October i, 1881.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
35 7 
THE CINCHONA ENTERPRISE IN CEYLON 
AND JAVA. 
The Director of the Ceylon Botanic Gardens is 
generally credited with eonsiderahle faith in the 
future of Succirubra or lied Bark Cinchona which he 
has recommended planters to put out freely at suit- 
able elevations. Apart from his position as Botanist, 
it must be remembered that Dr. Trimen is a high 
Pharmaceutical and Medical authority, and his opinion 
on the probable future demand for druggists' " bark," 
and on the many uses to which it may be turned, 
is worthy of careful attention. Certainly, Ceylon 
planters of the common red bark have had great en- 
couragement in recent sales. On Portree estate, Dik- 
oya, for instance, 4,000 trees of this species, which 
were coppiced, gave no less than 6 tons— 13,440 lb. — 
of marketable bark, or at an average rate of ?>y lb. 
per tree, while the prices realized were most satis- 
factory, exceeding 4s and 5s per lb. for a consider- 
able proportion of the bark. It has taken most 
people by surprise that our export of cinchona for 
the current season should have kept up so well. It 
was supposed that nearly every tree worth cropping 
had been stripped or coppiced, in consequence of 
financial exigencies during 1879-80, and that there 
would be a great falling-off in exports during the suc- 
ceeding season. But instead we have an excess, al- 
though, no doubt, a good deal is made up of prunings 
and immature bark from cankered trees. We cannot 
see how the million pounds of export can be exceeded 
during the coming season, although the large area 
planted in 1877-7S ought to begin to tell in 1883. 
It is not an easy task, howover, to forecast the future 
of cinchona exports, and it is still more difficult to 
say what the state of the market and the probable 
range of pricei will be ; but our own inclination is 
to believe that prices will keep fairly well up for 
cinchona bark generally for the next six or seven 
years. Supplies from (South America cannot be expected 
to increase : new uses for bark aud its products are 
d ; and the consumption of quinine ami 
3 steadily advancing in America and 
being multipli 
the alkaloids 
India, if not in Europe. 
We append tho translation 0 
on the Java Government cincho 
2nd charter of thia year. Thoug 
out interest and instruction. Ii 
Mr. Moens' report 
a enterprize for the 
1 brief, it is not with- 
thc first place it will 
bo observed that the Netherlands Consul in Bolivia 
(whoso name has been given to or.o of the inferior 
Calisayas) is mindful of tho interests of his Govern- 
ment in its great Eastern Dependency, in sending out 
large Quantities of fresh seed of live different varieties 
of cinchona. British Consuls in Bolivia and Peru do 
not seem to lako the same interest or to remen.bcr 
that they oould benefit India and Ceylon in the same 
way that Mr. Sohuhkraft do>s Java. But it is to 
tho result of Mr. Moons' farther analyses that chief 
attention will be given, and if there is one thing 
more than ano'hor to bo learned from tho present 
report, it is that to tho proper cultivation of cin- 
chona the skill and labour of an analytical chemist 
are even more necessary than are thoso of the planter. 
The < \ raordinary disorcpanoiea botwoen troi-s in tho 
same field and even tho same row shew us that 
nothing save analysis will sullioo to guide in propaga- 
tion and cultivation. Avery good illustr.it i .0 .4' 
this fact is afforded by a recent experience iu Dim- 
90 
hula, where, in connection with some flourishing hy- 
brids, t wo or three gentlemen who have visited Java 
and studied under Mr. Moens, aud who have since 
paid close attention to the subject, were asked to say, 
of varying types, whicli was the best. The result of 
analysis, however, proved that the trees they selected 
were decidedly inferior, while the one tree they pro- 
nouueed bad yielded G'77 of quinine ! On the other 
hand Mr. Moens shews how his selection by eye 
corresponded, in several instances, with the result of 
analysis ; but it is evident that the Java Director 
would not feel inclined to depend on outward appear- 
ance alone, even in (he cise of his own practised 
judgment. How much more necessary then is it for 
Ceylon planters to have the aid of analysis. In this 
connection Mr. Talbot's motion for the next meeting 
of the Planters' Association has a fresh interest. We 
fear that the Superintendent of Hakgala Gardens is 
already appointed, and that he is not a chemist • 
but, under a system of grants-in-aid of analysis, there 
is no reason why Government should not come to the 
rescue without placing any perceptible burden on the 
revenue. Indeed, if, as is rumoured, the Cryptogamist 
is to retire at the end of his three years' engage- 
ment on 31st December next, the Association might 
well urge that the salary so saved should be d "voted 
to a Government analytical chemist for th" encour- 
agement of the cinchona enterprise. A good deal of 
valuable and profitable work could still be done at 
Hakgala, while attention to private demands would 
keep an able chemist very fully employed. It is 
strongly felt upcountry, it seems, that, to secure 
reliable work, a competent officer should give his sole 
attention to the one branch after the fashion of Mr. 
Moens in Java, and Mr. Garnmie in Sikhim. Mean- 
time we append the latest Java report, whicli should 
be carefully studied in connection with the table of 
analyses by our planting readers : one impression this 
table and previous returns of the same kind have left 
upon us is, that, while Ledgeriana is at its best 
under Mr. Moens' care, the inferior calisayas as well 
as crown and red barks do no' succeed nearly so well 
in Java as they do iu India aud Ceylon. We beat 
Java in the commoner descriptions, and it remains 
to be seen whether, with due care, our Lpdgerianas 
of the same age may not be found to be richer iu 
"quinine," than those of which Mr. Moens is so 
justly proud. 
REPORT OX THE ODVERNMENT CINCHONA 
ENTERPRIZE IN JAVA FOR THE 2ND 
QUARTER 1881. 
Although in May it seemed as if the dry monsoon 
were setting in, in June it began once more to rain 
almost daily. The plant growth was assisted by 
the warm moist weather, and the plant-" looked flourish- 
ing. During the second quarter 22,830 C. Ledgeriama 
and 5S,900 C. succirubra were planted out. From the 
Netherlands consul at La Paz, Mr. Schuhkraft, largo 
quantities of seed of rive different varieties of cin- 
chona were again received from Bolivia, whicli are 
already beginning to germinate well. The supply 
of labor was ample. To day laborers ./o,40o'(>0 "as 
paid. Although tho weather was not very favorable 
for drying tho harvesting was carried on lairlv well. 
Altogether about 70,000 A mat lb. of bark have been 
gathered, of which 37,000 were sent to the Nether- 
lands, 7,000 reserved for the use of tho head of tho 
local medical department, and 20,000 remain in tho 
packing -houses of tho establishments. The dispatch 
was hindered during tho last two mouths by tho 
severe epidemic of fever prevailing in tho Preauger 
Regencies : to many of tho cart drivers wero sick 
that there were scarcely enough persons obtainable 
to drive the carts. A commencement has been inado 
