April i, 1885,] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 



i 17 



To the Editor of the "Ceylon Observer." 



INTERESTING INFORMATION FROM THE 

 WYNAAD REGARDING PURE AND 



SPURIOUS LEDGERIANAS. 

 Chambaly Estate, Gudalur, South East Wynaad, 



February 10th, 1885. 



Dear Sir, — About two years since a discussion took 

 place on the subject of Cinchona Ledgeriana, in which 

 Mr. Howard and one or two members of the Linmean 

 Society at home attempted to throw doubl on the con- 

 clusions arrived at by Dr. Trimen, who described Cinchona 

 Ltdycriana as a true species. Mr. North Christie who 

 traced the history of the ledgeriana supported Dr. Trimen 

 in his description of the botanical characteristics of this 

 valuable C'alisaya, and I think every planter who had the 

 opportunity of watching the Ledgeriana tree could recog- 

 nize the fact that your authorities in Oeylon fully under- 

 stood what they were writing about, while the Liunrean 

 Society at home became hopelessly muddled with " macro- 

 carpa," "micrantha," " roja," and the ludicrous conclu- 

 sions as to the " red leaf." 



Guided by Dr. Trimen's description of Ledgeriana I find 

 several trees raised from the original ledger seed ; these 

 are chiefly at high elevations on the Nilgheries such as 

 Neddiwuttum, and are identical with the pure type raised 

 from seed whether from Capt. Cox's trees in Wynaad or 

 from the best trees in Java or Ceylon. Mr. T. North 

 Christie in his admirable essay on cinchona cultivation 

 remarks that Java, as regards Ledgeriana, "has had the 

 start and kept the lead by sending out so much spurious 

 seed " — this is true; I am positive that many pounds of 

 seed taken from common Calisayas and sold at cheap rates 

 have found purchasers in India. Ceylon as well as Java 

 has had its share in the export of spurious seed. I have 

 frequently remarked that if planters in Java cannot pro- 

 cure good seed from the pure type of Ledgeriana trees 

 the chances of such seed reaching India are very remote : 

 planters who have obtained seed from such trees as 

 " Mattakellie," "Yarrow," or "St. Andrew's may con- 

 gratulate themselves on their stock, but I understand, 

 beyond these estates, in Ceylon there are not many poss- 

 essing Ledgeriana trees. I obtained two small lots of seed 

 from the Madras Government sent to them by the Dutch 

 Government, Java, and said to be Ledgeriana; out 

 of about 350 plants raised I only found six of 

 the true type : the balance were hybrids of all 

 grades. My object in addressing you now is to give 

 a brief account of my experience of 500 seedlings 

 planted out in 1870. In the first place, the seed. This was 

 procured direct from the hands of Mr. Moens, who remarked 

 at the time that it was gathered from his best trees. The 

 seedlings were planted out in two groups in moderately 

 rich soil, in a sheltered corner, northern aspect, elevation 

 3,100 feet. This estate "Ghembaly" lies at the foot of 

 the Nilgheries on the north-west or Wynaad side. The plants 

 throve well : at three years of age a number flowered and 

 about a pound of seed was gathered under the supposition 

 that the trees were Ledgeriana. Subsequent experience how- 

 ever led to the belief that the trees were a mixed Jot of 

 Calisayas and some pure Ledgeriana. In order therefore to 

 gauge the value of the different types I sent six samples to 

 Dr. Paul of Loudon, who sent me the following analysis : — 



1 inscription of trees from 

 which bark was taken. 



n» °c i» fes 



•/:•= — ■■= .5. 

 g. •- o 



ti-50 0-11 trace 



No. 1. Typical Ledgeriaua ... 



