49° 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. [December i, i88r. 
few in so healthy a district), we emerge from a belt 
of jungle dividing the districts into Wewebedde or 
Tavalampalassi, being near the outlet to Lunu- 
gala, where a cart road was traced, once upon a 
time. Cinchona cultivation is progressing on this 
estate; 100,000, including some valuable Emelinas, being 
put out and ready for planting during the coming 
season. 
Duuedin, another of the Company's estates is to be fully 
planted. Hitherto the variety planted here was succirubra, 
and roughly estimated at 275,000 ; there are other 
kinds including a few Ledgers. 
Ascending to a considerable height, we then reach 
the far-famed Cocogalla, and the crack Ledger field, 
so of i en referred to in the columns of the Observer, 
closely planted, and well covering the ground. The 
Ledger field cm be distinctly seen a great distance off, 
being of a brighter green foliage than the officinalis above 
it. This valuable and handsome clewing contains forty 
thousand Ledgers, and, including the officinalis, 50 acres 
at 5,000 plants per acre, gives us 200,000 of fine 
specimens of well-grown and best variety of valuable 
cinchona. When passing through this unequalled field, I 
conhl only see three plants dead in the quarterof a million! 
The new clearings are now being drained and roaded 
for the reception of some 60,000 move Ledgeiianas, making 
one hundred thousand in all raised from Java and Indian 
seed, the old Ledgers being those of Mr. Moeus, and 
those in the nursery raised from Mr. Gammie's seed. 
There seems little difference in appearance. In fact the 
able manager of this division of the Company's estates has 
succeeded in raising fine beds of Ledgersl'rom cuttings! 
In addition to the possession of a compact cinchona 
plantation, the whole of Cocogalla estate will be planted 
with cinchona. At present, there are about half-a- 
million cinchonas in the lines of coffee doing remarkably 
well. 
New Forest contains some 500,000, or half-a-million, 
trees. Say Cocogalla and New Forest between them con- 
tain over 1,200 000, many of which are already 24 inches 
in circumference, and officinalis raised from Abbotsford 
seed, fine, straight, symmetrical, smooth-barked, 
handsome trees added to thfs some 750,000 (three- 
quarter of a million) plants in the nursery of valuable 
kinds making a sum total of about 2,275,000 
cinchona trees of varieties on Cocogalla, New Forest, 
and Dunedin. Much may be learned by a visit to 
these clearings and nurseries. The modus operandi is 
simply perfection ; well-made beds, shaded from the 
Bun, by substantial sheds ; the pricking out beds 
covered by ferns, and coolies employed re picking 
over, and referning, watering, and every care taken 
to make the enterprize a success. 
Now, allowing that the Cinchona Company alone 
possesses 4,000,000 of plants of all kinds by Christinas 
well advanced, and plant out another two mil- 
lions, making six millions ; surely the rest of the 
district, which now possesses over two millions, can 
put out from their extensive nurseries another two 
millons, making up the round ten millions for the dis- 
tricts of Madulsima and Hewa Eliya, including the 
Lunugala estates. Before leaving Hewa Eliya, We 
must have a peep over the ridge, passing through 
Hewa Eliya, Elemane, and Rathkele estates. These 
properties contain half-a-million cinchonas scattered 
about : .15,000, 300,000, and 172,000 respectively, 
or a total of 507,000, including 8 acres under shade, 
4,000 Ledgers ; and 160,000 in coffee on Rathkele 
estate, where extensive fencing has been carried out 
to keep cattle from intruding. 
Through another belt of jungle, the bridle path, 
obscur d from the sun's rays by gigantic keena trees, 
brings us out on to the vast undulating patana lands 
adjoining Woseberry estate, where one might almost 
fancy oue'aself on a sheep run in New South Wales. 
Roseberry estate grows very fair succirubra, and a 
great quantity is put down already with nurseries in 
reserve. Crossing another range, we enter the U»a 
estate, a fine promising property both for its coffee 
(almost free from disease) and cinchona succirubra. 
At some future time, we can spe»k of the suitabili- 
ty of the laud below this estate in the neighbour- 
hood of Bintenni tank, for the production of new 
products, but will confine this article to cinchona only. 
The first cinchona estate proper, that is, the first 
land devoted entirely to the cultivation of the bark, 
«as The Park near Lunugala opened by Messrs. 
Pulteney and Ffanshaw. Another entire cinchona 
estate called Seafield is situated near Yapame, and 
the famous Kehelwatte possesses one of the finest 
nurseries of all kinds, including pubescens, and 
planted 10 acres succirubra, four acres officinalis and 
a considerable quantity scattered amongst I he coffee. 
Yaphame estate we mentioned before as producing 
good seed, there are also nine acres of succirubra 
planted here. Kosgahad iwa aud Mauea and Lunuvissa 
estates I did not visit, but they all contain a pro- 
portion of cinchona and nurseries. Clifton and Mel- 
rose and other new estates down the Batticaloa 
road near Lunugala : Medampitiya, Galbod>', and 
Tillycairn near Passara. Hanipha estate has made 
progress and a clearing is in course of preparation for 
this season. St. Mary's estate might be called in 
Madulsima. All have cinchona growing more or less. 
Now to come to statistics. The following estat 
are opening up clearings for Christmas planting : — 
Galoolla 50 acr.s of officinalis. 
Cocogalla 21 ,, Ledgers & officinali 
Wevabeclde 5 ,, Calisayas. 
Forest Hill 12 ,, officinalis. 
Seafield 60 ,, succirubra. 
Kehelwatte 46 „ pubescens and succ. 
Hanipha 25 ,, Condaminea. 
Shawlands 35 ,, Calisayas &c. 
254 acres (E. & O. E.) 
There may be a few more clearings including a 
small ono at TJvakelle and another at Amanadova, 
making over three hundred acres. Planted say 
5,000 to the acre, equal to one and a half million, 
a considerable help to the rough estimate of ten 
millions for Madulsima and Hewa Eliya. Now sup- 
posing ten thousand acres are brought into cultiv- 
ation, in round numbers, @ 1,000 cinchona plants 
per acre, we arrive at ten millions. Therefore, con- 
sidering that 5 000 per acre is the usual thing, the 
surplus 4,000 per acre over a large area make up 
for coffee not planted with cinchona. The next 
thing to consider is the price or value per average 
tree, according to age and soil and variety of bark 
cultivated. We bear of 7 year old trees realizing the 
enormous sum of R40 or £4 sterling. According to such 
a calculation, forty millions sterling would be raised, 
enough to make one's hair stand on end to contemplate! 
The question is what would be a fair average 
price. Let us say R5 or ten shillings per tree, and we 
realize five millions of pounds sterling. Then descend 
to five shillings per average tree, and we get two 
millions, five hundred thousand pounds sterling ; equi- 
valent to two shillings and sixpence per tree, one 
million, two hundred and fifty pounds sterling. We must 
draw the line at RL25 or half-a-crown for crown bark, 
and then we get £125 per acre or Rl, 250— twice as good 
a prospect for planters as coffee cultivation without leaf 
Two hundred thousand acres of cinchona in the 
Central Province of Ceylon, containing at the rate of 
ten millions to every ten thousand acres or two hundred 
millions of cinchona trees, valuing, say, only one rupe g 
per tree or two hundred millions of rupees, or £20,000,00q 
sterling, four times the value of one million cwt. Q £ 
