1 46 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[August i, 1834, 



the flights of butterflies in Ceylon ; but it would 

 8fem that abnormal weather of any kind, especially 

 drought, followiug floods or excessive rainfall is 

 favourable to the existence of blights of every kind, 

 " red spider " as well as " greeu fly." We quote 

 what is said about "scraping" and "stripping" as 

 modes of harvesting baik : — 



Scraping was continued during 18S0 ; but, in order to 

 injure trees rs little as possible, the bark was only taken 

 from two sides, whilst the other twe sides were left un- 

 touched. And, if formerly mention was made of the trees 

 suffering a little from this process, it was now found that 

 no difference could I e observed between the trees that 

 scraped and thnse that were not, although standing to- 

 gether. From the GO Ledgeriana trees that were treated 

 in this manner in 1S78 for the first time, the new hark 

 lias been removed this year. In 1878, fifty kilos was 

 obtained from these: now fifty-five kilos was cut from the 

 stem. Mclvor's method of stripping succirubra was con- 

 tinued, and use was made of the alang-alang to cover 

 the trees. The Director of the Government Cinchona 

 Gardens saw in Ceylon and at the Nilgherries that 

 grasses among them the Zmperaium KoeniyU, were pretty 

 generally used with great success to cover the stripped 

 trees. After this was reported to Java, a trial was im- 

 iie iiately made here with this grass, which is so common 

 near the cinchona gardens, and consequently so cheap. 

 The renewed succirubra bark of the 187'Jcrop fetched a price 

 nearlj one-half in excess of the best original barks, notwith- 

 standing its unsightly appearance. This difference in price 

 was owing to the greater quantity of quinine it contained. 

 Wo need scarcely remind our readers that the '•' alang. 

 alang " grass mentioned is known in Ceylon as " iluk." 

 Here in Ceylon, it occurs occasionally. The doubling 

 of the name bIiows its prevalence in Malaysia and Java. 

 The report for 1S81 commenced with the record of 

 a storm which destroyed 2,000 trees on Nagrak, as it 

 was stated — 



During the dry monsoon night frost was again twice 

 experienced. In the same gardens where, in 1877, plants 

 were killed by it, flat, in some measure basin-shaped spots 

 on the plantation at Tjibitoeng, the trees again suffered 

 most. A 1 J year old group of C. suocirubra, consisting of 

 very well developed trees, was damaged the worst : they 

 were frosted down to the ground ; but there was enough 

 of the lower part of the stem spared to allow of sprouts 

 to be formed on it, which are now growing vigorously. 

 This is just what has happened to so called "frosted" 

 coffee in Ceylon, where it has been grown in damp 

 hollows or flats. Succirnbras continued to be planted 

 in places found unsuited for Ledgerianas, so that 

 even in Java it is only in certain situations that 

 Ledgerianas flourish. A succirubra plantation which 

 appeared not to get on well was fully restored by 

 constant digging during four months' drought, rather 

 an expensive remedy. The insect enemy of the cin- 

 chonas was thus alluded to : — 



The kelopeltis steadily continues its ravages, and we 

 nre powerless to to combat the little insect. The catch- 

 ing and killing was carried on in the young plantations, 

 but the effect is very local, and those caught are speedily 

 replaced from the millions that live on tiie high trees in 

 the older plantations. 



Then comes notice of a disease which we suspect 

 was our "gum disease,'' and that chemical disorganiz- 

 ation and not a fungus was the cause : — 



At Nagrak a disease appeared in the officinalis plant- 

 ations which apparently must be ascribed to the de- 

 struction caused by the location of a, fungus in the bark. 

 The tops of the plants are found to die off here and 

 there, to about 3 to 6 feet from the ground, above a 

 place on the stem where the bark is discolored and 

 generally swollen. The portion of the stem below ami 

 the rent are perfectly sound, so that the affection is a 

 local oue. ami the explanation is very probably that if 

 is caused by a fungus, which first obtains a nidus in the 

 bark and then extends its ravages also to the wood, until 

 the tissue is so altered and destroyed as to render im- 

 possible the nutrition of the portion of the stem situated 

 above the dise'ased place. 1 caused all the diseased tops 



| to be sawn off, and after the bark was gathered from 

 them the wood to be burnt. 



