October i, 1885,] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



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To the Editor of the " Ceylon Observer." 

 PLANTING IN BOLIVIA. 



COFFEE— CINCHONA. — COCA. 

 [AVe attract the attention of Messrs. Jobu 'Walker 

 & Co., Mr. ■\Ve8tlaud, ami others interested, to the 

 following letter.— En.l 



Hacienda " San Franci.sco," I'rov. Yungas, 



Bolivia, April 10th, 18S5. 

 Messrs. Batts, Hendy & Co., Agents of the Jl'eeUy 

 Ceylon Observer, 37, ■Walbrooli, London, E.G. 

 Deab Si i;s,— Towards the end of last year, and 

 through the medium of Mr. G. A. Witt, agent iu 

 Londou of Mr. Otto Kicliter, La Paz. we became sub- 

 sciibers to the Weekli/ Cri/lon Observer, wliich since 

 has been regularly forwarded to the addicss of Mr. 

 Maximo Schmidt, c/o Mes.srs. Eichter, Lehue & Co., 

 Lacna. The numbers received by us up to the pre- 

 sent we have read with great interest, and also found 

 therein several articles of great importance to the 

 planting districts of Yungas, situated iu the interior 

 of Bolivia. 



Allow us to remark that "planting" in Yungas 

 meets with nearly every imaginable dilBculty, «i!h 

 perhaps the only exception of climate and ground, 

 these being of the best. Scarcity of labour is a great 

 drawback ; the Indian almost the only workman to 

 be had, belonging to a most stubborn, lazy, sluggish 

 race, and takes no heed of the future, and only 

 works with but few exceptions when be is compelli d. 

 The indifference of the white native is equ.Tllj' 

 astonishing; the meaning of "Go ahead" and "Time 

 is Money" being absolutidy unknown to him, nothing 

 can induce him to abstain from following the example 

 of his ancient ancestors the " Licas." whilst a foieitjiier 

 (so-called "gringo" here) most naturally looks for pro- 

 gress iu every direction. All work is done by hand, 

 a machine of any kind being a completely unknown 

 tiling, and even looked upon as most superfluous. 

 We have endeavoured to construct a pulper and a 

 peeler for coffee, although in a pilmitivo way, but 

 suflncient for a small crop of coffee. We began, 

 however, extending our coffee plantations, and would 

 now wish to introduce a more i>ractical system of 

 coffee cultivation than has hitherto been known 

 here, the old system being still in its childhood one 

 might; say. It is desirous of doing this that we take 

 the liberty of addressing you on the subject. No 

 doubt you will be able to furnish us with drawings, 

 or at least full descriptions (price list) of the new 

 machines now used in Ceylon. E.specially obliged 

 we would feel to you if you would kindly indicate the 

 best peeler, pulper, and drier now used, and also give 

 us full <let.iil8 regarding Westland's improved sieve, 

 mentiolned in your No. of 1st Dec. 1884, p. lOOn. Climate 

 and ground here being very adequate for the cultivation 

 of coffee, coca, &c., &c., and we are of the opinion it 

 would be so for " tea " also, and would esteem it a 

 great favour if you could procure us, through your Ceylon 

 friends, some fresh seeds of the best Ceylon tea, in 

 order to make a trial. A few pounds wiuld be 

 sufiicient, but as we have never tried the cultivation 

 of tea before, we would request you to send us at 

 the same time a Tea Planters' Manual, in every con- 

 sideration as complete as possible, especially as regards 

 the planting, etc. 



LiBF.niA Coffee. — AVhat is your opinion of Liberia 

 coffee? Do you think its cultivation here would be 

 of great use? Would it be po.ssible to obtain some 

 fresh seed ? AVe received some seed some vears ago 

 through .Mr. Christy, but it arrived spoilt. We believe 

 a business with Liberia coffee could only be made 

 by a very heavy crop. Yungas coffee is of the finest 

 quality, and we believe even better than Ceylon. 



