November t, i88r.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST 
449 
LIBERIAN COFFEE IN SUMATRA. 
Although published in Batavia in 1879, we had not 
previously met with a liLtle pamphlet in Dutch by 
Mr. F. <i. Steck, of Medan, Deli, Sumatra, entitled 
" De Kultuur der Liberia Koffij" (The Cultivation 
of Liberian Coffee). In his preface Mr. Steck acknow- 
ledges his obligations to the book published at this office, 
in 1878, containing the Liberian letters of the late 
Mr. Criiwell (whose name the Batavian printer has 
turned into Gruwell) • and he adds such facts as had 
come under his own or his friends' observation in their 
experiments with this variety of coffee. On looking 
through the pamphlet, however, we cannot find 
any important addition to our knowledge of the 
subject. In fact, in closing his preface, Mr. Steck 
admits that the information given is meagre, as was 
to be expected in the case of a new culture, and he 
asks for corrections and further information with a 
view to an enlarged edition of his pamphlet. The 
little work consists of 31 pages, a page and a half 
being devoted to the situation, climate and soil of 
Liberia, and the remainder to the coffee tree to which 
it gives its name. In the division on the laying out 
of ground Mr. Steck describes at some length an in- 
vention of his own for taking levels on steep land. 
In quot ing Dr. Bidie's opinion on the ubiquity of growth 
of this coffee, Mr. Steck refers to him a3 an au- 
thority on Liberian coffee in Ceylon ! We do not 
remember to have seen stated what is mentained here: 
that Liberian coffee contains 92 p. c. of caffein 
as compared with only 50 p. c. in Java coffee. At 
tbe end of the pamphlet the writer mentions what had 
been done in Sumatra up to the time when he wrote 
(Sept. 1879) in the May of cultivating Liberian coffee. 
I he estates mentioned are Agnieta, 10 miles from the 
sea, ; Agatha, adjoining it ; Mariendal, at Deli, about 
livt above and 16 miles distant from the sea • 
and Boeroeng Merac, in Lungkat, about 52 miles 
distant from but only GO feet above the sea. The 
last two estates appeared to be doing specially well. 
We hope Mr. Steck will give us the benefit of his 
turtlier observations soon. 
SALE OF CINCHONA BARK IN COLOMBO. 
Mr. E. John put up for public sale, at 19 Upper 
( hatnam Street, Fort, at noon today, thb following lots 
of bark which were sold at the prices mentionedl- 
Lot. lb. R 
Kataboola— I 37S Succirubra quills ... o ' 72.', 
2 4 ^? " chips ... o 73* 
d aIu " r00t - 75 " 
* 476 „ twigs ... 17 
An analysis by Mr. Symons of lots 1, 2 and 3 
mixed in their relative proportions shews 1-320 ,„.'. 
eent Sulphate of Quinine. Root bark from ' -! • 
old trees. Other trees 2 to 4 years old FW-?K™, 
3.00U feet. } arS ° la - Nation 
Dicknpitiya— ^ 
Lot. 5 219 Succirubra quill 
2 £03 " pa P or 1 uiu 
1^8 Land- " twj « 8and <* i P* 
y 2 i' " ohipa and pieces. 
Clnverton — 
l() ,-! ' ; •• mixed shavings.. 1 
., „jM •• silvery stem ... l 
}o ' •- '-•hips and pieces- 
'. ,,' Papery quill ... 
. ■• twig* and chips. 
«*£mI,T ,"' "' '- l,y Mp - s i '»ous, shews 21SG 
cent Miipimto ot quinine. 
i 
Lot. lb. 
I Glenugie, B. — R c 
B 17 64 Succirubra stem quill ... 85' 
^ J 8 , 232 » chips aud pieces. 77.', 
B 19 404 „ paper qu.tl ... fi* 
B 20 2o4 „ twigs and chips. 24 
• Other remarks same as A parcel but without analysis 
Gleuugie — ' 
Lot. lb. j> 
17 150 Succirubra stem quill ... 821 
18 55 9 ,, chips and root... 80" 
19 40(5 branch and twig. 25 
20 630 ,, papery quill aud 
„ , . pieces ... 55 
Analysts by Mr. Symons of lot 18 chips and rout 
shews 1-590 per cent, sulphate of quinine. Elevation 
4,400 feet trees 4 and 5 years old 
Lot. lb. R 
Morar— 21 24 Succirubra mixed quill ' Go" 
II rr7 " ? hav »»gs - 1 20 
16 667 ,, twigs 23 
Analysis by Mr. Symons of the shavings' lot 19 
shews 2-316 per cent, sulphate of quinine Eleva- 
tion 4700 to 5,000 feet. From Wel^ grown 4 years 
old trees. Original plants from Portree. 
Strathmore— 
Lot. lb. E c 
24 196 Succirubra stem quill ... '774. 
25 831 ,, stem chips and 
26 S7« P <. ieCeS - S0 
Zb "76 ,, root ... 55 
2 ? 37 ,, root duet ... IS 
Lot lb. 
28 679 Succirubra twigs 22 
29 27 Officinalis twigs and chips 23 
o0 37 ,, chips and piece. 70 
Analysis by Mr. Symons of lots 25 and 26 in the 
proportion of 831 to 376 shews F567 per cent sulph- 
ate of quinine. Elevation of estate 4,400 feet 
Trees 5 years old. 
Lot lb. R. c 
Troup— 31 261 Officinalis stem quill ... f 70 
32 81 >> root ... l 00 
33 120 ,, twigs and chips. 27 V 
34 11 Hybrid stem pieces 1 50" 
35 . I*? .. q«iH ... SU 
"6 73 ,, root and stem 
4 1*1. %m , P' eCeS ••• 1 10 
Analysis by Mr. bymons of the hybrid stem pieces, 
lot 34 shews 2-7G7 per cent, of sulphate of quinine. 
Lotjb. R. c. 
Waltrim— 37 161 Succirubra young branch... ' 30 
38 78 ,, old stem shav- 
ings ... l 05 
39 40 OlKcinalis twigs 0 °71 
Teinplestowe — " - 
40 336 Succirubra stem chips ... 0 85 
41 560 ,, shaving- 1 15 
42 196 root ,.. 0 75 
43 140 ilust 0 06 
44 1.56S ,, twigs . 0 °2 
Dotella— 45 336 abt. Succirubra branch and 
twigs ... 0 32J 
Hoolaukande— 
46 224 
Lindula — 47 44S 
chips and pieces 0 r >2\ 
stem quill and 
pieces ... 0 90 
140 abt. Officinalis shavings ... 0 75 
49 196 abt. .Succirubra sbaviugs ... 0 S°i 
Drayton-50 112 mixecl q 47! 
Glaahautrh — J 
shaugl 
51 3,360 
Hallowellc— 
52 336 
St. Regains— 
53 1,680 
54 336 
11 twigs and chips. 0 25 
„ branch ... Q 30 
., twig 
., bold twig 
0 25 
0 33] 
