TREATMENT OF SEEDS. 49 



tain how Cinchona could be best propagated ? Numerous 

 experiments were instituted in the treatment of both seeds 

 and cuttings, and it was found that a glass house was indis- 

 pensable, and I may say that the success of the experiment 

 would have been jeopardized had the advice of certain 

 incompetent persons been adopted. See Cinchona Blue 

 Book. 



Fortunately better counsels prevailed, and I had the satis- 

 faction of seeing my ideas carried out. It was also found 

 that after a few experiments, the propagation of the plant 

 by seeds and cuttings was by no means difficult, where first 

 principles were carried out, and correct appliances used. 



Between 1861 and 1865 Mrs. Morgan alone turned out 

 upwards of half a million of plants from cuttings. From 

 fifty seeds of Cinchona Condeminea no less than twenty-five 

 thousand cuttings were made from the fifty plants, the seed 

 produced within two years. 



Just now, 1883, it is very important to raise plants from 

 cuttings of the more valuable kinds of India rubber pro- 

 ducing trees. If a certain strain of plant is to be kept up, 

 cuttings must be resorted to ; seed is never safe especially 

 Cinchona seed. I am not aware if cuttings of mahogany 

 have been tried as it is a leguminous tree, they would pro- 

 bably succeed. It is very necessary to have some idea of 

 the soil you are going to plant, for instance, Teak will not 

 grow in pure sand nor will Casuarina grow in clayey ground. 

 The Larch prefers a sandy soil, the Oak, a clayey soil. In a 

 country like India, it is essential to study Isothermal lines 

 and not make the blunder of planting Piuus Maritima in 

 the low country, as was done some years ago. It is true, 

 that some trees have a wide range of habitat, but these are 

 exceptional, and only prove the rule. It was considered that 

 the higher Cinchona Succirubra was planted the greater 

 would be the yield of Quinine ; but there was a limit, for it 

 was found that the west of Ootacamund the tree would not 

 grow over six thousand feet, but east it grew well at that 

 elevation. The same with Cinchona Calisaya, this would not 



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