May 2, 1887.] 



I'HE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



W 



CINCHONA IN JAVA, INDIA AND CEYLON. 

 We have already referred to the opinions of 

 Mr. Kessler, on the prospects of cinchona in Java 

 where he holds ^extensive proprietary interests. 

 Mr, Kessler has now returned from his visit to 

 our hill country and as the result of his observ- 

 ations and enquiries, his opinion is very much 

 strengthened that the future of cinchona lies with 

 Java. The large exports from Ceylon, he considers, 

 will be played out in the course of two or at 

 most three years and by that time, Java planters 

 will be fully coming on the market with their 

 fine barks giving results in sulphate of quinine 

 which will make one million lb. Java equal to several 

 millions from Ceylon, so far as concerns results to the 

 manufacturing chemist. Mr. Kessler is therefore 

 of opinion that the Ceylon cinchona owners stand 

 between two fires : — for them to harvest before 1889-90 

 will be a necessity, and yet by so doing freely the 

 market is likely to be kept in its present depressed 

 condition — that is, if the 15-lG millions lb. of 

 export can be kept up so long. Mr. Kessler is 

 strongly of opinion that even now, the average of 

 the Java bark exported is much more than 3 per 

 cent of sulphate of quinine, while three years 

 hence, he thinks G per cent would be a low es- 

 timate of the average result from the large bulk 

 of the exports. The extent covered with cinchona 

 in Java, he thinks has been underestimated. He 

 has scarcely seen anywhere in Ceylon — unless it 

 be on Lover's Leap and in that neighbourhood — 

 cinchona fields equal to those which for their 

 vigour and tine growth distinguish Western and 

 Southern Java ; but then Mr. Kessler although he has 

 learned a good deal from Uva planters, has not visited 

 the estates beyond Eadulla. The 100 acre field on 

 Cannaverella, for instance, we should say is 



for big healthy growth 



good of its 



as gooa ot Its kind 



as any in Java. The great dili'erence is how- 

 ever, that Java planters have discarded all in- 

 ferior kinds and give their attention solely to the 

 better kinds of Calisaya, more especially LeiUjeriana. 

 C. Officinalis is almost unknown with them : whereas 

 of course in the climate and soil of Ceylon 

 this hardy species, and its hybrid Eobusta, is the 

 most successful. Altogether Mr. Kessler's advice 

 to those thinking about planting Cinchona in 

 Ceylon is " Don't ", because (as he supposes) the 

 inferior Ceylon barks are bound to be thrown out of 

 competition by the superior Java. Many, however, 

 will doubt this — or at any rate the ability of the 

 Java planters to send away so much bark as will 

 meet an increased demand besides the deficiency 

 created by a great falling-off in Ceyloa exports. We 

 shall see. 



In respect of tea, Mr. Kessler feels and acknoiv- 

 ledges our great superiority : he thinks there is 

 something in our chmate, but also that superiority 

 of jat must have a good deal to do with it, and 

 for this reason Java planters are freely rooting 

 out their poorer jat trees and planting anew 

 with Assam-hybrid plants. Mr. Kessler who 

 is now in his way to Europe, has been so much in- 

 terested in Ceylon and its plantations by this visit 

 that he is likely to send us contributions from time 

 to time on planting topics, more particularly for 

 our Tropical Agriculturist. 



In contrast to the picture offered of the future 

 of cinchona in Java, is that supplied by Mr. Ham- 

 lin, willi his very wide experience of the same 

 cultivation in the various districts of India. Mr. 

 Hamlin does not believe that there is at present 

 92 



any chance of Indian planters getting above a 

 total of a million lb. in experts, apart from the out. 

 turn of the Government Gardens, most of the latter 

 at least in the North, being utilised for local manu- 

 facture of alkaloids. Mr. Hamlin has left at our office 

 some fine specimens of bark (grown under his own 

 direction) six years old renewed, cultivated at (5,000 

 feet in the Upper Ouchterlony Valley, of which, 

 trees at 4 years old he gave a very satisfactory 

 report in our Tropical Jgriculturist. But the show 

 piece before us has been stripped oS a Succirubra 

 tree, and is 3 feet long by 10 inches in circum- 

 ference, while in appearance it is simply mag- 

 nificent, although in analysis the value is pro- 

 bably nil. As show barks for druggists' windows, 

 such pieces ought, to sell well however ; and 

 for 20,000 lb. of the same — to be placed on 

 the market gradually, — Mr. Hamhn will be dis- 

 appointed if the average result is not equal to 

 about 5s per lb. Some years ago, 10s a lb. would be 

 readily paid by wholesale and retail dealers for 

 such show barks. Mr. Hamlin promises a memo- 

 randum with the history of the barks in his case 

 of samples and when this is received, we shall send 

 the collection round the mercantile offices in the 

 Fort for inspection. 



PLANTING IN NETHERLANDS INDIA. 



{Translated for the Straits Times.) 

 A sugar estate in the province of Kedirie which 

 under European management, had only been a 

 source of loss has this year, after it had passed 

 into Chinese hands, yielded a splendid crop, and 

 given a handsome profit. Instances of the kind 

 pretty common in that island, show conclusively 

 that Chinese can make money where European 

 enterprise breaks down. 



Kecent researches in the island of Java and 

 Sumatra have proved the presence of petroleum 

 springs there. It seems they are of soma value. 

 In order to ascertain the best method of turning 

 these productive resources of the country to account, 

 the Netherlands Minister fer the Colonies has des- 

 patched Mr. A. Stoop, a mining engineer, to the 

 petroleum districts of the United States, to get 

 himself fully posted as to the most practicable 

 methods of working them. Private enterprise has 

 already set to working the petroleum springs on 

 the East coast of Sumatra with every prospect of 

 success. 



The Planters' Association at Sukabumie in Java 

 have petitioned the Netherlands Indian Govern- 

 ment praying the latter to grant a subsidy for 

 the setting up of an experimental plantation for 

 hill cultivation. A movement has also been started 

 for the additional purpose of securing State aid 

 for trial plantations in general. 



LIQUID FUEL. 



Details of Trials on San Francisco Bay, 

 For two or three years past some very interest- 

 ing trials of the use of oil for fuel, instead of coal, 

 have been conducted by the Central Pacific Eail- 

 road Company on the freight and passenger ferry 

 steamers on San Francisco Bay. When, therefore, 

 a short time since the use of this liquid fuel was 

 abandoned by the company, and the furnaces of 

 the boilers again altered to burn coal, it was con- 

 cluded that oil burning was a failure. It was 

 thought strange, too, because it was understood 

 that the oil was the more economical fuel, doing 

 away, as it did, with the numerous firemen on the 

 steamers, since the oil was fed to the furnaces by 

 an automatic arrangement. A number of reasons 



