bark, what over- 
production and ruinously low prices mean. The 
question is now whether there should be any further 
extension of tea cultivated here, seeing the heavy 
production and the scarcity of labour which are 
likely to be encountered 
Not the least mtoresting among tLo roftults of the 
im[Ufn8e tzpanniou which the boundariOB of our empire 
have undergone in Africa and Aaia during the la^t hve 
years, und of the extraordinary n vival of the fceiiog-i 
of kinship among the scattered parts of the Empiie 
are the numerous scht mea to render the outlying 
portions ot Greater Britain more pioductive und t<) 
utilise their luieut resources to a greater extent than 
heretofore. To say that, from cUmHtio and ecunonjiu 
standpoints, there is soatcely a Latural product which 
cannot he produced w.thiu the limits of llio Britiiih 
dominions in a truism so trite that w.i almost npol jKiau 
for repealing it, and general sympati.y with aii elforts 
to iucresAC the productivity oi any p^rt of the Empire 
and enhance the wcll'boiug of its inhabitants, may bt 
similarly usaumed. But eudiu-iiasm for GolouUl de- 
velopment has its dungt-rouA side. And to no one should 
the reverse ot the medal be mure apparent than to the 
produce merchant, who wuh an inteliig* nt interest 
keeps himself informed of the new sources of prodne* 
tion of the raw mat irialBof industry, an i compares their 
probable supply witu the demand which m »y fairly be ex- 
pected lor them. Ttie drug uuporier in particular enjoys 
unusual means of fb^crvatiou on this point. No other 
niercbsnt draws his raw maieriais irom so many 
sources, and there is probably no other trade in 
whicu tbe grades of unuiulnt ss of any given article, 
from the aimost absolutely valuele-s to the Lighi'St 
oxotllence, are liabl:' to vary so nuicli as iii bis. 
To the produce importer, who ser'S the probability 
and ofien actuaily experiences the difficulties attcfiiding 
the glut of his market by tho iutroduciion ol new 
developments of enterprise, the proveibial beneftiotor 
who enriches the world with that often-mentioned 
additional blade of grass, is not always so weici me 
as he expects to be. The authorities of tho Koysl 
Gardens at Kew, who are doing emiueutly useful ex- 
perimental work in oonneetiou with the acclimatisation 
of produce, are not free from the risk of allowing 
their zeal to outrun their, discretion, from the importer's 
point of view. It may be suggested even to them 
that in selecting their new investigations they might 
at least first ascertain approximately the world’s 
requirements aud capabilities of absorption. A case 
m point has occurred this week. Belore tbe Uoyal 
Colonial Institute, on Tuesday night, Mr. Morris, the 
energetic assisVant-direotor of ICew Gardeos, read an 
interesting paper on tho “ Leeward Islnuds ''—that 
little group of western paradises entwining the Carib- 
bean Sea with a girdle of fragrant verdure, Mr. Morns 
has previously spent many years iu botaidcal pursuits 
in tho Antilles, and has just returned home, filltui with 
re-awakeu6il memories ot the unexhausted fertility of 
the Antilles. He talks of their woiiderlul productive- 
ness, aud urges tho investment of a •* moderate 
amount ” of capital iu their development. Dominica 
produces annually about 8,000^, worth of lime-juice; 
and in Montserrat a thousand acres are covered with 
Uuo plantatioDs, Xho proh(S| as a commuuioative 
planter rashly explained to him, as it were with a 
view of inviting oihcrs to come and compete, are large. 
All outlay of l.OtKjL will establish a 2().acre plantation 
iu full working ord'.r, with works and plants complete, 
and deiray the expenses of supervision for seven years. 
At the end of that liuie the estate would yield at tbe 
rate of 40 hogsbeaiis of oonoentiated lime-juice, 
worth 4CU each, or 4801.; while the yearly cast of 
cultivation aud mauufseturo would be about half 
that arnunnt, leaving 24U/. as the set annual profit. 
