March i, 1889.1 THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
602 
THE HYBEIDIS ATION OF CINCHONAS. 
To the Editor, " Pharmaceutical Journal. " 
Sir,— Tho paper on the above subject, kindly read 
for me by Ur. Thresh at tho Bath meeting of the 
Pharmaceutical Conference, mot with some criticism, 
which requires a brief roply. The object of the pa- 
per was to point out, what does not seem to have 
been done before, that in each of the two spocies 
of cinchona, sueciruhra and officinalis, there is a 
characteristic arrangement of alkaloids, and that these 
characteristics are blended in the hybrids. Such an 
arrangement cannot be intelligibly represented by 
qnotiug the actual analysis of tho barks with their 
varying totals, but only by giving the centesimal com- 
position of the alKaloids, for whether the totals be 
high or low, tho peculiarity of the arrangement is 
to a great extent preserved iu each species. The fifty 
crown barks were nearly all taken under the super- 
vision of the Director or myself from what are known 
as jiukka officinali-. troes, growing on the Nilgiris, 
away from the Bucoirubra ; barks of tho richer species, 
as anynstifolia, were purposely omitted, and it must 
be remembered that mossed aud renewed barks aro 
eliminated from the table. 1 must, therefore, ask Mr. 
Hodgkin to withdraw his statement that my 
crown barks were taken from hybird trees, I 
thought the nomenclature of hybrids was now well under- 
stood by those who have anything to do with cinchona ; 
■inOB it is not, I may explain that "robusta" is a term 
applied in Ooylou to all forms between officinalis and 
sueciruhra, whilo on tho Nilgiris two forms are specified 
as pubeictiu and magnifolia, and I prefer using these 
older terms given originally by Mr. Mclvor. 
I cannot answer for the Indian Government, but 
tho Government of Madras has no desire to grow 
worthless barks. The useless varieties, such as 
vahudiana, micrantha and nitida, once cultivated so 
largely, are now exterminated ; the whole of Djda- 
bettu plantation, some 300 acres is extent, is Under 
crown bark, a kind Dr. Paul himself recommends. 
At Naduvatam the sueciruhra trees are giving way 
to hybrids raised from anslysed seed of troes giving 
about 5 per cent, of sulphate of quinine in their bark. 
The ledger and its hybrid will not grow on the 
Government plantation, and much time has been wasted 
attempting its propagation. The hybrid of red and 
BTOWI1 species uot only give* a large outturn of bark 
por tree, but it. also stands rouowal better thau other 
nfnnhnmn. With such troes iu the estates we do not 
coiiHiilor the cultivation to have failed in producing 
Imrkg fit for the manufacture of quinine. — D. Hoopkk, 
< 'otucamund. 
THE MADRAS AGRICULTURAL 
DEPARTMENT 
is to be tho subject of inquiry. In an official 
pupi v we read 
I In Kirolloucy the Governor in Council thinks it 
expedient that * comprehensive inquiry should bo in- 
stituted into the constitution and operations of the 
Agricultural Department with tho view of ascertain- 
ing what practical good it has dona and is doing, and 
what good such a I ). -partment might do under other 
condition*. 1 1 o has accordingly resolved to appoint a 
Committee consisting of the following official aud non- 
oli;. ml gentlemen, the latter having signified their 
willingness to give their sorvices for the investigation: — 
' , ■ '. — W. Wilson, Ivq., Chairman; J. OrOSC, 
Esq.; 1'. A. Nicholson, Esq , Secretary. 
Ofon-official. — Rajah >ir T. Usdhava Row, k o.s.i. ; 
Ilou'hle P. Ohontsal How, c.i .1. Adam, Esq. ; 
Cat lUluv.lur A. Sabapathi Mudalinr Avurgal. 
The I'oinmittee s inquiries should he directed to tho 
following points, and the Government trust that the; 
will be ablo to sahmit their report wUhin a period 
of three months: — i 
L \Nlnt benefit has accrued or is likely to accrue 
lb the cultivating olasHes from tho Agricultural Depart- 
njwt a* at present constituted? 
