July 2, 1888,] THE TROP'CAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
41 
MAURITIUS, 
The Weather and the (Juot\— We can but, repeat 
our last advices as to the state of the weather which 
continues exceptionally fine. Under the influence of a 
warm temperature and abundant rains the plantations 
continue to thrive. We are now in a position to 
state that the next crop will furnish a greater yield 
than that of last year 210,283 bags of sugar have been 
received in store up to the 27th instant in excess of 
the quantity received during a corresponding period of 
last year and there were 49,493 bags less in store than 
at the same date last year. 
Vanilla. — We entirely confirm our previous valu- 
ation, as regard a reduction of more than 50 per 
cent on the total out-turn of our coming crop. 
Aloe Fibre.— The manufacture of this fibre is 
briskly carried on and the next steamer for London 
will ship from 5 to oOO bales. The monthly output 
is now estimated at from 12 to 1,600 bales, a figure 
which has not been reached for a long time past. 
The market is firm and the demand very brisk. A 
few lots of fine quality, were sold at R310 per ton. 
Owing to tho favourable news received by last mail, 
holders arc unwelling to sell at present quotations and 
prefer to ship for their own accouuts.— 31. Sf P. Gazette, 
May 30th. 
_ , 
THE JAVA GOVERNMENT CINCHONA 
PLANTATIONS : 
DETAILED OFFICIAL REPORT FOR 1886. 
This Report given on page 42 is interesting in many 
respeots, although, in consequence of the depression 
and disappointment connected with the cinchona 
enterprise, wo cannot expect that it will receive from 
our readers anything more than a reflection of the at- 
tention which was wont to bo bestowed on Mr. Bernelot 
Moens' sensational revelations of the riches in 
pure quinine of C. ledgeriana, a species which the 
Dutch so fortunately secured. Nearly all the species 
and varieties known have been tried in the Dutch 
colony, with tho result, unless the large-leaved and 
high growing C. pitayensU is found really valuable, 
that praotical attention may be confined to C. 
ledgeriana, C. sucoirubm and a very rich hybrid, 
the offspring of these two species. It is very true 
that, now the demand from tho Java forest department 
for suooirubra plants as shelter for timber tree 
seedlings has slackonod, this robust kind is mainly 
appreciated as providing strong stems on which to 
graft the valuable but comparatively delicate ledgeri- 
anas. The accounts given of tho results of the 
junction of the two species and of the influence 
of tho stock plant on the graft arc exceedingly 
intorosting, from thoir bearing on a much-debated 
quostion in horticultural operations and vegetable 
physiology. Wo believe we are correct in holding 
that the prevalent opinion hitherto has been that 
tho stock exorted no appreciable inllucnco on tho 
fruit of the grafts. Tho effect on the bark was 
not wo supposo investigated until Mr. Moens ini- 
tiated thoso very intorosting experiments in Java 
jWhioh Mr. van Romundc is ho successfully follow- 
ng up. There scorns to bo a shade of doubt now 
whether tho bark of tho famous tuothcr-troos of 
6 
ledgeriana analysed by the late Mr. Moens were 
so entirely free from any taint of cinchonidine as 
the researches of that eminent observer seemed 
to indicate. Later analyses show traces of the 
inferior alkaloid. But this qualification does not 
prevent Mr. Moens' successor from recognizing as 
a fact the influence of the succirubra bark on 
that of the ledgeriana graft, at the point of 
junction and for a limited distance upwards. The 
influence is, however, so limited in distance above 
the junction, that it is regarded as of little con- 
sequence, and Mr. van Romunde believes that all 
fear of the seed of grafted ledgerianas being 
affected adversely may be dismissed. The question, 
therefore, as regards this form of cultivation be- 
comes one largely of expense and trouble. Mr. 
van Romunde does not enter into the investigation 
of these points, but it seems significant that so 
few grafted plants were purohased by private 
planters. We have no information, however, 
whether, with cinchona bark prices at so low an ebb, 
the Java planters have themselves deemed it worth 
their while to follow the Government cinchona 
growers in the graft method of cultivation. On 
this question we should be glad to be informed 
by correspondents in Java, or friends in Ceylon 
who are in a position to help us. Our inclination 
is to believe that but few, if any, private cin- 
chona planters in Java have to any extent adopted 
the grafting system. As pursued in the Java Go- 
vernment gardens, it involves the necessity of 
conservatory warmth and shelter, pots placed in 
special positions, and considerable time and atten- 
tion to secure success. From what we observed on 
the oooasion of our visit to the Tirtasari plan- 
tation in 1881, we are not at all surprised to learn, 
that the grafted plants have continued to develope 
what they showed then, a dwarf habit, or, more 
correctly stated, a tendency to throw most of 
their strength into lateral branches. From what 
Mr. van Romunde states, too, it will be seen that 
the grafted plants are inclined to divide their 
strength between many stems instead of concen- 
trating their juices on one vigorous upright shoot. 
The acount Mr. van Romunde gives of his "in- 
tensive" (by which we understand close) culti- 
vation ; of the excision of all but one stem, and 
of a modified system of pruning and thinning 
the abnormally robust branches, will be read with 
interest. We can understand the influence of close 
planting in producing humus from fallen leaves, 
but it seems a new idea that by such a mode of plant- 
ing the attacks of chafer grubs should be avoided. In 
respeot to weather and attacks by helopeltis,&ai also 
until recently in regard to labour, Java has been 
les3 favoured than Ceylon. But from the first — 
especially in regard to the cultivation of the very 
finest species of cinchona, that which bears the 
name of the inadequately rewarded L:dger, — the 
Dutch colony has had advantages of soil, with 
which only a few portions of Ceylon can at all 
compare. The Preanger Regency districts, in which 
the Government cinchona plantations are situated, 
aro tho scene of numerous living volcanoes, to tho 
activity of which, in former (indeed, in recent) 
times, the rich soil (uniformly rich to a great 
depth) is due. There is no poor subsoil to be 
turned up in terracing such soil, cr in digging 
trenches of two feet deep and " working " the soil 
to that depth. But our readers will note the ex- 
cellent effects of tillage on even this naturally rich 
soil and the benefits of manuring, even where it 
is merely tho spreading on the surface of tho waste 
of such an unpromising material a9 alang alanf 
grass, — what we oall iluk in Ceylon. Even "mulch- 
ing " of this sort does good, but the perfection of 
tillage, to which toa specially responds, is tho fork- 
