Septemuer I, 1891.1 the tropical AQRIOULTURIST, 
The (effect of Ibo auccesc-ful cultivation of the Cn • 
fliou'i tree in tho on t)in wholesale pricea of both 
baik ainl ita tlor'vitivf , tulphate - f quinine, baa been 
truly rnmarknbb’, b:*tb in this country and tho (Jouti- 
ncHt. Bark, which in IhtO realised t»e?en ahiiliugn per 
pouud, can ivt Ibis diilo bo purcbadcd in Loudi n for 
fourpeoce-hftlfpouny per pouud, aud quinine, which then 
was sold lor twelve shillings per ouiifC, can now be 
obtained from the ino*b noted luauufacturer for one 
fehilliug and fivepouoo per ouuoo, while the German 
article is priced at from toupenco to one i^hilling por 
ouuce. 
Taking the present normal consumption of tho world 
at eeven million ounces of quinine per auuum— a iiguro 
which is Hcceptcjd l»y the host anthoritio*‘-^the fall Aiijco 
1880 in the value of tho drug annually consumed i.s not 
less thao 3J millions vSter)iii (4 at wholesale prices. 
Tho trade in bark with {South America has been prac- 
tic dly destroyed, as it is no longer profitable to export 
it, and the wlioleaale prioi s obtainablo in European 
markets for bark are so discouraging to planters, and 
the glut is 80 great, that the trees aro being largely 
uprooted and ri placed with t«-a shrubs. 
The estimated number of Cinchona trees in Ceylon 
was, in 1882, 90 millions ; i . 18SG, 70 millions ; in 18S8, 
35 millions; and in 1800, 19 inilHonx. 
This glut end these low wholesale prices are not 
duo to a supply in excess of tho needs of the wovlu, 
but mainly to the extraordinary fact that the rrtalers 
of tho drug hA\o genorully declined to lulfow the 
wholesale maiket, and liavo pDotically sucorcdmi, so 
far ae the groat mass of the public is oonoerued, in 
maintaining retail prices at an aliogethor artiheial, and 
to many a prohibitory level. Tho price commonly put 
upon Uoward’s Uaiuiuu by retail druggists iu various 
p.irt8 of London variea from O’*, to 8s. per ounce, when 
delivered iu the ooiiditi 'U in which it is receivt.d from 
the manufacturer ; that is to say, without being 
compounded. In country districts it is often far more 
expousive, and to a great extent beyond tUe rtach of 
the poor. 
It ia retnHrkablo that those oxorbltaut prices are 
mamtaiuednqtwUhatau.Jiug the fact that a uinnbor of 
iha co-operative stores retail quinine at present at 2^. 
per ounce, oven theu ojHkuig a gross profit of over *10 
perorut. on the wholesale pnao ot la. Sd. per ounce. 
Present circunistauces lend uddiliouil impurtance to 
these facts from the poiut of view of the public io^ 
teiest. Quinine is a drug whiih is almost univeri^ully 
prescribed by me* ical men ul some stage or other of 
every attack of iLfluciiZ'', uni there is very good gruiiud 
f r considering it to bo one ot the very bofitprophy. 
liictics which cau be taken during the prevalence of 
llio epidemic. It is, therefore, the more desirable that 
the public should obtain the lud benefit of the cheap- 
ness of quiniue in the wholcsulo market. Tbis end 
can only bo attained by combined action on tho part 
of the planters and impurttrs of Cinohoua bark, as 
Well as manufacturers ot quinine, with a view to the 
removal of any reatrictious which may exist ou the 
retail sale of the drug in whatever form it may be re- 
quired. 
The Goyorumtnt of Madras, in furtherance of the 
policy which originally iud to thu creation of thoir 
plantations of cinchona iu Indis, have rcctuiiy directed 
their revenue olRu' rs to ketq) >i small stock of quinine 
for Bile to the people, in order that the value of the 
drug may become known to thf-m, and that a demand 
for It may be enemraged. This is a stop entirely in the 
right direction. There are millions of people in Asia 
who have never heard ol quuiiue, and who aro totally 
unacquainted with its properfi*-..s. Those however, who 
from contact with Kuropeans or otiier viae have had 
experience of it, value it most highly. Mr. Colqahoun. 
the well-known traveller, in his work “ Across Chryed ” 
writes : Q liuiuo ia the beet present any traveller in 
Yuuiiau cjui carry,” and rceiitiona also that it is con. 
