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THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURl'Sf, 



4'^ 



REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF 



GOVERNMENT CINCHONA PLANTATIONS, 



NILGIRIS, FOR 1885-86, 



1. Season and Rainfall — (See Statement No. 1, a) 

 Dodahetta. — The season for the past year was very 

 favourable for carrying on all works connected with 

 the upkeep of this estate. The total amount of rain 

 registered during the year was 53'25 inches, spread 

 over 154 days. This was about 8 inches less than 

 what fell during the previous year, but it was spread 

 OTer 154 days instead of 123 days, showing an in- 

 crease during the past year of 31 wet or cloudy days 

 over last year. Very little rain fell during the early 

 part of the year ; indeed the spring showers failed 

 almost entirely, and it was not till the breaking of 

 the monsoon, which began early (3rd of June), that 

 the earth got at all wetted. The monsoon broke 

 very gently, and continued with hardly any inter- 

 mission for nearly six weeks, after which the weather 

 continued very favourable till the end of the year. 

 The wind was never furious, and with the e.vcept- 

 ion of one storm in November, the rainfall was never 

 excessive. On the 17th and 18th of this month, 

 4"30 inches of rain fell, but nothing more than a little 

 wash on the steeper and more exposed parts of the 

 plantation was experienced. 



(6) Xaduvatam. — The quantity of rain which was 

 registered on this estate during the past year was 9040 

 inches, spread over 132 days ; this being very nearly 

 the same amount of rain and the same number of 

 wet days which occured during the previous 

 year. The season was good for all kinds of work, 

 and the new plantings on the old plots which had 

 been made during the last three years, are looking 

 Tery well. 



(c) Pykara. — This estate now comprises the two 

 which were formerly known under the names of Hooker 

 and Wood. 



(1) Hooker. — The rainfall for the year on this 

 plantation was 90'77 inches, spread over 134 days. 

 Last year the amount of rain was 10427 inches, 

 spread over 136 days. With the exception of a 

 storm in November, when 10-1 inches of rain fell in 

 two days, the weather during the season was all 

 that could be desired. On the occasion of this storm 

 some damage was done, by reason of the great 

 wash which took place on some of the slopes 

 which were exposed to its full blast. Considerable 

 damage was also done at the same time to several 

 of the roads and paths on this estate, owing to drains 

 and culverts becoming choked. The damage done, 

 however, was not more than might have been expected 

 from so violent a burst of wind and rain. The 

 general appearance of the plantation is good and 

 the younger plantings are much improved. 



(2) Wood. — On this estate 74-18 inches fell during 

 the year, and were spread over 129 days, the amount 

 which was registered during the year before being 

 86"06 inches, which was spread over 139 days. Some 

 damage _ was done to a portion of the coppice of 1884, 

 which lies just below the water-course that runs from 

 the Pykara rivei* to the coffee estates in the plains, 

 owing to the bursting of the bank of the water- 

 course during one of the heavy storms which occurred 

 during the autumn. The water-course has now been 

 repaired and there is no further apprehension of 

 the accident occurring again. 



III. Peemanbnt Plantations — (a) Dodahttta.—Tlh.& 

 condition of the estate is much the same as when 

 I reported upon it last year. The coppice and iuter- 

 plantings are doing very well. All these were manured 

 and will, I have no doubt, show the result of this 

 liberality by an increase in the vigor of their growth. 

 Statement No. 8 gives calculations of the number 

 and the different sorts of plants growing at present 

 upon this and the other estates. 



{h) Naduvatam. — The general condition of this es- 

 tate has materially improved during the last year. 

 All the yo mg plantations were highly cultivated and 

 many of them freely manured, the result of which 

 and the favorableness of the season is a fine vigorous 

 57 



growth of all the young plants. A considerable 

 amount of the land, which in former years had been 

 pitted for planting, but which had either never 

 been planted at all or where the plants had died 

 ou*-., I planted up during the past year, chiefly with 

 Cinchona magnifoiia. Most of the remaining pitted 

 land lies on slopes which are too steep for convenient 

 cultivation or on poor soil or on places too much 

 exposed, and all this laud I propose to abandon. 



The shelter belts which I have put up round many 

 parts of the estate are doing well. 



Santa Id. — In my last year's report I mentioned 

 that I had very nearly lost my only remaining speci- 

 men of cinchona Santa Fe, but that it had been 

 saved by the skill of Mr. Jamieson ; and I am happy 

 in being able th's year to report that not only is 

 the old plant living, but that J\Ir. Jamieson has been 

 able to raise between 20 and 30 new plants from it, 

 most of which are now well rooted and will be 

 ready for putting out in the plantations during the 

 present season. Four hundred and twenty plants of 

 C. Carthayena raised in the Government Gardens, 

 Ootacamund, from cuttings were planted out on the 

 Naduvatam and Pykara estates, the lower elevation 

 of which seems to suit them better than that of 

 Dodabetta. As I mentioned in my last year's report 

 those at Dadabetta are not doing satisfactorily. 



The Remijias which I mentioned in my last report 

 were planted out during the autum on this estate ; 

 they have as yet made little or no progress, but they 

 look perfectly healthy and will, I have no doubt, 

 begin to grow during the warm season after the raiu; 

 On the same plot of ground adjoining the land on which 

 the Remijias have been planted, I have put out speci- 

 mens of several species of cinchona, and this year I shall 

 put out all the remainining species which we possess. 

 These are not intended for commercial purposes, but 

 by their being placed side by side and allowed to 

 grow in a free and natural manner, it is hoped that 

 they will enable those, who are interested in the sub- 

 ject to examine the characters of the different kiuds 

 with greater readiness than can be done when they 

 are scattered, not only over different parts of the 

 same estate, but even over the different estates 

 themselves as occurs at present. 



(c) Pi/kara — (I) Hooker. — This plantation has greatly 

 improved during the past year. The young plantings 

 have been highly cultivated, the whole of the ground 

 which they occupy has been deeply pitted and the 

 greater part of it manured. The remaining portion 

 of the estate requiring renovation is but small, when 

 compared with that which has already been carried 

 out during the last two years, and I shall, I hope, 

 be able to complete it during the present season. 

 The sambur are still troublesome on some parts 

 of this plantation, but as barbed wire has been 

 ordered from England and its arrival is now being 

 daily expected, I hope that I shall be able before 

 long to put up such a fence as will eft'ectually keep 

 out these intrude(;s. 



(c) Pykara — (2) Wood. — This Plantation is hardly 

 in a more satisfactory condition than it was when 

 I reported upon it last year. Some of the succirubra 

 coppice has done well and some of the planting 

 close to the lines and the head overseer's dwelling, 

 where the sambur dare not come, are also doing 

 well, but in all the other parts of the plantation 

 which lie at a distance from human habitations the 

 young plants are destroyed as much as ever and no 

 hope of any improvement can be expected until a 

 substantial fence has been erected. Some underwood 

 consisting chiefly of strobalanthis which wa> enci-oach- 

 ing upon the plantations, I ordered to be cut dining 

 the winter as that tended to harbour the sambur, 

 and I regret to say that towards the end of the 

 dry season this brushwood c.uight fire during a high 

 wind and that the fire spread through a portion of 

 the shola which surrounds the Pykara falls and has 

 seriously injured, if not killed, many v^ry fine trees. 

 In a former report I recommended to Government 

 that they should <;ivo up the cultivation of the Wood 

 plantation altogether, but Government at that time 



