December i, 1882.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST 



511 



IVhite's Piece. — This small plantation of about 10 acres 

 was formerly planted with C. Succiruhm and the Hybrid 

 variety. All the trees between 10 and 11 years old were 

 either " uprooted " or " coppiced " during the year 1880. 

 The " coppiced " stumps, of which about 200 threw up 

 strong shoots, are doing well. The latter, now about 18 

 mouths olil, are about 4 feet high and in strong health. 

 The portions of the plantation from which trees were 

 uprooted, after being carefully cleaned and trenched, have 

 been replanted with 28,870 plants of the Hybrid variety 

 at distances of 4 feet by 4 feet. The results, so far, fully 

 justify the opinion I have already expressed, that land 

 from which crops of Cinchona have been taken will, if 

 properly treated, be quite capable of producing subsequent 

 crops of the same kind. 



JJelle I'lie Flantation. — This plantation is in cour-se of 

 beiug replanted with the best kinds of Cinchona to replace 

 the poor wind-blown specimens of 0. ^Sitccirifhra which 

 were planted here about four or five years ago. Among 

 the new species already established are 1,485 plants of C. 

 Ledgeriamc raised from seed received from Ceylon, 7,534 

 j)lants C Cidisat/a of the Jamaica plantations determined 

 by Mr. John Eli'ot Howard, F.E.S., 11,678 C. Officinalis vur 

 Uritusin(/a from the Government Plantations, Southern 

 lutha, aud 3,500 of C. Officinalis, stated by Mr. Howard 

 to be the Colorado de Leva of Spanish commerce. The 

 total number of plants put out being 24,197. 



The other plantations are in good order and well estab- 

 lished, the chief operations upon them have consisted in 

 keeping them clean, maintaining the roads in good order, 

 and in harvesting the successive crops of seed and bark. 

 While on the subject of seed, I may mention that the 

 large quantities of the seed of the best forms of C Officin- 

 alis produced are more than sufficient to meet local de- 

 mauds, and in the event of the extension of private plant- 

 ations iu Jamaica, there will be no difficulty in meeting 

 any requisitions that may be made for seeds of this valu- 

 able bark. 



The trees of C. Succinthra are still yielding but poor 

 supphes of seed, and 1 am obliged to depend on the plant- 

 ations of India and Ceylon for this kind. 



The seed of such valuable kinds as C. Hi/brid, C. Calisaya 

 and C. Ledi/eriuna are not distributed at present, but well 

 grown seedMngs in boxes are supplied at such moderate 

 rates that, while there is the minimum amount of loss in 

 raising them, they are placed within the reach of aU who 

 desire to add these species to those aheady under cul- 

 tivation. 



Introduction of New Kinds of Cinchona. — Tlie chief event 

 of the past year in connection with the Cinchona Plant- 

 ations has been the successful introduction on a large scale 

 of the valuable Cinchona Ledi/eriana, which is, admittedly 

 the most precious of all the known species of Cinchona. 



A small quantity of seed of this kind — weighing less 

 than i oz. — was received from the Government of Nether- 

 lands India in April last. From this seed 14,437 seedlings 

 were successfully raised and pricked out. These were sub- 

 sequently transferred to bambu pots and to well protected 

 beds in the nurseries. I regret, however, to report that 

 latterly, in spite of the great care taken with them, many 

 of these plants have given signs of " going off " iu an 

 unaccountable manner, and it is very probable that only 

 about 6,000 or 8,000 will be ultimately ready for planting 

 out in the fielils. Fortunately, however, further supplies 

 of seed have been received from Dr. King and through 

 Sir Joseph Hooker, so that before the end of the present 

 year fidly 30,000 plants of C. Ledijeriana will be estab- 

 lished in the island. The three fine plants of C. LcJi/er- 

 ianu received through Kew, from Mr. John Eliot Howard, 

 F.K.S., mentioned iu my last Report, have done remark- 

 ably well, aud they have fully proved the suitability of 

 both the soil and climate of Jamaica for the successful 

 cultivation of this bark. The largest plant, now two years 

 old, is 5 feet iu height and with a girth at the base of 

 6 inches. From these plants about 40 cuttings have been 

 established with every promise of the number being con- 

 siderably increased. Seed of C. Calisaya var Josephiana was 

 received from Dr. Trimen, Director of the Royal Botanical 

 Gardens, Ceylon, and about .' 00 plants are ready for plant- 

 ing out. 



