August i, 188*] , THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
187 
48 plants 0 f an important species known as Pitayo bark 
which has not been cultivated. 
On ascending from the Government Gardens the 
road, after a short distance, leads up the bank of the 
Dodabetta ravine, on both sides of which Condaminea 
trees are planted. The oldest portion of the plantation 
is that which fringes each side of the road, having been 
planted in 18G3. These trees, it appears, have been sub- 
jected to the renewing process by moss and have been 
barked several times. On examining the trunks of 
several, some portions of decayed heartwood which 
had not been covered over by renewed bark was noticed 
though this circumstance may not be a feature in the 
barked trees generally throughout the plantation. I 
observed that any little pieces of old bark left on the 
trunks of these trees were very thin, so that, mani- 
festly, when any injury results to the wood the tree 
lives chiefly on the bark. At the bottom of the ravine 
there were some very fine well-developed trees pre- 
senting the most perfect form and appearance of the 
best specimens of this bark tree I saw in the Loxa 
forests. On ascending the opposite bank the soil is 
often shallow with bare rocky places and stony debris 
and over a great portion of this slope the plantation 
presents a painfully thin, arid aspect, and where the 
trees have been wrought, I fear over ten per cent., are 
not in the best condition. But those trees which have 
not been burked, although stunted, owing to the condi- 
tions just noticed, are sound and healthy, though from 
the nature of the situation many have been induced to a 
profuse state of seeding. This circumstance hus had 
a further effect in retarding the growth of the trees. 
The fact is that in this locality especially the plants 
at the beginning have been placed far too wide apart ; 
indeed, ns a general rule, twice as many plants should 
have been planted all over the plantation. On some 
of the more prominent brows and heights it would 
have been better had Blue gums been put down, but 
now that the bark trees are there established a more 
prosperous state of growth would be produced by ad- 
ditional plantings. In any case 1 would not advocate 
the rooting up of any portion. On crossing the Doda- 
betta ridge, I found the. trees on the opposite slope 
generally very healthy, and this feature was conspicuous 
all the way down to the jail. The deposit in Ihis 
part of the plantation would compare well with that 
of any of the forests in South America yielding the 
Condaminea, Pitayo or Soft Columbian barks. The 
BUrfuce is usually composed of a deep layer of rich 
old vegetable loam readily absorbing the vain us it 
Mia and slowly parting with its moisture, which even 
in the steepest places very gradually oozes or trickles 
downwards, any appearance of the rills or torrents 
producing the 'wash ' incident to deposits of a different 
character. 
Ooppicing. — A piece of land above the jail to the extent 
of ten acres has recently been coppiced as an experiment. 
Possibly our acre might have proved sufficient for 
illustrating the object in view. The young growths 
from the stools have all been removed with the excep- 
tion of t\\ o,and had all those been allowed to grow up to- 
other for some time, mutual protection during high 
winds would have been afforded, and subsequently, iy 
judicious thinning, a more fair estimate of the value of 
the coppice system might have been ( b ainod. I may 
remark that the trunks have been cut too low indeed 
down to where the primary roots divide, whereas in 
oil cases of coppicing from 5 to f> iiielne of the trunk 
or collar should be left, ns from this portion the 
strongest and most vigorous shoots push and developc 
sooner. The crowns of the stools have been properly 
smoothed, but these, instead Of being cut Hat as has 
boon done in this cobc, should in largo troes, be left 
in the form of a very short wedge, or in tho ease 
of saplings one single short sloping cut is sufficient. 
Formation til' Trrrarrs. Inspecting the terracing of 
cinchona land I may tako the liberty to cxpresH my 
opinion that if the trees have been planted previous to 
the formation of terraces, a very modified form of 
terracing similar to that of a potato drill ruuning ex- 
actly in the line of each row of trees across the slope 
to prevent the formation of rills or streamlets would 
be all that would be necessary. This course, however, 
might be adopted only on the steepest slopes and 
where there is an absence of spongy vegetable mould 
to absorb the rain as it falls. Moderately sloping 
land or undulations possessing a turfy surface soil are 
in my opinion better without terraces. 
The Pitayo Bark. — The Pitayo trees, 49 in number, 
growing near the jail have not been multiplied. It 
appears this sort was considered to be of slow growth or 
that it yielded an inferior bark, though 1 find no 
actual proof on the latter head. The tree may not be 
so prolific as the Crown bark, but when it is con- 
sidered to attain a height of 80 feet with a trunk from 
3 to 4 feet in diameter it appears to me worthy of a 
fair trial should the bark prove of good quality. I 
can assert with thegreatest confidence that the 48 trees 
growing beside the jail at Dodabetta are in the most 
robust state of health, indeed seveial of these are 
pushing stronger and more luxuriant shoots than any 
I have seen of similar size at Pitayo. By selecting 
sheltered sites with good fertile soil and by devoting 
a little more care and attention to its early cultiva- 
tion, I see no reason to doubt of this tree being suc- 
cessfully cultivated. Captain Walker in his enumera- 
tion of the stock plants of this sort in the propagating 
houses at the Government Gardens gives the number 
as 7,000, but he has been totally misinformed. 
There are not s'x plants fit for planting out and 
only a few pots of weak cuttings. 
Decaying Trees iit the Plantation. — I beg to call atten- 
tion to the occurrence of trees in various parts of the 
plantation in a more or less advanced state of decay. 
When trees are thus allowed to die the bark after- 
wards becomes worthless. It appears the person in 
charge cannot cut down or uproot one of these trees 
without the express order or permission of Government. 
1 would suggest that when a tree is seen to exhibit signs 
of decay it should be carefully examined and treated 
accordingly. Ifthedecay is limited to the branches, these 
should be cut back or pruned as may be necessary. 
But if the trunk was seen to be affected— and this 
would often be found to be the ca<c — then the 
roots should be closely examined, and if the un- 
sound roots were found, it would be best to uproot 
the tree at once. If, however, the roots were fresh 
and healthy by far the best course would be to cut the 
tree down, or in otner wo ds to coppice it. 
Injury caused by Cattle. — I observed at the head 
the Dodabetta ravine that cattle had been treading 
about a good deal in various parts. It ought to be known 
that any description of cattle, goals, &c. , frequent 
ing land devoted lo the cultivation of trees, plants 
or crops do far more injury than is generally perceived. 
I used to calculate when travelling in South America 
thnt the rearing of pigs by the natives cost them at 
least eighty times more than their marketable value 
owing to the way these animals arc allowed to run about. 
Hybrid vat ieties of Crown and other Barks.— As regards 
the varieties of Crown bark, of which notices from 
time to time have appeared, I have not been able to 
see one single authentic instance. It might indeed 
he said that no two trees in the Dodabetta plantation 
are alike. The Condaminea, although a hardy proli- 
lie species, is extremely sensitive to the variable con- 
ditions of soil, moisture and exposure, and on this 
account tho tree presents 0 more or less luxuriant 
habit of growth and foliage accordingly. The 1 Atiifiisti- 
folia,' 1 Laneeolata,' ' I ri.spa, ' &c, &e., are simply tho 
pure Condaminea. But that know n as Pnbeacens and 
specially claimed as a hybrid, is a narrow lea\ ed 
variety of Red bark from South America. Not unfre- 
quentiy it may be seen at Xcddiwatam among the tir»t 
