February t, 1882.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
677 
fear tho effect of a monsoon burst would be disastrous. 
There can be no possible doubt that the coffee fun- 
gus lived in the jungle, " remote from public view, " 
beforo attacking the cultivated coffee, and we only 
wish it had been contented to remain in that native 
obscurity, to which planters wish to relegate it. 
CINCHONA BARK HARVESTING. 
With reference to the letter on another page, we 
are bound to say that the specimens of bark sent to 
us, quite bear out our corresspondent's statement. The 
hint be gives about suckers is valuable. Yes : officin- 
alis is more liable to die off than succirubra, after 
coppicing or beforehand. Colonel Reddomo gives judg- 
ment on coppicing, after going over the Nilgiris 
plantations : — 
The results of the coppicing at Naduvatam : in 1879; 
the coppicing process was very well carried out, the 
stools being sawn through about 3 inches above the 
ground and adzed over with a convex surface to nearly 
flush with the ground ; the growth is very healthy 
and promising wherever the coppice has succeeded. 
In the 1S(M planting, 2,319 •'Succirubra" trees, all 
.previously barked four times were carefully coppiced 
early in June 1879; 185 stools have died, 2,134 are grow- 
ing luxuriantly. In the 1S6'9 planting, 2,628 uubarked 
" Succirubra" trees coppiced in the same manner in 
July 1M7!>;97:! stools died, l.fiSS growing luxuriantly. 
Here we have a great anomaly : trees fifteen years 
old have succeeded from coppice with a far better 
percentage than trees only ten years old ; this is quite 
opposed to my experience in the coppice of any other 
trees, the growth being generally far more successful 
in the younger trees ; old or even maturo trees often 
failing altogether to make coppice growth beyond a 
few twigs which die off, when saplings or young trees 
of the same species grow most readily; this is alway the 
case with " Teak and " Babul." Again, it is note- 
worthy that the four-times barked trees have succeeded 
from coppice with a better percentage than the un- 
barked trees. 
Both these data however are more or less value- 
less, as the 18G9 planting was coppiced nearly a 
month later than that of 1864 the sap was therefore 
more up and the trees bled much more which may 
account for the extra failures. The coppicing of both 
years was carried out too late, and 1 am inclined 
to attribute the failuros to this cause as the stools 
bled torribly : if tho coppice had been in April or 
early in May, it is probable there would have been 
no failures at least of healthy trees. 
Of the old coppicing experiments carried out more 
roughly, whore fifty-seven uubarked " Succirubra " trees 
ui I sr..' planting were cloan coppiced in October 1873, 
nil suckers removed, twenty-two have died, thirty - 
livohave grow n well and are about twenty feet high, and 
of fifty-eight trees of the same year coppiced in 
May 1873, bat the suckers left standing, only one 
stool is ilead ; and of 200 " Succirubra " of the 
same year in another block coppiced in Alay 1871 
(when nine years old) suckeis left standing, only 
one stool cliod ; the 199 again coppiced in March 188J 
(when 10 years old) no regrowth yet, but suflicicnt 
time has not elapsed. Tho yield of green bark in 1871 
wa» 1,3601b., but in 1881 it was 3,8651b., which 
is noteworthy; and of 116 "Succirubra" of the same 
year, but of poor growth and nnbarked, coppiced in 
May lN7.\ Ihii-ty-throe stools died, the surviving eighty 
two about 1) feet high and f>.J inches in girth. 
I do not think wo should curry out any further 
coppicing in blocks, but only coppice trets showing 
signs of decay. 1 observed hero And there dead trees 
ui tho dillu'ciit plantations. A Uco should utver bo 
allowed to die, as its I 
they should be coppiccc 
of decay are evident. J 
if a sucker or shoot is 
it never dies, and whei 
can easily be produced 
close to the ground. 1 
that if trees are coppice 
en yields no alkaloids ; 
rooted when the signs 
i established fact that 
m the tree is coppiced 
i have no shoots one 
ghtly injuring the bark 
so an established fact 
une or July, when the 
sap is well up, there must be many failures owing 
probably to the excessive bleeding that tukes place. 
We have not sufficient data to say whether trees 
coppiced in April or early in May will all grow again 
without any failures. 
But in Borne soils all cinchona trees die, or refuse 
to live. As regards Mr. Karslake's process, he states 
that he found it safe after ten days to take the 
loosened bark away, the renewing bark being able to 
take care of itself. Of course, others can try the 
process on a small scale before adopting it. 
THE MARKET FOR CINCHONA BARK. 
We do not regard the intelligence of a rise of 2s 
in quinine, privately reported by telegram, as a matter 
for special rejoicing on the part of Ceylon planters. 
Taking iuto account the interests of the community 
whose heavy crops of bark will become available three 
to five years hence, there cau be no doubt that cheap 
quinine in the meantime would lead to one of tbe 
greatest benefits which could be conferred on them. 
Cheap quinine, resulting of course from low prices for 
bark, would mean a rapid extension of consumption. 
It would mean that science and practical ingenuity 
would set to work to find new uses for the precious 
and potent alkaloids, and, as a consequence, the position 
of the cinchona bark cultivator— even with the standard 
price of quinine never exceeding 10s and continuing 
nearer to 6s per ounce— would speedily be on a more 
stablo basis than ever before. 
We think very little of all this cry over Cuprea 
bark : whether the supply continue for some consider- 
able time longer, or as is more likely gradually die 
off, does not matter much to the cultivator of East 
Indian anil Ceylon barks. The competition from ori- 
ginal South American bark of the really marketable, 
valuable kinds is fast dying out; and what we have 
now to dread far more than importations of 'Cuprea,' 
is the cultivation of calisayas and even Ledgerianas 
in their native habitat, by tho men who liud they 
cannot profitably penetrate .the more remote forests 
and transport for long distances the resulting bark. 
Interesting and pertinent remarks on the LonJon 
market will bo found in tho extracts from tho reports 
we append: — 
(Brookes and Faith's Report :— November 2">th.) 
Tin- owner- of Cupreii continue desirou.-. t cllrrs. anil u further 
small reduction in value has resulted. 
West Iudln.— In uni t inn yesterday ubout 4,800 |uckiige* were 
brought forward, sad in the Suctions it 1 1 bales Oofinogeu* were 
sold without material alteration in values. At unit sines, tho 
nuli s about l.lWO iMckugi* Cuprea changed luind.-. owners u.i rul- 
ing a further decline in umlo urogrees. These repeated r.ilu. - 
lions have caused the value of the. hark to show uu aggregate 
full of about ito per ' i'ii i. during the present your. 
Wo (rtyo i i'i.iw las valuations at lepers! nsifcs of Cupess, at 
different dalet, which point most conclusively to the lourso oi 
the market. 
Murk-JJ in April last, 1881, » 3d s in August. -J» ; In Nor., 
sold ill tula yesterdny ut Is M pur lb. 
BS JJ <lo do as ; do 2. to 3s Id ; do 
value nU.nl Is Id to Is fid. 
Kitnl ludui.— The only d.wril tuui represented at vrstrnluyV 
Mice ti-aL.j.... iL. d"»""'J 'Jjb iu.„u. U***"*) ss 
