often delayed on the river by not having a supply ready or the wood having been washed away by high water. This represents 12,000 tons per year: The Panama Railroad consumes. The Savanilla Railroad consumes.... Santa Marta Railroad.......... 7200 tons per year 1500 tons per year Not complete Not complete The steamers touching on the Pacific side are six per month, representing a coal consumption of 18,000 tons per year. This gives a ready market for 79,500 tons of coal per year, not taking into account the "tramp" steamers that visit Colombia or the naval squadrons that constantly pass along the Atlantic coast of Colombia. If either of the interoceanic canals is built, the development of the coal beds of Colombia, occupying, as they do, the most central location on the American Continent, would be a great economic factor to the nations of South and Central America, and to the merchant marines and navies of the world. I look upon the development of these coal beds as involving a reduction of 10 per cent in the cost of transportation between the United States and South American ports. The harbors of Cartagena and Santa Marta are among the best on the South American continent, and afford ample capacity for naval coaling stations for the navies of the world, and also safe harbors for merchant vessels. Should the harbor of Santa Marta prove too small, it would be easy to utilize the Bay of Gaira, six miles south of Santa Marta. This bay is three miles wide by two miles long, having depth of from ten to eighteen fathoms, is well protected from the north and has an abundance of fresh water supplied by the river Gaira. II. COMMERCIAL INFORMATION. COFFEE TREE DISEASE IN COSTA RICA.* A peculiar disease, which made its appearance last year in the coffee trees of Costa Rica, and which was thought to threaten in a serious manner the coffee crop of that country, and affect thereby disastrously what is for the Costa Rican people the principal source of their wealth, caused the Government of the Republic to make. inquiries into the nature and origin of the evil, and the ways, if any, of remedying it. Mr. Ad. Tonduz, Chief of the Botanical Department of the National Physical and Geographical Institute of San José, was ordered to study the subject, and his report, which, on the whole, is reassuring, as it shows that the disease is circumscribed to certain localities, and that its spread can be checked, has been published officially. It bears the date of September 27, 1893, and can be read in full in Nos. 231, 232 and 235 of the Gaceta, corresponding respectively to the 5th, 6th and 10th of October of the same year. According to Mr. Tonduz, the seat of the disease is in those portions of the coffee tree which are in immediate contact with the atmospheric air, but more especially the leaves. Mr. Tonduz thinks that the disorder is due to a fungous parasite, whose germ or seed being carried either by the wind, the rain, or any other vehicle, adheres to the surface of the leaves, or other exposed parts of the coffee tree, and finds there, at the expense of the health and life of the latter, a rich and ample field for its own development. But neither Mr. Tonduz, nor Professor Saenz, who wrote a pamphlet on the diseases of the coffee tree, published officially at San Salvador, in March. 1893, and from whom Mr. Tonduz quotes abundantly, can exactly determine whether the parasite is the Hemileya vastatrix, which did so *For description of coffee culture in Central and South American countries and in the Hawaiian Islands, see monthly bulletin, "Coffee in America," published by the Bureau of the American Republics, October, 1893 much harm in Brazil, or any other less obnoxious organism. Mr. Tonduz thinks, however, that even in case it is the dreaded parasite above named, its propagation can be effectively checked, either by destroying, preferably by burning, the most affected trees and thus. exhausting radically the sources of infection, or by resorting to such remedies as sulphur, lime, and other disinfectants, when circumstances permit their use. The most efficient of these applications consists of a mixture of one part of sulphur, the best kind of flowers of sulphur, and two parts of caustic lime, the whole well powered and mixed, so as to permit it to be blown or scattered, either by bellows, or by hand, over the diseased parts of the tree. Dr. Emilio Goldi made, in 1887, a very interesting report to the Brazilian Government, which the latter published officially, under the title of "Relatorio sobre a molestia de cafeeiro na provincia do Rio de Janeiro," and in this, the subject is treated exhaustively. TARIFF DECISIONS IN VENEZUELA. A summary of recent tariff decisions in Venezuela has been received. These decisions are : 1. By virtue of a decree, dated May 22, 1893, as long as no port has been established on the western coast of the Republic, better adapted than that of Puerto Cabello for the transshipment of goods, on the territory of Venezuela, proceeding from Europe or the United States of America on vessels which can not reach the ports of destination, such goods may, as heretofore, be transshipped at Curacao conformably to the regulations established by the executive decree of January 26, 1883. This decree shall therefore remain in full force, and, consequently, the decree of December 30, last, relative to such transshipments, has been repealed. 