562 
THP TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
fFEBRUARY I, 1892. 
puriod of liins; but it nood not go to waste evou 
then, for if it bo not sweetened it can bo mod for 
exprossiog oil. 
Wo have hoard very liltio of oocouut loaf dltoaae 
during thu past yucr; but we are nsfurod that this 
is not duo to its absence, but to n desire by estate 
proprietors to keep tho matter to themselves. With 
reports of a disease, with a fatal termination in Jamoics, 
we think the wiser plan will be for proprietors to boldly 
face it and with the ossiatanco and ailvioe of the School 
of Agriculture deviro means to ovoroouio it, 
OiNNAaiOM. 
The prayerful wish of all cinnamon planters must be 
that they will net pass through such another year, as re- 
gards prices, us 1391. Though Coylon has the monopoly 
of the cinnamon market,* yet she has not been able to 
devise means to control it. Oombination amongst 
cinnamon growers is mipossible. One of tho first acts 
of the now defunct Agricultural Association was to 
resolve that tho antiquated system of quarterly sales 
of the spice 10 the Lane be abandoued and monthly 
sales substituted. There was nothing revolutionary 
in this change, for all other prodnots are sold onco 
or twice a week, and every other spice but cinnamon 
is sold weekly. The ohange met with a most deter- 
mined opposition by tl.e bnyeis, whose chief com- 
plaint most strangely was that the ohange would affect 
prices ptejudicblly ! Wo boliovo that this is the first 
iustanoo on record in whicli buyers expressed a dis- 
inclination to buy in a cheap market. Tho fact is 
that the only opponents of tho monthly sales wore 
the middlemen, who are the principal buyers and who 
lay by stocks for the intervals between the quarterly 
sales. They feared that their ocenpation would be 
gone if it became possible for the oonsnmer to satisfy 
his requirements at frequent, sales. Those wlio initiated 
the cbar.ge on this side were looked npon by the older 
cinnamon planters as youthful outhusissls with 
more enthosiusm than discretion, and their lead 
was followed under protest. Tlio opportunity to 
revert to the old system was eagerly seised when 
at one sale bnyurs refused to bid. Tbe oora- 
bination was thus broken np and the bettor pricis 
which tho “old hands” expected would be coincident 
with .tho reversion to the quarterly sales have not so 
far been realized. Indeed prices have boon steadily 
receding. _ An attempt to oirost this was made by 
Mr. Jardino summoning a meeting of cinnamon 
planters to discuss tho possibility of abandoning the 
scraping of cinnamon chips and thus lessening pro- 
duction* An undertaking ‘on honor” was signed by 
growers representing about two-thirds of tho acreage 
under cinnamon not to scrape chips. How much this 
undertaking was respected can be inferred from the 
fact that the export of chips was not diminished 
during the twelve mouths that the nudortakiug was 
supposed to bo observed I During the past year tbe 
scraping of chips was resumed. 
At the May quarterly sales only about one-third of 
tho cinnamon offered changed bauds. There was no 
enquiry whatever. for the finer qualities. Agents and 
hroKors in England snggested as a remedy that only 
cinnamon of inferior mako, for which only there 
was enquiry, should bo shipped but under another 
mark, so that the old .well-ostublisbod brands should 
not bo imporilled. Very few estates we believe 
followed that advice. The next quarterly sales in 
Angnat showed no bettor results, the liner qualities 
being as before neglected. 
As the year was closing came the results of tho 
last quarterly sales in November. They are such as to 
cause tho gravest anxiety. There has boon a further 
drop in the prices of the finer qualities, and no 
cinnamon but that of Goluapokuna, which seonis to 
bo in special demand in Spain, tho chief consuming 
country, fotchod highor than la per lb for its host quality. 
This is very nearly ono-third of tho prices ruling 
15 to 20 years ago. To add to low prices, cost or 
manufacture has increased and the yield per acre has 
deoroasod by about 20 per cent owing to tender sticks 
only now being out for the finer quality of cinnamon 
*' Only fur tho finer sorts : In ooarso kinds China Is a 
fOTSttidabic oompolllot.— En.-T,^. 
now manufactured. Cinnamon planters fervently 
hope that the bottom, as regards prices, has now been 
touched and that the new year on which wo have 
ontorod will reveal to them a turning in that 
long lano of low prices through which they have 
boon painfully traversing during a good many years. 