Iu Java they quite believe in and practice artificial 

 drying of the bark by means of furnaces. The fol- 

 lowing statement is important : — 



The Ledgeriana bark cut iu flakes fetched /6-94 to 7'48 

 per half kilogram. The two year old renewed Ledgeriana 

 bark cut in flakes fetched, on the other hand, only/576 

 per half Kilogram. The yield of quinine was lower than 

 that of the original bark, and its separation was besides 

 less easy, on account of the greater quantity of resinous 

 and coloring matter. It has therefore now been resolved 

 to leave the renewed bark of this variety until it is 

 three years old before it is shaved off. Partial strip- 

 ping has been carried on more and more largely, whilst 

 the experiments with shaving have been continued on an 

 extended scale. Although an opinion cannot yet be 

 given with certainty as to the comparative value of these 

 two methods, it is probable that in the case of C. succi- 

 rubra partial stripping with a subsequent covering, and 

 in those of C. officinalis and C Ledgeriana shaving, is 

 preferable. For covering, grasses are now exclusively 

 employed: where alang' alaug is easily procurable it has 

 the preference, but other grasses also found on the 

 plantations, appear to be very good for use. The cover- 

 ing is bound fast with iudjoek string, which is very dur- 

 able and is used solely for this purpose, or with ratan. 



Experiments in the hybridization of the cinchonas 

 had been carried on with success, plants being got 

 by the fertilization of Ledgeriana with succirubra. 

 Mr. Mocus was led to the conclusion that Ledgeriana 

 bark is ripe in the 7th to the 8th year, and that 

 after this age the quantity of quinine does not in- 

 crease. He also found that the best Ledgerianas 

 could be recognized by external appearance apart 

 fiom the necessity of analysis. AH experience went 

 to prove that the succirubra stock had no effect on the 

 bark of the graft. This system of grafting, however, 

 is stated to be too expensive for private plantations, 

 and, as pleuty of seed can now be got and the high- 

 class plants selected from the nursery, there is happily 

 no necessity for the process. 



The report for 1SS2 commences with the complaint 

 that this year also was without a proper east mon. 

 soon, and it seems beyond questiou that in the 

 mountain regions of Java the seasons are far more 

 distinguished for failure of rains than the hill- 

 country of Ceylon. But the rich volcanic soil atones 

 for climatic defects. A gardener having arrived from 

 Holland, nurseries and graftiug operations had been 

 extended and a large new propagating-house had 

 been erected. Experiments in open-air grafting, such 

 as gave very good results to Mr. W. Smith ot Matta- 

 kele, had not been successful in Java. On stems 

 over two years old, failure with inoculations was 

 uniform. Then it is stated : — 



As ferule grafting had succeeded in the propagating- 

 houses, it was also tried in the open air. Of about one 

 hundred of these grafts only eight succeeded, whilst in 

 the propogating-liouses on an average 75 per cent are 

 successful. Crown grafting, tried iu various ways, gave very 

 poor results, both on young and old systems. The excessive 

 bleeding of the truncated succirubras, which in some cases 

 lasted more than two months, hindered the union of the 

 two wounded surfaces. The experimi nts, in some degreo 

 modified, are being continued. Grafting is of the greatest 

 importance to the Government enterprise, that a plantation 

 may be obtained consisting solely ot grafts of the Ledge- 

 riana individuals richest in quinine, in a short time more- 

 over an abundant supply of seed of the best quality may 

 be expected. It is not advisable lor private persons how- 

 ever !<» lav out their estates m this manner alone. Graft- 

 ing costs besides too much time and care, and progress 

 is too slow. Th** Government cinchona enterprise, with a 

 nursery area of about l,00t • 'square Rhenish feet and with 

 a skilled personnel, is only in a position to produce 30,001) 

 successful grafts per annum. A good crop of Ledgeriana 

 seed, to which about 1.600 of the young grafts contributed 

 gave the opportunity of meeting the demands of private 



