No^-EMBEK I, 1883-] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 



339 



IS a, great success, and the oil is considered perfect. All 

 vegetables can be gro^vn during winter and autumn on the 

 plains, but in no comparison so successfully as in the gullies 

 of the hills, where the finest vegetables and other culiuary 

 herbs are raised throughout the year in great abundance. 

 Cauliflowers about two feet in diameter are often seen in 

 the market ; Cabbages, Turnips, Asparagus, Artichoke, Leeks, 

 Onions, Beet, Carrot, Endive, Rhubai-b, Lettuce, Celery, 

 Cucumbers, Sweet and Water Melons, and Pumpkins grow- 

 ing to an extraordinary size, and of good flavor. Cucumber, 

 Water and Sweet Melons, grow most luxuriantly in virgin 

 soil, but if grown on the same spot several years running (al- 

 though manured) the fruit degenerates in size and flavor, 

 and ultimately fails altogether. The South AustraUan 

 cereals, especially the wheat, which is considered to be the 

 finest groivn in the world, are pretty well known, ^^^len 

 a new-comer visits for the first time our agricultural and 

 horticultural shows, and observes the fine display of flowers, 

 fruits, vegetables, and cereals in their utmost perfection, 

 he must consider South Australia a favorable laud; and 

 it is indeed surprising that our fickle climate, with its 

 extremes, drought and hot winds, can produce such developed 

 specimens of Natiu-e's gifts. 



A GLANCE AT THE PROSPECTS OF OIX- 

 CHONA CULTURE. 



"Wc read in the Handel sh/ad : — 



It is a remarkable phenomenon that, at the time of the 

 introduction and the prosperit}' of what is called the cul- 

 tuurstelsel (culture-system) in the Dutch Indies, the Indian 

 Government allowed the opportunity to pass of adding to 

 their cultures the cultivation of the cinchona tree. 



Just at that time, when attention both in Netherland 

 and India was almost exclusively directed to the procuring 

 of tropical productions on government account, and to the 

 encouragement of Dutch commerce, there existed the greatest 

 inducement to make the trial, which afterwards proved so 

 successful, whether the soil of Java was suitable for the 

 cultivation of that exotic. 



There was no lack of disinterested endeavours to stimulate 

 Government to do so. The men of science feared that in 

 those regions where the cinchona tree is indigenous — that 

 is the moimtain districts of the tropical part of South 

 America — the spontaneous or natural store of the plant 

 would soon be exhausted, while there was no reasonable 

 hopes of seeing the consumption supplied by timely and 

 regular planting. Thus there might easily be a dearth of 

 Perurian bark, ab-eady such an expensive drug. Therefore 

 it became necessary to look out for other regions where 

 culture on a great scale would secure a constant supply. 



As early as in 1830, so before government engrossed the 

 coffee cultm-e, the propriety was suggested of procuring in 

 Peru plants and seeds of the cinchona for transplantation 

 to the soil of Java. The proposals were taken into con- 

 sideration, but went no further. Such men as G. J. MuUer, 

 Vrolik and Miquel, added their instances to those who had 

 gone before them. Government was then aheatly made to 

 relish more and more the idea of increasing the advantages 

 which government husbandry already produced, by securing 

 t he immense profits, which a product so high in price and 

 subject to so little competition, as Peruvian bark might be 

 made to yield. 



Indeed, if the Indian Government could have been induced 

 . in 1S35, for instance, to make the desired trial, they would 

 have reaped advantages, compared to which all the profits 

 derived from coffee culture are as nothing. For years to- 

 gether they would have shared with South America the 

 monopoly of the cinchona produce. Even by important 

 supphes from their side, thanks to this monopoly, the 

 market price could not have fallen considerably. 



But the ludian Government remained dilatory for years. 

 Not till 1851 did they bestir themselves. But then the 

 fit time was passed, at any rate for culture on a grand 

 scale. Not only was the pa.ssion for government cultnr-; 

 greatly cooled, but there was also a great scai-city of able 

 hands. The population of the mountain districts were al- 

 ready more than they Uked every where eru-oUed in the 

 coffee culture. 



