February i, 1882.] „ THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
711 
CEXLON CINCHONA CULTURE AND ITS CRITICS. 
The Nilgiri paper (tho South of India Observer) 
draws some rather sweeping conclusions from Col. 
Bcddomc's report on Cinchona Culture in Ceylon, 
thus : — 
We do not gather, from a careful perusal of the pro- 
ceedings before us, that Ceylon possesses any special 
advantages for the growth of cinchona. On the contrary, 
l...tl. in soil and climate, the conditions are such as will never 
make it a formidable rival of Southern Ln.lia in eincl 
cultivation. The extreme moisture of the climate, com- 
bined with a characteristic subsoil, clayey and impervious, 
into 1 Ik 
help 
the dying o 
and bo I he 
of establish 
for three 01 
prietors of 
to perceive 
this respec 
as 
nxli 
planting 
[rier parts 
the heavy 
aried in 
to suit 
natural inference to draw from thif 
closo planting of tho species is 
BVe the surface soil that shelter fron 
which will enable it to retain its moistui 
Mr. Cross recommends, when he advocat. 
and the encouragement of undergrowth,, 
of the Nil-iris. Colonel licddomc remark 
monsoon and rain all the year ronnd 
maturity and the too early flowering of 
Ci oss attributes early flowering to open j 
Krai dryness, excessive dampness does not 
fclutely necessary here, and the Oinchon 
babil and character that a variety can 1 
a locality as well as a locality to suit a variety. 
Wo arc greatly surprised to see an authority like 
Col. Beddomc attributing early maturity and flower- 
ing of cinchonas in Ceylon to the dampness of the 
climate. Excess of moisture surely has the very 
opposite effect. Apart from tho fact that certain 
species and varieties, often in proportion to their 
inferiority, flower at an early stage of thoir existence, 
;ihero can he littlo doubt that the pre-maturity of 
cinchonas in Ceylon occurs not because of the moistnesa 
of the climate, but in spite of it. The truo cause, 
apart from the tendencies we have mentioned, is 
the unfortunate prevalence of stiff clay subsoil, into 
which the cinchona roots cannot penetrate. The instinct 
winch leads cinchona trees so circumstanced to make 
an effort to propagate their kind is common to all 
plants. But the Indian journalist is quite mistaken 
in drawing from Col. Bcddonio's report the inferences 
that both soil and climate in Ceylon are unfavourable 
to the growth of cinchona. There is abundance of 
free ami fairly rich soil in Ceylon, in which cin- 
chonas flourish and will flourish, and, as far as 
climate goes, ours is superior to that of India or 
even Java. It is not because of prolonged droughts, 
but in spite of them, that cinchonas tlonrisli on 
tho Nil^iris ami in Java. It is the rich soil which, 
in the case of South.ru India and the Dutch 
colony, enables the cinchonas to survive th. dying 
droughts to which they are occasionally subject. 
On th.' question of Lcdgcriana cuttings the same 
contemporary state-: 
Yi\ think, however, that Colonel Ikddomo'sobsemUoiu 
the 
Mill 
plants 
the cuttings are propagated 
,Ir. Grant's nursery of I,e,lg- 
made, may have been what 
at the time, but we know 
ies look green ami fresh for 
it a single rootlet, 
full details of tho success 
ittings of the best kinds 
1 experience and observation 
large proportion of cut- 
' well in nursery beds and 
what is tho history of 
put out into tho field? 
This question of being able to propagate the best 
Ledgerianas from cuttings, such cuttings resulting 
in strong healthy trees when planted out, is one 
of the most important connected with cinchona culture. 
Mr. Moens's process of grafting on succirubras has 
been a success so far; but it is slow, troublesome 
and expensive, and it will be much in favaur of 
planters in Ceylon if they can save tho time and 
the expenditure involved. 
What are the results of experience in Ceylon, so far? 
COFFEE— TEA— CINCHONA ; THE PROSPECT 
OF A FAVOURABLE BLOSSOMING SEASON. 
Lindula, Ceylon, 9th Jan. 1882. 
Wo are now rejoicing in the true Christmas and New 
Year holiday weather, which would have been so accept- 
able had it, in due season, taken the place of the heavy 
rains and dense mists which prevailed. I am estimating 
the weather from the sensations of a lay mortal now, for 
experts in coffee planting declared that nothing could be 
better for their plant than the copious rains which 
have now ended. In the midst of them a spike of bios- 
som was to be seen here and there, and I suspect the 
blazing sunshine which bathes the mountains and 
brightens the valleys as I write will bring out a 
very appreciable blossom. I was glad to hear from 
an intelligent and experienced planter, here that he 
believes in much of this exceptionally early blossom 
—early for this elevation — maturing into fruit. The 
genial weather is, of course, favourable for the growth 
of cinehonns, and as for tea, the rate at which it is put- 
ting on one golden flash after auother is a cheering 
sight to sec. The qualifications in this latter case 
aro the operations of that minute moth which can 
so rapidly convert succulent leaf into cindery debris 
and the occasional dying out of from two to half-a- 
dozen bushes, from tne poisouons effects of the roots 
of a species of symploclinii. This tree sefins more 
prevalent in the higher forests of Ceylon than in 
the lower. The tree and its effects must be well- 
known in Assam, for my attention was 6rSt attracted 
to this enemy of the tea treo somewhat more than 
two years ago by Mr. Anderson, an Assam ten planter, 
who came to Ceylon on a visit to his brother, 
Mr, Anderson of Annlield estate, I'ikoya. While 
going round the plantation from which 1 write aud 
giving the most unqualified opinion in favour of the 
soil, as a prfect tea soil, ho naked if plant* sur- 
rounding the stump of a particular tree did uot die 
off. I said I had uot noticed anything of tho kind, 
but I had scarcely so replied when Mr. Andorson 
found what ho was looking for ; and sine.- then 
nioro ewes of the kind have been obsorvrd than 
is deemed desirable. Mas the p articular treo (tho 
trunk always twisted and the wood soft ) been identi- 
fied, and has the poisonous principle been discovered? 
In my own reading 1 have seen no account of tin* 
