June i, 1892.] 
TMF TROPfCAL AGRICULTURIST. 
929 
to advauoing prices, the market again closing 
strong with a toudency to a fariher upward 
movement. The pliberal (•upplios of Ceylou lea now 
coming forward, which wore expected to check the 
advauo^ in Indian growtlifl. have so far had no effect, 
and it appears probable, with a further curtailment of 
good Indian grades, which is almost certain to take 
p'aoe later on, the rise established will be increased. 
For the common descriptions the demand has slightly 
improved, but the quantity pUced on the market has 
been amply sufficient to meet ibe enquiry, and conse- 
quently prices have been biircly luaintoined. The 
deliveries for the past month were unusually large, 
as will be seen by the figures below, but, owing to 
larger imports, the surplus stock has not been mate- 
rially reduced, and ia still about 6,000,000 lb. in excess 
of the preceding year, although only about 3,000,000 
lb. larger than in 1890. The demand for Indian ica fur 
other markets is steadily increasing, but the rate of 
progress is not sufficient to relie.vi* tins market of the 
additional sopplicp promistdin the coming enduing 
seasons. It is understood, however, that greater efforts 
will be made to produce tea that will more effnctively 
meet the requir^-mmls of an export demand. There are 
two important things to be considered, espr.otally for 
the development of the export demand from America 
and Canada, namely, the size of iho leaf and of the 
packages. The former aliould correspond as nearly as 
po8f«ible with the leaf of China Gongoii, and a 
good proportion of tho tea should be pa' ked in 
ball-chests, containing about sixty pounds. There is 
little change of any kind in Iho positton ol Oeylon teas. 
A fair quantity h^a been offi-red, but the indiffiTence 
of the deulera to go further into stock has been about 
balanced by the apparent willingneBs of bn kersto buy 
over, and oonseqoeutly there is no qnotuble charge on 
values. The quality of the teas has been fairly ma n- 
tamed, as .the present standard now goes, hut it is 
HOldom, if ever, possible match ihe thick juicy teas 
which were the rule rather thin tho exception two 
seasons ngo. The imports for iho month wore o> iy 
710, 0261b. in exce.oB of last year’s, imt tho stunk still 
atauds at a rather h'gh figure, namelf. Id 686,654 lb., 
aa againat 11, 779, 720, lb. on March 31, 1891 Tho ex- 
ports from Colombo, according to the lato.^t advices, 
dated March 7, were 11.226,061 lb., or nearly 1,000,000 
lb. in excess of last yiar.” 
Another Coffbb SnB'TiTUTR.— According to a 
German paper the fruit of the wax palm ( 
fera^ L.) is being ua' d in Brazil aa a coffee subpii- 
tute. The fruit of this treo is of a stony ooiisisteucy, 
which, however, disappears during the r'astiuK 
pr^oesB to which it is subjected for the pur- 
pose of roanolaotaring it in»o ** c offee,'* The 
following figures show the constitution of tie Brazi- 
lian fruit before and after roasting : — 
Crndo fruit. 
IloQSted frt 
per onnt. 
per coi t. 
Water 
087 
3-76 
Albuminoids 
5 82 
.. 6 14 
Fat 
10 67 
... 14 06 
Sngar and dextrine 
107 
1'26 
Starch 
2-47 
5'4G 
Other non-nitregonoug ex- 
tract snb'^tanoea 
23 01 
27-79 
Wood^ fitjro 
44 31 
.38-45 
Anb 
2-06 
224 
Babntancos soluble 
in 
water 
1217 
13-50 
— .ff, and 0% Mail^ April 16. 
Indian Tea and the Ouicaqo ExninmoN. — We learu 
that the anbsoriptioua to tho proposed Tea Fund in 
support of the above, and other opportnuitiea for 
pushing Indian tea, are coming in satisfacuirily, 
although somewhat slowly. It is hoped that lh« 
response to tho circular we published lust week will 
be general, aa it ia only in that way that the 
effort oan be auoceesful. The Governmoiit of Ipdia, 
we bolieye, are prepared to follow the etample of 
the Ooylon Government, and suDaidize the plantera 
effort., Tho appointment of a S|i6oial oommisaiouet 
tlireot from Oaloutta, approved of by the Government 
ot India, who would take charue of the arcauge- 
meuta, would be generally welcomed. The aoouor 
tliia is done the bett-r, as we understand that Mr. 
