3oi 



THE TROPICAL AORlCULTUKlSf. tOcTomn t, M5. 



energetically, with South America as sources of quiuiue 

 barks of tlie first quality. * ^ 



Nevi'rtheless, the most contradictory testimony exists 

 as to the compHrative value of the barks grown in the 

 new and old localities. It may be taken for granted 

 that Sacc's letter above referred to, which was ad- 

 dressed to the French Academy, endeavours to make 

 out that the South American barks are still the best, 

 though we have occasionally seen directly opposite 

 statements. It is probable that many j^ears must be 

 allowed to elapse before it will be possible to decide 

 this question with anything approaching to scientific 

 accuracy. '1 he plants in the new districts must have 

 time to acclimatize themselves thoroughly before their 

 full alkaloid-yielding power can be expected to become 

 manifest. f 



However that may be, the results from India and 

 Ceylon have been most encouraging, and clearly in- 

 dicate that better results still are probably in store 

 for these Eastern localities. 



It is satisfactory to know that for the last ten 

 years great efforts have been made in Bolivia to im- 

 prove the culture of cinchona trees and the modes 

 of collecting the bark, advantageous efforts that will 

 be felt throughout the world ; and we are assured that 

 the wanton destruction of the trees has been checked. 

 Dr. Sacc informs us that new plants are being reared 

 by millions. These are sown in special beds, w^henco 

 the owners of plantations come and fetch them as 

 soon as the shoots are large enough to find a per- 

 manent home on the mountain slopes. There are, at 

 the present moment, seven Bolivian villiages where 

 the number of young cinchona plants amounts to a 

 total of no less than 3,942,000, all of which will be at 

 their prime in ten to fifteen years hence, j; 



Two lb. avoirdupois of the calisaya bark of Bolivia 

 yields about 1 oz. of sulphate of quinine, according to 

 the French chemists ; and in spite of the well-known 

 dilBculties of transportation, 2 lb. of this bark, which 

 is j.said to be worth 5s. on the spot where it is pro- 

 duced, can be sold in Paris at 8s. or 9s. [Hem !— Ed.] 



One of our correspondents, writing from South Amer- 

 ica last year, informs us that it is still the custom to 

 cut down the trees in order to strip them of their 

 bark; but that endeavours are being made to induce 

 the planters to make some trials of strijipiug with- 

 out felling, as is done in Southern Europe with the 

 cork trees. In this way it is hoped to obtain the bark 

 and preserve the tree. , . . 



Bolivia occupies a space much larger than that of 

 Great Britain ; its superficies is estimated to be twice 

 as great as that of France. It is covered with mount- 

 ains to tbo west and south, whence numerous streams 

 arise and How down into the torrid plains of the north- 

 ern and eastern districts, which are thus irrigated and 

 enjoy a nio.st fertile soil. The new railroads which arc 

 in contemplation, or in course of construction, will, no 

 doubt ensure fur Bolivia better prospects for the 

 future; and their inlii'ence will make itself felt in .some 

 ew years' time, when aline of railway that connec'S 

 this vast province with the Argentine Republic, and 

 other lines in cnntemplatiou, shall be in full working 

 order. Thus Bolivia would eventually be connected on 

 one side with the Pacific and on the other with the 

 river Paraguay, finding a ready outlet for its cinchona 

 bark, coffee, cocoa, maize, sugar, alpaca wool, A'igoyna 

 wool, gold, silver, mercury, copper, lead, tin, bismuth, 

 sulphur, alum, nitrate of soda, guano, jaguar .skins, tapir 

 skins, guanaco skius, &c. But to inspire the confidence 

 of Europeans, an 1 to induce them to invest capital 

 in r.oiiviii, something more than the natural resources 

 of that country and its actual i xports must be taken 

 into consideration; namely, thecharader of the popul- 



*^Ye do not believe that E6union has exported a 

 bale of bark.— Ed. , , , 



t At an early date in the enterprize Howard declared 

 the Hast ludia Bark to he superior, and uotliing from 

 South America can compare with tho Ledgenana 

 bark of Java. — Ei>. 



