June i, 1887.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



797 



^ 



To the Editor of the '^Ceylon Observer.'' 

 CINCHONA IN MADULSIMA : INTEREST- 

 ING ANALYSES. 



Dear Mk. Editok, — Below, you will find re- 

 sult of analyses of cinchona bark : Renewed and 

 thatched and unthatched. The bark was taken 

 from off trees growing together in lines, shaved 

 at same time. I had heard so many conflieting 

 opinions passed on the matter of thatching the 

 trees after shaving, that I sent Home samples 

 and had them analyzed, the result of which may 

 be of interest to some of your readers. Calisaya 

 marked No. 1 was analyzed by Messrs. Synions 

 & Cochran, and certified at -32. —Yours faithfully, 



C. ESDAILE. 

 No. 1 Calisaya .. .. 0-03 A. 



0-20 Cinchonidine 

 0-61) Cinchonine 

 No. 2 Succirubra , Renewed, 



thatched .. .. 3-06 A. 



4'02 Cinchonidine 

 1'77 Cinchonine 

 No. 3 Succirubra Renewed, 



unthatched .. ,. 3"36 A. 



4-20 Cinchonidine 

 2-98 Cinchonine 

 [The results here given are extraordinary. Even 

 the English analysis of calisaya, leaves the yellow 

 bark very poor, in comparison with the red barks 

 which are both good, the uncovered, contrary to 

 previous experience being the better of the two. 

 —Ed.] 



CINCHONA BARK HARVESTING AND • ANA- 

 LYSES. 



Maskel'ya, 23rd April 1887. 

 Dear Sir, — The public are much beholden to 

 Mr. Esdaile for his interesting communication 

 in your journal regarding cinchona shaving ; but 

 the information would be more complete if he 

 will kindly say if the trees experimented upon 

 were all of the same age and all stood under 

 the same conditions in respect to light and 

 shade ; that is, if the stems of the trees operated 

 upon were all under the same conditions of ex- 

 posure to rain and sunshine. Mr. Esdaile would 

 confer an additional favour if he will say if the 

 unthatched trees suffered more from the barking 

 process than those which were thatched ! And 

 again, did the thatched trees renew any more 

 quickly than the unthatched ? E. P. T. 



PEPPER AND CUBEBS. 



Upcountry, 23rd April 1887. 

 Deab Sir, — I noticed a short time ago that you 

 had collected in the columns of the Observer a 

 considerable amount of information on the subject 

 of Rubber Cultivation. You would, I think, confer 

 a boon on owners of land at a low and medium 

 elevation if you would do the same for Pepper. 

 This product has one great advantage over rubber, 

 that we know it has been successfully cultivated 

 in Ceylon. All the same, comparatively little seems 

 to be known about it now. I pat out a good 

 many plants two years ago under various con- 

 ditions as regards shade and soil, but their growth 

 is not very encouraging and this in land which 

 I should have imagined was admirably suited to 

 them and is doing well in other products. I think 

 it hkely enough that I may have got hold of zn 

 unsuitable variety as I have heard that some kirn's 

 do best in damp [and others in dry soil, while some 



succeed best in shade and others in the open. Then 

 of course one would wish to grow the most 

 valuable sorts only. Any information about 

 " Cubebs " would also be of value. When so many 

 products are suffering from low prices, 1 cannot help 

 thinking that something might be made of pepper 

 were more information available. PLANTER, 



[We thank our correspondent for his suggestion. 

 Everything that we can find about "Pepper," 

 " Cubebs " or any other likely new product for 

 the Ceylon or tropical planter, we put into the 

 Tropical Agriculturist, and there is a mine of 

 valuable practical information in successive volumes 

 if "Planter" and others will only 'kindly consult 

 the index to each. We shall be much obliged 

 if anyone can send us extracts from contem- 

 porary literature in the East or West bearing of 

 any likely product which has been left out of r. A. 

 — We may collate " All about Pepper and Cubebs " 

 a little later on ; but certainly for the present, 

 the T. 4.— and every first-class estate should 

 have a set of the volumes— should meet the re- 

 rquirements of " Planter " and others s imilarly si- 

 tuated. — Ed. 



COFFEE AND "GREEN BUG." 



Mausagalla, Badulla, April 29th, 1887. 



Deaji Sir, — Can you give me imformation on the 

 following questions ? : — 



l^When was green bug first noticed in Ceylon ? 



2 — Are there any cases, where the coft'ee hav- 

 ing undergone a severe attack of green bug, it 

 has eventually come round, and is now cropping ? 



.3 — Has any large acreage of coffee being killed 

 by it? 



I do not seek for a remedy, as it is, in my 

 judgment, practically impossible over a large area 

 to apply one. but for information. I would solicit 

 answers upon the above points. Many coffee estates 

 in the island were converted into tea gardens, 

 before the arrival of this blight owing to failure of 

 crops from leaf-disease ; capitalists declining further 

 advances against coffee cultivation, and the price 

 down to GO shillings ; but, given a good coffee 

 estate this 29th April 1887, free from leaf-disease, 

 coffee rising to 100s, but green bug taking the 

 place of H. V., what course is recommended ? — 

 Yours faithfully, GEO. KENT DEAKEB. 



[Mr. Deaker will find on referring to Observer 

 of the 14th ultimo, answers to most of his ques- 

 tions : — (1), " Origin of the Pest : — First attracting 

 attention in Matale in 1882, it had reached Pus- 

 sellawa in 1884, Ramboda in 1885, and Badulla 

 1886 "; (2), we say " yes, we believe, estates in Hapu- 

 tale that were badly attacked are now free "; (3) yea, 

 in the Kandy district decidedly. There is, no doubt, 

 much reason for experiments in fighting green 

 bug. — Ed.J 



Phenyls and Gbeenbug. — There is quite a run 

 by coffee proprietors on " phenyle" to be used as 

 a remedy for greenbug — so much so that, it is said, 

 local stocks are exhausted ! Kcrosine, Carbolic, and 

 Lime are however well worth trying. 



MOUSAKELLIE E STATE, KeLLEBOKKE VaLLEY. 



This once famous coffee plantation and now favor- 

 ite and very promising tea estate has lately 

 changed hands we hear. The purchase has been 

 effected by Mr. Gow on behalf of a London .'^yndi- 

 cale, his offer of close on B80 000 telegraphed out, 

 being accepted by the representatives of the late 

 A. H. Fryer. We do not know that we have seen 

 more promising tea in Ceylon than on a part of 

 Mousakellie, during a visit to the district a short 

 time ago. The property covers 600 acres altogether. 