Griolintoii, the commissionei deputed by the Ceylon 
people and their Government, haa already reached 
Limdon en route to Chicago. 
The Silver Question.— It was very unlikely that 
Sir Frank Adam’o views on Ihe silver qatate n, as ex- 
pressed at the recent meeting of the Kaat India As- 
sociation, would meet with g nersl approval iu India. 
tVe notice ihat the Bombay (Jaeette invites those who 
believe that tbe finances and the export and import 
trade of In .ia may with advantage be loft dependent 
u pon “tho whims and intrigues ol Washington politi- 
0 ans” to take into account tho contingency of the United 
States suapouding their pnrehaaes of silver, and re- 
marks thai the complacency with which Sir Frank Adam 
declares that the loss dne to the decline in exchange 
is tomporarv, falls only on individuals, and is aotuaily 
very imill, is worthy rather of the doctrinaire than 
“praotinal man of busiae-ss.” The serious fall in tho 
gold price of silver haa gone too far to please oven 
those who at one time believed that the low p ioe 
of silver was a eplendid stumulus to trade, although 
planters have very little fault to find with tho posi- 
tion. From llengal we learu that it is difficalt to re- 
member when the exchange question so o..ns derably en- 
grossed attention as it has duiui of late. Any rapid drop 
unrelieved by a partial recovery hss always tended to 
ilisorganiee trade inevery direocluu, and this ia the more 
marked now when each disappeariug thirty-second 
means a larger percentage than when we wore higher 
up in the scale. Tne edict of the fall in silver, and 
the coustsut and violent ilaotnatious in pi ice upon 
the K.stern banka is shown very clearly in the state- 
m' ut made by the chairman of the Obartereu Mer- 
cantile Bank of India L inden, and Obiua, at the 
meet ng on Tuesday. The credit balance is only £18,271), 
or rather under SJ per cent, upon tho ospilal. The 
directors have decided to carry this amount fvrward 
to the next half-year— a prudent course. Aa it ia not 
put to n serve, it is still available fur dividend at auy 
future time. The shrii kage iu the bank's business is 
ehown by f e fact tha' the cash and balliou amounts to 
£2.100,000, and siountiea freely couverliblo into 
oasii are pat at ub,iut another million. If, as the 
chairman said, trade were guod, and credit generally 
osiaiilisbed, the bulk of that money would be iu 
oircula'ion and making profit (or the bank. 
Ho Cause loa Complaint —But it is sn ill wind 
that blows lie One any good. Planters, as a rule, 
have no objection to tbnluw prion of rilver. Speak- 
ing at tho aunual meeting of the Siaudarii Tea 
Oonipuuy ef Co>l"«, reported in another oolumo, the 
chairman, Mr. Alex. Brooke, said ; — “ Kxobange is 
favourable to plai teta, and seems likely to coniiune so 
for awhile— at h ast, if there be no Government tin. 
kering with silver.” Thus, what is a matter of general 
diatre.ss tomariy members of the Eastern communities 
is a boon to employers of labour, who pay in silver and 
realise in sterling on this side. 
Last Weik’s Tea Sales,— Of last week’s tea sales 
the Grocer says;- The only public sales of Indian tea 
held this week were on Monday last, when, prepara- 
tory to tho market oloeiog for tho Easter holidays, no 
less than 13,580 packages were offered, which met a 
reception similar to that accorded these descriptions of 
teas for masy weeks past, that is to si^, while the 
siual prupnrtioD of what maybe called flue qualities 
with strength were readily taken at firm rates, the re- 
mainder, cousis'iiigof poorer and commoner aorta found 
a dragging demand at cheap and here, and there at 
Jd. to Jd. per lb. lower prices. Calcutta advices, dated 
March 23rd, inform us that “ the tea season is now 
over, and the market olosud." In Loudon the only 
arrivals this week have been the “ Piudari,” with 
24,900 lb., and the “Coromandel,” with 65,340 lb. Nearly 
14 0U0 packages of Ceylon tea have been offered and 
tbe market still retains a quiet tone. There has* been 
little disposition to carry stock over the holidays 
which has teu.ied to depress prices. Sales have been 
on a liberal scale since Christmas, and tho trado will 
be heartily glad of a short interval of rest— if 
C. Mail, April 22ad. “'*« 
