CINCHONA 



Cultivation 



THE CINCHONA PLANT 



Close Planting. 



Bark. 



Thinning. 

 Highest Yields. 



Barking. 



Lopping. 

 Coppicing. 



Shaving. 



Stripping and 

 Mossing. 



in lines about 2 inches apart each way. When about 4 inches high, they 

 should be again transplanted into lines 4 to 5 inches each way. When 

 9 to 10 inches high the seedlings will be ready for being placed in their 

 permanent positions, and should be transplanted in wet and cloudy weather. 

 They are then placed at distances of from 4 to 6 feet apart, according 

 to species or local necessity. The red-bark may become a considerable 

 tree, the crown-bark a medium tree, and the yellow-bark a bush 

 or small tree. Wide planting would thus obviously be an error, especi- 

 ally for the two last-mentioned forms. In fairly close planting the 

 ground is covered quickly; the plants in consequence shade the soil 

 and check the growth of weeds, protect the surface roots, and produce 

 straight stems that oppose a more compact and thus enduring face to 

 destructive winds. If they are found to be too thick they can be thinned 

 out, and an early crop of bark thus obtained. 



Bark Cultivation and Preservation. The first crop, as already men- 

 tioned, is usually obtained by thinning out the plantation, when perhaps 25 

 per cent, may be at once uprooted and barked. This thinning out may with 

 advantage be continued during the fifth or sixth years of growth, when 

 perhaps not more than half the original plants may ultimately be left 

 in the plantation. The bark is richest in alkaloid when the plant is about 

 four years old. It remains at about the same level till the seventh year ; ' 

 after that period the proportion of alkali to bark slowly diminishes. The 

 modern practice accordingly is to completely uproot a patch after the 

 plants (more especially Calitttt )/ft) have attained the age of 12 to 14 years. 

 The roots are carefully washed and barked ; in fact the richest of all 

 barks are those taken from about a foot or a foot and a half on either side 

 of the theoretical collar. Hence it may be said the roots are of much 

 value, since they contain even more alkaloid than the stems and branches. 

 The bark from both root and stem is then stripped off, care being taken 

 to carry away none of the woody structure adhering. With this object 

 rings are cut round at 18 inches apart, a longitudinal incision is then 

 made between the rings, and the bark thus removed in sections. It is 

 dried in the subdued sun or shade for two or three days, and when quite 

 dry is stored and packed and exported or conveyed to the factory. 



With standing trees the bark may be obtained by one or other of the 

 following methods : (a) Lopping off branches, and obtaining the bark 

 from these in the way already mentioned. 



(b) Coppicing. That is to say, trees when about six years old are cut 

 down to the ground and barked. Fresh shoots spring up, one or two of 

 which are allowed to grow, and these in time are again coppiced when 

 sufficiently thick to afford useful bark. This method is most suitable for 

 crown-bark. 



(c) shaving. This is a Java system. The bark is shaved off as near 

 to the cambium layer as possible but without injuring it. This is best 

 done by an instrument that resembles an ordinary spokeshave. The bark 

 is renewed quickly unless when the cambium has been interfered with. 

 The best plan is to shave off two strips on opposite sides of the stem, since 

 in this way the tree is not materially injured. In dry weather it may 

 be necessary to protect the wound by tying dry grass over it, but if close 

 planting be pursued this will not be necessary. 



(d) stripping and Mossing. This is really only a special modification 

 of the shaving process. The bark is cut off in alternate bands or strips 



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