«46 ‘CHINCHONA CULTIVATION IN INDIA. 
dintion. "In addition to the shade of the branches of bamboos, the soil | 
"around the roots of the young Chinehona plant was covered’ with one : 
or two inches in thickness’ of half-deeayed leaves, and the plants thus — 
treated have a very great luxuriance; which has not been exceeded” by 
any of the plants in our propagating houses. To ascertain the cause - 
of this luxurianee, a few plants were examined at the end of the dry 
season, when the soil about the roots was found perfectly moist, and - 
thousands of young roots of great strength had penetrated the cni: 
of decayed leaves. ; 
“The following table illustrates the growth of six plants placed: "m | 
in a cleared spot on the highest and coldest part of the Nedduwa t = 
plantation :— 
Height when planted, Height on 14th 
th Sept. 186; May, 1862. 
No. E Chinchona succirubra . . Qinches . . . 2ft.5in. 
No. " sétccirubra ci viole win cov peovk oideis n 
es T micrantha , Sira um C 
No. 4 ý micrantha . S x 1 4 
ee ee pu 
No.6.  , ' wida'. y 1 6 
** This result cannot but be viewed as most satisfactory; it establishes 
beyond a doubt that our Chinchona plants will grow well under open — 
cultivation, and thus the experiment will no doubt secure to us all the 
advantages we can desire. 
— f It is not only upon these six plants which this opinion is ound : 
but also on observations made upon many hundreds of plants placed — 
out in our nurseries in December last. A portion of our nurseries were — 
left partially shaded by living trees, while other portions were entirely - 
open; at the end of March the plants left shaded by living trees had — 
scarcely made any progress, while those in the open part of the nur- - 
series had grown upwards of a foot; we therefore cut down the whole — 
of the trees which shaded the nursery, with the exception of one, dit | 
could not be felled without damage to the young plants. | 
* From the observations made under the preceding head, I "d 
most respectfully recommend to the Government that in our operations . 
of next season, the principle of open cultivation alone be pursued. 1> 
“The advantages of open cultivation are such as cannot fail to carry - 
conviction to the mind of every man who will give the subject 9 — 
