23.0 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[September i, 1882. 



1 have no hesitation in saying that no " rough and 

 ready process" will do. A "commercial" analysis 

 has no doubt a different end in view from a purely 

 scientific analysis, viz., to ascertain how much of the 

 alkaloids, and epecially of quinine, oan be separated 

 in a pure crystalline marketable form ; but the care 

 and skill required to do this are quite equal to, and 

 if extended to the inferior alkaloids, perliaps greater 

 than are required to tell the exact proportions of the 

 four alkaloids usually found in cinchona barks. 



M. COCHRAN. 

 [What then is understood in the " bark " trade to 

 be the difference between a "buyer's" and " seller's " 

 analysis ? — Ed.] 



SHADE TEEES FOR COFFEE. 



17th July 1882. 



Dear Sib, — Tn your July number two correspondents 

 writing from Coorg and Mysore take exception I o my 

 abuso of jaks as shade trees'. Will you allow me space 

 for a few observations on Iheir remarks. " L. 1. P." 

 acknowledges that this tree is only now undergoing 

 probation in Coor;.'. so that bis favourable conclusions 

 may be considered premature. It is quitewithin tbe 

 possibilities that " after the lapse of a few months " 

 jaks will be looked upon as " very much the reverse 

 of A 1 " as shade trees. Ceylon experience of the last 

 few weeks has shown that this is anything but a 

 land of •' languid air," so that, if we follow " L. I. 

 P." 's advice of keeping our trees well trimmed, we 

 shall be casting away their chief est use, to wit their 

 screen power. 



My objection to the litter caused by the ever drop, 

 ping leaves is based solely on my experience of drains 

 choked from this cause and the effects beyond this 

 choking. I could show " L. I. P." surface-feeding jak 

 roots 20 feet long and more, and I have no hesitation 

 in saying I hat, where jaks are planted among coffee in 

 ■ land having a substratum of rock, the former will 

 thrive and the coffee die out. 



As a rule, jaks of a certain age do look healthy ; 

 still that argues nothing for their kindness to the coft'ee, 

 for the beni-fit of which these trees have so long been 

 planted in Ceylon to no purpose. 



Such was (and is) my unhdirf in these trees that I 

 took steps a few weeks back, which have ensured the 

 possibility of seeing, not a, but many a, "blighted 

 jak" ! " L. I. P." may be interested to hear that in 

 Ceylon we seldom make nurseries, but sow jak seed 

 at stake in ihe wet months. 



As a fltade tree! pin my faith on a less melancholy 

 object than jak, viz. the tree known to the Tamils as 

 iiiurunijaij maram, and well-kuown.for its scarlet blooms 

 and bean-pud-like seed-cases. Perhaps you will give 

 us the botanical name of this tree. [The botanical 

 name is inorinyapteryijosperma.—ED.] 



" Masheer'' is right : I have never had the opportunity 

 of seeing Mysore with its gardens "where they grow 

 the coffee berries" ; would that 1 had ! It is no marvel 

 to me that ' 'Masheer" has for so many years obtained 

 satisfactory results from his sub-jak coffee property 

 (eMo perpi'tua/J : the climatic conditions of Mysore and 

 Ceylon being so dissimilar. 



That shade is no protection from Ihe fungus in this 

 country is open to doubt ; but that shade which is 

 li"ht, and is iik&v/ise shelter, is a power for good against 

 hemileia, no one can deny. "Masbeer's" experience in 

 Mysore, and Mr. W. D. Bosanquet's grand results on 

 Yoxford in this island, ought to revive the drooping 

 spirits of those present objects of pity, the pi-oprieturs 

 of coffee estates. 



Supplying here has generally been found to be merely 

 waste of money, when our old island stock plants 

 have been used. According to "Mahseer" we have 

 only to introduce the Coorg and Nalknaad 



varieties among our coffee to stave off, as he staved 

 off, that "absolute ruin," which, without some such 

 provident stpp, is most certainly imminent. 



The alternate path, and to my mind the safer of 

 the two, is that so pluckily and faithfully trodden 

 by W. D. B., viz , cultivation based on scientific pring 

 ciples. Vive la science! A has injudicious manuriu- 

 aud pruning ! 



If W. D. B. can make his trees, young and old, 

 bear fruit, in spite of lea/ disease, so as to approximate 

 an average, year after year, of 6 cwt. all round, 

 when most estates are doubtful of securing and 

 mauy dare not calculate on a box per acre even, 

 surely we have a safe pilot in him. 



It will be our fault now if we fail to bring the 

 old enterprize round to the condition it was in five years 

 ago only, and to better fettle than that ; but we 

 must be as plucky as our leader, and, above all 

 things, avoid half-measures. If an analyst is deemed 

 necessary to each estate, or group of estates, we must 

 not hesitate to employ an analyst. Time will allow 

 of no dilly-dalling. 'T is a case of now or never. 

 The restoration of all our younger estates is no longer 

 theoretical. W. D. B. has proved its jvacticabiliti/. 

 To each proprietor who can afford — ah, there 's the 

 rub — to work on the lines laid down by the manager 

 of Yoxford, I would in all good faith say : — - 

 Re.spicc finem. 

 " 'T will soon be dark. 



Up! mind thine owu aim, and 

 God speed the mark," 



Faithfully yours, P. T. L. 



[Our correspondent will be understood as being 

 "kinder sarcastic" in regard to Mr. Bosanquet's ex- 

 periments. But we suppose it is simply the imposs- 

 ibility of the necessary funds being obtained, which 

 staggers him. Perhaps Mr. Bosanquet will now state, 

 in addition to rate per acre of coffee obtained by 

 his system, the cost of culture and resulting profit. — 

 Ed.] 



HAY -DRYING FANS AND CINCHONA DRYING. 

 Lindula, 19th July 1882. 

 Dear Sir, — I should like to draw your attention to 

 the following paragraph in the latest Freeman, in 

 case you have not uoticfd it: — "Some interesting 

 experiments have been conducted at Solna, Hwhamp- 

 ton, under the auspices of Mr. Allender, with one 

 of the new Neilson fans for drying bay in wet 

 weather." We have had such terrible continued wet 

 weather here lately that it has been almost imposs- 

 ible, even in a tea store with fires going, to keep 

 our cinchona bark from getting mouldy, and if you 

 could prociare further information as to the process 

 and success of these drying fans, we planters might 

 find them a safe investment. — Yours faithfully, 



KaROly fur no. 



THE BARKING AND SHADING OF CINCHONA 

 TREES. 



Sir, — A great deal has of late been written about the 

 barking and shading of cinchona trees. I trust the 

 few practical notes on the different materials I am 

 now about to enumerate may come of some assistance 

 to my brother planters. There is such an extensive 

 field before us, of valuable trees, plants, grasses and 

 mosses, and so many within the reach of almost every 

 cincliona grower, I only give those generally know 

 and that can be found in almost every district. All 

 material should be well dryed before use and the seedn 

 thrashed out off the grasses. A coolie with a goDd 

 clean stick will finish a large quantity in a day. 



Ferns. — Pteris nquilina : the bracken," lound all 

 over the world and known by every planter. It is fouuj 