Bark. — Besides coffee we have for years past cidtiv- 

 atcd "best calisaja of Hi and 7i iJer cent," and as 

 several of the foreign houses in La Paz (four days' 

 journey from here) have often sent, and still send, 



37 



"best calisaya seed" to India, perhaps it might suit 

 your Ceylon friends to receive some direct fiom us. 

 We could otfer some at more moderate prices, and 

 even of better quality, especially as we ourselves 

 gather the seed with greatest care, and would dispatch 

 same to London ourselves at the lowest possible rate, 

 availing ourselves of the services of our partner in 

 La Paz. 



Coca. — This product we also cultivate on a largo 

 scale, and having heard that some of Ihu foreign 

 houses in La Paz have begun to export plants as 

 well as seed to London, presumably for the t'olonies, 

 we could also, if convenient to you, and desired by 

 you to do so, send you plants and seed as well as 

 coca of first quality, under the same favourable 

 conditions as referred to under " bark." 



Tkxms. — You may rest assured that any order from 

 you would be executed by us with the greatest possible 

 care, and as cheap as possible, i.e., cost price. At 

 the same time we request you, on transmitting your 

 orders, to name the firm iu Londou you authorize 

 us to draw on against shipping documents and invoice 

 attached to draft. The amount to be drawn on 90 

 days' sight for value of invoice on board "Arica " 



The amount of my order above, if possible to ex- 

 ecute same, you may receive from Mr. G. A. Witt, 

 London, 4, Cullum Street, on delivery of the parcel 

 with orders for same to be forwarded to Mr. MiLximo 

 Schmidt, c/o Mr. Otto Eichters, La Paz, Bolivia. Await- 

 ing your estemed reply, we remain, dear sirs, yours 

 very truly, LOHSE h SCHMIDT. 



P. S. — We are sending copy of above letter to 

 Messrs. A. M. & J. Ferguson, Colombo. J'cile. 



FERMENTATION— AND NEW PRODUCTS. 



London, E. C , 31st July, 1885. 



Df.ar Sir. — Following up the information con- 

 taiued in "New Commercial Plants," No. 8, upon 

 the cjuestion of " fermentation," as I have furnished 

 some papers with information, I send you detads 

 for your readers as the channels through which I 

 have communicated the information may not reach 

 Ceylon for sometime. I found that many plints 

 that yield grain do not suthcieuily mature their 

 s<el, an 1 that, ly asiisting ua'ure iu the following 

 plan, a very superior article of food is produced 

 as in cocoa. I would suggest the following ex- 

 pcrimentf, if not already known to some of your 

 readers in Ceylon and India. 



When they observe that the rice is considered 

 ripe, that is to say, before the Hag or stem is 

 entirely dead, if these planti are cut down and 

 rapid f.rmentation set up, while the grain is still 

 iu the ear, and it is then cooled iff and dried 

 and the grain taken out, it wdl be found to hav 

 immensely improved the quality and flavour of 

 the rice. The length of time ot fernipntation de- 

 pends upon the s ze of the grain, and .ilso upon the 

 maturity of the rice when out. but it would be 

 safe to let it ruu up to 13S° Fahr, if not r.ither 

 higher. I need hardly say how glad I shall be 

 to receive through your medium the information 

 of corres))ondents who will try this and leport 

 their results. 



In the edition of the Ceylon Observer just to 

 hand, the editorial note is perfectly correct, and 

 I have done my best to get a supply fioni Ceylon 

 and India of the different varietits of Erijllirorijlon 

 Cocn, and I hope shortly to be able to record 

 tests for cocaine from leaves obtained from South 

 Africa. A small quantity was stnt home by Dr 

 Bidie from Madras, but when I appln d to th<- 

 authorities at Kew, they could not spare me su'" 

 cient to make a test, hence there hns been a de';y 

 of many months, and now that Krylhro.njl r. toca 

 lecves Lave fallen to la GI per lb., there may not 

 be Iho same anxiety to obtain new varieties. 