If (be iitduatry U saub a profitable one at the 
present time, the h^ippy liniequicers of Dominica had 
better rest oouteiit m their muderu Arcadia, instead of 
bragging of their gains to tbe promiscuous visitor ; but 
what prospect is there, we ask, that (his rate of profit 
would bo maintained if, say, tbe acreage under oultiv* 
ation were doubled or trebled ? So with gambler. 
The Kew authorities have lately been paying special 
attention to this valuable tanning materia], aud num- 
erous attemptn at iu propagation are being made in the 
VVest India islands. Ttiu Un.ted States being among 
the largest consumers of gaiubier, it is certainly rea- 
sonable to expect that, if they could obtain it as cheaply 
at their own duors, they would not go to the Straits 
Settlemi-nts fur it. But while wo do not say that there 
18 not room for an increased output of gambler, it should 
be borne in mind that its mauulaoture iu the straits 
Setilemonts la praoiioally a monopoly of the Chinese, 
who havii t\UB far been the only people who can make 
the culture pay. Whut Cbinese oompetitiou would 
m*aD, if it is a quehtinn of producing cheaply, there is 
no need to particu arise. Aio onr West Indian colonies 
prepared, at a time when Australia and the 
iStates are compelled to exclude Obinose frum 
their labour markets, to rush iu where the 
Eiropeau planters of the 8traiia Settlements 
have hitherto fearid to trfad ? It is not quite enough 
thst the warm moist valleys of Dominica are likely 
to suit the gambier-plant In every vay. The question 
is, whether tbe planters there oould face the pont<ibility 
of a fal: iu the value of the manufactured product 
to cay lOL per ton, iuntea l of the 4()L which it 
realises now. Again, wo are informed that spices, 
such KB nutmeg and mace, vamila, black peppt^r, 
cub» b pepper, long pepper, cloves, ginger, ciunaniji), 
carddiuom.s are alreudy introduced iuio this part of 
the world. Tbe d< niand fo:- spices is iiicrcMisiug, and 
the*o iHlnnds cund g ow every oiu* o^thJ^e meuiiuiud, 
if only the peuplu -v- ulu g vr rheir aitontiuu to the n 
a;id treat tUeiu c;> idiiig to ih ir spuial r< qu re- 
nie its." But. is it i-O'. i f ihut th- cultiva ion ot n<. :>• ly 
every one of the i* pr mIuc s is ulrciidy, ii n-a -.i r- 
dAine, at (east ^u lulj provided fur that lui h. r e uu- 
petitiou OKU oulyptaie disasuous from a financial 
point of view ? P. ppur, f>r itin’anre, is almost <x- 
cluMvoly produced aud brought into commurco by 
ChiiieBo cheap labour ; vaoiila is a product the culti- 
vation of which requires nut only unremitting care but a 
dexterity only to be acquired by piactice, and 
any coaslderable addition to the producliuu of 
Mauriiiuv, tbe Beychelles and Mexico, would 
s-nd pricos down to (he lowest verge of ro« 
munerativencBB. Tbe oouiiuercial hist ry of cubibq. 
rocords prioe-HuctuatioLS from 35s. to 307. per owte 
within a few years. The iucp aee in value of thu 
article has led to an enormous exteuAion of cultivatiod 
in Java, and tbe value of the drug — which, it shouli- 
bo remembered, ts one of oompaialively small signw 
licanoe — has fadeu 100 pur cent, within ihe lost fern 
months, while tho exports from Java have risen froal 
lltfpioulsiu 1888 to 1,373 piculs iu 1890. Esseuliob 
oils scarcely otfi r greau r promise. With those whioh 
are produced in France sud Italy it would require not 
only a coD*iiderabIe capital, but also a va&t fond of 
practical y experience to cope. Onr knowledge of the 
chfmiHtr^ of esseutial oils is as yet so limited, and 
adulteiatiou so difficult of detection that buyers 
are compelled to rely very largely upon the 
honour and commercial reputation of the growers 
with whom they deal ; hence custom and preju- 
dice prevail in (his trade to an almost incredible 
extent, A slight innovation — often of the nature 
of an undoabUd improvement— in the packing pf 
