864 
THE TROPICAL ACffnCOLTURlSt. 
[May 2, 1892. 
I Dotioe that “L. D.” says be thioks it is five 
years since I started in the tea trade. I am not, 
as a fact, three years in tbs trade until next 
month. The btet week 1 began to sell tea my 
sales were over 20 tons, and then not half of my 
stores bad any at all, while now my sales are over 
3,000 cheats weekly. I regard as one reason of 
the auooeaa of this branch of my business the fact 
that in offering tea to the public, I blend it on 
soientiilo principles to suit the water used in the 
district wWever each branch may be. For instance 
the tea 1 send to Edinburgh is quite distinct from 
what 1 sell in Glasgow, while that sold in New- 
castle is totally different from the other two, and 
all widely vary from what I retail in London or 
Birmingham. The reason for this is that the 
chemical properties of water vary to an enormous 
extent, and nothing is more susceptible to the 
action of different minerals dissolved in water 
than tea. 
What the result of my campaign in America 
will be has got to be proved, but one thing I do 
know, whether lam succeselul or not the consu- 
ming public will know what 1 am offering to sell, 
and where my stores are, and they will certainly 
get better value than what they are getting now. 
Oeylon tea has a flavor which is not to be 
equalled, let alone beaten by any of its rivals, 
and if once the American public ‘‘oatobes on" to 
this tea, there will be no limit to the demand, 
provided the present high standard of excellence 
IS maintained. 
When 1 leave my estates I shall go, via Japan, 
to Chicago, where I hope to have the gratifloation 
of meeting Mr, Qrinlinton, and if I can be of any 
service to the Ceylon tea planters through him it 
will certainly give me very great pleasure.— Yours 
faithfully, T. J. LlPToN. 
The I.vtkoduction of Cinchona into the 
Eastebs Would. — With reference to the aiticle we 
quote from the Chemitt and Druggist, we may 
say that Mr. Boss was certainly in error in attri- 
buting to Mr. Clements Markham the credit of 
first introducing the oinobona plants into the 
eastern world. Had Mr. Boss said “ into British 
India and Ceylon" ho would have been perfectly 
correct ; and we are rather surprised that Mr. 
Markham in the course of the discussion did not 
indicate that to a German botanist ernployed 
by the Government of Netherlands India be- 
longs the credit of first introducing the fever 
plants into the eastern world. Wo have a very 
vivid recollection of quoting in 1854, paragraphs 
translated from the Dutch papers published 
in Java announcing the arrival of a supply of 
kina plants, and wondering at first what the queer 
word could mean. It is very true that the speoios 
introduced by Hasekarl wore not iho best ; but the 
same may be said of those which Markham brought 
to British India and Ceylon in 1800. Some of 
the crown barks were very good, but all were 
surpassed by ('. Udgrriana, a quantity of the 
seed of wbieh Mr, Ledger sold to to the Dutch 
Government and this plant has so flourished in 
Java, that the Dutoh Colony Is likely to be the 
chief source of cinchona bark for the world. Wo 
well recollect the enthusiasm which prevailed 
and the fortunes which were anticipated as wo 
quoted Mr. Moens’s reports of barks which yielded 
10, 11 and 13 pet cent of quinine. These were 
special trees, however, and the general average of 
Java bark now tuns from 4 to 7 per cent. Even 
flo, over-production has tendered the enterprise a 
blesain* to the world without a compensating 
jteward to the planters. 
CINCHONA IN JAVA. 
The gentleman who has kindly translated tbo 
following report for ns remarks correctly enough 
that " Oiuohona looks as poorly in Java as it 
does here nearly." Of course the Java bark has 
the a ivfintage of being richer in quinine : — 
Soekaboemi Agricultural Union, Soekalioemi, Java, 
Fob. 26th, 1892. 
Gentlemen,— In presenting the foutih yearly R*atia- 
tioH of the itava factory cinchona Dark harvest, we 
bare the honour to offer the following remarks : — 
The statement baa been delayed by tiie commission 
(couristing of two of our memhers Messrs. O. van VIoten 
and A. Mesrink) who kindly undertook its preparation 
for the purpose of msking it mere complete than it 
has hitherto been, for which we consider that our best 
thanks are due to these gentlemen. The remarks 
obtsiried by them are as follows : — 
Kilograms Kilograms 
of bark, of Sulphate 
of (jumine. 
That iu 1891 the actual harvest 
has bi on 3,479,883 = 152,670 
That in 1892 at the present 
price of the unit there will 
be harvested 3,117,701 = 144,154 
That in case of a rise in the 
price of the unit say 8 or 9 
ct. there will be harvested 3,512,144 = 150,729 
On the above we beg to remark : 
1st. That this statement virtually includes every 
existing cinchona plantation, so that the statisties are 
more complete than they have previously ever boen. 
2ud. That the etatement shows what the factory 
bark harvested is and is likely to be and does not 
refer to pharmscrutical bark. 
Srd. It is satisfactory to perceive from these statiatios 
that there is likely to be 18,516 kilograms of snlphate 
of Qainino loss harvested in 1892 than was harvested 
in 1891. 
4ib. True it ia shown that in the event of a rise in 
the price of the unit, the quantity harvested in 1892 
may go up to nearly the same as in 1801, but aceordiug 
to more carefully instituted inquiries, such increase 
can ouly be effected by anticipating the harvests of 
following years. 
5’.h. lYe think it well to point out that it is of 
the greatest importance, for the stability of cinchona 
market, that cinchona planters shonld send an regu- 
larly as possible similar qnantities of bark to be put 
up at each public sale : as experience bas proved 
that large qnanlitios thrown irregularly into the 
market speedily cause alarm iu Amsterdam, and it 
would much conduce to tbe interest of planters if 
importers were more prompt in withdrawing bark, 
when remunerative prices are not offered.— On acooant 
of the directors, G. Mundt, President, and D. Buboeb, 
Uony. Secretary. 
Translated for Ilia Ceylon Observer by J. D. Y., 9lb 
April 1892. 
The German Government have made arrange- 
menta with Apotbeker Finaelbaok, late aasistant 
in tbe botanical laboratory of the Geneva Uoi- 
versify, to proceed to the Australian Oolonies on 
a soientifle tour of investigation of the medioinal 
and eoonomio plants of that part of the world. 
Herr Fmselbaok, who ia timed to leave Bremer- 
haven tor the Antipodes on April 13th, will de- 
vote particular attention to the northern portions 
of Queensland, making tbe Carpentaria country 
the ohiol seat of his labours. He is not tied to 
time, however, and, after looking through the 
Northern Territory of South Australia, he will in all 
probability pay a vist to British and German 
New Guinea and the Solomon Islands , — ColoniM 
and India, 
