786 



THE TROPICA! AGRICULTURIST. 



[April i, 1885. 



the Blackmiu's Air-propeller Company would give 

 reasonable help to any planter inclined to work it 

 out. Let any such apply to rne and I will give what 

 assistance I can. EDWARD MONEY. 



♦ 



JAVA GOVERNMENT OINOHONA PLANTATIONS. 



RErORT ON THE GOVERNMENT CINCHONA ENTERPRIZE IN 

 JAVA FOB THE FOURTH QUARTER 1884. 



{Translated for the "Ceylon Observer.") 

 The beginning of this quarter was marked by many 

 dry days. In November many heavy showers of rain fell, 

 whilst in December again many dry days were registered. 

 The supply of labor was very large: in fact, the force 

 available could not always be utilized in connection with 

 the funds set apart for the cinchona enterprize. The 

 gathering of bark was, so far as the weather permitted, 

 carried on uninterrupted .y. As in the previous quarter so 

 also in this pretty large quantities of Ledgeriana slivers 

 were gathered. Important experiments were made with 

 the scraping of Ledgerianas aud officinalis, which deserve 

 mention. As has already been noticed, the middle and 

 the end of the cast monsoon are the best period for show- 

 ing olf the bark. In order to dispeuse with covering, the 

 trees were shaved over only half their circumference, 

 so that, for example, one year the south half, the near 

 the north half, is subjected to the operation. The 

 question was raised, however, whether the trees might 

 not yield two crops of bark in one year, without 

 covering, by means of scraping. The experiment was 

 made on a large scale, and the result has so far fully 

 answered expectations under the following conditions : — 

 (1) that a thorough working of the soil accompany the 

 repeated shaving ; (2) that between the two crop- 

 pings a period of at least 2i months elapse. If both 

 conditions be not carried out the trees suffer, especially 

 after the second operatiou, to such an extent that they 

 soon assume a sickly appearance. The question has now 

 to be solved, whether the trees will be able to bear the 

 repeated operation, as well as whether the composition of 

 the renewed bark warrants the abovementioned method 

 of harvesting. The graft plantations of known, analysed 

 trees at Tirta^ari ought during 1885 to yield the necess- 

 ary material for chemical investigations. The crop of 1834 

 comprized about 350,000 Amst. pound. Of this by Dec. 

 31st 3L4.3S7 lb. had been dispatched to Batavia, whilst 

 2 263 lb. 'was reserved for the local military medical service. 

 On 15th Oct. the second half of the product of the crop 

 of 1883 was sold by public auction at Amsterdam. The 

 prices obtained were considerably less than those fetched 

 at the sale of 19th July. The highest price was paid for 

 a lot of Ledgeriana slivers, which fetched as high as/2 19 

 per half kilogram. The lowest price was given for dust of 

 0. Josephiana, which bark realized only /0'05 to /0 32 

 per half kilo. As the harvesting of this most interior 

 bark no longer pays the cost of packing and dispatch, 

 the product of young branches and twigs will in future 

 not be gathered* Good prices were paid for officinalis 

 barks These varied from /T70 per half kilo for root 

 bark to fOSo for dust. The net result of the sale was 

 about f li-J.OHO, with an average price of /0G!) 3j per 

 half kilo. A beginning was made in November with the 

 planting out, which work is, so far as the weather per- 

 mits, being carried ou uninterruptedly. The plentiful rams 

 after the severe drought in the last monsoon had a favor- 

 able influence on the growth of the plantations, whilst 

 the plants in the nurseries also developed vigorously aud 

 will yield a good supply for planting in the first quarter 

 of 1885. Shortly after the setting in of the rains the 

 Hdopeltis Antonii again appeared in full force, especially 

 at Tiiuiiroean aud Tirtasari. By a timely catching and 

 killing of the insects the damage done was very small.* 

 The sale of cinchona seed at three auctions held during the 

 quarter brought iu /4.770, whilst at two sales of grafts 

 3(30 of these were sold for /3.U00. By Government order 

 No. 4 c of 28th Dec. 1884 it was resolved that in future 

 the Ledgeriana grafts aud cinchona seed not required for 

 the Government enterprize should be sold by public auction 

 without limit. VanBomonde, 

 Director, Govt. Cinehona Enterprize. 

