6$ 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
[June i, 1881 
are rich in quinine and of quick growth, Cinchona 
cultivation in Jamaica, as already proved by the 
quality of the producB cannot fail to be a remune- 
rative industry. The objects of the Government in 
maintaining the Cinchona plantations for so many years, 
were, I apprehend, not of a pecuniary character — merely 
for the reiurnthey were likely to yield — but, in order, 
to prove that Cinchona bark of good quality could be 
successfully grown in the Island. In addition to this, 
the plantations had an important work in the successful 
introduction and cultivation of new or richer kinds ; 
and, in such necessary pionaering and experimental 
work which private enterprise could not, or would, not 
undertake The first of the above objects having been 
att ained, the plantations may not unnaturally now de- 
vote special attention to the propogation and distribu- 
tion of Cinchona plants for the purpose of establishing 
the cultivation on a large scale in private hands. Much 
remains to be done in this respect, and while the plan- 
tations are thus engaged, such valuable species as are 
the result of discoveries or improved methods of culti- 
vation may l>e introduced, from time to time, and such 
careful and systematic experiments prosecuted, and 
made generally known, as will place the Island in 
a position to compete successfully with other countries. 
The lands now proved to be so valuable for cin- 
chona culture, have hitherto, been considered of little 
use. Being too high for coffee they have been almost 
given away and deemed fit, only, for negro provision 
grounds. They are tracts of extensive forests clothing 
the higher slopes of the Blue Mountains. On the 
Southern slopes it is estimated that, above the line 
suitable for coffee, there are some 120,000 acres of 
land on the greater portion of which cinchona may 
be very remuneratively giown. On the Northern slopes 
very little coffee has hitherto, been grown, — although 
that produced is of superior quality ; and an extensive 
zone, quite unopened, about 12 miles long, and four 
to six miles wide rising from 2,500 feet, to 4,000 
feet is still avail ble for this profitable culture. Above 
4,000 feet, and up to 6,. K 00 feet, this extensive tract 
would be most suitable for cinchona cultivation.* I 
am glad to find that, in one or two instances in 
which application has been made, the Government has 
encouraged the experimental cultivation of Cinchona 
by favourable concessions of portions of these lauds 
and, I have no doubt that, if the circumstances attend- 
ing cinchona cultivation in this island were more 
generally known, English capital and energy would 
»-oon develop on these hitherto uncleared lands, and 
in one of the most salubrious climates in the world, 
a most' successful and flourishing enterprise. 
With regard to cinchona febrifuge Mr. Morris says : — 
It appears that by a simple and inexpensive pro- 
cess, a preparation known as cinchona Febrifuge, 
possessing the properties of true quinine, can be ob- 
tained from cinchona bark at so low a cost as 2s 6d 
per ounce At the request of His Excellency, the 
Governor, I prepared, in September laBt, a Memo- 
randum on the subject, and I hope to obtain such 
detailed information from India as will place the 
matter in a practical form. Should the demand for 
cinchona Febrifuge, in the West Indies, justify its 
manufacture being undertaken here, there would be a 
considerable saving effected at the plantations by the 
utilization of ''primings and thinnings" which often, 
at. present, do not cover the expenses of curing and 
whipping ; wliile, at the same time, an effective and 
valuable Febrifuge would be placed within reach of 
the poorest. It is satisfactory to learn that the Fe- 
brifuge is now being tried, in Jamaica, under the 
For the information of those contemplating tak- 
ing up Cinchona cultivation in Jamaica it should be 
understood that these lands are, for the most part, 
quite unopened by roads and from 30 to 40 miles 
from Kingston. 
direction of Deputy Surgeon-General C.B. Mosse, C. B., 
Sup rintending Medical Officer, with the view of care- 
fully testing its merits. 
Regarding the cultivation of jalap we read :-■ 
As mentioned in the last Annual Report, the Jalap 
plants, hitherto, under cultivation here, have been 
planted among the cinchona trees, but as the tubers 
were found to exhaust the soil and the vines 
to injure the young plants, it was decided to remove 
the Jalap tubers as completely as possible and estab- 
lish a separate plantation where the comparative re- 
sults of tli e cultivation might be more carefully watch- 
ed. The Jalap plantation, between 4 aud 5 acres in 
extent, occupies the South Eastern portion of the 
Upper-Buzza plantation ; the ground is laid out in a 
succession of terraces, about 4 feet wide with drains 
on the inner side ; the tubers are planted about 8 or 
10 inches apart, and covered with soil to a depth of 
about 4 inches. Last year, owing to the s-oil being 
fresh and newly cleared, the growing shoots soon after 
making their appearance were eaten off by ''grub,'' 
but after the May rains, they started again, and their 
subsequent growth has been most satisfactory. 
It may be added, that, the Jalap has become quite 
naturalized on many parts of the plantations and 
when once established, in a congenial soil, it is al- 
most impossible to eradicate it. Indeed, in many 
places, it threatens to become a troublesome weed and 
like the strawberry, ( Fragaria vtsca j,to cover the 
ground (where > it cannot find anything to climb 
upon), with a thick matted carpet of green leaves. 
The chief difficulties which have been, hitherto, 
experienced in the utilization of the Jalap crop have 
been the proper drying and curing of the tubers. 
In the moist, cool, climate of the cinchona plantations, 
it was found impossible to dry them thoroughly, by 
exposure to the sun, and, it was proposed to import 
a fruit-drying machine from America for experimental 
purpo-es. The success which has attended the curing 
of the cinchona bark at the Parade Garden, Kingston, 
has however, suggested the possibility of a similar 
treatment for the Jalap tubers, and it is intended to 
send the coming crop to the plains to be cured. 
The Palisadoes plantation is chiefly an experimental 
coconut plantation. We read : — 
Nearly three thousand more plants have been put out., 
bringingupthe total number of trees of allsizesto twenty- 
three thousand. The trees, in bearing, have been care- 
fully counted by numbers marked upon them (as they 
come into bearing), in red paint. During the year, 
the bearing trees have increased from one thousand 
five hundred, to three thousand three hundred. The 
yield of the plantation for twelve months has been 
forty-nine thousand nuts, of which four thousand have 
been utilized in the nurseries. The remainder are 
beiDg sold locally, at rates varying from 65s to 70s 
per thousand. Supplies of young growing plants have 
been distributed, free of charge, for planting on the 
Pedro and neighbouring Cays, at Port Koyal, and other 
places along the coast, where they might be useful as 
land marks, or, as affording shade and ornament. A 
case containing coco-nut leaves, carefully dried, hae 
also been forwarded to Kew, for the purpose of en- 
abl ng Dr. Hugo Miiller to carry on his researches ou 
the occurrence of quercite in members of the palm family. 
We may expect to have Jamaica as a rival in the 
manufacture of coconut products, if Mr. Morris's sug- 
gestions are carried out :— 
Now that the trees are coming into bearing, it baa 
naturally been suggested whether some means might 
not be adopted for utilizing its resources for the manu- 
facture of cocor.ut oil and coir. As a first step in 
this direction, it is proposed to prepare a quantity of 
copra, (the kernel thoroughly dried in the sun), and 
send it to the English or American market in order 
lo test its value. For this no machinery is required, 
and as it is a wellknown and lucrative article of ex- 
