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THE TROPCIAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[May I, 1884. 



EEPORT ON THE GOVERNMENT OIXOHONA 

 CULTIVATION IN JAVA FOR 1830. 



BY J. C. BEEVELOT MOEXS. 



(Translated for the " Tropical Atfriculturist.") 

 1. — State of the Weather.— ks iu 1879, the weather this 

 year was vjry rainy, and there was no ho)ia-fde dry mon- 

 soon. The plants developed favourably, but there were 

 symptoms here and there, such as the leaves turning yellow, 

 and a cessation in the growth, which must probably be 

 attributed to too great dampness of the soil. The observ- 

 ations ma le at the establishments at Tjinjiroean and Ka- 

 wah Tjiwidei, of the rainfall there, were regularly con- 

 tinued, and the results published by the Director of the 

 Meteorological Observatory at Batavia. 



2,— Increase. — The total number of the plants in open 

 ground at the end of December was 1,824,580. Of these 

 58,400 wijre Ledgeriaua cuttings and grafts, and 439,670 

 Ledgeriaua seed plants. There were 272,400 plants of this 

 variety iu the nursery beds, of which 8,300 were cuttings 

 and grafts. The quantity of Ledgeriaua seed was exceed- 

 ingly small, owing to the rainy weather in 1879, which 

 checked the blossoming. Nearly all that was collected had 

 to be kept for the Government gardens, and the private 

 demand was met as much as possible with seed of the 

 best ynung Ledgeriaua trees nearly six years old. Succi- 

 rubra and officinalis seed could alwaj's be supplied on ap- 

 plicati >n. The grafting of Ledgeriaua on succirubra stalks 

 was c intinucd after it had appeared that the grafted trees 

 th.xt had been planted out were growing well and fast. 

 .Si)eci.d care was taken to procure grafts from the best 

 trees that had been cxammed, and of these 1,000 were 

 transferred to the open ground sepai'ate from the others; 

 and the several numbers were carefully kept apart. As it 

 would be a pity to dig up these costly plants, which have 

 cost so much trouble to rear, at a later period when, after 

 some years, they have developed so strongly as to be an 

 obstruction to each other, it was decided to increase the 

 distance of planting from 6 to S feet, and to put seed- 

 lings between the grafted plants, so that the little trees 

 would eventually stand at equal distances of 4 feet. As 

 som as they begin to hinder e.ach other, which will, prob- 

 ably, be the case after three or four years, the seed plants 

 will be pulled up, and the bark collected. The grafts will 

 remain at equal distances of eight feet, which will be 

 sufficient for many years. The taking of cuttings and the 

 layering of Lcdgerianas were also continued. Officinalis 

 was again only planted at Kendeug-Patoeha, and the num- 

 ber there increased to 43,000 plants. Succirubra was also 

 planted in soil where Oalisaya had formerly grown ; and 

 the number of this variety had augmented by 58.000. In 

 harvesting fully 100,000 trees were pulled up. principally 

 Calisayas and Hasskarlianas. In the course of the year, 

 some tins containing cinchona fruit, which had been sent 

 to Holland by Mr. Schuhkraft, the Dutch Consul at La 

 Paz, were received here. The seed was on the whole in 

 good condition, and some two thousand plants were pro- 

 cured from it. It is not possible yet to determine to which 

 variety this cinchona belonged : the fruits resembled those 

 of our so-called Caliaai/a Javanica. 



Z.—Cleariny and Vpieep. — A fine space of groimd of 27 

 bouws was cleared this year at Rioen-Goeuoeng, wdiich is 

 intended exclusively for Calisai/a Ledgeriaua. The grounds 

 at Tirtasari were being gradually prepared for planting 

 according as room was required for the grafts and cuttings. 

 The gardens at Tjibitoeng and Rioen-Goenoeug situated 

 the lowest, that were planted with Oalisaya, were cleared 

 and made ready for Cinchona snccirulira. The replanting 

 with Ledgeriaua of the grounds at Nagrak on which Hass- 

 karliana had previously been grown is giving very good 

 results. The little trees grow lu.xuriantly in most parts. 

 The succirubra plants at Lembang, planted in soil where 

 Calisaya formerly stood, have not progressed so favourably 

 during the last year, as they did formerly. Especially in 

 .the perfectly flat parts of that establishment, it seems that 

 the plants suffer from the continual exceptionally damp 

 weather. A little more warm and dry weather in the en- 

 suing east monsoon is very desnable for them. It ap- 

 peared, however, that more careful attention was uecess.ary 

 in all these cases to ensure a good growth of the cinchona 

 plants. These replanted pieces of ground have U> be kept 

 ns clean as possible, whilst the trenching that was done 

 and the burying of the weeds had also a favourable effect, 



The incessant damp weather during this year made it very 

 difficult to keep the gardens clean, as the weeds contin- 

 ually shot up most abundantly. In normal years, when it 

 does not rain much in July, August and September, the 

 gardens do not require so much looking after at that time, 

 and the labourers can be put to other work. In 1879 and 

 IdSO, however, this was not the case in any single month. 

