THE TECHNOLOGIST. [Feb. 1, 1865. 



294 ON THE CINCHONA BARK OF BRITISH INDIA. 



present me with some rooted cuttings and buds, so that I should be able 

 to show them, partly in a dried state, partly preserved in spirit, to the 

 Minister for the Colonies in Holland, he kindly acceded to my wishes, 

 and I can now give him the satisfaction of knowing that his rooted cut- 

 tings and buds have been admired by every one who has seen them. I 

 must, however, candidly admit that there is some truth in the statement 

 of Mr. Junghuhn respecting the unsatisfactory rooting of the plants 

 obtained from cuttings : but it applies only in the case of cuttings 

 which are too large, such as I have seen in Java. If the cuttings are 

 made as small as possible, in accordance with Mr. M'lvor's practice the 

 plants obtained have not in the least degree the defect which has been 

 pointed out by Mr. Junghuhn, and can bear comparison with the best 

 seedlings. 



In reference to the system of planting the cinchona in an open 

 situation without the least shade, I inspected very carefully the Neddi- 

 wattum plantation, where this system has been most fully carried out. 

 Although the large leaves of C. succirubra had suffered a little from a 

 recent storm, all the plants in the plantation looked very healthy and 

 vigorous, many of them having already attained a height of seven to 

 eight feet. As a hint to the cultivators of cinchona in Java, I may 

 point out the fact that the experience of Mr. M'lvor has taught him 

 that if he were compelled to choose an excess of dryness or moisture for 

 a cinchona plantation he would prefer the former. 



The results of experiments on No. 7, Red Bark, thickened by moss, 

 deserve the greatest attention ; for although Mr. Howard had already 

 ascertained that Mr. M 'Ivor's experiment of thickening the bark by 

 covering it with moss had been really successful, I was quite struck by 

 the enormous amount of S - 4 per cent, of alkaloid in so young a bark. 

 The other peculiarity of this bark was that I never obtained cinchona 

 alkaloids so easily pure as from it ; hence I hope that the experiment 

 will be repeated by Mr. MTvor on a large scale, not only with the C. 

 succirubra, but also with other species, and particularly with C. Cali- 

 saya. 



Before I conclude, I must still point out the fact that the roots of all 

 species of cinchona which I have investigated contain a greater amount 

 of alkaloids in their bark than is contained in the bark of the stem. My 

 attention was first fixed on this fact by repeated investigations of C. 

 pahudiana. I enter upon no speculation whatever, but must persist in 

 maintaining the fact, which seems not only to be true in British India 

 and in Java, but likewise in South America, for the bark of the root of 

 C. lancifolia which my friend Mr. A. Uelondre forwarded to me during 

 my stay in Java, proved to contain not less than 8"66 per cent, of cin- 

 chona alkaloids. 



