THE CINCHONA-FORESTS OF SOUTH AMERICA. 511 



houses at the coast, where it is closely packed in ceroons of previously 

 moistened cowhides (hair-side out), or in bales of heavy sacking. 

 There it is that most of the adulteration is done. The admixture of 

 inferior barks with higher grades is not so much the result of igno- 

 rance as sometimes supposed, for the bark-dealers are generally very 

 expert in determining the different varieties and estimating the values 

 of barks. Yet, strange to say, very few bark-merchants ever become 

 wealthy. 



All barks enter the market bearing certain brands ; these brands 

 used to gain a reputation according to the quality of bark they repre- 

 sent, but frequent occurrence of sophistication of reputed brands with 

 inferior grades of bark has brought on the result that large buyers 

 do not any more purchase cinchona-barks without first making careful 

 assays, but even with this precaution they are sometimes deceived, on 

 account of the adroit manner in which the barks are mixed. 



The points of shipment for Ecuadorian barks are Guayaquil and 

 Esmeraldes ; for the barks of northern Peru, Payta ; from southern 

 Peru and Bolivia, Arica, Islay, Iquiqui, and Callao. A limited quan- 

 tity of Bolivian bark is exported by way of the Amazon to Para. 

 The greater portion of the bark produced in the northern and eastern 

 districts of the United States of Colombia reaches the market by way 

 of Carthagena and Bai'anquilla on the Caribbean coast, but that col- 

 lected in the state of New Granada is mostly shipped from Buenaven- 

 tura on the Pacific coast. Venezuela furnishes very little bark, and 

 that is sent from Puerto Cabello. 



As regards the prospects for future supplies of cinchona-barks from 

 the native forests of South America, the outlook is exceedingly dis- 

 couraging ; the greatly increased use of cinchona alkaloids during the 

 last few years, with the consequent demand for larger supplies of 

 bark, has caused a very thorough working of the old forests, and 

 energetic seeking for new ones. The discoveries of paying forests are 

 becoming more and more rare every year, and the new forests are 

 found at greater distances from the shipping ports, and are more diffi- 

 cult of access. 



The tract of country yielding the cinchona is not so unlimited as 

 some writers would lead us to believe, nor is the supply inexhaustible ; 

 it is a fact recognized by natives and dealers, who are well informed 

 about the extent and resources of the cinchona-bearing districts, that 

 if the present ruinous system of destroying the trees is continued, and 

 no effort made to propagate new growths, they will, before many 

 years, be practically exterminated from their native soil. 



With the abundance of seeds yielded by the cinchonas, one would 

 naturally expect young plants to spring up in great numbers, but such 

 is not the case ; the light-winged seeds mostly fall upon and adhere to 

 the ever-moist foliage, where they quickly germinate and decay ; or, 

 if, perchance, they fall to the ground, it is exceedingly difficult to gain 



