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INTRODUCTION OF THE CINCHONA TREE INTO INDIA 

 AND THE COLONIES. 



The genus Cinchona affording by several of its species one of the Lest 

 and most important of all known febrifuges — quinine — is now absorbing 

 the attention of every European nation having colonies in the Tropics. 

 The introduction of the plant, in a pecuniary point of view, will be of 

 great importance, and we are glad to find that it has been attended with 

 complete success in both the East and West Indies. Mr Nathaniel Wilson, 

 the curator of the Botanic Gardens, Bath, ' Jamaica, in his report to the 

 Board of Directors, dated Oct. 8th, just received, states : — 



" Soon after this time last year, I was liberally supplied with seeds of 

 three species of this plant — namely, Cinchona nitida, C. micrantha, and 

 C. succirubra, direct from Peru and Guayuquil, sent by desire and at the 

 expense of the English Government and recommendation of Sir W. J. 

 Hooker, Director of the Royal Botanic gardens at Kew, to whom this 

 island is largely indebted for many valuable plants. These seeds were sent 

 with a view of rearing plants to carry out an experiment of establishing 

 its cultivation here on a large scale, and I have now the satisfaction of 

 stating that I have succeeded, beyond expectation, in rearing the plants ; 

 and have several hundreds of them on hand in a healthy condition, many 

 of them ready for planting out. The two first-named species produce the 

 finest grey bark of English commerce, so named from the prevailing colour 

 of the epidermis. The alkaloid contains from 2 to 2 # 22 per cent, of the 

 weight of the bark, almost entirely consisting of cinchonine. The Cinchona 

 succirubra, or " Cascarilla colorada " of the Spaniards, produces the red 

 bark of commerce, and by far the most valuable of all marketable barks ; 

 the current prices being 6s. per pound for very ordinary quality. The 

 alkaloid of this contains from 3 to 4 per cent, of quinine, being nearly 

 twice the quantity produced by other species, and fortunately the plant 

 has also the advantage of a stronger constitution than the two former, 

 and found in localities several thousand feet elevation less than them ; 

 in moist ravines where palms and other plants requiring a rather higher 

 temperature .are abundant. The climate where cinchona plants are found 

 to arrive at greatest maturity is naturally moist, and at an elevation above 

 the sea varying from 2,000 to 6,000 feet. Those producing grey bark are 

 indigenous to the forests of Huanaco, in Peru, and the red bark from near 

 the foot of the Chimborazo in Guayuquil, at a temperature during the 

 months of June, August, and September, of mean minimum 68^ degrees, 

 and mean maximum 1Z\ degrees ; the lowest temperature in July was 

 57 degrees, and the highest during the same month 80-Jr degrees, with much 

 moisture in the atmosphere. Nothing can more exactly correspond with 

 the climate of our mountains and hilly land in the interior, at similar 

 elevations or less when moisture prevails, and I have known the ther- 

 mometer stand as low as 55 degrees at an elevation of 4,000 feet. It must 

 be observed that as moisture reduces the temperature of the earth and 