'1. Coarse Pubesceut C'ali- 

 saya - 98 1-04 — trace — 



3. Vigorous but shrubby 

 grov-'th, pink flower 

 nearlyglobularcapsule :17o UT4 trace 0"12 — 



■1. Under surface leaf pur- 

 ple flower, similar to 

 Ledger but larger ... 2'88 — trace trace — 



5, Stnng growing probably 



a hybridized Ledger... *J*41 — trace trace — 



6. Large leaf, vigorous, hy- 



brid, pubesoent ... 271 — 2'20 1-81 140 



93 



At the time the above analysis was receivod early in 1883, 

 information on the subject of Ledgeriana was published in 

 your columns, and guided by this and the analysis I resolved 

 to cut out all trees except Ledgeriana of the purest type, 

 this being done my original stock of 500 trees was reduced 

 to 103 ; the trees are now five years and eight months old, 

 and a few are bearing seed, while the balance have never as 

 yet produced a flower bud, a good sign as to their purity 

 of type. 



At the end of last month I had bark taken from twenty- 

 one trees, which arc now bearing swA, and this has been 

 analyzed in one lot by the Government Quinologist, Mr. 

 David Hooper, whose certificate gives the satisfactory re- 

 sult of U'31 sulph. of quinine, as an average. I believe 

 this is the highest analysis on record, aud it goes to prove 

 that Wynaad is particularly well adapted to the growth of 

 the most valuable variety of cinchona, C. Ledgeriana. — I 

 am, yours faithfully, EDWARD HAMLIN. 



P. S. — Mr. Lawson, the Director of the Government Cin- 

 chona Estates, who has inspected the " Ohetnbaly " Ledger- 

 iana trees, is about to propagate cuttings from them on 

 account of the Madras Government. E. PI. 



PLANTERS' PLEASURES. 



Sin, — I am not going to let your senior editor 

 have it all his own way. The brag that he alone has 

 been able to introduce a dise.ise* into agricultural 

 produce I mean to dispute. I have the honor to intro- 

 duce to your notice another curse. I can't tell 

 yon its name, but I have a specimeu to send to any- 

 one curious to see it and who can identify. It affects 

 cardamoms. I know of thirty.three per cent of a 

 small clearing gone, ninety per cent of another of 

 thirty acres, and fifty acre3 all gone iu another plate. 

 Some say it is drought. But iu the immediate neigh- 

 bourhood of two of them are plauts not affected. 

 Others say the wind. Why should providence temper 

 the wind to some only. Nice lookout for cultivators. 

 When a plant dies from old age the whole thing 

 goes together. When from drought, there are the 

 signs of want of moisture all through. When from wind 

 the young leaves at the end suffer first. Now my 

 introduction his none of these signs. I attacks 

 old leaves tirst and eats tin in into shreds somewhat lik 

 a plan'ain'i in a windy place, beginning at bottom aud 

 working up. Top leaf is the la?t to go. Tnen the 

 stem breaks and falls. We used to think a ci (fee 

 esta'c a fair fortune, but agents and Hemileia, vaatat iajf 

 have cruelly disillusionized many of us. No dou it 



of a gold mine being in chocolate. Did n't 



make four thousand off four acres ! Liberian coffee 

 w>s the next ignis fatuivt, and was to do wonders: 

 one beau to make a cupful of infusion! Neetir for 

 Olympus. There is little growing, but production 

 exceeds consumption. Cinchona was to pull us 

 through everything. We have Hooded the market. 



of Hillside heapeel his en eliying ground and 



put tirestick as the easiest method of disposal. It 

 woulel not have paid charges to Colombo. New here 

 is cjrdamoms, which will grow anywhere. In how 

 many cases eloes it pay? What between drought 

 wind, unsuitable soil, thieves and disease it is not a 

 lively lookout. Happy is the man with tea. We all 

 believe in it at present. 



The biggest and most generally indulged vices in 

 Ceylon by certain classes in the community are lying 

 aud thieving. The former is only irritatmg to new- 

 comers, charitable folks who believe alt things. 

 Thieving we all suffer from. However St. Nicholas's 

 discipbs have not lately had it all their own way. 

 Formerly, if they half-murdered a watchman, broke into 

 and robbed a store, they were generally let off, and 



* Because we were the first to describe the gum leaf- 

 disease of 1882, a correspondent actually raw cur senior 

 the credit of introducing it ! — Ed. 



f Which of the two pauperized more . 