The plants of the hard Oarthagena bark presented by 

 the Secretary of State for India, in 1879, are doing well 



at an elevation of 5,500 feet, but I believe that they would 

 do better at a still higher elevation. The habit of growth 

 of these plants is remarkably robust, and they promise to 

 be very suitable for sheltered spots at the highest points 

 at which cultivation can be carried on on the B!ue Bloiint- 

 aiu range. 



.Seeds of several valuable species of Cinchona from the 

 Southern India Plantations have been received from Lieut. - 

 Col. R. H. Beddome, Conservator of Forests, Madras Presi- 

 dency. In the letter which accompanied the seeds, Lieut.- 

 Col. Beddome refers to them as follows: — 



I send you, by post, G oz. of seed of C. Officinalis var 

 uritusiui/a, 4 oz. of seed of the ijlahrous variety of 0. Pit- 

 bescens (Magnifolia) and ^ oz. of seed of C. Puhescens. 



The seed labelled " Magnifolia " is one of the varieties 

 aud species first called " Hybrid Pubescens" by Mr. Mclvor 

 and afterwards " Magnifolia," but has nothing tu do with 

 Vascarilla Magnifolia except a similarity in leaves. It is 

 very highly reported on and yielils a large percentage of 

 Quinine. Its growth is most robust between 6,000 and 

 8,000 feet on these hills. Little is known of it yet except 

 that its yield of Quinine is very good. It grows here well 

 ou poor grass land soil where C. Succirubra will not do. 



Mr. Robert Cross, who is here, calls it the true Pata 

 de Gallinazo of Chimborazo (Markham, Peruvian Bark, 

 1880, p. 219 n.) and says that he collected the seed there 

 aud sent it here originally. 



C. Fubescens is very similar to this in habit, &c., but 

 has the leaves pubescent underneath. 



Analysis of Jamaica-yrown Barks. — With a view of accur- 

 ately determining the botanical classification, as well as 

 the commercial value of the bark yielded by the different 

 kinds of Cinchona trees under cultivation in Jamaica, I 

 made a complete collection, containing eight sets of speci- 

 mens of leaves, flowers, fruit, as well as one pound by 

 weight of Cinchona bark, from every distinct form or variety 

 which had come under my notice here. 



This collection was forwarded in June last to Mr. John 

 EHot Howard, F.P..S., who is believed to be one of the 

 highest living authorities on Cinchona and Cinchona Barks. 

 I asked Mr. Howard to be so good as to compare the 

 botanical characters of the specimens sent from Jaraai -a 

 with tho.se in his large collections from South America, 

 India, aud Ceylon, and I furthermore ventured to ask him 

 to obtain for me a quantitative analysis, with the prob- 

 able market value of the various samples which accoin- 

 panied them. 



A summary of the valuable information supplied by Mr. 

 Howard was Lately published in the Jamaica Gazette, and 

 there is no doubt that this authoritative and exhaustive 

 report will prove of the greatest service to those inter- 

 ested in the cultivation of Cinchona in Jamaica. 



One of the chief points brought out by Mr. Howard's 

 report is the existence on tiie plantation of tru<' yellow 

 bark trees, which had hitherto been included as forms 

 of the Crown bark C. Officinalis. 



These trees had attracted my notice from the first, and 

 I took steps immediately, on my arrival, to keep the seeds 

 separate and to propagate them for supplying steep and 

 windy .slopes, for which they appeared to be admirably 

 adapted. 



These trees are no doubt the produce of the Calisaya 

 seed which the late Superintendent had received from 

 India, but, owing to some mistake, the robust " Hybrid " 

 kind had for many years been adopted for the yeilow- 

 bark trees, and had consequently received much attention 

 on that accouiit. In reply to questions ad(h-essed to Mr. 

 Howard respecting the true yeUow bark trees, he supplied 

 the following analysis of trunk bark, viz. : — 

 Quinine Quinine 

 Sidphate. Alkaloid. Cinchonidine. Cinchonine. Quini'line. 



4-93 3-70 0-60 035 0fi5 



and added " Specimens marked No. 1 and No. 2 appear 

 to me to be true to the Calisaya type, aud form a valu- 

 able portion of the Plantation. I should not think that 

 they belonged to either of the Josephiana or to the Led- 

 ijeriana form, but that the exact variety is perhaps not 

 yet published. In the meantime it may be weU to call 

 them C. Calisaya simply. 



" There is no appearance of hybridity, nor any resem- 

 blance to the Loxa (C. Ofcinalis) barks." 



As corroborating, in a singular manner, Mr. Howard's 



