942 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[June r, 1883. 



Some scions! from the same trees were grafted, about 

 the middle of August, ou roots from strong growing 

 healtliy trees of " Hybrid" and they have now united and 

 have commenced making healthy growth. 



Upper Buzza Plantation. — Te operations on this planta- 

 tion have consisted chiefly of the routine weeding, clean- 

 ing and supplying vacancies. The trees of all kinds have 

 made satisfactory progress, some of the " Hybrid" plants 

 being over 10 feet in height at a little over 3 years old. 



Some of 0. Officinalis, now about 2 years and 9 mouths 

 planted, are over 7 feet in height and being closely placed 

 and often two at one stake, they will soon require thinning. 



It is estimated that bark could be taken from this planta- 

 tion next year (that is, in the fourth year after planting) 

 to the value of at least £15 per acre, net. The niimber 

 of plants supplied to this plantation (in the last planted 

 portion) was about 6,000 C. Officinalis, and 580 C. Hybrid. 



Belle Vue Plantation. — The principal field operations 

 of the year have been for the most part, confined to this 

 plantati'U, and have consisted in the clearing and replant- 

 ing of the too widely-planted portions described in former 

 reports. 



The portiou treated last year and planted with C. Offic- 

 inalis var. uritusinga has, notwithstanding the severe 

 drought, grown well — except in some few denuded ridges 

 where ferrugineous clay crops up through the upper or sur- 

 face soil ; the general growth of the entire field is on the 

 whole very satisfactory. Adjoining this portion, a field of 

 about 5 acres has been cleared and plauted with 0. Officinalis 

 of the same variety (Colorado de Loxa of Spanish commerce) 

 as that growing at the Newhaven Gap and Monkey Hill 

 plantations. The land was fir.st thoroughly cleaned and then 

 dug into the form of ordinary yam-hills 3j feet by 3J feet 

 apart. These hills were allowed to settle and become soaked 

 by a few showers of rain previous to planting. Three large 

 drains dividing the slope (which is rather steep) into four 

 portions have been made for the purpose of counteracting the 

 effect of heavy rains and preventing wash. 



On tliis plautatiou, also, a site has been selected and parti- 

 ally prepared for plants of the glabrous variety of 0. Pubesc- 

 ens (Magnifolia) raised from seed received from the Indian 

 Plantations. 



White's Piece. — The growth of the Hybrid plants on these 

 fields continues to be very satisfactory, and the plantation 

 generally is in good order. It will be remembered that this 

 is the second planting of t'iuchona on land from which a 

 large crop had been previously harvested, and the general 

 health of the plants leads me to hope that the seoond crop will 

 be fully equal to the first. 



Newhaven Oap and Monkey Hill Plantations. — These 

 fields, established mostly with C. Officinalis, were cropped 

 last year and a total of 60,134 pounds of wet bark, yielding 

 21,512 pounds of dry bark, was successfully shipped there- 

 from. The results of these sales wiU be discussed later. The 

 fields are now in good order and with the coppiced stools 

 sending out abundant shoots, some of which are 14 inches 

 high. It has been noticed that with C. Officinalis on these 

 fields the stools have in no instance failed to throw out shoots, 

 and they have mamtained their health and vigour after being 

 coppiced two or tliree times. 



Four plants of the hard Carthagena Bark received from 

 the <:T0verninent of India have been establislied near Monkey 

 Hill hut (6,100 feet) and at this elevation they are exliibiting 

 most luxuriant growth. 



Plants of the same kind are also established at lower elev- 

 ations, for experimental purposes ; but, judging from their 

 relative rate of growth and their habit, it is evident that 

 this land is adapted only for the highest elevations in the 

 island. 



At elevations of even 5,000 feet they are attacked by "red 

 spider" and " thrip" and^make very slow progress. 



L.ITIMER Plantation.— On this plantation a small shel- 

 tered spot has been selected for experimeutal trial of Cinchona 

 Ledgeriaua at 5,500 feet. As in the other cases, where tliis 

 kind is plauted, it is hoped to keep the plants free from 

 hybridization and so ensure pure seed. 



