September i, 1882.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



199 



$ojiti6spond6no6. 



To the Editor of the Ceylon Observer. 

 CINCHONA MICRANTHA. 



Lindula, 22ud June 18S2. 



Dear Sir, — Can you tell me if any ciuchoua mior- 

 antha bark lias been analyzed in Ceylou ? If so, what 

 was the analysis ? In Mr. Owen's book, I note he says 

 they are poor in fine alkaloids, and Markham eays they 

 are a Hne specit-s. I have .SOU trees here, about two 

 years old, and I would like to know if they are of any 

 value, before I pull them out. 



How would officinalis do grafted on to the miorantha 

 stocks ? — Yours truly, W. S. 



[We regret that this letter should have been delayed. 

 C. iHicraritha is almost entirely destitiiie of quinine 

 and scarcely worth cullivating for the take of tbe 

 inferior alkaloids. As tlie trees grow vigorously, 

 however, our correspondent ouj^ht to coppice and graft 

 them, harvesting and testing the bark, of course. Like 

 the "inferior" calisayas, ihe miorantha tree may be 

 improved in the Ceylon climate and soil. — Ed.] 



COFFEE-PLANTING IN COORG : AND 



GENERALLY. 



Amutty, Coorg, 29th .June 1882. 



Dear Sirs, — In the issue of June 13th of the 

 weekly edition of your valuable journal, I notice an 

 article on the coffee enterprize in the Bamboo district 

 of Coorg. It is not my intention to enlarge on this 

 subject, seeing that in the main the article is correct ; 

 but I think that the cordial thanks of all interested in 

 that part of the country are due to you for your ex- 

 pressions of kindly feeling in wishing us a continuance 

 of our good fortune. I am, like the griffin at an after- 

 dinner speech, " unaccustomed to public speaking," &c. , 

 unaccustomed to public WTiting, yet I feel that, if a 

 few words from me can be of any use to others engaged 

 in the above industry, it will not be time wasted. For 

 a number of years I have watched with considerable 

 admiivation your own exertions so strenuously exercised 

 in whatever was calculated to promote the good of 

 your fellow-colonists, and I am sure I can confidently 

 assert that these have not been fruitless. You are 

 vei-y good, too, in giving room to others w'ho are 

 pleased to give ventilation to their opinions and ideas 

 and are having the same end in view, namely, of being 

 useful in their day and generation. Hence, I would 

 beg for a small corner, if you please, to say a word 

 or two on the subject of cofifee-planting generally, but 

 particularly on the letter which appeared in your issue 

 of the 14th June, signed "jNIahseer," and dated Munzer- 

 abad. It seems to me a very delicate matter to pro- 

 nounce an opinion dogmatically on any subject, but 

 looking back to a considerable series of experience 

 both in the Ghaut and Bamboo land of Coorg, if there 

 be one thing about which a difli'erence of opinion can 

 scarcely exist, I think it is the necessity of gi-owiug coffee 

 with a certain quantity of some sort of shade to protect it 

 from the sun's rays as well as to shelter it from high winds. 

 In certain districts owuig to climatic differences there 

 must necessarily be a certain amount of diversity in 

 the kind of trees best suited', as well as regards the 

 density of the shade. To say that coffee in any part 

 of the Province of Coorg, which embraces a climate 

 of wonderful variations considering its area, will grow 

 w ell and give profitable returns without the help of shade 

 would be a rather rash assertion : but I maintain 

 without the least fear of contradiction that where cofl'ee 

 has been cultivated judiciously under shade in no 

 instance has such cultivation resulted in failure, and 

 I am prepared to go fiijther in maintaining that no 



place in which coffee has been tried as yet but it would 

 have yielded more or less profit to the grower had 

 the shading of the trees been attended to with care 

 and judgment. Your correspondent's remarks regarding 

 jak as one of the trees suitable for shade are well 

 worthy of notice. There are several other kinds which 

 seem to be as it were universally adapted in this 

 respect. The different varieties of the tig family, 

 for instance, appear to suit equally well in the wet 

 districts as in the dry. In the "bamboo" districts 

 of Coorg we are certainly blessed with good soil, and 

 also witha forcing climate during the greater part of 

 the year, but the long season of drought which we 

 experience between December and April has gi-eat 

 drawbacks which are not realized in the "forest" 

 districts of the province ; yet, most men prefer to cast in 

 their lot in " the bamboo," and why ? — simply because 

 cofl'ee would not pay without having it under shade 

 hence shade was a sime qua non and consequently was 

 studied and handled scientifically. Had the estates 

 opened out on some of the choice bits of our forest land 

 received half the attention bestowed on those neighbour- 

 ing in bamboo laud there would be nothing in the latter 

 to equal them in point of large vigorous trees with close 

 jointed wood alike free from the ravages of " borer" and 

 leaf -disease. I might name another reason why forest 

 land has gouedown in public estimation : namely, because 

 of the large tracts of laud cleared, which were not fitted 

 from the fact of the exposure being the wTont< 

 one, and also the land being unfitted, owmg to the 

 nature of the subsoil. Too much sun and too much 

 wmd are equally fatal to the constitution of the cofl'ee 

 shrub. It must be borne in mind however, while ad- 

 vocating so strongly the merits of shade, that every 

 other work is to be not neglected : no, by no means. 

 In my humble opinion, timely pruning and handlmg, 

 keeping downi weeds, liberal manuring, and, in short,' 

 due regard to be paid to the proper cultivation of 

 the plant, are just as necessary to the welfare of a 

 cofl'ee estate : -without these, shade would be of very 

 little avail. 'With them, it should be the means of at 

 least keeping owners of cofl'ee property in fan- cii-cum- 

 stances even in these times of low prices. I had in- 

 tended saying a few words on the merits of the 

 Nalknaad plant and the much discussed subject of 

 leaf-disease, so far as it has afl'ected us, but already 

 this letter has as.sumed much vaster proportions than 

 was anticipated when commencing. — Yours faitlifuUy 

 A "BAMBOO" PLANTER. 



CINCHONA ROBUSTA NATURAL BARK 5 

 YEARS OLD GIVING 6 60 P. C. SULPH- 

 ATE OF QUININE. 



Craig, Haputale, Sth July 1882. 

 Dear Sir, — I send you copy analysis of six cin- 

 chona trees, " hybrids'' or " robustas." These trees were 

 planted in 1872, Hakgala seedlmgs. Also copy of 

 analysis of six trees, five years old, gi'owai from seed 

 taken from the older trees : the youngsters shame theu- 

 parents. — Yours truly, A. McK. 



Hakgala seedliugs. Craig seciUiugs. 



Or. sulpb. Cr. sulph. 



No. 1 ... 3-009 No. 1 ... 3-60 



Average 



2-99 



Average 4-59 

 Natural bark. 



[The great improvement shown in the bark from trees 

 of the second generation is a good proof of the suitable- 

 ness of the Haputale climate and soil for these cinchonas. 

 Mr. McKenzie should take cai-e of his best trees, keep 

 the seed separate and watch the further improvement: 

 renewed bark will show a still higher percentage. Ed.J 



