April i, i8S4-^ 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 



749 



As it was, the plants put out on the terraces at the foot of 

 Actjeon's Peak began to dio off, and, driven to a last resort, 

 tho cultivation was ultimately confined to the narrow ridges 

 of Acta-ou's and Diana's Peak, which, in many places, are only 

 a few feet wide and fully exposed to the strong trade winds 

 which usually blow in St. Helena for about 9 or 10 months in 

 the year. Here the soil on the surface was of a promising 

 character, being composed of rich vegetable humus formed 

 by the decayed leaves and stems of tree-ferns and native 

 plants. Below, however, there was nothing but a cold, wet, 

 indurated or slightly friable marl, very unsuitable for the 

 growth of Cinchonas, and which in Oeylon and India is 

 known by experience to develop rot or canker in the roots, 

 and to destroy e^'e^y plant in contact with it. In his last re- 

 port on the subject, dated 12th December, IS71,JVlr. Chalmers 

 rightly attributes the large percentage of losses amongst his 

 plants to the superficial nature of the soil, and reports that 

 " they invariably died soonest in shallow ground, and, on the 

 "contrary, lived longest where the soil wasof greatest depth." 

 Further, he remarks, "there is nothing, either in the climate 

 "or situation, of an unsuitable character; the soil alone 

 "seems to be at fault, being insufficient for the further de- 

 " velopment of the plants." 



Out of about 5,000 plants put out by Mr. Chalmers between 

 January 1569 and November 1871, at the latter date there 

 were only 540 of aU ages then remaining. These were as 

 follows: — 



Cinchona sncciruhra^ over 2 feet - 221 



„ 6 „ - 84 



Cinchona ojjicinalis „ 2 „ - 81 



II )» O ») " o 



Number of both kinds under 2 „ - 151 



Total 



540 



Further experimental trial was stopped by the reduction 

 of the estabhshments effected by the late Admiral Patey, 

 and Mr. Chalmers left the island. 



From 1872 up to the date of my visit the Cinchona trees 

 still Uving had received some attention, but practically their 

 cultivation was abandoned. 



I went up to the central ridge with the Governor and 

 Colonel Phillips, E. E., on the 31st July, and spent the day 

 examining the soil and noticing the condition and state of 

 the Cinchona trees still remaining. 



Of the trees planted by Mr. Chalmers there were 40 fine 

 trees of Cinchona officinalis, from 8 to 20 feet high; of Cin- 

 chona ^Kcciruhra there were 116 trees, from 8 to 20 feet high. 

 The largest tree of all was a red-bark tree, C. snccimh-a 

 which measured 18 inches in circumference at 1 foot from 

 the base. Except a few trees in exceptionally sheltered 

 spots, they were all much damaged by wind, and presented 

 a stimted and half-starved condition. 



The ridge on which they were growing formed a portion 

 of the rim of the old volcanic crater of Sandy Bay. On 

 the southern side there was a steep, almost perpendicular, 

 wall of rock, about 100 to 250 feet deep, reaching down 

 to broken lands and ravines clothed with ferns, briars, and 

 the low, bushy growths of cabbage trees, jeUco, wild olive, 

 and lobelia. On the northern and wester sides, the slopes, 

 in places, were somewhat easier, but in no place was the 

 ridge more than about 20 feet or 30 feet across. In many 

 places, indeed, it was so narrow that it apjjeared like an old 

 castle wall, clothed with vegetatiou. 



The length of the ridge on which Cinchona had been 

 attempted was altogether under ;j. mile in a direct Ihie. 



Under the most favourable circumstances it was not 

 po.^sible to place mor* than about five or seven acres under 

 cultivation in Cinchona; but in view of the very unsuitable 

 nature of the subsoil and the large mortality wliich had 

 taken place amongst the young plants, it is very undesirable 

 to attempt any further expi-riments. According to the 

 statement of a very intelligent native gardener, trained by 

 Mr. Chalmers, who has been employed since at Plantation 

 House, and in occasionally looking after the Cinchona plants 

 on the ridge, more than 90 per cent of the plants put 

 out were lost owing to the unsuitable nature of the soil. 



I visited the ridge again on the 1st August, and spent 

 the day in exploring the lands in the immediate neighbour- 

 hood of the peaks, with the view of finding land offering 

 better facilities for Cinchona planting than the ridge itself. 

