336 



Gardens vary considerably. We have trees that before they were tapped 

 produced ridiculously small but quite good seed, and trees that were 

 younger and had never been tapped produced very large seed. The 

 size of the seed of the oldest trees, which certainly have not been heavi- 

 ly tapped, though for some years they were occasionally tapped are 

 decidedly small. But the amount of tapping they had about once in 

 five or six years could hardly so affect them. Further small-seeded 

 trees as far as has been seen keep true whatever the season may be 

 and regardless of whether they have been tapped or not. The earlier 

 years of fruiting trees seem always to produce large seed, with the 

 exceptions of the specially small seeded trees, all of which however 

 that I know of are over 20 years old. 



I am more inclined to think that with trees of normal size average 

 seed the early fruiting gives large seed, getting a little smaller in later 

 years, while some trees give small seed from the start. 



H. N. R. 



COCA-LEAVES. 



Erythroxylon Coca. 



The Coca plant is a small bushy shrub growing to about 6 or 8 

 feet tall with very bright yellow green leaves, and small white flowers 

 followed by little scarlet drapes, oblong in shape. It is a native of 

 South America where in Peru the dried leaves have been for very 

 many years used as a stimulant by the natives. From the leaves the 

 drug cocaine is prepared and used as an anaesthetic chiefly in eye and 

 tooth diseases. 



The plant has long been in cultivation in Singapore in the Botanic 

 Gardens and has also been supplied to a number of planters of whom 

 Mr. Machado of Kamuning estate was one. He has lately prepared a 

 sample of the leaves and submitted them to examination and analysis 

 at the Imperial Institute and sends the following report on their use 

 and value. 



The Coca plant is remarkably easy to cultivate, growing very 

 readily from seed of which it produces a great abundance. The seeds 

 are sown in nursery beds, after the red pulp has been washed off them 

 and germinate in twelve days. The young plants are planted out in 

 fairly good soil at about the distance of six feet apart. They will grow 

 almost any where but stiff clay soil exposed to hot sun seems to suit 

 them best. The bushes grow for many years, before they need renew T - 

 ing and can be pruned or cut back without injury. So easily and rapidly 

 is it grown that it is found quite suitable to make low light hedges in 

 the gardens, its bright green foliage and little red fruit making it quite 

 attractive. 



There are it appears several varieties of Erythroylon coea. One of 

 which beside the one referred to here was formerly cultivated in the 

 Botanic Gardens, the variety Novo (jranatcnse. This has more spread- 

 ing branches, smaller obovate leaves, with a rounded top, and a short 

 point projecting from the tip. This does not seem to have done so 

 well here, and has disappeared. 



