Activities and Disciplines

Diplomatic and Consular Reports on Trade and Finance

Fifteen metres of shelves in Kew's Jodrell Library carry reports sent by Consuls and Secretaries of Embassies and Legations to the British Foreign Office, during the height of the imperial period from the mid-1860s until the First World War.

Information on commerce, trade and finance from every corner of the globe includes first-hand reports from out-of-the-way places and translations of selected documents by the contemporary experts.

Those listed here were chosen because they include some of the fuller reports and more unusual plants. Anyone wanting to learn details of the annual production and prices of a variety of commmodities from "exotic" locations and who searches these volumes is sure to make a serendipitous discovery about their own specialist subject.

Sets of these reports are held at many libraries aside from Kew, catalogued as Diplomatic and consular reports. Locations in the United Kingdom can be found using COPAC.

Selected reports

Marks. 1865. On the Atocha plant, known in commerce as "Esparto," or Spanish Grass ("Botanica Stipa."). For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports 1865:906-913. Comments: Malaga, Spain

Murray, G. 1865. On the cultivation of flax in southern Russia. For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports 1865:1-12. Comments: Reports from many sources in Russia

Murray, J. e. a. 1865. Respecting Resin. For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports - Miscellaneous 1865:1-80. Comments: All consular agents from Argentine to Zanzibar

Middleton, R. F. C. 1866. On the Commerce &c., of Mexico. Embassy Reports 1866:504-523.

Cayley, E., Lumley, J.S., Ffrench, T.P. & Locock, S. 1870. On the cultivation of flax. Embassy Reports 1870-72:133-164. Comments: Appendix I, from Her Majesty's Representatives at St. Petersburg, Brussels, and the Hague.

Crawfurd. 1870. On Land Tenures and Agriculture in Northern Portugal. For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports 1869-70:629-657. Comments: Agricultural calendar and crops etc

Grattan. 1870. On the method of rearing Cochineal in the Canary Islands. For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports 1869-70:278-284.

Middleton. 1870. Upon the production of cocoa and coffee in Venezuela. For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports 1869-70:452-458.

Blunt. 1871. On the manufacture of Attar of Roses in the Vilaet of Adrianople for 1871. For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports 1:266-269. Comments: Turkey, fold out-3 diagram, annex: The Turkish Oil of Roses (translation from the German).

Fontein. 1872. On Turf-fuel in Holland. For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports 1873 Vol 1:151-2. Comments: Pages 147-50 have a report on turf as fuel in the Netherlands by Newnham

Newnham. 1872. On the production and use of turf as fuel in the Netherlands. For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports 1873 Vol 1:147-150. Comments: Pages 151-2 have a report on Turf-fuel in Holland by Fontein

Ward. 1873. Peat manufacture [in Report on Trade of Bremen (Germany) in the year 1873]. For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports 1874 Vol 1:448-449.

Medhurst. 1874. A memorandum on the various descriptions of Opium in China. For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports China, Japan, Siam 1874-75:160-161.

Elton. 1875. Historical sketch of the Portuguese possessions on the east coast of Africa (1497-1575). For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports 1876 vol 1:74-99. Comments: Traslation of Portuguese document. Also see the last four lines on page 105 "A rich field lies open to the botanist . . . many valuable textile plants utilised at present by the natives only would repay research."

Robertson. 1875. Notes on vegetable wax. For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports China, Japan, Siam 1874-75:34-36. Comments: Rhus urushi, R. succedanea, R. taxicodenron. Species identified in marginal note

Cope, E. 1877. Cultivation of Hops, in Bavaria. Embassy Reports 1878 Part 1:79-86.

Playfair. 1877. On the Culture of Eucalyptus in Algeria. For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports 1877 Vol1 Part III:533-539. Comments: Effects of the Destruction of Forests on the Climate of Algeria (see follow-up in For. Con. Reports 1878 Vol 2 part IV pp1039-1040)

Drummond, V. C., P. 1879. Production of sugar from sorghum. Embassy Reports 1880 Part I:80-108. Comments: Advances made in the production of sugar from sorghum pp 80-85; Professor Collier's experiments in sugar making from corn-stalks, sorghum, etc. pp 85-105; Description of manufacture pp 106-108

Egerton. 1881. On the timber of the Argentine Republic. Embassy Reports 1881:157-162. Comments: Local & botanical names plus agronomic & economic information

Vansittart. 1882. Jerba or Paraguayan Tea. Embassy Reports 1883 Part 1:142-146. Comments: Maté, Ilex

Blunt. 1883. Instructions concerning the Cultivation of Opium. For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports 1883 (1):114-117. Comments: Annex XV (Translation)

