45° 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. [November t, i88r. 
Lot. lb. R. c. 
Tientsin— 55 1,568 Succirubra twigs ... 0 25 
Abbey Craig — 
56 420 abt. Officinalis chips and 
shavingF... 1 05 
57 84 „ twigs ... 0 12 
58 20 „ root and dust... 0 37| 
Eildon Ball— 
A 59 34 Officinalis quill ... ) , 
B 59 107 „ chips ... \ 1 0D 
C 59 123 „ twigs ... 0 60 
D 59 135 Succirubra and hybrid quill. 0 72J 
E 59 57 „ ,, branch 
and chips 0 45 
F 59 900 ,, ,, chips and 
twigs... 0 40 
The attendance was good, and the bidding spirited, 
the whole 69 lots being knocked down within two 
hours. 
CINCHONA CULTURE IN DIMBULA: 
LEDGEKIANAS 5J YEARS OLD YIELDING 9'6 OF QUININE 
AND NOT A TEACE OF INFERIOR ALKALOIDS. 
We draw attention to the good news conveyed to 
us by Mr. Wm. Smith in Messrs. Howard's analysis 
of bark from Ledgeriana trees on Matakelly, five and a 
half years old. The result is most satisfactory, the 
three richest specimens being, we suppose, worth at 
least 18s per lb. The Yarrow bark analysed gave up 
to ll - 2 per cent sulphate of quinine, but the trees 
were said to be younger. It is possible that the 
source of the seed is the same in both cases, namely, 
the late Mr. Mclvor of the Nilgiri Gardens. If not, 
Mr. Smith's pinch must be from some received by 
Mr. A. M. Ferguson direct from Mr. Moens. That is 
a point which can be definitely settled very soon now. 
The important news is that the most valuable Ceylon 
cinchona bark as yet analysed has been grown in the 
centre of Dimbula at an elevation of over 4,000 feet. 
The highest percentage of quinine shewn in the series 
of analyses we published the other day from Mr. Moen s 
was 11-20 (of quinine, not the sulphate); but he does 
not here specify the age of the tree, merely referring 
to the plantation as a young one. In other cases we 
are enabled to institute a comparison. Thus hark from 
a five year old tree of the best type yielded 8'45 per 
cent of quinine, and another of the same type, seven 
years old, gave 7 - 20 per cent; but in these cases the 
inferior alkaloids made up from 1\ to 3 \ per cent • 
while in the best Matakelly bark, the 9-6 of quinine 
•was unassociated with even a trace of other alkaloids. 
This, of course, makes the bark all the more valuable 
to the manufacturer. If any one in Ceylon deserves 
Buccess as a cinchona cultivator it is Mr. Wm. Smith, 
for if he had his way well-nigh twenty years ago he 
would have planted out in the Dimbula valley all the 
plants Dr. Thwaites had then to spare for him at Hakgala 
Gardens; but "partners" would not at that time listen 
to expenditure on anything but " coffee," at least not 
on a tree grown for pharmaceutical purposes ! ' Who- 
ever made a fortune by growing a drug?' was then the 
cry ; but the few farseeing men of that early day have 
lived to see their prophecies more than fulfilled. It is 
also very satisfactory to find Messrs. Campbell and 
Fairlie so successful in then- selection of the best types 
ef the trees as proved by analysis this is a branch 
of the cinchona planter's education which must be 
learned by all who wish to do justice to the richest 
species. 
While on this subject let us once for all ask for 
uniformity among Ceylon planters and also merchants 
and brokers in their reports, quotations and speech about 
bark analyses. We hear 2, 3 and 5 per cent trees 
spoken of when all the time not quinine, but sulphata 
of quinine, is meant. In Java and India, on the contrary, 
the percentage is always based on the quinine. To give 
the proportion of sulphate is useful as a guide to the 
market value, but, in respect of yield of different barks, 
let it be the rule to associate " per cent " with quinine. 
In this way, we can compare the best tree in the latest 
Java report (11-2 per cent) with the best on Yarrow 
(8-4 per cent) and again on Mattakelly 9"6 per cent. 
We have no doubt that Ceylon Ledgerianas will yet 
beat the richest produced even under Mr. Moens' special 
and scientific care. 
PROGRESS OP CEYLON TEA CULTIVATION. 
The following is an extract from the Grocer of Sept. 
3rd respecting the prospects and progress of tea culti- 
vation in Ceylon, and of the market opening for its 
disposal in the Australian Colonies: — 
"Ceylon Tea. — Owing to short coffee crops, planters 
in Ceylon have of late years turned their attention to 
the cultivation of other products, among which tea 
figures conspicuously, and the export from Ceylon of 
this article is yearly increasing. In 1877 only 2,1051b 
were exported, while in 1880 the export had increased 
to 140,000 lb. Last year the area of tea planted out 
amounted to 9,300 acres, which will produce about 
3,500,000, lb of tea when in full bearing ; and as the 
planted area is yearly increasing, we may expect be- 
fore long to hear a good deal about (Jeylou tea, which 
appears to be a successful rival of Indian tea as re- 
gards its qualities as a beverage. At the Melbourne 
Exhibition, Ceylon teas were awarded thirty-six prizes, 
of which eleven were first-class, and the decision 
arrived at by the Victorian Government Analyst was 
that in some important respects Ceylon tea wa- the best 
in the world, and that in Ceylon the best quality of 
tea could be produced with the minimum exhaustion 
of the fertilising matters in the soil." 
In the same journal, I came across a letter addressed 
to its editor by some aggrieved tradesman, who evid- 
ently fears that arrangements something similar to those 
proposed in Ceylon for the disposal of island-grown 
tea will militate against the profits of the "middle- 
man." The following is its text :— 
"Is it Fair? 
"Sir, — A short while since I had a circular placed 
in my hands issued by the ' Darjeeling Tea Com- 
pany ' to their shareholders, offering to supply them 
with boxes of their tea direct, and I was told that 
this offer was being accepted, not only for their own 
wants, but to supply the needs of their circle of 
acquaintances as far as practicable. I would ask you, 
sir, if you consider this fair to the trade ? Unless 
I am mistaken, the Assam Tea Company attemp'ed 
to do this some years since, but withdrew the privi- 
lege npon remonstrances being made to them by 
their broker. Perhaps the Darjeeling Tea Company 
may also see the ' error of their ways,' when tney 
know that such procedure is strongly resented by the 
dealers. I am &c, 
"Exeter, August 29. W. S. Saunders." 
Now, without wishing to disparage the usefulness to 
the community of the shop-keeping classes, it cannot 
