INTO INDIA AND THE COLONIES. 183 



progress of the important experiment now being made in the island, in the 

 cultivation of species of the valuable quinine-producing Cinchonas now 

 under the charge of Mr Mc'Nicoll, at the Hakgalle garden, near Newera 

 Ellia. The plants of cinchona, which in my last report I mentioned as 

 being expected from Bombay, arrived at the latter place in so unpromising a 

 condition, that it was thought best to have them all despatched at once to the 

 Neilgherries, instead of sending a portion, as was at first intended, for trial 

 on our hills. Nearly all of these plants subsequently died. Another con- 

 signment of cinchona plants, collected by Mr Spence in South America, 

 arrived some months afterwards at Bombay in veiy good condition ; but 

 these were also conveyed to Ootacamund, not any being reserved for 

 Ceylon, as I was given to understand would be the case. As far, therefore, 

 as regards Mr Markham's mission to South America, we have received here 

 no growing plants of Cinchonas ; but a parcel containing seeds of Cinchona 

 micraniha and C. nitida, collected by Mr Pritchett, was sent to me in 

 February last from Mr Maclvor, through the chief Secretary to the 

 Government, Fort St George, Madras ; and a parcel was received by me 

 shortly afterwards from the Secretary of State's Office, which contained 

 seeds of Cinchona succirubra, collected by Mr Spence. From these seeds 

 more than 800 plants have been raised {C. succirubra, 530 ; C. micraniha, 

 180 ; C. peruviana, 25 ; C. nitida, 45 ; uncertain, 60), which, although at 

 present necessarily of small size, are nevertheless progressing very satisfac- 

 torily in the locality which has been selected for them. To Sir William 

 Hooker we have been indebted for the transmission to us at different times, 

 from the collection at Kew, of six plants of the very valuable Cinchona 

 Calisaya. The greater number of these, however, suffered so much in their 

 transit, that two only of those kindly taken charge of for me by Dr Ander- 

 son, of the Calcutta Botanic gardens, arrived here in a healthy state. 

 They are now planted out in the Hakgalle Garden, and are growing 

 vigorously. Mr MacNicoll has, without risk of delaying the period of 

 flowering, succeeded in obtaining from one of them eight cuttings, two of 

 which have produced roots, and he has every reason to anticipate success 

 with the remainder. 



During the present month, I have received from Dr Anderson a portion 

 of a supply of Cinchona seeds, communicated by the Government of Java 

 to that of India, but from what species they have been collected has not 

 been stated. These have been sown at the Hakgalle Garden, and a very 

 few of them here ; they have, however, not yet been in the ground suffi- 

 ciently long a time to germinate. 



From the experience we have had of the species of Cinchona now 

 growing in the Island, I think it might be considered that C. Calisaya would 

 not be likely to succeed at an elevation much below that of Hakgalle, and 

 that it should be planted above 5,000 feet. C. succirubra grows extremely 

 well at Hakgalle ; but as it also grows tolerably well at Peradenia, with 

 the appearance only of being a little too much forced by the heat, I think 

 it might succeed, probably, at any elevation above 3,500 or 4,000 feet. 