 In this 1 was disappointed. Except on the crest of the 

 ridge there is no vegetable deposit or surface soil hkely 



to grow Cinchona, the soil elsewhere being very shallow 

 and immediately overlying rock or cold impervious clay. 



Summing up the results of my inquiry, 1 am of opinion 

 that, while the first impression were "favourable to the 

 possibility of growing Cinchona on the highest peaks in 

 St. Helena, the character of the subsoil, together with the 

 exposed position of the locality, would entirely preclude 

 the undertaking being commercially a success; and on other 

 grounds it would be very undesirable to cut down any more 

 of the indigenous forest, which already is reduced to such 

 a small extent. 



With regard to the cultivation of other plants, I devoted 

 as much of my time as possible to a careful review of the 

 capabihties of the island, and append herewith the remarks I 

 have to oflter. 



The plant known in the island as the English aloe {Furcreeay 

 giyanteu) offers a very important means of establishing an in- 

 dustry by its extended cultivation, and the preparation of the 

 valuable fibre which its leaves contain. This plant grows wild 

 at mid-elevations, and its tall flowering stem, rising to the 

 height of 30 feet or more, is quite a feature in the landscape. 

 The leaves are often 8 or 10 feet in length ; when freshly cut 

 they possess a peculiar penetrating odour, from which the old 

 name Agave fatida was derived. On the flowering stem, 

 instead of flowers, there generally appears a. numerous pro- 

 geny of bulbils; these enable the plant to be very readily prop- 

 agated. This Furcraay which appears to have spread 

 naturally on the low-lying lauds and deserted sugar estates 

 in Mauritius, has been utilised in that island for the pro- 

 duction of a valuable fibre known in commerce as Mauritius 

 hemp. A machine invented by 51. Gracieux was found to 

 extract the fibre from the Fuicra'a leaves successfully, and a 

 large business, amounted to an annual export value ot 15,000^., 

 has consequently been established there. 



Another machine, known as Smith's Patent Scutching 

 Machine, manufactured by Messrs. Death &. EUwood, of 

 Leicester, is being used for the extraction of this fibre, and 

 with favourable results. 



Those who contemplate embarking in this industry in St. 

 Helena should, in the first place, obtain one of the machines 

 above mentioned, and test its suitableness for the extraction 

 of the fibre on the spot. The motive power might be ob- 

 trained from horse-power, water-wheel, or windmill. For the 

 circumstances of St. Helena the latter would probably be 

 the most preferable. In the first place, the present supply 

 of the Furcraa might he utilised ; but sooner or later it 

 would be necessary to establish regular plantations in the 

 immediate neighbourhood of works, and with proper ap- 

 phances for the rapid transport of the leaves. 



It must be remembered that the proportion of fibre in 

 each leaf is very small. It is generaM^j* admitted that the 

 leaves of this plant give an average yield of about 3 per 

 cent; that is to say, not three pounds of fibre for 100 pounds 

 of leaves, but three pounds of fibre for 100 leaves. By ac- 

 tual experiment in Mam-itius 50 leaves of average size, 4 feet 

 long, weighing in the aggregate 56 pounds, produced 1-75 

 pounds of dry fibre. This would be at the rate of 3| pounds 

 of fibre per 100 leaves, or 312 pounds per 100 pounds. 



A consideration of the above facts should lead to every 

 effort being made to reduce the cost of transport of the 

 leaves and to establishing works in a central position 

 easily accessible on all sides. 



While in the island I received samples of fibre prepared 

 by Mr. Deason of Longwood Farm, by means of a machine 

 of his owu invention, driven by windmill power. On arrival 

 in England I was enabled, through the kind offices of 

 Mr. Thomas Christy, F.L.S, to submit them for report to 

 Messrs. Collyer k Oo., Fenchurch Street, London. 



This result is as follows; — 



"Aloe fibre {Fnrc>-tTayigant€a)^t. Helena. Good length: 

 full strenjj,th : rather dull colour : generally well cleaned, 

 but with some runners imtouched and barky. Value, 28/. 

 to 30/. per ton. This sample is very different in appearance 

 to the Furcrtra gigantea of Mam"itius, owing probably to 

 differences both .of growth and treatment. It is in some 

 respects apparently more suitable for cordage piirposes; 

 that is, morn like Manilla hemp." 



Considering that this fibre was prepai*ed by simply passing 

 it once though the machine, that no water was used, and 

 that it was dried by simply exposing it to the sun, the 

 report is full of encouragement and very suggestive. Owing 

 to the limited supply of water in the island, it would be 



