490 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [January a, 1888. 
stage of their growth would choose them as de- 
positaries for its eggs. As regards the origin of 
this black soil, I have always been astonished to 
find Tennent following Baker in attributing it to 
materials washed down from the sides of the 
mountains which rise over the upland plain. No 
doubt the peaty soil at the very base of the moun- 
tains is mixed with suoh degraded material to its 
great improvement. But over the expanse of the 
plain itself, we have but peat poor in proportion 
to the poverty of the grasses, rushes and sedges 
which have, in the course of ages, rotted in 
what was once a mountain lake. The excava- 
tions connected with alterations in the race course 
present a favourable opportunity of examining 
this almost purely vegetable formation, which 
presents so striking a contrast to the vividly - 
coloured clays, shading from white and yellow 
to rich pink, — turned up in the construction of 
the new road to facilitate access of the carts from 
the Kandapolla and Udapussellawa side to the 
road to Nanuoya station which starts from the 
opposite side of the Plain. Equally striking is the 
contrast between the poor peaty soil of Nuwara 
Eliya Plain and that of the forest which rises 
around it. The result, unfortunately for scenic 
effect is that while the grass lands are neglected, 
or only small portions converted into sward, the 
forest trees are gradually disappearing. 
4. 
CEYLON UPCOUNTBY PLANTING BEPORT. 
DOES PROLONGED STORAGE AFFECT THE QUALITY OF 
CINCHONA BARK ? — CROTON PESTS — COMPETITION FOR 
HUSK COFFEE — WEATHER AND TEA FLUSHING. 
21st December 1887. 
Now that there is a hopeful movement in the 
cinchona market, it is an interesting question 
how far the quality of bark is affected by a pro- 
longed storage. There are few estates, I fancy, 
whose Cinchona is still growing that have not more or 
less quantities of bark on bands which have 
been held for that rise, the beginning of which, let 
us hope, we have but seen. The mind of planters 
has been pretty easy in regard to deterioration 
through lapse of time, as we have all been led 
to believe that provided the bark was kept dry, the 
analysis would turn out pretty much the same, 
whether the sample were drawn today, or this 
day twelve months. Is this a fool's paradise 
we have been living in ? It is to be hoped not ; 
all the same I have heard of one lot of cin- 
chona which after a year or more storage, has 
brought the startling result on a second analysis 
of a loss of one per cent of quinine ? I was not 
able to learn if the bark in question had been ex- 
posed to damp, or any other oondition likely to affect 
its mercantile value, but if it had been kept dry 
and the presumption is in favour of this, the loss 
in question reveals a state of things, which would 
be deplorable if it turns out to be general. Of course 
as " one swallow does not make a summer," 
neither should a single example of a loss such as 
I have mentioned, establish that the holders of 
bark have been unwittingly "let in." All the same 
it would be well to know more of the matter ; for 
if there should be a chance, here and there, of such 
an unlooked-for conclusion, it would introduce a 
fresh factor in our calculations as to how far it 
was wise to hold harvested bark even in the face 
of a glutted market. Cinchona has of late been 
a dark enough puzzle, without this new element 
of uncertainty, and I certainly hope that we 
nill hear no more of such disappointing results, 
By the way I understand that light is found to b« 
detrimental to store bark, so that that has to b« 
guarded against as well as damp, if the percentage 
of quinine is to remain unchanged. 
A friend of mine who takes seme interest in that 
despised and neglected product croton, has, kindly 
sent me his views regarding it which I gladly 
epitomise and reproduce. Although classed among 
our new products, he says, there are already a lot 
of old exploded notions connected with it forming 
a chapter, of what may now be regarded as ancient 
history, doubtless compiled by some unfortunate, who 
had had the temerity of experimenting on the croton 
bean as food. Anyhow whoever has the honour, 
we used to be told that food could not be cooked 
with safety, if the fuel used had been got from 
the croton tree ; that birds could hardly fly over 
a field where they were growing ; and that 
they certainly would not build their nests in their 
branches. It was death to the wandering buffalo 
and was to effectually put an end to cattle tres- 
pass. The old upas tree, with its legendary train 
of horrors was the only thing the modern had to 
compare with it. Now all this or most of * i t has 
become as I have said aneient history, for instead 
of killing off every form of animal and insect, that 
came within its baneful influence, croton has be- 
come the favourite feeding ground of a most 
destructive grub, which in turn has been devoured 
by birds, fowls, lizards and frogs, without any 
apparent harm having been done them. And last 
of all the rats have taken to eating the bean. In 
one store which is swarming with these vermin, 
■everal bushels of croton seed have been destroyed 
and the rodents are livelier than ever, and more 
numerous 1 Except in such questionable quarters, 
croton is at present very much despised. People 
won't give any kind of price for it either at home 
or here. Even at the late Matale Show there was 
neither prize nor welcome awarded to it ; allowed 
to languish in neglect, " shunned " as Burns would 
have said " alike by saint and sinner." When it is 
known that the croton is only used for medical 
purposes, and that a little of it goes a very far 
way, it is not to be wondered at that with the 
much increased supply, there should be the old 
result. 
The competition for husk coffee has begun again 
and the Moormen are busy outbidding each other. 
R5 a bushel for strippings, and what was picked 
from the ground, not by any means a very superior 
lot, is the best quotation I know. Even when 
coffee was at its highest, I cannot remember of a 
higher figure ever having been given for ordinary 
husk. 
The weather is awful. Bain, constant rain ; the 
ground sodden ; roofs leaking ; and rooms smell- 
ing as if you were growing mushrooms in them. 
It is proving too much for tea |flushing, which 
wants more sun to start it again. Peppercorn. 
LOWCOUNTRY PLANTING EEPOBT :— 
S1YANE KOEALE. 
PA»DY CULTIVATION AND PLOUGHING — PROFESSOR WAL- 
LACE ON PLOUGHS — PADDY AND MANURE. 
In continuation of the subject of my last communica- 
tion I wish to offer a few remarks on the vexed 
question of ploughing as bearing on paddy cultivation. 
As far as my knowledge on the subject goes, which I 
candidly admit is limited, the objects of ploughing are 
mainly to break up a soil so as to aerate it and also to 
mix up the different particles composing it. In other 
words, to improve its mechanical condition. The much 
decried native plough affects these objects, though 
clumsily and at a great and useless expenditure of man 
and animal power. As far as I^know, no one ever in- 
tended to ruu these primitive machines in competition 