 Bandoeng, 5th Jan. 1885. ; 



* if. B.—ViD. 



ARECANUT CULTIVATION IN CEYLON. 

 We call attention to the useful information on 

 this subject conveyed by Mr. Borron in his letter 

 published on page 791. Although, as the writer says, 

 there is still a good deal of special knowledge only 

 to be attained at the cost of time or money, still 

 enough is told us to show that the European planter 

 might do worse than turn his attention to the areca 

 palm. Six years' waiting for a crop is the chief 

 drawback ; but this is so much less than in the case 

 of coconuts, although the areca palm is almost equally 

 long lived, that it ought rather to encourage than prevent 

 the planting of arecas. Mr. Borron may be de- 

 pended on as a careful estimator, and his calculation 

 of an average return of 20 cents per tree per an- 

 num, with trees planted 10 by 10 feet is eminently 

 moderate and safe. That would make 435 trees and 

 a gross return of RS7 per acre. From this would 

 have to be deducted the cost of upkeep, watching 

 and harvesting the fruit. After six years' growth, the 

 cost of maintenance would be very slight we should 

 say, although, of course, such works as digging and 

 manuring would, if carried on, cost money, but they 

 should bring in a due return if judiciously undertaken. 

 Watching and gathering aud selling the nuts would 

 therefore seem practically to be the chief items, on the 

 debit side. We suppose, then, that a net annual return of 

 R60 per acre might safely be counted on (where other 

 products shared the attention of the Superintendent) and 

 this steadily coming in from 100 or even 40 acres 

 of arecauuts is a source of income not to be despised. 

 Fifty rupees per acre was mentioned the other day 

 as the net return from average well-managed coconut 

 plantations. So that arecas must be deemed more 

 protitable. 



We are aware that far more sanguine estimates 

 have been put forward by a planter in the south of the 

 island (vide the i'ropkal Agriculturist for April .1883) j 

 but these wero based ou the planting of 1,200 trees per 

 acre, such trees and still yielding at the rate of 300 nut s 

 per tree ! The result was to be a nett profit of R140 — 

 the expenditure however costing R100 per acre. We 

 need scarcely say that Mr. Borron's calculation seems 

 the safe practical one, aud indeed it is based on 

 actual experience over some 4U acres planted by him 

 aud in bearing. There may, however, be such a 

 difference between the Lower Matale and Udagama 

 districts as to warrant closer planting, but not surely 

 to the extent of crowding 1,200 instead of 435 palms 

 into the acre. 



Anyhow, arecanut planting is worthy of more general 

 attention, aud ai a very mitable addition to other 

 products on plantations under 2,500 feet elevation 

 with a decent soil and a suitable rain fail, we strongly 

 recommend it. In the Kegalla, Awisawella, Yatiyantota 

 and Kalutara distric's, and indeed around Gampola 

 and N iWalapitiya and perhaps Kandy, there ought 

 to be room for putting iu fields of areca palms as 

 still another product, and one of the least trouble- 

 some, tor the plauter to add to his reserve list. 



Manuring Coffee. — A coffee proprietor writes : — 

 "I am so pleased with the result of \ lb. of 

 mamure to a tree, that I have on its way a ship- 

 ment of manure from a London linn who I do not 

 think have ever sent manure before to Ceylon. I 

 have not lost heart yet iu coffee (while new pro- 

 ducts r< ceive attention). We cannot help the effect 

 of ware and rumours "f wars, nor the. depression 

 which is so universal, and I think that patience 

 aud steady work must eventually meet with reward. 