It will be seen that Mr. Morris had been success- 

 ful in grafting Ledger scions on to hybrid stocks, 

 and that the growtli of hybrids and officinalis was 

 good. It is interesting to leani that a seoond plant- 

 ing of cinchona ou the same land was likely to be 

 a success. C. ojjiciiialis trees had coppiced well two 



or tlu'ee times, still retaining their vigour. We shall 

 be curious to know how Ledgerianas answer in Jamaica 

 at 5,500 feet. The fact that the site is sheltered is of 

 much importance. 



We now come to the 



Results or Baek Sales, 1881-82. — One .shipment of bark 

 was made from the plantations during the past year, which 

 for the most part was the result of " thiimings" and 

 "prunings" of New Haven Gap and Monkey Hill plant- 

 ations, rendered necessary by the too abumlant growth of 

 estaljlished trees and self sown seedlings The bark thus 

 harvested was composed of " twig and broken bark" but 

 the results of the sales were of a very satisfactory char- 

 acter. The net amount realized was two thousand, four 

 hundred and nineteen pomids five sliillings and seven pence, 

 being four hundred and nineteen pounds five shillings and 

 seven pence beyond the estimated value of the consignment. 



The results of the sales may be briefly summarized as 

 follows ; — 



Total ... 21,512 2,780 18,732 ... 2,.'i39 2 8 



As compared mth consignments from other countries, 

 the prices obtained for Jamaica-grown bark were most 

 satisfactory and encouraging. 



It will be noticed that the highest prices, viz., 8s and 4s 

 Ud per pound, were obtained by no other C. OfficinaUs 

 bark in the market, while they were approached only by 

 one sample of Calisaya bark, usually considered more valu- 

 able than Officinalis bark, which sold tor 5s iJd per pound. 

 The high prices referred to are shown in a detailed table 

 for which we cannot make room, but we may say 

 that 248 lb. "fine root" bark of (■'. o^c»i.a/».s sold at 

 per 8s lb., 1,1441 "fair root" at 4s 'od, and 674J 

 " fair root; " at 4s 3d. The root bark sold highest of 

 all, a result which, for some reason we do not under- 

 stand, does not now hold good in the case of Ceylon 

 cinchona. The explanation may possiljly bo found in 

 the combined greater age and superior vigour of the 

 Jamaica plants. For, Mr. Morris goes on to say : — 



The " fine root" bark was taken from trees about eight 

 or nine years old and the price obtained was higher than 

 for similar bark shipped during the year 1880, while the 

 price obtained for trunk bark, classed as " fair branch," was 

 slightly lower. 



The tmg bark classed as " good twigs" was obtained from 

 young shoots and saplings probably not more than a year 

 or a year-and-a-half old. These had to be removed to thin 

 the plantations and to allow more space for the stronger 

 shoots to grow and increase in size and value. For b.ark 

 from these an average of Is 4|d per pound was obtained. 



As the actual cost of barking, curing and shipping amounts 

 to about 7|d per pouud it is evident that even with such 

 young growths as these there is fair margin for profit to 

 the grower. The one bag of " middling twigs," which ob- 

 tained only Tsd per pound, was sent merely as an experi- 

 ment in order to te.st the lowest quality which could be 

 remuneratively sent to the market. The bark was of a 

 thin papery texture, obtained from the youngest and most 

 succulent shoots. The "dust and garblings" were the sweep- 

 ings of the barbecues and drying shelves, which, it will 

 be noticed, obtained Is lid, and Is lOd per pound. 



A consideration of these sales will, I believe, show that, 

 for good cinchona barks, the market has altered but very 

 slightly and there is every indication that ciuchoua cultiva- 

 ton in .Jamaica, if confined to the best kinds and intellig- 

 ently pursued, has every prospect of becoming ^ sucoe.ssful 

 ah(d remunerative industry. I would add that this is the 

 t/i rJ crop of bark harvested by coppicing &c., from the 

 N'^w Haven Gap and Monkey Hill Plantations, and they 

 ar*^ now in a good state of cultivation and likely to yield 

 a succession of crops for many years to come. 