Crawford. 1884. On Tobacco-growing in the port-wine district [Oporto]. For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports 1884 Vol I Part I:112-119. Comments: Phylloxera

Gardner, C. T. 1884. On the trade of Ichang for the year 1883. 4 Plants and Vegetable Products. For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports - China 1883:296-308. Comments: Appendix to Part IV: A list of 282 plants mostly with common and/or latin names and some locations and uses

Various. 1884. Cultivation of woods and forests. For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports 1884-1887:1-100. Comments: No. 1 - Dering, H.N. - Duchies of Coburg and Gotha pp. 1-10; No. 2 - Cadogan & Ampthill - Germany (Prussia) pp. 11-21; No. 3 - Michell - Norway pp. 22-28; No. 4 - Herbert, A & Thornton, E - Russia pp. 29-66; No. 5 - Thornton, E - Russia (Translation) pp. 66-69
No. 6 - Greville, G and Rumbold, H - Sweden pp. 70-73; Appendix - Lyons - United States pp. 74-100.

Aston, W. 1885. Corea: Journey from Söul to Songdo. For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports - Commercial 1885-86 No 1:27-28. Comments: Ginseng Part only

Drummond, V. 1886. On the Extraction of Sugar from Sorghum and Maize. For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports - Commercial 1886-87:22pp. Comments: See follow-up letters from Kew & others in Report 11

Wingfield, E., Morries, D & Hardinge, C. 1886. Further [report . . . ] on the extraction of sugar from sorghum and maize. For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports - Commercial 1886-1887:1-10. Comments: Letter from D. Morris, Ass. Dir. RBG, Kew pp 1-3; report from C. Hardinge "On the sorghum industry of the United States. See related reports 2 and 83

Sandwith. 1887. On the forests of Tunis. For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports - Commercial 1887:33pp.

Sadler, H. 1888. On the manufacture of sugar from sorghum in the state of Kansas. For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports - Commercial 1888:1-6. Comments: See related report 2 and 11

Ramsden, F. 1890. Trade, Commerce & Agriculture of the Province of St. Jago de Cuba. For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports - Commercial IV:10-11. Comments: Hibiscus esculentus Quimbombo fibre sample sent to Kew

Drummond, M. 1891. Cultivation of Citrons, or "Cedrats," in the Island of Corsica. For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports - Commercial VII:1-12.

Gollan, A. 1891. Musa textiles, or Manila hemp plant in the Philippine islands. For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports - Commercial VII:1-4.

Fitzgerald. 1892. Spice and other Cultivation of Zanzibar and Pemba Islands. For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports - Commercial VIII:1-71.

Fonblanque, A. d. G. d. 1892. Agriculture (in New Orleans). For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports - Commercial 1892 Vol 1:1-103. Comments: Various experiment station reports

Freeman, E. B. 1892. On the Cultivation of the Vine and on the Wine Trade in Bosnia and the Herzegovina. For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports - Commercial VIII:1-3.

Moore. 1892. On the Prune Industry of California. For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports - Commercial VIII:1-16. Comments: With plates

Peirce, A. 1892. On the Henequen Hemp Industry in Yucatan. For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports - Commercial VIII:1-9.

Stace, E. V. 1892. On the Aloe Fibre in Somali Land. For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports - Commercial VIII:1-3.

Donohoe, D. 1893. Trade, Commerce, and Agriculture of the Consular District of San Francisco for the Year 1892. For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports - Trade & Finance IV. Comments: Numerous sections marked with red pencil by a previous reader

Enslie, J. J. 1893. Camphor - Foreign Trade of the Consular District of Hiogo and Osaka for the Year 1892. For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports - Trade & Finance IV:18-20. Comments: Camphor

Gastrell, W. 1893. Wheat-growing, Vines, Sugar and other Agriculture in the Argentine Republic. For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports - Trade & Finance V:1-56.

Black. 1895. On the Teak trade in Siam. For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports - Commercial 1895 XII:9.

Dering, H. 1895. Cultivation of cacao, vanilla, indiarubber, indigo and bananas in Mexico. For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports - Commercial 1895 XII:31.

Simons, R. 1895. Principal fibres obtainable in the islands of the Society Group. For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports - Commercial 1895 XII. Comments: Samples were sent to Kew; hand-written notes indicate some (all?) were not kept; coir (Cocos) was not mentioned.

Ward, W. 1895. The use of ""Bouille Bordelaise"" against mildew amongst vines, and against the potato disease, etc. For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports - Commercial 1895 XII:5.

Whyte, A. 1895. Botanical aspects of British Central Africa. For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports - Commercial 1895 XII:19. Comments: Publication was retarded by revision at Kew

Bell. 1896. Fruits and fruit trade of Madeira. For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports - Commercial 1896 XIII:21.

