September i, 1881.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
279 
CINCHONA PLANTER'S MANUAL.* 
(Communicated). 
This book will be found to be very useful to all 
engaged in 
ition of this valuable tree. 
200 pages demy 
iformation known 
It is a handy volume of 
•octavo containing the creair 
regarding cinchona. • t] • . t f h t 
in. On p. 1 it is said " all alkaloids consist of carbon, 
hydn,,,n, oxygen, nitrogen alone." This is not the 
case, tor there are a large number of alkaloid- winch 
contain no oxygen, e.g. nicotine from tobacco, conine 
from lienilock, sc. On p. 4 "The stem (endogenous) 
is enlarged." This must refer to the height and not 
diameter. A bttle further on we are told "repro- 
duction does not commence till the plant is provided 
with a store of accumulated food" ; this is somewhat 
at variance with the. statement on p. 78, for, when a tree 
has reached a sufficient size and becomes impoverished, 
it generally makes an attempt to reproduce its kind 
In the second chapter, ou p. ] 1, it says :—" warmth 
of climate accelerates changes and hence bark grown 
at low elevations contains less quinine," but the 
next statement " it follows that the quicker the plant 
grown," &c. i* somewhat awkward, for warmth 
generally accelerates growth and cinchona thrives 
very, well at sea level. A very fine specimen was 
growing a verj short time ago in the Cinnamon Gardens, 
of no great age, about live or six years, was over 
20 Eeet hign, with a girth of more than three feet. 
Although this tree was quickly grown, the quinine 
was slight. It is tolerably rich in alkaloids but they 
are in an uncrystalliz ible condition. Nevertheless it 
would make tine druggist's bark. 
On the same page the value of quiuidine ought 
to be placed I cfore cinchonidine. 
A little further on "the act of flowering docs not 
appear to have any direct influence on the amount 
of alkaloid in the bark" requires verification. In 
several plants e.g. tobacco, the flowering has an effect 
on the alkaloids secreted. 
Tho fo, inula for quinine ou p. 15 is a misprint. 
The error is cleared up in the explanation following 
on p. 28. "It (L'dgeriaua) is greatly given to sporting 
but always within certain limits" reminds one of 
the wonderful sporting- on a Maskeliya estate, so much 
bo that the plants have been pushed out of the 
category Ledgeriana Tlieyarc, however, good percentage 
quinine yieldere, which is the great point to look after, 
Chapter III. doals with soil, &c. On p. 45-51, 6*1. 
certain statements are made regarding the suitability 
of soil which generally hold good, but it might be 
noted that in sonic parts of Ceylon cinchona trees 
thrive iu stiff clay soil near a swamp and give 
a good proportion of quinine. 
The analyses on p. 47 need not have contained 
the item " Sulphuric acid, carbonic acid, and chlorino 
not il< termined," for they must have been absent, as 
the other constituents make up tho 100 parts. 
On ]>. 50, reference is mado to "phosphoric ncid 
not being so high as in soil formed from sedimentary 
BM>] 1 il formations." It must be remembered that 
our chief formation is but a metamorphosed sedimen- 
tary one, and metamorphic action would not destroy 
phoiphorio acid. 
With regard to tho chapters on weeding, roads, 
draining, planting, nurseries, they aro based on 
ttperienoo, and will hold good generally, ['art IV. 
Still with manuring. Un this thoro is much to bo 
learnt, as very few experiments have been tried and 
the bark tested by aualysis. More information on this 
is vory desirable 
Matin. Ruoker and Beucraft's unit value of 1/0 or 
1/9 J is too high except for high percentages. Allowance 
must be made for manufacturer's charges. 
It would be interesting to know why the outer 
cells of the bark, as stated ou p. 28, and 112, are 
richer in quinine, which is correct, but this does 
not agree with the order of the formation of 
the alkaloids given on p. 11. First uncryi-taliizable 
quinine ; next crystallizable quinine to cinchonidine 
Mr. Karslake's process will no doubt be found to 
bo exceedingly good. It is a capitul way of punish- 
ing a tree and at the same subjecting it to a mini- 
mum of harm. Quinine and its partners are stored 
up in the bark, and by punishing a tree iu this way 
its energy is then diverted to making good the loss 
of that which has been or i3 about to be (in Mr. Kars- 
lakc's process) taken away. 
The great changes to which bark is subjected, 
pointed out on p. 141, should be a sufficient induce- 
ment to establish a local manufactory litre, and ship 
borne either the crude alkaloids or the pure, which, 
could be done for a moderate outlay and would prove 
remunerative. The latter part of the first paragraph 
(p. 1G5) is somewhat complex. Are we to gather from 
this that, when a tree is dying from ringing or 
other causes, the alkaloids are uctually drawn 
up to the leaves, and that disorganization of tissue 
below prevents its return ? Although it may be 
regarded as a fallacy that checking a tree increases 
the richness of the bark, yet there is every reason 
to believe that, checking, by stripping, shaving, 
or Mr. Karslake's process does make it richer, and there 
is also evidence to show that other modes of reasonable 
injury servo the same purpose. 
Dr. Trimen's chapter ou the characters of the dif- 
ferent species will be a great guide to those who 
wish to follow up the outward characters of ike vaiious 
kinds. A little information might have been given 
on the dry bark characters, as far as is known. 
Ou p. 18S appendix, regarding the analyses A. and 
B.,the salts of the alkaloids should not'be added to 
the cinckoniuo alkaloid and then called total. The 
total alkaloids in A. and B. would be much less than 
the quantity stated. 
Mr. Owen deserves great credit for this work, 
and we trust that a second edition will soon 
be required. It is a book which ought to be in 
the hands of every planter, of cinchona as well as 
of those interested in quinine. 
* Tho Cinchona Planter's Mauual, by T. 0 Owen 
Colombo : A. M. St, J. Ferguson. 1SS1. 
Mr. Owen writes, with reference to the above 
criticism of the Manual, as follows : — 
"I have to thank your correspondent for his notice of the 
' Cinchona Planters' Manual,' but hope I may be allowed 
to reply to one or two of his remarks. I am sorry the. 
paragraph ou tho formation of the alkaloids is not 
clear to your correspondent, but I canuot help think- 
ing the meaning is plain. The effect of the warmth at 
low elevations is to cause tho higher alkaloids to 
change into tho lower ; it also causes toe tree to grow 
quicker and secrete the moro valuablo alkaloids 
(which are just formed) more rapidly : hence tho former 
effect is moddiod by the latter. Allusion i< di-, inetly 
made to 'the accelerated growth at low elevations.*: 
As to tho influence of flowering on tho alkaloids in 
tho bark, tho only authority on the Bubjeot is Mr. 
Broughtou whose words 1 quote, and ho adds in his 
report of December 9th, lSo't), that this is 'a point on 
uhieh I have made a careful enquiry.' 
" In tho formula for quiuiue on page 15, two 
numerals have dropped, but the printer's error is made 
plain in tho next few lines. 
" I cannot understand cinchona ' thriving in a stiff 
clay soil near a swamp." As fur as our know U-d^i and 
