March i, 1892.] 
THE TROPICAL AQRIOULTURI8T, 
641 
been on a larger scale ihan at any time within the past 
•ix months or pcgaibly the entire year. The moat 
interesting feature of the rumonrs now current is that 
the Brunswick people, who have been heretofore aggres. 
sively opposed to the establishment of any ur.dor- 
standing, have signified their wi lingneas to co-operate 
with the other makers in an endeavour to improve 
the sitnatioD, Aooordiug to the X, T, Shipping IMt 
a London oiroular of December lUh says that it has 
been learned on excellent authority that a movement 
to oombiue the German factories is again at work. 
The proposed agreement may not be an iutornational 
affair at the start, but the intention is doubtless to 
regulate production and realise better prices in the 
home marketi. Some manufacturers abroad are re- 
ported as being very much surprised over recent 
developments and the fact that sellers have been offer- 
ing quinine lor the whole of next year at 9J. These 
offerings come from two different smiroes, and we 
thought to represent the concentrated efforts of oortaHi 
parties who are trying to promote the combination 
idea by the usual metho.l of beariug the market. Very 
little ooiitiJcnce is placed in the reports by members 
of the trade in America, with one or two exceptions. 
— Chemist and Jlriipgist. 
THE DUTCH MARKET. 
Amsterdam, Jan. 7. 
The cinohoria-bark sales to be held in Amsterdam on 
January 21st, 1892 will consis' of 4 758 packages— 
VIZ., 4 529 bales and 219 ca es; about 417 tons, divided 
as follows r-h'tom Government plantations 225 bales, 
i 24 tons ; from private plantations 
a,.tU4 bales, 152 oases, about 392 tons. Druggists’ 
\ .““oalrubra quills, lOloasesj dillo broken quills 
and chips 135 bales, 6 oases ; ditto root 37 bales, 4 
osses. Mannfaotaring hark: Officinalis quills 24 cases; 
ditto root 4 cases; lodgeiiana quills 85 cases; ditto 
broken qnills 8 239 bales ; ditto root 867 bales. Hjbri l 
broken quilN 241 bales; ditto root 10 bales— total 4,529 
balea, 229 ensea.—che.rniat and Druggist. 
FACTS WORTH KNOWING. 
Egg stains can be removed by rubbing them with 
common table salt. 
To keep flies off gilt frames, boil three or four 
onions in a pint of water, then apply with a soft 
ontah to tlic frames. 
When whalebones have become bent, they may be 
''sed again by first soaking thorn in tepid water for 
tew lionrs, and then drying them. 
changed often to insure good 
Kht, as they will soon become clogged, and the oil 
oos not pass through them freely. A clear flame 
. ®. certain if the wicks ai-e soaked in vinegar 
"^W-fonr tiours before using. 
suro . " washing windows, looking-glassOB, etc., be 
Hav» , .1”’'' a little ammonia in the water. This will 
civin ^*’'“***^» clean them much more effectively, 
cl^an ^ ^ much (iiior polish. For general 
the water will rejuove dirt, 
much better than aiiytliing else, 
combs unless absolutely necessary. 
Small r* the teeth split and the comb rough, 
cleaiiiw which are made for the purpose of 
easily obtained at little expeuso, 
©ieanafii these the comb may be thoroughly 
following with a soft cloth 
‘'^ruard8.~(/fx„/ UoUiKkeepi,,^. 
Notes from our London letter. 
you that it devolved upon me to notify to your 
readers several letters which had been published 
during the week then under review, and the past 
seven days have seen these still further added 
to. We believe that a letter from Mr. C. 8. 
Hicks has appeared in more than one of the 
papers, but it has only been under my own 
observation in the Globe of the 8lh instant. It 
was a very lengthy letter, far too much so far 
as to expect you to reproduce it in extenso, and 
therefore a reference to its general character 
will Buflica for this letter of mine. Mr. Hicks’s 
communication is headed " Facts about Tea,” 
and in it he describes himself as being " the 
largest shipper of Ceylon tea packed in Ceylon." 
We understand that this claim is somewhat 
disputed, but with such a difference of opinion 
wo need have nothing to do. The whole in- 
tent of what Mr. Hicks wrote was to disparage 
Obina teas as compared with those of Coylon; 
and what he has written lor public instruc-l 
tion is forcible enough and oalculated to do much 
towards nullifying any prejudices which may have 
been awakened by bir Andrew Clark’s late un- 
warrantable and injudicious utterances, 
Mr. Hicks’s letter was followed up in the Globe 
of Tuesday last by further letters written respectively 
by Dr, N. E. Vorke-Davioe and by a gentleman 
who subsoriboB himself as a ‘‘ Ton Planter of 'Thirty 
Years’ Standing," the identity of the latter being 
unknown to me. It can only be said of the last 
two letters that they form the clinching of the 
rivet driven home by that of Mr. C. 8. Hicks. 
The pernaal of them cannot be pleasant reading 
to those in the China tea trade, who year after 
year see their business narrowing more seriously in 
its dimensions. 
The Brokers' Aesooiation is to hold a meeting 
today to finally discuss arraugements lor availing 
themselves of the farther accommodation granted by 
the Committee of the Commercial Sale Booms for 
the auction of Ceylon tea. The proposal to be 
considered is that, from thb beginning of hext month, 
the sales of such teas shall bo continued through- 
out the whole of Tuesday and Thursday in every 
week. Former letters of mine have told you as to 
possible difficnlties arising out of the necessity soma 
firms may be under of appointing an additional buyer 
to meet the new arrangements; and these, if they 
ate considered serious, will probably find expres- 
sion at today’s meeting. From all that has been 
told to me it do.s not seem to me to be likely that 
any such possible objeotiou would be allowed to 
overrule the manifest advantage the newly-conoeded 
arrangements must prove to all and everyone con- 
cerned in the trade. 
The nooeseity for these being conceded was very 
strongly evidenced by the sale of Tuesday last, 
whioh was the heaviest Ceylon auction as yet held 
in London, there having been no loss than 20,047 
packages offered. In spite of this iurge quantity 
being available, the price was well maintained 
tbrougbont, and one seller informed me that though 
he had come the last on the list of the day’s auction, 
the whole bulk of his tea sold for a halfpenny 
over valuation. 
It has been told mo that at the meeting of 
the Ceylon Tea Plantations Company, the pro- 
ceedings at which were reported by my last letter 
Sir William Gregory expressed himself as the 
most determined opponent to the project for under- 
taking coffee planting in Perak. Indeed, vour 
former Governor appears to have been quite excited 
in his denunoiations of this now abandoned 
Boheme, he deolaung that, had he believed anv 
such investment out of Ceylon would ever have 
bean oontemplatod by the directors, he would not 