I" All of which"! No; only a percentage will sur- 



afious, their capacity for work, their numbers, and the 

 nature and stability of the Government.* 



New species or varieties of cinchona are continually 

 attiacting attention, the idea being prevalent that .some 

 kinds .are more easily acclimatized and more profit- 

 ably cultivated in various parts of the world than 

 others. A very short time ago Cincliona Lediicriana 

 absorbed a large amount of notice, and now a good 

 deal of attention centres on C. ntprea. f 



Other valuable varieties have been talked about in 

 London as likely to become more or less celebrated, 

 whether grown in Ceylon or elsewhere. Among these 

 we may mention " Calisaya morada veluta " (or C'(K- 

 clion-i calisat/u, var Bolieiana, subvar. pubeicens) and 

 the so-called " Cali.saya verde " {Cinchana calisaya, 

 var. olilouffifolia). Besides these two we have also the 

 *' Calisaya fina " (Cinchona caliaaya^ var. vtrii.) 



"We trust that the species and varieties of cinchona 

 have ceased to form the subject of pharmaceutical ex- 

 aminations; otherwise, we pity the candidate who has 

 to answer the questions ! 



Of the Ca'isai/a vcnle, Mr. Markham says he was 

 told it was a very large tree, wholly devoid of any red 

 colour on the leaves, and usually growing very far 

 down the valleys, and even iu the plains. From 600 

 to 700 lb. of bark is the habitual yield of a tree of 

 this kind, whilst the Ca/isat/a Jina is said to yield 

 only about half that quautity. 



Uu the other hand, Mr. Holmes seems to aiJirm 

 that Calisaya vmle is the most satisfactory cinchona 

 plant for profitable cultivation, and something to the 

 same effect reaches us from Bolivia. It is asserted 

 that, although this tree yields only G}, to 9 per cent 

 of pm-e sulphate of quinine, \\hile the best Ledi/ct'iana 

 b.ark yields about 13 i^er cent in favourable circum- 

 stances, and other varieties not more than C per cent, 

 yet, as the Calisaya rerd6 yie (Is ohont tuice tJte cunovat 

 of lark that the others do, its product is equivalent 

 in reality to 13 or 18 per cent of sulphate of quinine. 

 The Calisaya verde appears certainly to be a more 

 vigorous tree than the more delicate Ledyeriana, and 

 as it will grow at a lower elevation, li is obvious 

 that it might be cultivated to a much greater extent. 

 It may also prove valuable for grafting the Ledi/eriana 

 upon it; though the attempt to graft the latter upon 

 Cinchona sncciriilira has proved quite unsuccessful up 

 to the present time. [This is new to us and will be 

 new to Mr. Moens.— Ed.] 



As we have just mentioned C. sttccirubraj we may 

 allude, iu a few words, to the efltects of altitude on 

 the yield of quinine, as brought to light by the cul- 

 tivation of this species of cinchona iu Ceylon. "X'ery 

 carefid analyses have been made of this bar\!, taken 

 from two trees of common oiigin, one of which had been 

 planted at an altitude of 5,5C0 feet, and the other 

 at a height of 1,500 feet only above the level of tho 

 sea. Both trees grew in the plantations started in 

 1803, and, when the said analyses were made, were 

 close upon twenty years of age. According to Trinien, 

 they had vegetated in precisely similar conditions, with 

 the exception of the difference of climate due to 4,000 

 feet diftereuce of altitude. The tree at 5,500 feet 

 had reached 37 feet iu height, measured from the 

 ground to a point where the stem is only 1 inch 

 thick. Near the soil it was 37 inches in circumfer- 

 ence. It yielded 25 lb. of Jry liark, which is equal 

 to about 77 lb. of fresh moist bark. 



The other tree was about the same size, but cnly 

 measured 20 inches in circumference near the soil, 

 and yielded not more than 7 lb. of dry Inirt (equivalent 

 to about -1 lb. of fresh moist bark). Here arc the 

 analyses alluded to: — 



Svdphatc of quinine 

 (Quinine 

 (.'iuchonidine 

 Cinchouiue 



Altituilt , Altitude, 

 5,500 Fe-»„*g;,'^SlH) Feet. 



- 'i'P- If tbe-wi;"?; 



::: 5Sfe.'"-%-,i5 



OCl 



1-67 



•Labour is dcnr and bad, and the country 

 generally in a state of anarchy. — Ed. 

 t 'Which is uot a true ciuchona.— Eu, 



