158 THE TROPICAL 
to its roots, and in a convenient position to be drawn 
in by them; or the gypsum may simply absorb 
ammonia, and give it out to the leaves gradually. 
Perhaps some of your readers who are also botanical 
students could throw some light upon this part of 
the subject. Sometimes it is useful to apply both 
lime and gypsum to soils at one and the same time. 
Where a soil is deficient in sulphates, and yet con- 
tains an excess of organic acids which renders it 
sour, an application of 80 per cent, of yypsum mixed 
with 10 per cent, of lime or 20 per cent, of chalk would be 
an efficient remedy. There are, however, some samples of 
gypsum, particularly that from Sussex, which contain 10 
to 15 per cent, of carbonate of lime in their composition ; 
and in such a case as the one under consideration, 
a dressing of this kind of gypsum would effectually 
cure the disease without any admixture of lime or 
chalk, and it would certainly be the most conveni- 
ent and best kind to apply. 
These samples of gypsum, which contain some 
carbonate of lime, also usually have a little magnesia 
and a proportion of the alkalies in combina ion, and 
these substances add in no small degree to the value 
of the manure. Liebig discovered that gypsum as 
well as lime, had the property of decomposing the 
alkaline silicates, thereby releasing the soda and 
potash required for plant growth ; and Cossa found, 
by careful experiments, that a saturated solution of 
gypsum dissolved these silicates, and particularly 
acted upon the felspar, which yields large quantities 
of potash. Gypsum also mechanically absorbs am- 
monia from the air, and holds it until required by 
adjacent plants. My attention has lat ly been called 
by Mr. Goscage, of the well-known alkali works, 
Widness, to another compound of lime, which lie 
has induced the farmers of that neighbourhood to 
utilise. It is the waste sulphide of lime from the 
local manufactories, and the way in which they use 
it is to apply as much as fifty tons to the acre in 
the early autumn. This crude sulphide kills all ve- 
getable as well as insect life. It eradicates all noxi- 
ous weeds and grubs, and, of course, nothing will 
grow for a certain period after its application. But 
by the action of the air, the sulphate of lime is 
gradually but completely converted into gypsum, in 
which foim it furnishes lime and sulphuric acid in 
a mild and efficient manner for the use of future 
crops, and it is said that such an application as 
above described permanently alters and improves the 
whole character of the land, rendering it fertile where 
before it was comparatively worthless. Mr. Gossage 
states that at first the farmers were very reluctant 
to put this waste on their land at any price, ; but 
alter the bolder spirits amongst them met with suc- 
cess in their trials with it, others came, and were 
pleased to pay for what they had previously con- 
sidered a useless and cumbrous waste product. This 
also points to the conclusion that lime under certain 
conditions, and gypsum invariably, may be applied 
to soils with great success in much larger quantities 
than is usually the case. 
Copyhold Farm, Red Hill, Surrey. W. J. Kemp. 
The weather in Colombo is still hot and dry, and 
up-country also a break seems to have taken place — 
unfortunately for those who bave planted out hundreds 
of thousands of cinchona seedlings. The rainfall in 
Colombo for this month has been from 1st June to 
date only -43 inch.— June 24. 
Tea. — In, re joining the Indian Tea Syndicate — I think 
it would be a mistake, because Ceylon teas classed 
with Indian teas and sold for mixing purposes, for 
which most of the Indians teas are bought, would 
fetch poor prices in comparison. Where Ceylou tea 
has the pull is that it is a very nice drinking tea 
by itself. — Cor, 
AGRICULTURIST. [July i, i88i. 
CINCHONA CULTURE : GOVERNMENT INTER. 
FERENCE WITH PRIVATE ENTERPRISE. 
We have received the following for publication from 
the Secretary to the Government of Bengal : — 
No. 42c, dated Howrah, the 30th May, 1881. 
From G. King, Esq., M.B., Superintendent, Royal 
Botanic Garden, Calcutta, and in charge of Cinchona 
Cultivation in Bengal, to the Secretary to the Govern- 
ment of Bengal, Financial Department. 
Some unfavourable remarks having lately been made 
in Indian newspapers as to the competition of the 
Government of In'lia in the London markets with 
private growers of cinchona bark, I was induced to 
go into the matter, and it may not be out of place 
if I lay the results of my enquiry before Government. 
2 The tone of the remarks iefern-d to would had 
I he public to believe that the quantity of bark sold by 
the Government of India during 1880 formed so large a 
proportion of the total of Indian-grown bark as, in a 
perceptible degree, to influence the market to the 
detriment of private growers. This view is hardly 
borne out by statistics. From the circulars of two 
London firms of bark brokers, I find that the total im- 
portations of cinchona bark into England during 1880 
consisted of 76,074 packages. Of these, 57,560 were 
from South America, 483 weie from Jamaica, and 18 031 
were from India and Ceylon. The 18,031 packages from 
India and Ceylon consisted lor the most part of red and 
crown bark, there being only 207 packages of yellow, 
and of these 207, all but one came from the SikKim 
Plantation, while the odd one came from the Govern- 
ment Plantation on the NilghirR The yellow bark 
sent by the Government of India came into competi- 
tion, therefore, with no yellow bark grown in India 
or Ceylou, the fact being that in no plantation in 
India or Ceylon, except in the Government one in 
Sikkim, do more than a few yellow bark trees e>.itt. 
Of 17,824 packages of India and Ceylon-grown red and 
crown barks sold in London, 1, 174 were offered by 
the Government of Madras. The rest, belonged to 
private growers. Madras Government bark, therefore, 
came into competition with privately grown Indian 
bark to the extent of 6 - 6 per cent. ; and of the total 
bark imported into England, Madras and Sikkim bark 
together (1,380 packages) formed a portion of about 
1'82 per cent. These calculations ate of packages, as 
I do not know the exact weights in pounds ; but bark 
packages are always pretty much about the same 
weight, and the results may be t;iken as substantially 
reliable. I hardly think these figures bear out the 
charge, so lightly brought against the Government, of 
having damaged the in t> rests of private growers by 
flooding the market with bark grown with public money. 
3. For many years prior to 1880. no baik had been 
sold from the Sikkim Plantation, the policy of that plan- 
tation having from the beginning been to grow bark for 
manufacture into a cheap febrifuge for the people 'of 
the country — a policy which has been consistently aud 
successfully carried out. The 206 packages sent to 
London last year consisted of a kind of bark which 
could not be manufactured into febrifuge, and of 
which, except by sale, there was no means of disposing. 
If further exportation of similar bark has been mac'e 
during the present year for a similar reason: but 
changes about to be introduced in the factory make it 
unlikely that it will be necessary to send any more 
bark to London for sale. As regards the produce 
of the Nilghiri Plantation, the policy of the Madras 
Government has all along been to sell it in the best 
market. 
4. The figures I have just quoted show that it 
would be hopeless, even if it were good policy, for 
Government to try to lower the price of quinine for 
the people of India by lowering it in the home market, 
because that really means lowering it for the whole 
world by flooding the European markets with bark 
