Dec. I, 1885.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



403 



We should tliiuk it scarcely worth while to grow 

 this latter tree beside the true cinchonas. The trees 

 on the Wood estate had been destroyed by " the 

 pestilent sambur," what we caJl the elk in Ceylon 

 nnd whicli seemed to liave ceased their ravages in 

 Ceylon. Mr. Lawson makes rather an Irish state- 

 ment : — 



I have ordered at a cost of lvGL*l-ll-(i barbed wire, 

 with which to entirely fence the estate, as I have 

 t'ouud that trying to sboot the sambur down is of 

 little aviil; for as fast as one is shot aiiotlier takes its 

 place. Jlr. Uliodes Morgan, Di'puty Conservator of 

 Forests in the iSouthern Oirnle, who has spent much 

 time in patiently investigating tlie habits of these pests, 

 informs me that the Siimbur is migratory, and that there 

 is a cousiant stream uf tlicm passing at om^ time of 

 the year from tlie plains to the bills, and at another 

 time of the year from the hills to tliei>lains. This, if 

 correct, fully explains why there is no apparent de- 

 crease in their number notwithstanding the assiduity 

 of the Uoverument shikari. 



Now, surely, whether the sambur (Hiixu An'stutrlis) 

 is migrntoiy or stationary, surely constant 

 shooting woulil thin the numbers if it did not ex- 

 tirpate the deer. From our hills this great animal 

 is likely soon to disappear. We quote what J(r. 

 Lawson writes about hybrids : — 



There are two notable species of cinchona, viz. : — 



(aj 0' titiccifitlhtt. 

 (b) C- officiiitili:!. 



These two species freely hybridize. Some of the 

 hybridize approach more closely to C. fiKccimhrtt 

 while others approach more closely to ('. oi/kinali.^. 



('. iiilm.ita is the name whicli has been given by 

 Dr. Trimen to alf such hyi>rids. 



O. jiitfn-M:riis is the name given on these hills to 

 those Uyhriris which more closely approach < '. .vhcci- 

 rii/tra. This form thrives best at a moderately low 

 situation and in more sheltered places. It has the 

 light green tender leaf of C. stircirnhra and tlie same 

 habit of growth, but it is slightly more hardy. 



('. iitatjui/nlia is the name given to tliosc hybrids 

 which more closely approach V. aliicimtlix. This form 

 grows well at high elevations and on exposed and 

 rocky ground. The leaves in its most characteristic 

 form are of a dark, rich glo.ssy green; they arc 

 also tough and leathery, which enables it to resist 

 better the evil effect of high winds. In its habit of 

 growth it is similar to ('. nuccirubm, but is much 

 more stnrdy. 



Kxperunents which 1 have made on the keeping 

 properties of cinchona seeds show that it loses its 

 germinating power if kept several mouths exposed to 

 the air, but that if the air is excluded, the seetl retains 

 its vitality for a considerable time longer. 



Perfectly fresh ripe seed ought to bo a pale green 

 color, but a short exposure to the air turns this to 

 a dull red. UTiis change is due to the oxidation of 

 the fixed oils which the seed contains in great abund- 

 ance. This change in color is by no means necess- 

 arily indicative of the seed having lost its germin- 

 ating power. 



The bark taken off tlie trees in the year was 

 118,000 lb. 



The following items are interesting : — 

 J''i:ki. Sdi'I'I.v. — In my last year's rejiort, paragraph 

 .S<>, I stated that the shulas upon wliieh the estates 

 had hitherto been dependent for fuel weie nearly ex- 

 hausted, and that I proposed replanting the old 



sholas with /■'mithl/ifu.t and Ai-Ufia mr/ann.if/tint. This 



was in a great })art done, but owing to the nnseason- 

 ableness of th<! weather immediately after the plant- 

 ing had been effected, nearly the whole of the trees 

 died out. I do not now intt-nd making any provision 

 for a fresh supply of fuel ivrvH as i have reeeutly 

 leariieil that tlie Forest Department will be able to 

 give all that is needed by tin: estate at a reasonable 

 cost close at hand. 