Billington, H. 1896. On Her Britannic Majesty's Botanic Gardens, April 1895 to March 1886. For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports - Trade & Finance 1897 Vol I:106-108. Comments: Niger Coast Protectorate

Churchill, S. 1896. The Balata industry of the colony of Netherlands Guinea. For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports - Commercial 1896 XIII. Comments: Dichopsis gutta, bullet tree

Dering, H. N. 1896. On the Cultivation in Mexico of Yuca, Pineapple, Ginger, Chicle or Chewing Gum, Sarsapatilla, Jalap, Liquorice, Canaigre, and Rami. For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports - Commercial 1896 XIII:28. Comments: Yuca is cassava not henequen

Stronge, F. 1896. On the cultivation of coffee in Mexico. For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports - Commercial XIII:11.

Neville-Rolf, E. 1897. On the Cultivation of the Carob or Locust-bean Tree. For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports - Commercial 1897 XIV:6. Comments: Italy

Anon. 1897. On the Cultivation of the Olive in Italy. For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports - Commercial 1897 XIV:9.

Temple. 1900. The State of Amazonas. For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports - Commercial XVII:9-21 (part).

Forbes. 1901. On the Sugar Industry of Bohemia. For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports - Commercial 1901 XVIII:1-6.

Hearn, W. R. 1901. On the Preparation of French Plums. For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports - Commercial 1901 XVIII:1-6.

Hertslet. 1901. On the Production of Normandy Cider. For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports - Commercial 1901 XVIII:1-7. Comments: With diagram

Niessen. 1901. On the Vine Culture and the Wine Trade of Germany for the Years 1898-1900. For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports - Commercial 1901 XVIII:1-16.

Wyndham. 1901. On the Beet Sugar Industry in the United States. For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports - Commercial 1901 XVIII:1-7.

Carnegie, L. 1903. On the Beer-Brewing Industry of Bavaria. For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports - Commercial 1903 XX:1-23. Comments: Comprehensive contents list

Dickson, S. S. 1903. On the Present State of the Coffee Trade in Colombia. For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports - Commercial 1903 XX:1-8.

Mahon, J. 1903. On Exotic Plants of Economic Interest in the Botanic Gardens at Entebbe, Uganda. For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports - Commercial 1903 XX:1-8. Comments: List No. 1 - Plants Introduced into Cultivation in Uganda by Mr A. Whyte; List No. 2 - Plants Introduced into Cultivation in Uganda by Mr J. Mahon

Rose, F. 1903. On Agricultural Instruction in Germany and the Development of German Agriculture and Agricultural Industries. For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports - Commercial 1903 XX:1-74. Comments: Contents list is on three pages

Anon. 1903. On Instruction in Forestry and the Present Conditions of Forest Economy in Germany. For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports - Commercial 1903 XX:1-21. Comments: Comprehensive contents list

Stevens, P. 1903. On the Tea Industry of the Caucasus [Russia]. For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports - Commercial 1903 XX:1-8.

Brand, E. 1904. On Prospects of Growing Cotton in the East African Protectorate. For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports - Commercial 1903 XX:1-10.

Bell, E. S. 1905. On the Rice Industry in the United States. For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports - Commercial 1905 XXII:1-26. Comments: Comprehensive contents list

Phipps. 1905. On Tea Culture in Japan. For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports - Commercial 1905 XXII:1-13. Comments: Some duplicate sub-headings ommitted in abstract

Ross. 1905. On Quebracho and Cotton in the Argentine Chaco. For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports - Commercial 1905 XXII:1-10.

Stevens, P. 1905. On the Cultivation of Tea in the Caucasus [Russia]. For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports - Commercial 1905 XXII:1-5.

White, O. 1905. On Japanes Paper-making. For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports - Commercial 1905 XXII. Comments: The term "Japanese-paper" in this report means paper made from the bark of plants indigenous to Japan

Ando. 1906. On the Result of Experiements in Cotton Culture in Corea. For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports - Commercial 1906 XXIII:1-11.

Bell. 1906. On the Turpentine Industry in the United States. For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports - Commercial 1906 XXIII:1-17.

Chapman, W. P. 1906. On the Agriculture of Tuscany. For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports - Commercial 1906 XXIII:1-16. Comments: Comprehensive contents list

Koenig, F. P. 1906. On Agriculture in the Rhenish Province [Germany]. For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports - Commercial 1906 XXIII:1-50. Comments: Two page comprehensive contents list

Schwabach. 1906. On Agriculture in Germany. For. Con. [Foreign Consular] Reports - Commercial 1906 XXIII:1-21.