That their hopes may be realized is onr hearty wish, 
for the trado in cinnamon Is one of historic intorest 
and is supposed to go bock to the time of idolomoB 
and oven to the period of tho I’atriarchs. 
♦ 
CEYLON TEA FUND, 
Minutes of proceedings of a meeting of the Standing 
Ooinmittoe of the Ceylon “ Tea Fund” hold at Kandy 
on Monday, tho 4th day of January 1892, at three 
o’clock in the afternoon. 
i'resent : — Messrs. Giles F. Walker (Oliairman, 
Planters’ Aesooistion of Coylon). A. T. Karslako 
(Ksndy), W. D. Gibbon ( Kandy), T.O. Owen (Kandy), 
A. O. K. Borron (Kandy), A. \V. Stopford Saokvillo 
(Chairman. Maskeliya Association), James H. Barber 
(Kandy), Dr. V. Duke (Kandy), Mr. J. Anderson 
(Kaiidj and Matala West), Hon. L. If. Kelly, U-r-c, 
(Kandy), Mr. A. I’hilip, Secretary to tlio Plautera’ 
Association cf Ceylon (Kandy)* 
Tho notice calling the meeting was read. 
The miuntes of proceedings of a mooting of the 
Standing Cammittce held at Kandy, on Friday, the 
11th (lay of Oeoombcr 1891, were road and were con- 
firmed. 
Ceylon Tea at the Worlc’s Exposition at Oiii- 
CAOO IN 1893.— Read letters from Mr. J. J. Griulinton 
(1) conveying his tliaoks for tho mark of eonfideuco 
placed in him by tbe resolution passed requesting him 
to act as a Commissioner to represent the planting 
interests at the Chicago Exhibition, and intimating 
that should His Exoellenc^ tho Governor appoint him 
Commissioner it will be his duty as well as pluastire to 
give the planting interests bis qnremitting attention ; 
(2) traEsmit ing a memoratidum of infurmatioo given 
to Mr. Griiiiintun by Mr. Ei's'kiiio Phelps, late Obairnian 
of the State and N«tioDaI Exhibition Ohioago. 
Bead letter from Mr. Cbns. Stouter, Colombo. Be- 
solved : — “That tbe letter bo aoknowlodgod,” 
Tbe Chaiuman introduotod Mr. Grinliuton to the 
Standing Committee of the " Tea Fund,” and Mr. 
Griulinton explained bis views and urged tbe necessity 
for prompt action. 
Ceylon Tea in Gkbuany. — Considered the question 
of a subsidy cl Coylon tea to Mr, Sabrader. Beaolved : 
—“That the Staudiug Committee of the Ceylon Tea 
Fund do grant to Mr. Schrader 5,000 lb, of Ooylon toa 
in two instalments for free distribution in Germany, 
the Committee understandieg that Mr. Schrader is 
prepared to purohase an equal quantity of Coylon toa 
on his own account.” 
Okyi.on Tea in Russia ; Mb. Rooivue’s Repobt and 
Accounts. — Bead lottor from Mr. Rogivue, Moscow, 
transmitting his Report, together with acoonuts, 
in reference to bis mission to Russia to mako 
known and push tho sale of Caylun Tea in that Em- 
pire. Resolved " That in acknowledging Mr. Kogi- 
vue’a letter he bo informed tliat the Standing Com- 
mittee of tho Tea Fund trusts to receive further 
accounts showing an inoreasiug sale of Ceylon Tea in 
Bassia during the picsent year, when tlio Committee 
will be prepared to oonsider what further a.Hslstanoo 
they may be in a position to give Mr. Rogivue at 
tbe next Fair at Nijui Novgorod." 
CetLon Tea in Bwitzeblasd and Austria.— H oad 
letter from Mr. Oharlos Osswold, Winterthur, on tho 
subjeot of introducing Coylon Ten into Switzerland, 
and also making further proposals in regard to Austria 
as indicated by Mr. J. Ferguson’s letter to the Ceylon 
(Jbaerxer- Resolved (X) : — “ 'That a grant of 600 lb. 
of Ceylon Toa delivered free at Trieste duty paid 
bo made to Mr, C. Osswald for gratis distribution in 
Vienna by Mr. Weiner ; (II) that Messrs, Wbittall&Co , 
be asked to pnrobasc the Tea.” 
Ceylon Tea in Vienna, Pbagub, Karlsiiad, &c.— 
Considered Mr. John Fergusoii’s suggss^out >n ^ 
