August i, 1883.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



153 



■oolies) I believe Jamaica would produce more valuable ciu- 

 boaa bark for the acreage than any country iu theworld." 

 At the small but beautiful island of iloiitserrat, m the 

 Leeward Islands, which for a long time was in a languish- 

 ing condition, new life and energy has been infused by 

 the successful issue of an industry which a few years 

 ago was confined to the desultory and spasmodic efforts 

 of a few negroes. I refer to the lime-juice plantations and 

 manufactory so ably and systematically established at 

 Montserrat by the Messrs. Sturge. And I would here add, 

 that the example of the Messrs. Stiu-ge, not only in select- 

 ing and systemising the cultivation of a minor West Indian 

 product, but in conferring great benefits upon the locaUty 

 generally, deserves the warmest commendation. — Colonies 

 oitd India. 



INDIAN CINCHONA SOILS. 



In my article on the above, published in the Field of 

 ' anuary 13 last, I promised to endeavour to obtain some- 

 information respecting the yield of valuable alkaloids from 

 the bark of tre>is grown on the e.xperimental plots. 



I am pleased to say that, through the courtesy of Mr. ^X. R. 

 Robertson, of Saidapet, the necessary analyses have been 

 placed at my service, together with some interestmg part- 

 iculars as to the age of the trees, elevation, aspect, and aver- 

 age rainfall, which latter information has been furnished 

 through the local Conservators of Forests for the respective 

 districts in which the two plantations are situated. 



It will be remembered that eight samples of soil, each 

 representing a .separate experimental plot of cinchona, 

 were submitted to me for analysis, and that of these, 

 two (plots 6 and 7) were from the Government cinchona 

 plantations at Dodabetta, and the remaining six from 

 Neddivattam. 



Soils from Dodabetta Plantation-. 



No. 



Character of Soil. 



Elev- 

 ation. 



Aspect Average rainfall. 



I'lote. Poor, gi-avelly. T'SOO N.W. 1 5170 m. average 

 Plot 7. Rich surface. 7-200 N.W. ) / for past 5 years. 



Extract from the analyses of samples of bark collected 

 by Mr. R. Cro.ss in 18S<):— 



Description. 



Natural Crown bark. 

 Natural Crown bark. 



Now, No. G sample was described by the senders as being 

 a poor gravelly soil, and intended for comparison with 

 No. 7, which is a rich siu-face soil, and upon reference to 

 my analysis it will be observed that the former contains 

 nearly } j per cent of quartz, and is evidently a generally 

 IKJor soil, whereas No. 7 is a dark surface mould, particularly 

 rich in the important elements of plant life. It is, there- 

 fore, remarkable that the bark from the trees grown on 

 No. 6 plot should be so rich not only in quinine, but in 

 the other alkaloids. 



Thu.s, in the former soil we have 3'49 per cent of quinine, 

 and the total alkaloids amounting to 9-26, while in the 

 fatter 4-43 quinine and 1008 of total alkaloids. Indeed, 

 the 1 per cent, more quinine in the bark from the rich 

 soil of No. 7 is the only practical difference, for the figures 

 for the other alkaloids are so similar in each analysis that 

 they might ver)- well be assumed to be the results of duplic- 

 ate analyses of the same bark, rather than the figures for 

 •different samples produced from essentially different kinds 

 oF soU. 



It would be unwise to attempt to draw any general 

 conclusion from single analyses such as these; but so far 

 it would appear that the cUmate and situation are so 

 favourable to the growth of C. officinalis (v. condaminM) 

 for medicinal purpo.si-s, that valuable bark, rich in 

 quinine, may be produced even from trees grown on a poor 

 gravelly soil such as No. 0. 

 20 



Soils from Xeddivattam Goverxmext Cixchonjl Plaxtatioh. 



These analyses, which bear no date, are very different, and 

 present greater variations than the two we iiave just con- 

 sidered. The name of the chemist who made them is also not 

 given, so that some of the differences in the results of these 

 baak as compared ^\'ith the two from Dodabetta, may be due 

 to a different process of analysis. Be this as it may, it is, 

 however, apparent that No. 2 and No. 8 stand out as very 

 rich in quinine, and with but little of the other alkaloids. Iii 

 the former C. officinalis (variety angustifoHaj has produced 

 the bark, and in the latter C caUsaya. 



In No. 1 the residts are disappointing, there being only 

 204 of quinine, whilethe cinchonine amounts to l-»(5 per cent, 

 the proportions of cinchonidine ajid quinidine being verj 

 small. 



In No. 3, in which the bark is from C. succirubra,the yield 

 of quinine is only "83 per cent., and the cinchonine as much 

 as 2"30, the trees being twenty-one years of age up to date, 

 have possibly rather passed their prime for medicinal pur- 

 poses, or are not suitable to the locality. 



No. 4, where the asjject is N.AV., all the others being direct 

 N., we notice a poor yield of quinine ; but then the variety of 

 magnifoUa is more beautiful as a tree, than its bark is usefiil 

 as a drug. None of the officiuahs or succii'ubra growing oti 

 this plot appear to have been analysed. 



In the next plot. No. 5. however, C. succirubra, planted in. 

 18G6, has been barked with a good result as regards the total 

 alkaloids, which amount to as much as 7*67 per cent., of which. 

 1"25 consists of qiuiiine. and l'52of cinchonidme, with 4' 14 of 

 cinchonine. 



No doubt this will prove a useful bark at the elevation, and 

 it is certainly' puzzling why the results in the case of No. 3, 

 where succii'ubra was also being gi'own, were not equally sat- 

 isfactory, both the soils being rich in nitrogen and carbon 

 derived from vegetable organic matter. 



In conclusion I would point out that so fiu* as these analy- 

 ses indicate, it would api^ear that at Dodabetta, with an. 

 average rainfall of 51 in., and an elevation of 7"500 and7'20O, 

 the yield of total alkaloids and certain experimental plots has 

 been decidedly greater than at Neddivattam, where the rain- 

 fall is 9241 in., and the elevation under 7000 ft. At the same 

 time we have instances in the latter (plots 2 and 8), when 

 the yield of quinine has been higher, namely, 5"S0 per cent, 

 and o'So respectively. 



"With the arrival of the newly-appointed Government 

 Quinologist in Ma^h-as, it may be hoped that we shall be 

 furnished with some interesting analyses of further samples 

 of bark from these exjierimental plots. — John Hxjohes,F.U.S'., 

 79, JIark-lane, London. — I' kid. 



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