58 



IMPROVED PROSPECTS OF 



Chap. III. 



the upper bark, and a very much smaller proportion, which, 

 too, is amorphous and of little commercial value, in the bark 

 of the roots. This law of nature, the existence of which is 

 proved by all experience, would have to be reversed in order 

 to enable the Dutch to extract large supplies of quinine from 

 the roots of a species, such as C. Pahudiana, which contains 

 none in the upper bark. 



It is much to be regretted that the scientific men in Javp,, 

 instead of exerting all their skill and talent in the work 

 of cultivating C. Calisaya and C. lancifolia, of the value of 

 which there is no doubt, should have filled the forests of 

 Java with a kind which from the first was known to be of 

 very doubtful value, was unknown in commerce, and the cul- 

 tivation of which will, it is to be feared, only end in loss and 

 disappointment. 



The valuable species were found to be much more tender, 

 and more sensitive to external unfavourable influences, than 

 the Q. Pakudiana ; the latter was therefore propagated 

 rapidly, and unwisely allowed to outstrip the other kinds in 

 the race, and the consequence has been that it has gained 

 an immense preponderance. Thus, so far as valuable species 



of ehinchona-plants are concerned, the Dutch experiment in 

 Java has been attended by a very small measure of success. 

 After thi-ee years the Dutch gardeners only had forty plants of 



" Howard. No. 7 {note). 



' Report of Mr. Fraser. 