8id* red to bo a euro for tho craving which those 
accautomod to opiuin-smoking BufTor from 
It would be uiitotunate if the existing want of 
harmony between the wholesale and the retail machi- 
nery of distribution which has been described should 
left4 to a serious fallieg off in tho cultivation of cin- 
(houa, and oonstyueut scarcity of a valuablo remedy, 
tho use of which might obviously be extended in many 
countries with tom fit to the inbabitants.— A’conomtsr, 
BAKK AND Dnua hEEORT. 
(From the Chemiat and Druggist.) 
Londo.v, July 9th. 
Annatto.— T wo hundrea acd fourteen ba,8 of seed were 
ottered at tlio aaloa today, but only 47 bigs bright, and 
clean Ceylon sold at Ijd. while the le-.t, fair to flue 
bright, ia held at Ijd to 3jd, a bid of ed for the best 
having been refused. 
OlsNAAiox. -Thirty-eight bales Ceylon partly sold at 
7d tj Of. 
EuCAT.VP'rii8-Jjs;AVKB.— A parcel of very ordinary audold 
E. Globultis haves euuld not find a {mrchaser. 
USSEXTIAL OILS.-Citroneiu Oils: There was an at- 
tempt to S' 11 40 cases by one broker. He was prepared 
to take jd, but co'ild uot get It. Nutmeg OUi A new 
patcol of this oil sold at 3d. Thoro were also offers of 
bay, bergamot, oinuuuiou, oiniiamou-Ieal, and Japanese 
poiJXiermint oil, hut nono sold. 
NEW GUINEA EXPLORERS. 
Eying in tho luvrbour of Singapore at the present 
hiomoiit is a tuiiall schooner wh' se only outward 
ciiaruoteristio is that of a stump foremast and 
couple of deck bouses above the or Unary size. Yet 
the “ Envy” is no ordinary craft nor tho Captam of 
hor to be summari'y diaimssed fi',.m notic.?. Since 
tho ye»r ISTlhas Uaptaiii Slr.»ohau devotidtbe gr, ater 
part of bis lime to New Guiuei, and ot that little 
explored mass of land lio knows probably nn re than 
nay other man living. Fart of the soii'.h-east is 
named after him and his explora'ioiis liuvo extended 
lor miles and miles of river. They will be found 
written iu an interesting book compiled by the 
Oap'ain while at homo in 1S88, which is better 
known d wn m Austialia than in these pans. As 
the leader of the ‘'Age” expedition, a profuse writer 
of Now Guinea and otlier mutters Captain Btraotiaii 
has muJo for himself a name among the Australiaus 
sail sturdy indepsudent man, with unbouudod deter- 
mination to do tuotoughly whatever to turns his hand 
te. L'ke most ind.'poudent men, he has made enemies as 
well as friends, and many and bitter thiugs have bean 
said iigaiiist the explorer, but ho has Iriumphaully 
vindicated himself irom calumnies and ia aa ready aa 
ever to attack what he deems the wrong. 
Tne “ Envy ” coaals round New Guinea and tho ad- 
jacent ialauda, through nnoburted soaa and In tlie midat 
of the treuoherous natives, of whom her Captain says, 
although he haa suoceedod in eatublishiog tho must 
oordiiil relatione with thorn, that they are emphatically 
not to be trusted. It is nut to be wundsted at, therefore 
that the armament of the vessel is a gojd one, in- 
cluding a number of swivel guua mounted on the 
bulwark.. The “Kovy ” ia but a small boat, but she 
ia eminuutly a servioeablo craft and her Captain has 
every ooufldeuoB in her. Shs has just lately come up 
from New Guinea and will at.y here a short time for 
repairs, after which the Captain will resume Ida wau- 
deriuga, going in the next iutauce to Melbourne “ to 
interview tho Victorian Government iu oonnectiou with 
a scheme for the advauoement ot the interests of tho 
commonwealth of Auatralia in Polynesia.” 
Mrs. StracbRn, who ia acoonipauying her husband, 
takes a great delight in natural history and has had 
experienocs that full to the lot of few ladies. 
TUe Hrisbane Bomnerang, under the heading *‘ A 
Cjiieetiof the Boa ” tells the kind of woman alie is:— 
“01 medium In ight, a slight but graceful figure, 
Mrs, Stiachau posieascs in a marked degree tho 
oval face and regular features of the daughters of 
Taamanis, her native laud, in which her progenitors 
yet boar a woll-koowu name. Well educated, she 
18 ni msau naturalist, conohologist, and liuguist 
is now prepariug for publiostiun a book of her travels 
and advcntiirts, and, wdat baa more than ouoo 
stood her in good atead, almost aa uuerting in aim 
with rillo and revolver aa a oraok shot among the 
bsokwoodamen of America. As is well known in 
marine, metcautile, and ojher oitgUs, Captain 