 The live and six year old Ledgeriaua gardens at Nagrak, 

 which were originally planted at 6 feet, now form, iu many 

 places, a perfectly dens.- plantation, among which there 

 are no needs growing. The trees are beginning to hinder 

 each other in their growth, and it will be necessary to let 

 in more air by propping up and careful thinning here and 

 there. The measuring of the trees, which was commenced 

 at Tjibeureum last year, was continued iu the correspond- 

 ing month of 1880. Unfortmiately this very measured piece 

 had this year to sustain a severe attack of Helopeltis, so 

 that the growth was much less than it would otherwise 

 have been. The average height was now I'TS meter; the 

 diameter of the top 1-07 ; the circumference of the stem 

 0'103 at O'l meter from the ground. The following was 

 noted as maximum for these trees : — height 203 ; diameter 

 of the top 1"9 ; circumference of stem 0'195 meter. The 

 Ledgeriaua cuttings and grafts planted at the same period 

 at Tirtassari iu November 1879 were also me.asured. The 

 cuttings averaged 0'62 meter high ; 0'37 diameter of top ; 

 and 004 meter circumference of stem at 01 meter from 

 the ground. In the case of the grafts they were respect- 

 ively 0-SS; 0-60; 0069. The greatest height of the grafts 

 was 1-2G; greatest diameter of top 0'9; and greatest cir- 

 cumference of stem 0-095 ; whilst with the most developed 

 cuttings they were respectively 1'12; 0'6, and O'OO meter. 

 The grafts develop extraordinarily in breadth. The branches 

 grow very strong, forming extremely handsome pjTamidal 

 little trees that soon shade the soil. It was some- 

 times necessary to cut off the _ side branches to prevent 

 their growing out above the tops of the trees and pressing 

 these do-\vn. On the whole the growth of these grafts has, 

 up to the present, surpassed all expectation, and if it con- 

 tinues at the same rate, the plantation at Tirtasari will 

 excel all the other cinchona gardens in appearance and not 

 less in value. This year also the Eelopelti.i Antonii has more 

 or less damaged many of the plantation. The fine new 

 gardens at Tjibeureum especially suffered greatly from this 

 insect, and also the new succirubra gardens at Rioen-Goe- 

 noeug and at Lembang. They also made their appearance 

 iu the cuttings and grafts at Tirtasari in the latter part 

 of the year, but as they were immediately discovered they 

 covUd be completely exterminated. ]\Ieans were taken every- 

 where, by catching these insects, to prevent the evil as 

 much as possible. 



i.— Cinchona Crop.— The crop of 1880 was about 55,400 

 kilograms, of which about 53,000 kilograms were destined 

 for export to Europe, and 2,440 kilograms for the medical 

 service iu Netherlands India. At the end of the year 

 41,860 kilograms were sent to Tjicao for ex-port. The in- 

 cessant rains made the ch-j-ing very difficult, and the greatest 

 exertions were necessary to collect and prepare the above 

 quantity. A heated room for the artificial drying of the 

 bark is urgently necessary; and at the commencement of 

 1881 a proposal wiU be made to build one at Nagrak, 

 where there is a great want for one at present. The cattle 

 plague breaking out iu the vicinity of Bandong iu May 

 last, the transport by buffalo carts had to be immediately 

 stopped. The conveyance of the bales of cinchona has 

 since been carried on in carts drawn by horses, and as all 

 the planters were compelled to send their produce in this 

 maimer, the cost of carriage rose by competition, and the 

 transport was, moreover, very slow. No improvement can 

 be looked for in this state of things befox-e the comp'e- 

 tion of the railway from Buiteuzorg to Bandong. The cin- 

 chona bark of 1879 was sold at Amsterdam on the £0th 

 • luly. Tlie following were the average prices per half 

 kilogram obtainctl : — 



0. Calisaya Ledgeriaua ... ... ... /7*573 



„ „ Javanica ... ... ... 1*51-1 



„ .„ Schuhkraft 1-422 



„ Auglica ... ... ... 1-367 



„ officinalis ... ... ... ... 3-81.-! 



„ succirubra ... ... ... ... 2-lfi9 



„ Has,skarliana ... ... ..• 1*45^ 



„ I'ahudiana ... ... ... ••• I'ol 