LAnou. — I am happy to say that I have been able, 

 at last, to do away with the system of paving the 

 maistries on the Nadiivatani and Hooker c'states a 

 commission on tlie; earnings of thoTcooliea emploved. 

 The maistries are now paid fixed s.llaries only. 'J'liis 

 alteration has been made possible during "the last 

 year only on aiu:onnt of tlie .yrcat deerease which has 

 occurred in the deiaaiid for labor in the Wynaad. 



The piop r storing up of m:imne has hitherto been 

 sadly neglected, tlio suboidinates on the estates liav- 

 iug been utterly ignorant of the first principles upon 

 wliieh tbis branch of agrieulture ought to be conducted. 

 I have, therefore, during the past year paid special at- 

 tention to this subject. Formerly tbe daily produce of 

 the cattle slieds was thrown out in loose heaps, where 

 half of the valuable annnaniacil salts, according to 

 the season, were eilher evaporat>*d or washed away, 

 I have now bad pits dug eight feet deep and tbe jiroduce 

 of the cattle slieds well trodilen down when it is put 

 in and, whenever necessary, watered. I have also at 

 Naduvatam, llookir ami Wood, where the rainfall is 

 excessive, put a roof of tliateh oier theijits. l!y these 

 means I look to beini,' able to turn out in all seasons 

 exactly tbe sort of manure I wish to bavc — that is a 

 short well-rolled eoiujiost very rich in animouiacal salts. 

 NcusKriii-.s. — 0>vinj,' to the small demand there ia 

 now on the part of the public for ciucboua plants, I 

 have ivdui-'cd the numlMi- cd' nurseries on all the estates 

 to one a |iiece. This is aniplefor the requirements of 

 the ]ilantations and will Iso suffice to accommodate 

 100,(100 of each of the more commonly grown varieties, 

 sliould a deniaiiil for plants again arise, I^ast year 

 some 1,00(1,001) seiullioys were thrown away as useless. 

 From the accounts we see that the expenditure on 

 manure last year was no less than IKi.Hlil. We 

 notice that the ipiantities of green bark obtained 

 from trees under (he stripping and mossing pro- 

 cesses, were .'( lb. per tree ; eopi)icing and uproot- 

 in;; 1 lb. per tree ; scraped i lb. 



The (iovernnient order on the reports takes it 

 or giiinted that the Nilgiri hybrids will be repre- 

 sented in the collection which Mr. Lawson 

 proposes to bring together ; the result of the ap- 

 plication ill former years of artilieial manures is 

 asked for, and it is stated that tlie result of Mr. 

 Lawsou's expcrinieiit with silos will be watched 

 with great interest. From this order we gather 

 that the liquid preparation of ciiiclioiia can 

 be obtained 'M per cent cheaper than the 

 North of India febrifuge and that it is hoped the 

 prico may be still further reduced. The sales of 

 bark were better than had been expected. The 

 estimates were liOO bales of 100 each at 117.5 per 

 bale, but the actual sales reached 81!) bales at a 

 fraction over 100 rupees each, — that is Kl per lb. 

 average. 



The detailed papers (which are given on pages 

 ■117-118) will be found interesting and useful, now 

 that cinc'haiia is rather looking up again. 



KEPOKT ON THE GOVERNMENT CINCHONA 

 ENTEUPUI8E IN JAVA FOR THE 2ND 

 QUARTER lHHr>. 

 (Tniualdli'd for till' " Tropical Aiiririiltiiriiit.") 

 The weather continued very rainy during the first 

 part of the ipiarter. About the middle of May a 

 severe drought suddenly commenced, which lasted 

 till the end of the past quarter. The drought was 

 accompanied by strong east winds, and the temp- 

 eratnru went down at night almost to freezing jioint; 

 at Tjibitoeng night frosts even were ex periencu-d, wliieli 

 however dill 00 iiariii to the plants. The dry weather 

 and tbe higli teoiperatnie (huiii(4 tbe whole of the 

 day exercised, after tbe eontiniioiis and abundant rain, 

 a very fiivonrable iiifhieiK-e on tbe plants, and the 

 harvesting ,was carried on vigorously without hindr- 

 ance. Of the crop of IssS, which was estimated to 



