240 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [October i, 1887. 
million pounds sterling which is about the value 
of the trade. 
We have much more to say on this subject, 
but we must not be greedy and consume our re- 
serves at one meal. 
Exports from China and Japan to 
Great Britain season. ..1887-8 62,501,735 
., „ „ „ ...1886-7 95,342,899 
» ,, „ „ ...1885-6 98,962,764 
„ „ „ United States.,1887-8 26,801,116 
„ „ „ „ ...1886-7 31,863,547 
„ » ,, ,, ...1885-6 24,804,660 
„ „ „ Australian 
Colonies ...1887-8 16,780,318 
„ „ „ „ ...1886-7 15,407,548 
„ „ „ „ ...1885-6 13,899,504 
„ „ „ Continent 
of Europe.. .1887-8 12,482,720 
» „ „ „ ...1886-7 7,552,019 
„ „ „ ...1885-6 8,143,734 
+ 
CINCHONA-GROWING IN REUNION. 
Some time ago we reported that efforts were being 
made to propagate the cinchona tree in some of 
the French colonies, and that it was confidently 
assumed that these experiments would be so success- 
ful as to render French buyers independent of the 
London market in a few years' time. 
Mr. C. L. St. John, British Consul in the French 
colony of Reunion, gives some interesting details 
of the cultivation of cinchona in that island.- He 
states that for some years past, the planting of 
cinchona has absorbed much attention in Reunion ; 
and, although the plantations have hitherto assumed 
no very extensive development, the results obtained 
are sufficiently satisfactory. 
At Reunion the plantations are made in forests, 
at a height of about 4,000 feet. At this altitude, 
where there exist no high trees, but merely brush- 
wood, parallel alleys from five to six feet wide 
are made, as far as practicable in spots sheltered 
from the winds. These alleys are separated by a 
range of brushwood. 10 feet thick on each side, 
which serve to protect the young cinchona plants 
against the violent winds so common in Reunion. 
Holes are then dug at a distance of 15 feet apart, 
20 inches in diameter, and the same in depth. 
They are then filled with the earth that has been 
dug up, and to which some mould is added. This 
mixture forms, at the surface of the soil, a con- 
vexity, into the middle of which the young cinchona 
plant is placed ; and the alley, after a few showers 
of rain, is soon brought to a level. 
In a soil thus prepared the young plant experi- 
ences no difficulty in its growth ; but when it has 
attained a height of 1 foot 6 inches, care must be 
taken to cut the roots of the adjoining brushwood 
which may have found their way into the space 
reserved for the cinchona, in order that the plant 
may meet with no impediment in the course of its 
development. 
At the end of seven or eight years, the plants 
have a diameter of 3J inches, and are ready to 
be worked. 
The following is the manner in which the bark 
is prepared : — Towards the month of October — that 
is to say, when the sap resumes its ascensive move- 
ment, and the bark is more easily detached — the 
plants are cut at about 2 inches from the ground. 
The bark is then taken off and put in the sun 
to dry. From the stump that remains there soon 
spring a great number of young shoots, which, when 
they have in their turn attained a certain size, 
should be lopped off, only leaving the number of 
sprigs which the stump is able to feed conveniently. 
ThuNo sprigs have a rapid growth, and, at the end 
of another period of six or eight ycais, a new 
rop ia ready. 
In ths way the cultivation of this produce, once 
planted, can be continued almost indefinitely, and 
at little expense. The consul thinks that it is evident 
that the means employed in Reunion for the 
cultivation of the cinchona are very practical, and 
far more economical than those in vogue in Java. 
Although the Reunion plantations are as yet only 
on a limited scale, the results are such as to induce 
their extension. Hitherto, experiments have only 
been made by the local Government on the Crown 
lauds, and by a few wealthy planters. Lately, the 
Government sold a certain quantity, which fetched 
a little more than 2 francs per lb. in the market. 
The manager of the Credit Foncier Company has 
also expressed great satisfaction at the results he 
has obtained, and he will shortly sell over 200 lb. 
of cinchona planted in 1879. This year he expects 
to have a new crop from trees planted in 1880 ; 
and so on. 
It may be stated that the stumps of the plants 
that were cut in October last are already covered 
with young shoots. — Chemist) and Druggist. 
Coca-Growing in Assam.— Mr. 3. Buckingham, 
of Amgooria, Assam, who is making experi- 
ments in coca-growing on his plantations, states 
that the plants are healthy and have borne berries ; 
he has gathered a small quantity of leaves which 
he prepared in the same manner as tea. In 
Darjeeliug, where Mr. Flamsteed, of Seejok, and 
other planters have tried to raise coca plants, the 
experiments have resulted in failure, the climate 
being found too cold. — Chemist and Druggist. 
Sogae in Ceylon is thus noticed in a paper on 
sugars shown at the late Exhibition : — 
Approximate annual production : 350 tons. 
Ceylon sent but a poor show. A few samples of 
small-grained dirtyish white sugar, apparently pro- 
duced by considerable washing, a very extravagant 
method of improving quality ; also a few cakes of 
concrete. These had been put into small matted 
baskets, holding about J lb. They must therefore 
either have been specially made for a sample or for 
some local demand, as in this form they would not 
be suitable as an article of commerce. They had 
the appearance of having been made for sale as 
sweetmeats. 
The qualities of the sugars from Ceylon are thue^ 
indicated : — 
1. White crystals ; 2. White, small-grained ; 3. 
Molasses and syrups; 4. Concrete, brown. — Sugar 
Cane. 
Lakge Cacao Leaves. — Mr. Ross Wright, of 
" Labugama " estate, writes : — 
" Noticing in your issue of 5th Sept. 1887 the en- 
closed slip ' A Large Cacao Leaf ' &c, I send yon 
4 leaves from ' Labugama.' Now compare them with 
Dolosbage, and whal do you think of them ? 2 
of the leaves measure 19 in. by 7 in," 
As the dimensions of the leaf from Dolosbage were 
18 inches by 6J, of course it has to yield pre- 
cedence to the two which are each 19 inches by 
7. As all the big leaves lie on our table «re are 
reminded of the school visitor in Punch who 
asked : — " Now can any of you boys spell tre- 
men-ji-ous ? " — " Tre-men-ji-ous " indeed ! Where 
is the leaf competition going to stop ? We had 
only just handed the above paragraph to the printer 
when a truly gigantic vegetable leaf arrived, ac- 
companied by a leaf of paper thus inscribed : — 
" Rakwana. — What do you think of this cacao leaf 
21 inches by 7J? The Cooroondoowatte leaf is 
nowhere. I 've beaten it by 3 inches in length and f of 
an inch in breadth. You ought to see some of my 
cacao pods. I have picked many 11 inches long." 
As we have had a tea leaf 1 foot long, we sup- 
pose the end will be a cacao leaf of twice that 
length. Only 3 inches more wanted to make up 
the 2 tent 1 