^ In consequence of these circimistances the Goveniraent 

 cinchona culture has nninined very limited. From the very 

 beginning it was and i?mains restiictcd to the fiesideuey 



of the Preanger-Eegencies, or rather to a very small portion 

 of it. The Resident of those party, Mr. Van der Wijck, 

 (subsequently Baad ran Iiidie, at present settled in this coim- 

 try and well known as a writer on political subjects), con- 

 vinced the Government of the necessity of employing only 

 free labourers for the new culture. Later, when more ex- 

 tension was given to the planting, a reaction partly took 

 place, on the pretext that free labour was not to be 

 procured. The manager, Mr. Junghuhn, who was full of 

 ardour for the success of the culture, but rather careless 

 of the rights and wants of the population, required in 1858 

 serfs to labour for wages, while even materials, such as 

 bamboo, atap for thatching the sheds, were obtained by re- 

 quisition. The inspectors of the culture were even authoriz- 

 ed to claim the labour wanted. But as we said above, the 

 golden days of obhgatory culture labour were passed. On 

 the representations of the Government officers, that the 

 new culture greatly impeded the population in their own 

 husbandry. Government receded, to the great annoyance 

 of the oflicials in the cinchona culture. Fortunately Jung- 

 huhn's successor, Mr. K. W. Van Gorkom did not share the 

 narrow views of his personnel. The cinchona culture became 

 free. Only exceptionally might serfs or vassals be required, 

 and then only by the manager himself. This, too. soon 

 proved unnecessary. Labourers, used to the work, and there- 

 fore far preferable to serfs, soon presented themselves in 

 sufficient numbers, and the work in the cinchona gardens 

 was and remained in truth "free labour." 



If then circumstances have conduced to the government 

 cinchonaculture's being conducted on a hmited scale, and the 

 produce, therefore, insignificant, yet, in another respect, it 

 plays a highly important part. It is, it may be said, the 

 parent of our private cinchona culture in Netherland India. 



Fortunately, Government soon came to see, that now the 

 opportunity for conducting the cinchona culture for the 

 sake of the treasury was passed, they could not do better 

 than promote it as much as possible for the sake of individual 

 industry. Therefore it was enacted in 1S69 that the intro- 

 duction of the cinchona culture must be based merely on 

 "humaneness", and that the endeavours of government 

 tend to spread the culture over the whole of thelndian Archi- 

 pelago, and to make it a national culture. The plantations 

 laid out on government's account in the Preanger-Regen- 

 cies, were to be made subservient to this object by cultiv- 

 ating fit plants and seeds for dissemination. 



This hbcrality of Government, that has been largely pro- 

 fited of, deserves the more estimation, as the product of 

 the Government's plantations are generally of an exceed- 

 ingly good quality. It is remai-kable that not only the 

 bark of the trees cultivated in Java, can, as to quantity 

 and quality of the desired drug, bear comparison with the 

 growth of South America, but that also the seed cultivated 

 in Java shows no tendency to degenerate or to assume any 

 qualities departing from the original. The e.'iperience 

 already gained sets this above all doubt. 



The period when the government thus placed their 

 treasure at the disposal and tor the benefit of all, fell 

 in nearly with the enactment of the Law on Leases 

 erfpachtiu-d. Thus with respect to the cinchona culture 

 it became possible to obtain, along with the grounds', 

 the neces.sary plant or seed. No wonder then that this 

 circumstance, combined with the favom-able prospects, 

 should have led to the planting of a number of cmchona 

 gardens. Most of these are found in the nm-sery of the 

 new cultm-e— the Prcanger-Regeucies. Middle Java numb- 

 ers, as yet, only a few, while in the Oosthoek (in the 

 Tenger Mountains and in the Malang) several such en- 

 teriirises have been started of late years. 



If then we may expect that this branch of agricultural 

 industry has a promising future, it is still to be regretted, 

 that so many years have been allowed to pass by un- 

 protitably. For, mdeed, the gi-eat profits it can yield 

 from the jiresent rates of the product, are menaced by 

 the competition consequent on the ext<;nsion of the cult- 

 ure in our own dominions, but in the first place by the 

 competition of British India. Though the cinchona cultm-e 

 was introduced there about the same time, or rather 

 later, than in our possessions, it has there attained a 

 much gi-eater extension. The planters theri; have had no 

 occasion to wait till Government — as it was with our 

 Indian Government — could resolve to afford them an op- 

 portunity of tilling maiden ground. Especially at Ceylou, 



