March t, 1888.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 
577 
THE CINCHONA BARK AND QUININE 
TRADE. 
Writing with reference to Mr. J. Eerguson's letters 
from London on Quinine and Cinchona Bark, Car it. 
W. T. Hody Cox says on January 3rd :— 
" I today received the T. A. for December, and have 
read your letter. With reference to the portion of it 
at page 414 where my name appears, I found out 
some months ago that tho shipments of tteig or rather 
small branch bark had very much decreased. If how- 
ever you examine the sale lists you will find that 
there is still an enormous quantity of inj 'trior bark 
sold. Anything analysing under U percent of euTph. 
of quinine I call inferior. I have, for some months 
past, arrived at the conclusion that it would not be 
advisable to work up the inferior qualities of bark in 
the East in the form of 1 quinetum ' for several 
reasons, some of which are as follows: — 
"1. The cost of transporting the chemicals to the 
East would he as much as that of getting the bark to 
England. 
"2. Cinchonidine is a better form of alkaloid than 
quinetum, and can be purchased in England at an 
almost nominal price. 
" The scheme, which I have been working at for the 
last two months, is precisely what you mention in the 
latter part of your letter, and as I communicated it 
to the same LoDdon firm, it is probable you heard 
it from them. The great difficulty I have had to 
contend with is the fact that Companies are prevented 
by their articles of association from joining in such 
undertakings, and a large amount of the capital in- 
vested in cinchona in Ceylon is represented by Com- 
panies. I shall be happy to sent you my details for a 
schemo to distribute quiniue among tho masses." 
As regards the lirst reason offered, the difficulty 
would be removed if the Colombo Sulphuric Acid 
Manufactory were established, as we hope erelong 
will be the case ; and if bark were even roughly 
treated here, and the results sent home, much 
saving in freight, charges etc. ought to be experi- 
enced. Capt. Hody Cox will be interested in our recent 
notices of cinchona prospects in Ceylon and Java, 
and we should like to have bis opinion with reference 
to hiB experience with South India barks, of the in- 
formation given in this month's Tropical Agrimlin. 
rut. He will find it mentioned that the cost to the 
Dutch Government of the line bark which they got 
from their large old trees in the Java Government 
Gardens was in 1880 equal to 4^d per lb., apnrt 
from freight and sale expenses which increased 
it to 5jd per lb. ; while the profit— counting the 
bark as averaging 5 per cent sulphate of quinine — 
is given at only id per lb. In the case of South 
American and Cuprea Bark, 5d to Gd per lb. is also 
given aa the minimum profitable price; while in 
respect of Ceylon bark,— full calculations being 
offored, derived doubtless from Colombo mercantile 
authorities* — the actual cost, from the harvesting of 
the bark to its disposal in London, is undor 2id 
per lb. Indeed any sale of Coylon bark below an 
average of 2 l-10thd per lb. means a downright 
loss in the actual outlay in labour and cash, apart 
from tho bark itself. With an average percentage 
of qu inine in the bark under lj percent, the 
• The coat of collecting Oeylou bark is given by 
Ma. ,1. I). Kiedol of Berlin at 1.1 p tr lb. of dry lark, 
apart from carriage. " Logio Klphinstone's " calcu- 
lation to U8 a* embodied in our Hiindbook whs that 
anything over Jlvi CtnU (less thnn a penny) per lb 
in Colombo clears the expense of collecting and for- 
warding twig and branch lurk, where estate, m,. 
near to a railway itfctiOOj but thin rccokoniug M>i|„ 
very rloao to the wind, and a penny per II,. for ,-„|. 
Icotion apart from transport is -all r - Kn Co 
7!J 
cost of manufacturing sulphate of quinine is put 
at less than 2d per lb. of bark, and the minin.um 
rate to cover outlay of planter and manufacturer 
apart from intrinsic value of the bark) is Is 3Jd 
per ounce of quinine. All thin enables us to see 
exactly where we stand and to show the planter 
how he is doing no good to himself or to any- 
body else, but rather harm, when he harvests and 
ships inferior bark to sell for less than the limits 
gi\en above. Finally, we call attention to a rather 
sanguine view of the immediate future of quinine 
taken from the Chemist and t>ritr/.,ist on 
page 578. 
FUEL FOR TEA. 
What "J. L. A." writas(page 586) about the rapid 
growth of Australian gums, — meaning we presume 
Eucalyptus globulus, — the rapid growth of these trees, 
their suitability for fuel in tea factories even at live 
years old, and the fact that they yield a second 
growth when coppiced, is worthy of attention from 
tea planters. We mentioned in a recent issue that 
having consulted Dr. Trimen on the subject, he 
agreed with us that at high elevations nothing 
better could be cultivated for firewood than the 
Australian wattles: Acacia dealbata, .1. melaiwxyloii, 
&c. Ail these trees, in varying degrees, have a 
strong tendency to throw up shoots from their 
spreading roots which grow close to the surface. 
They should never, therefore, be grown amongst or 
close to tea. Gums are bad enough grown amongst 
coffee or tea, but the wattles are deadly. Trees 
for fuel or timber had better be always grown on 
separate suitable pieces of ground. We speak from 
experience. For low elevations Dr. Trimen enume- 
rated suitable trees in his Report for 1883, page 10, 
from which we quote as follows: — 
In some of the coffee districts where ten is being 
largely planted, some difficulty is felt as to the supply 
of fuel necessary for its manufacture. The reckless 
and ill-judged clearance of the whole of the jungle, as 
yet regretted principally as shelter from wind, will 
now be felt from another cause. As it is quite use- 
less to attempt to bring back the old native trees to 
their much changed habitations, it will probably be 
necessary to plant and keep up fuel restrves. For 
this in the higher elevations nothing can be better 
than the quick-growing wattles, blackwood and euca- 
lypts of Australia. In the lower districts (2/00-1,0(0 
feet) there are many quick-growing native treis that 
would be found suitable; for example, " Malaboda" 
(Myristica laurifolia). which is recommended also for 
tea boxes, '-Milla" (Yitex altissinia), "Badula" (Seme- 
carpus Gardneri, kc), "Gedumba" (Trema orientalis), 
"Guranda" (Oeltis ciunsmomea), "Nuga" (Ficiu lacci. 
fera, &c), "Kalaha" (F. iVightiuna), "Walgoua" (!•', 
callosa), "Dawul kuruudu" (Litsoaa /.cjlanica), "Ki- 
amba" (Mangifera zeylanicu), "WA" (Cassia siaunea) 
is an excellent tree for fuel at elevations below :',ik U 
feet. Several of these woods would also do for tea 
boxes, and "Ilelamba" (Aiithooepbalus Cadamba), a 
common low-country tree, is also well spoken of for 
that purpose. It is of great importance to use only 
perfectly seasoned wood for boxes ; if used green the 
juices may act on the lead lining, as happened in a 
case which has recently given rise to litigation. 
PLANTING AND COOLIES IN DELI. 
(Translatal for the Btraitt Time*.) 
Gne of the crying wants of Deli, namely, the 
scarcity and dearuess of Chinese coolies, bids (air 
to be erelong supplied. Efforts to secure direct 
emigration of coolies from the Celestial Empire to 
the neighbouring Dutch Settlement have hitherto 
bocn unattainable, owing to Chinese official ob- 
struotivencss. The endeavours made to gain this 
desirable end of so much importance to the plant- 
