AiT. 1). CHLVCHONAS IN SOUTHEliN INDIA. 567 



the seeds began to germinate veiy viguiously on the sixteenth ilay alter 

 sowing, and now, 17th March 1862, or twenty-nine days alter sowing, 

 upwards of sixty per celit. of the wliole of the perfect seeds sown have 

 germinated, and we may fairly hope to rear over ninety jx-r cent, of this 

 sowing. I may, however, observe that these seeds possessed the great 

 advantage of being forwarded to India in a letter, and thiis they were never 

 subjected to the damaging effects produced on seeds sent out in air-tight 

 parcels. The reason of this is the want of a circulation of air through the 

 packets, and a consequent deposit of moisture on the interior of the outer 

 covering by every increase and decrease of temperature on the voyage. As 

 soon as the seeds germinate thej^ are carefully pricked out into fresh ix)ts 

 (the soil bemg prepared as before described for the seeds). This must of 

 Course be done wilh very great care, the radicle being carefully covered 

 with soil, while the seed and cotyledons aie kept above the surface. In this 

 way about twenty-five seedlings are transplanted into a four-inch pot, and 

 treated in every respect the same as the seeds ; that is, they are never 

 watered, the soil being merely sprinkled as before stated to keep it in that 

 medium state of moisture in which it was first put into the pots. Tliis 

 prevents the damping off of the seedlings, to which they are very liable 

 when treated othervrise ; it also greatly facilitates their gi'owth and the 

 formation of roots, the soil being so perfectly open that it is readily affected 

 by the atmosphere, and thus kept in the most favourable condition for pro- 

 moting vegetation. When treated in this way our seedlings have made an 

 average growth in ten months of over eighteen inches, the growth being 

 much more rapid towards the end of the ten mouths than in the earlier 

 stages. 



Propagation. — As soon as the seedlings and imported plants attained 

 sufficient size, they were propagated by being laj'ered ; in this way it was 

 found that they rooted readily in about six weeks or two months, and 

 threw out shoots from every bud ; and not only this, but many latent buds 

 were developed, and a fine growth of young wood produced for succeeding 

 layers and cuttings. The principle of layering, being so well known to 

 English gardeners, requires no detail ; but in the Chinchona-plauts it was 

 found that the layers were very liable to bleed, and this not only weakened 

 the plants but retarded the formation of roots ; this we found to be reme- 

 died in a great degree b}- inserting in the cut a triangular piece of perfect^ 

 dry broken porous brick. An abundance of young wood being produced, 

 we proceeded to propagate by cuttings, the earth being prepared with 

 great care, the same as for the seeds, with the exception of not being 

 heated. The ends of the cuttings are placed upon pieces of perfectly dry 

 porous brick, around the sides of the pots. They are then placed on a 

 bottom lieat of 75^ or 80° ; and, with this treatment, yoimg and tender 

 wood roots in about three weeks or one month, older wood in about six 

 weeks to two months. AVith cuttings of the young wood our loss has 

 not exceeded two ]ier cent., and with older wootl about ten jier cent. 



Our object being to produce the largest number of plants in the shortest 