'. What improvement it has effected or is likely 
to • ■ i" »• eds, implements, breeds el cittle, «lieep 
and horses kiiJ muthods of cultivation throughout the 
k'residnucy ' 
3. "What inducements does it hold out to ryots to 
improve their stock and mode of agriculture? 
4. Its operations in regard to cattle disease, and 
the benefits resulting from those operations. 
6. The operations in connection with, and the benefits 
derivod from the stock farm administered by the 
Department— with fiuanoial results. 
6. Whether the breeding of stock can l>e properly 
or economically carried on by Government. 
7. The duties of the officers employed under the 
Department. 
8. The best means of increasing the efficiency of 
the Department, having special reference to the benefit 
of the agricultural oommunity. 
9. The course of study pursued at the College of 
Agrioulture. 
10. The olass of students at the College and the con- 
ditions under which they come to it. 
11. Whether the students engage in agrioulture 
after leaving the College? 
12. Whether the College ought to remain under 
the control of the Director of Publio Instruction? 
13. Whether tho Agricultural Department ought to 
continue to be administered by the Board of Revenuo ? 
14. Whether the Agricultural Department ought to 
be restricted to matters connected with Agriculture? 
♦ 
ROYAL GARDENS, KEW. 
{From the Bulletin of Miscellaneous Information.) 
Job's Teabs. 
(Coix Lachryma, L. var. stenocarpa.) 
Tho round shining fruits of a grass widely dis- 
tributed in tropical countries are familiarly known 
as Job's Tears. The fruits when young are supposed 
to have some resemblance to heavy drops of tears, 
and hence the fanciful name they bear. The plant, 
a native of the East Indies and Japan, belongs to 
the tribe MaydecB of the natural order, Gramineoe. 
It is a tall growing grass, now commonly found in 
damp places in tho tropics of both hemispheres. In 
mauy countries it is regarded as a troublesome weed 
and a source of aunoyanoe, especially in rice fields. 
As far as we are aware, the fruit possesses no nut- 
ritive qualities, and, except in one instance which 
has come under tho notice of Mr. 0. B. Clarke, F.R.S., 
in the Naga Hills, Assam, it is not cultivated 
as a grain nor used in the wild state. The stem 
is stout, erect and smooth iu all its parts. In 
favourable situations it ofton attains a height of three 
to fivo feet. The leaves are broad and flattish, about 
a foot long, with a distinct midrib. Tho Mowers are 
inonracious, male and female in difforent parts of tho 
same panicle. The female flowers aro one or more in 
number at the bottom of each branch of the panicle. 
They are enclosed in a hard bottle-shape 1 or round 
white or grey involucre, from whioh tho long stigmas 
protrude. The male dowers are in tho upper spikelets, 
numerous and two-flowered. After llow< ring, the 
simple branches of tho panicle break away above tho 
female spikelots, so that when tho fruit is ripe, tho 
male spikeletshavo entirely disappeared. 
The globular Job's Tears as commonly found in 
the tropics are used for necklaces, and in various ways 
as articles of ornamentation. The usual colour is 
white, but they aro sometimea found slightly tinged 
with pink, and sometimos grey, or almost blnck. 
The present variety of Job's Tears with lone cylindri- 
cal involucres was brought into notice at the lato 
Colonial and Indian Exhibition, 1886. In the 
ethnologioal collections in the Indian Court 'he cloth- 
ing of Karens (a semi-aboriginal tribe inhabiting 
certain districts of Lower Lurma) was prettily orna- 
n>G i d with these cylindrical involucres, an 1 attracted 
considerable attention. As these wero not represented 
in the Kew musoums, application was made to the 
India Office I. : , small sample, which, at tho request 
of Lord Cross, was lately forwarded to Kew by the 
Chief Commissioner of Burma. Tho involucres iu 
this sample vary from fire t«> nine lino* in Uugtb. 
