420 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[Dec, I, 1S85. 



8. ('. oiJicinalis. — The samples of this species were 

 suiucted from typical trees growiug oa the Dodabetta 

 plaiitiitious. The analysis of the natural bark is the 

 average of eight analyses made on trees of 23, 19, ' 

 and 11 years of agf. and dilferiug in having broad < 

 and ii»i*row leaves. The mossed and renewed are each I 

 the average of three analyses made on trees of dif- ' 

 fereut ages. As far as these few results go, it appears 

 that, on the whole, the younger trees are siiperior to 

 the older ones, and the uarrovv-leaved variety than 

 tlie broad-leaved. The follo\viug amounts of quiuine 

 were determiuGd in three kinds of crown bark from 

 trees of the same age : — 



Narrow leaf. Broad leaf. 



Katui-al 2-85 2-95 



Blossed 4m 3-47 



Kenewed 4-48 3-85 



These experiments were repeated on three trees of 

 a younger growth which showed a marked difference 

 in shape of leaf. The trees had been planted in 1SG9, 

 and coppiced in 1879. The respective barks gave the 

 following percentages of quinine ; — 



Very narrow. Narrow. Broad. 



3-15 2-71 2-44 



9. The variety of this species, named Anffustif^fia, 

 some years ago created a widespread interest on 

 account of the extraordinary amount of quinine founcl 

 in it by Broughton and Howard. The samples were 

 taken from a tree 20 years old ; it was 10 feet high 

 with a circumference of 18 inches. The results of 

 the analysis shows its superiority over ordinary crown 

 bnrks, but in its present condition it appears to 

 have no claim whatever to be a prodigy in, cinchona 

 culture. 



12. The Pitai/e/isis bark is characterised by yielding 

 an unusual quantity of the alkaloid quinidine. The 

 first sample is from a tree twelve years old raised 

 from seed brought by ]\Ir. Gross from Pitayo in New 

 Urenada; thu second sample hiid been raised from 

 seeds not from Pitayo, but from a district passed 

 on his return journey. These two varieties will be 

 subjected to fui-theL' coiisideration. 



13. The analysis of tlie Ledf/eriana tree at Nadu- 

 vatam is fairly representative. The bark, although 

 old, is very thin. This demonstrates from a commer- 

 cial point of view, that a planter should not ouly 

 look for a large alkalnid yield, but he should consider 

 a iM)orev treu producing rapidly a large quantity of 

 bark to bo of equal iinpnrtance to a richer tree pro- 

 ducing slowly a very thin bark. The broad and uarrow- 

 leavod vavieties were from C^oonoor and of three years' 

 growth. The cinchonine is so high in each of tbeni 

 that they cannot be rcgartled as pure tjiies of a 

 Jjcdger. The Ledger bark from the South Wyiiaad 

 was an average sample of shavings taken from 21 

 trees of 5^ years old; the amount of quinine is equi- 

 valent to ll'Jil per cent of the crystallised sulphate; 

 this is ouo of the highest I'csults obtained in South 

 India. 



11. The samples of C. morada and C vfnle were 

 from young trees grown in the same estate near Cali- 

 cut. The first was taken from "20 average trees, 

 with a girth of 5K inches, broad leaf, dark olive green, 

 red midrib, and under surface purple or tiesh-colored." 

 The second was taken from "20 average trees with 

 a girth of six iuclius, narrower leaf, color light-greeu, 

 yellowish mid-rib, and xqiper surface of the leaf smooth." 

 The analysis and thickness of stem are exceedingly 

 good for such young plants, and those results appar- 

 ently contradict the unfavorable statements made in 

 certain (piarters respecting them. 



15. Complete OMaI(/sis of a tree. — In December last 

 a tree of Cinchona svccmihra growing at Naduvatam 

 was subuiiUed to a thorough examination, in order 

 to discover the distribution of alkaloids in its various 

 parts. Tlie tree was 23 years old and 31 feet high; 

 it had grown in an exposed situation, and had never 

 been barked or mossed. The stem was cut into 11 



equal lengths from base to summit. The whole yielded 

 of dry bark — 



Koot ... 

 Stem 



Brauch ... 



Twig ... 



Total... 27 14 

 Leaves dried ... ... ... 2 



A portion of the bai-k from u.ich length was then 

 examined separately, also samples of the root, branch, 

 twig and leaves. 



In the following t.ible the results are recorded ; the 

 amount of moisture in each is reduced to the same, 

 so that the whole may be comparable. The first seven 

 are each the mean of two analyses : — 



a .S a 



Is 1 .^ 



3 .H^^ '3 .3 



0,M 



Root bark ... '98 -66 -45 209 117 5-30 3-25 



Stem below ground -73 1-1.5 trace VS9 •!14 4-21 3-SS 



2nd portion of stem -GS 1-04 ... 1-.52 '75 397 342 



3rd do do ... •e3 -97 ... 1-2!) •02 3-81 3-43 



4th do do ... -65 -0.5 ... 1-30 77 3-67 3-35 



.■^th do do ... -72 1-00 ... 1-21 -78 3-71 3-3S 



Gth do do ... -75 1-01 ... 1-11 73 360 320 



7th do do ... -78 l-U ... 1-17 -80 3-8(i 3-10 



8th do do ... •S^ 1-23 ... 1-13 -82 4-05 3-32 



!)th do do ... -97 1-32 ... 1-30 -60 4-19 3-31 



10th do do ... -98 1-36 ... 1-42 -65 4-41 3-56 



11th do do ...1-01 1-37 ... 2-28 -.51 5-17 3-83 



Branch ... ... -95 1-35 ... 2-10 -60 S'OO 4\S6 



Twig -29 -34 ... -34 242 339 5-01 



Leaves ... ... 23 ... "02 -45 -70 5-74 



IG. The effect of sun-light and shade upon the 

 amount of quinine in cinchona bark w.as the subject 

 of an iuvestigatiou by my predecessor Mr. Jolni Brough- 

 ton, but to know if tliese influences were still' at 

 work, and if so, to what exteut, the follmving ex- 

 periment was made. A tree of C. puhesrens of twenty 

 years' growth was taken at Naduvatam. It was on 

 the margin of a plot, and so situated tliat its south 

 side was freely exposed to the sun, th t north siile 

 was protected and shaded by the other tr<'es in its 

 vicinity. A strip of bark from each side was taken, 

 ih'icd and analysed. The percentage composition was 

 as follows ; — 



Quinine 



Cinchonidine 

 Cinchonine ... 

 Amorphous ... 



Total 



u-77 



17. Moisim/ and Reni trim/.— The ptuekss of •• nios.s. 

 ing" has now been adopted in the plantations for 

 about twenty years, and has been most valuable in 

 increasing the amount of alkaloids .'md es)ieeially of 

 ([ninine in cinchona bark. But whether the system 

 is still successful when applied to older trees miiler 

 cultivation, appeared to be an important subject for 

 in(|uiry. The following experiments were made upon 

 trees of C o//ii'(«n/w nearly twenty years old from 

 riot 12, Dodabetta. Early in October last saniiiles 

 were taken for analysis from three individual trees, 

 as natural, mossed and renewed hark in strips. The 

 trees wore respectively covered with mo.ss and labi lied, 

 and tho sam|)les analysed. After six moiitlis' interval 

 the trees were again visited and samples taken. The 

 renewals had not sufficiently developeil to enable 

 then\ to be tested, thev were very thin niid adhered 

 closely to the wood. A portion of the bark which 

 had been lunlcrmoss six months, and further portions 

 of tho mossed and renewed barks were separated. 



