102 



IN THE TROPICS [PT. n 



cautiously at first, but with a rush so soon as the profits realised 

 by the first planters became known. A large area was rapidly 

 covered with the tree, and prices of quinine fell rapidly, till at 

 last they reached one shilling an ounce. The figures of export 

 from Ceylon, with the average prices of quinine, may be quoted 

 here, as they show what went on better than any description : 



Export of bark Price of Quinine an ounce 



1875 19,152 Ibs. 6s. 9d. 



1880 1,208,000 12*. Od. 



1885 11,678,000 2s. 3d. 



1886 15,365,000 (maximum) 



1890 8,729,000 Is. Id. 



1895 920,000 Is. Id. 



1900 591,000 Is. Id. 



1905 171,485 Is. Id. 



The reduction of the price to such an enormous extent 

 made the cultivation in Ceylon unprofitable, and it was rapidly 

 given up, the more so as tea was at the same time coming in, 

 and proving to be very remunerative. At the present time, 

 there is but little cinchona cultivated in Ceylon, probably about 

 150 acres in all. 



In India the cultivation was but little taken up by private 

 individuals, but was largely gone in for by the Government, 

 especially in the Nilgiri Mountains in Madras, and in the 

 Himalaya near Darjeeling. The Indian Government has not 

 entered the open market as a competitor, but manufactures its 

 own quinine for sale to the people of India, who by an admirable 

 arrangement introduced by the late Sir George King, Superin- 

 tendent of the Calcutta Botanic Gardens, are enabled to buy 

 packets containing one dose of 7 grains at" the price of one pice 

 (i.e. one farthing) at any post office in India. This has done a 

 great deal against that scourge of the poorer people of India, 

 malaria. 



At the same time that Ceylon was giving up cinchona, 

 Java was taking it up, in the slow but persistent way that 

 characterises the Dutch planters, and at the' same time, by 

 the aid of science, taking steps to improve the yield of the 

 alkaloids in the bark by a careful selection. This selection has 



