4 86 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. [December i, 1881, 
CINCHONA "PUBESCENS": IMPORTANT 
INFORMATION. 
We have been reading the very elaborate and valu- 
able Report, just published, by Colonel Beddome on the 
Government Nilgiri plantations, in which he enters 
fully on the question of the disputed "Pubescens," 
and comes to the conclusion — in agreement more or less 
with Mr. Cross — that this Cinchona is not a hybrid 
at all as supposed by Mr. Mclvor, not even a variety 
of Officinalis as surrnised by Mr. Howard, but that it 
is more nearly allied to Succirubra, and will, in reality, 
most likely turn out to be identical with C. Magnifolia. 
The question will shortly be set at rest, since Colonel 
Beddome has sent dried specimens of both magnifolia 
and the so-called Pubescens to be compared with the 
typical specimens of the various species in Kew Herb- 
arium. A; first trial shipment of " Pubescens " bark 
has also been made by the Madras Government, the 
report on which is now due and will be full of interest. 
" Magnifolia " grown on the Nilgiris has given a favour- 
able analysis, and so has " Pubescens," as shewn by 
Mr. Howard. Colonel Beddome says of the latter (which 
he believes to be a slight variation of the "Magnifolia" 
species) that it is " very strong growing, and will 
certainly yield far more bark in a given time than any 
other," and probably prove to be longer lived ; it will 
also grow very high up, flouiishing vigorously above 
7,000 feet at Dodabetta. This is all good news for 
" Teja " and others who are cultivating " Pubescens " 
or "Magnifolia" trees; but Colonel Beddome fears that 
a good many Ceylon planters got seed off Succivubra 
trees very like the " Pubescens," when they applied 
for the latter. There is a great deal of very valuable 
information in this Report extending over some 30 
pages foolscap. 
CINCHONA CULTIVATION IN BORNEO. 
Mr. Loyalty Peake writes to us from Sarawak : — 
" I shall be much obliged, if you will give me the 
following information : — 
Average quantity of dry bark from up--| „ , , 
rooted succirubra tree J Z ? e!ils ola 
„ 3 
„ 4 ,, 
» |5 „ „ 
also annual quantity likely to be taken of renewed bark 
dry from 6 years of age till 10 years. I am getting 
on very well with my nurseries and hope to have . 
something worth showing in 18 months' time." 
It is very difficult to answer Mr. Peake's enquiries : 
planters do not uproot or even coppice or strip succi- 
rubra trees before they are 5 or 6 years old, and as to 
'average results,' a great deal of experience will yet 
have to be put together, before we can speak with 
certainty. We should be inclined to put the average 
yield per tree for succirubra over a large clearing at 
from 4 lb. to 5 lb. of dry bark, at five years old. 
We know of 100 trees 14 years old which, when dug 
up, gave over 16 lb. dry bark on an average (although 
they had been coppiced twice before). Then six year 
old Buccimbras (choice trees no doubt) have given 12 
lb. dry bark each ; while in another case 4,000 trees 6 
to 7 years old only gave 12,000 lb. dry bark, or 3 lb. 
each, but these were probably only coppiced. Taking 
rj 11). of dry bark as the standard at five years old I 
(including root bark) for succirubra trees, Mr. Peake 
cannot be far wrong in counting one pound off or on 
for each year. As regards the crop to be got from 
stripping the stem between the 6th and 10th year, we 
should be inclined to put it at an average of £ lb. 
per tree per annum, if a considerable area were taken 
into account. Selected trees would no doubt give much 
more. 
FROM ADAM'S PEAK TO MINNESOTA : 
A Ceylon Planter's Experience in the Far West. 
Heron Lake, Jackson County, Minnesota, U.S.A. 
August 30th. 
Dear Sir, — I have been intending to let you know- 
how we are getting on in this part of the world, 
and if you can flud room, it may, perhaps, interest your 
readers to hear of some of their Ceylon friends down 
here. I left Ceylon in November 1880, thoroughly 
disgusted, after six years' work, with bad crops, laf 
disease and reduced screws, and after staying "a few 
months, in England, decided to try my luck iu the 
great North -West, and accordingly sailed by the 
"Bothnia," Cunard Line, in company with anotlur Ceylon 
man. After being rolled about, for about nine days, we 
arrived iu New York, and after a very short stay 
proceeded to St. Paul's, the capital of Minnesota, where 
we were forced to remain about two week9, on account 
of the severe rains and the floods caused by the 
melting of the vast quantities of snow, and the lines 
being carried away thereby. After nearly committing 
suicide several times, we at last were able to pro- 
ceed to Heron Lake, a small town 160 miles distant, 
where my friend's partner had already purchased land 
and built a good house. On arriving at Heron Lake, 
we found we had struck a temperance town, with a 
f>ood hotel and bar but no liquor. Never shnll I forget 
the feelings I experienced cn driving out the four miles, 
the whole prairie under water, and slush up to the 
axle-tree, and in very truth I agreed with the man 
who had told me his first impression of the locality 
was that " it was the last place commenced just before 
knocking off work on the evening of the sixth day, and 
that the Almighty had not thoughtof finishing it since." 
On arriving at the mighty river Des Moines (usually 
a stream some 8 ft. wide), we found a stretch 
of water about half a mile broad and had to get our 
baggage and selves across in a punt by means of a 
pole. On arriving, we found ourselves well repaid by the 
splendid accommodation provided us by Mr. K.'s house- 
keeper, a nice American lady. Next day, we went and 
called on Mr. P., another Ceylon man who had purchased 
a nice farm, with some fine heavy timber around his house. 
His habitation was better than many a S. D.'s bungalow, 
but as he was living by himself in the house we 
could hardly congratulate him on its appearance, 'hough 
he informed us be had been "putting it to rights 
all the morning." It consisted of two rooms, the outer 
one being used as a store for Indian corn. The win- 
dows of the bedroom were, in some cases, ignorant 
of the existence of glass, and while conversing with the 
worthy proprietor a hen flew in and laid an egg in 
his unmade bed. The colt took a stroll into the other 
room, and, having been satisfied with a good round 
feed of corn retired. A wren had built its nest in a pair 
of trowsers hung behind the door, and was quite happy. 
Iu fact, everyone and everything seemed to be 
on the most friendly footing. 
As spring advanced things began to look better, 
and the dead grass having been burnt off gave 
place to a rich green for miles round you. Having 
thoroughly investigated matters, I came to the 
conclusion that one might with care make money 
and live happily here. So I invested in a piece 