2. Ice imported from abroad, which, according to No. 16 of Article 23, of the law of the Code of Finance, is classed in Class 1 of the tariff, shall, when imported into the cities of Caracas, Puerto Cabello, Coro, Maracaibo and Ciudad Bolivar, and into all those where ice factories are established, be subject to the duty of Class 2 (duty 10 centimes of a Bolivar). 3. On and after July 27, 1893, new articles imported in regulated quantities through the custom houses of the Republic in travelers' baggage arriving from abroad, shall pay a surtax of 20 per cent on the duties stipulated for such articles in the tariff, in compensation for the duties which would have been levied thereon for the packages if they had been imported by merchants. TOBACCO TAX IN COLOMBIA, Under a law enacted on the 10th of December, 1892, and recently re-enacted and promulgated as law No. 85 of the year 1893, the Government of Colombia has assumed the exclusive right of selling tobacco, whether manufactured or unmanufactured, when the article is to be used, or consumed in the country. It has announced at the same time, that it may, if deemed advisable, monopolize the importation and the manufacture of cigarettes. The cultivation of the plant remains free. The exportation of tobacco in any form is also free, and shall not be burdened with duties of any kind. Duties will be levied on imported tobacco as follows: A duty of $8 per kilogram (about 2 1-5 pounds) on cigars and cigarettes. A duty of $6 per kilogram on tobacco prepared in any other form or for any use whatever. A duty of $5 per kilogram on picadura (fine cut.) A duty of $4 per kilogram on tobacco not manufactured. The right of importing tobacco does not imply or involve the right of selling it for home consumption. The funds obtained through the operation of this law are to be applied exclusively to the redemption of the paper currency and the reorganization of the National Bank of Colombia. GOLD MINING IN BRITISH GUIANA. Increased attention is being given to the gold fields of British Guiana, which are claimed to be developing into one of the richest auriferous regions in the world. In 1884, but 250 ounces of gold were exported; in 1885, the export was 939 ounces; in 1892 it was 199,615 ounces; and the end of the current year, it is predicted, will show a great increase upon these figures. Within the past few months, operations on an extensive scale have been projected. Proposals for the construction of a railway to the mining region have been advertised for by the Colonial Government. In addition to its gold fields, British Guiana is said to possess diamonds in abundance, and prospecting parties from South Africa are reported to be on their way to investigate this branch of mining industry. The first annual report of the present Commissioner of Mines, regarding the gold industry of British Guiana, says: "Taking the mining industry as a whole, I think there is a very hopeful outlook for the colony, and that before very long it will take its place as a gold and diamond producing country second only to South Africa." TRADE OF DEMERARA--1893. From the list of exports from Demerara for the first six months of 1893, it appears that in the export of sugar there is a slight falling off as compared with the output at the corresponding date last year. The exports reached 35,564 hogsheads, while on July 10, 1892, it stood at 36,616 hogsheads. The export of rum reached 8,920 puncheons, a decrease of 2,546 puncheons, as compared with the export at the same date last year. There is a falling off in the export of molasses, but timber shows an increase. There is a marked decrease in the export of charcoal, cocoanuts, balata, pilotbread and crackers, but isinglass, gums, cacao and coffee are ahead of the exports of those articles in 1892. The output of gold has reached 62,171 ounces, to the value of $1,106,938 as against 54,599 ounces, to the value of $973,449 at the same period in 1892. ARGENTINE PRODUCTS--1893. An estimate of the value of Argentine products in 1893, and the surplus for exportation, is as follows: |