February i, 1882.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
72; 
confirms this. It is suggested that very likely the soil 
is deficient in alkalies. It is indeed in many cases more 
of an acid nature, and is exceedingly deficient in lime. 
Decaying timber, and the still more tender decaying 
rootlets of patana grasses, of coffee trees, and a host of 
other ] .hints, are the great attraction. On several 
occasions I have seen grub dug from places which 
were of a swampy na'uro. That the primaries and 
secondaries do die back is too (rue— a sad sight— but 
poor gmb is not always the cause of this. In several 
districts, tho same thing occurs from other cause?, and 
there i« no doubt thai, if the grub could only find these 
out, he would be quite satisfied with their condition. 
It seems strange that estates, after being severely 
punished by an attack of grub, recover. Is it not 
because the scavenger has done his work and put the 
soil in better order ? 
In the last para of p. 13, a most valuable remedy 
is proposed : remove the sourness and they will quit 
the place, but on p, 14 we are told that lime is no 
remedy. Why should draining, the great loosener and 
aerator of the soil, be recommended, for, on p. 10, we 
are told that the excessive rainfall has loosened the 
soil and made it easier for Ihe grub to work in ? Will 
not draining have a similar effect ? On the same page 
we are told to prune heavily to cause the tree to send 
out Iri sh rootlets, for what, —to be devoured. 
W hat 1- the instinct of the beetle, and what is the food 
Of the grub? We want to have the conditions present 
which are necessary for their enticement and for the 
sustenance of the grub and at the same time be 
exempt from its attack. A very good use of tho grub 
is referred to on p. 16: that is, as a manure. Then 
follow very good descriptions of the various cockchafers 
and notes regarding experiments. 
Ou the whole, Mr. Haldanc must be congratulated 
on giving his attention to the subject and noting 
down so carefully his observations and furnishing us 
with drawings of the various beetles and their larva; 
which will serve as a basis for future observers. 
I I n an appendix the latest information on the sub- 
ject is given.] 
CINCHONA PLANTING IN JAMAICA. 
(Bi/ Mr. D. Morris.) 
With regard to Cinchona Planting in Jamaica, the 
question is often asked : What will it cost per acre 
to start a Plantation in the Blue Mountains and es- 
tablish it, up. to the time it comes into bearing ? 
This question is one which cannot be definitely an- 
swered in all cases. But as an approximate statement, 
based on actual experience, we have been supplied 
witli the following by the Director of Public Oardons 
and Plantations. ' It is understood that the land is 
l iken up under the recently published system of Grants 
made by Government, and that no buildings are re- 
quired beyond labourers' barracks, sheds, and a small 
house for" the lleadnan or Overseer. The plants are 
supposed to be Cinchona OQicinalix planted at 3J foet 
by 3.} feet, giving 3,500 plants to tho acre. If only 
about 5 acres are intended to be opened, the relative 
1 cost will be a little mere than the following : Whereas 
if a larger area is opened and nurseries established on tho 
spot, ihe relative cost will be considerably less. Also, 
when theplaniation is opened from a neighbouring plant- 
ation, the cost of superintendence will be much reduced. 
Detailed Statement of expenditure on n Cinchona 
Plantation in Jamaica for planting ."> to 50 acres of 
Cinchona Officinalis 3J feet by 3J feet, with 3,500 plants 
to the nore. 
Per acre. 
£ H . d. 
1. Prime cost of land {'2* per aero) accord- 
ing to terms offered by Qevtonnnerit and io- 
ciilentnl expenses for Surveyors' feta, &c.... 0 5 0 
173 
2. Cutting down forest, burning and clean- 
ing ready for planting (contracts according to 
nature of forests and locality)-.' Some as low 
as £2 per acre and some as high as £5, say 4 10 0 
3. Lining. 8s peracre ; Pegs, (3s per 1 000) 
10s 6d ; Holing (50 large holes for Is), £3 15s 4 13 6 
4. Plants, 3,500 to the acre ; if raised in 
nurseries on the Plantation itself about 25s 
or 30s per 1,000 ; if bought probably 40s to 
45s per 1,000. Cost say for an acre of 3,500 
plants ... ... ... ...7 0 0 
5. Planting by day labour, shading, &c... 3 0 0 
G. Staking, weeding and supplying to end 
of first year ... ... ... 2 5 0 
7. Share of Superintendence... ...170 
8. Barracks, house for headman, roads and 
field paths, weeding and supplying up to the 
end of the 4th or 5th year when Plantation 
begins to yield, say ... ... ... 6 19 G 
Total outlay on Plantation up to the 4th 
or 5th year ... ... ...£30 0 0 
As to the returns from the Plantation — the earliest 
crop of bark may be yielded by thinnings or up- 
rooting of wfakly trees at the end of the 4th year. 
Taking these at 25 per cent of trees planted, and 
yielding 6 ounces of dry bark per tree, we have say 
3301b. of bark at 3s per lb. (less lOd per lb. cost of 
barking, drying, shipping and broker's expenses) yield- 
ing a net return of say £35 per acre. This it will be 
noticed will more than cover expenses of the Plant- 
ation up to the end of the 4th or 5th year. 
There will then be left some 2,400 trees to the acre, 
well established, and capable of yielding regular crops 
of bark at the rate of £30 to £60 per acre up to 
Ihe time when the whole plantation is cropped. 
The total yield of the Plantations (deducting cost 
of barking, curing and shipping expenses, up to the 
end of the 9th year) will probably be not less than 
£175 peracre, against a total outlay for planting oper- 
ations for that period of about £40 to £45 per acre. 
The estimates in all these cases are based on that 
price of Creole labour as at present existing in Jamaica, 
viz., men Is to Is 3d per day ; women 9d to Is per 
day. The weeding is entirely by hand, done mostly 
by children and women at rates varying from 4M to 
9d per day. 
SEEDS OF SUPERIOR CINCHONAS FROM 
^ THEIR NATIVE HABITAT. 
We publish the following letter from Mr. Thomas 
Christy, and we trust he may succeed in the intro- 
duction of valuable species of cinchona. It is hard to 
suppose, however, that anything can excel trees, the 
bark of which yield up to 13 per cent of quinine. 
Mr. Morns got that in Java; and Mr. W. Smith from 
Matakelle, from trees much younger, got 9 per 
cent. If Mr. Christy can do belter than this, he will 
be a public benefactor. 
To the Editor " Ceylon Observer." 
London, 7th Dec. 1SS1. 
SlK, — Having carefully followed the history of tho 
introduction of tho " Ledger iaua " seed, which has 
appeared in your paper, and also in the transactions 
of different scicntiti • Societies, 1 applied, through a 
house in the city, who was working direct with East- 
ern liolivia, and, on placing sulheiont data boforo them, 
I I begged of tlicm to ondeavour to open the question 
of obtaining for me seods from tho district iu which 
the Ledgoriana was originally obtained. 
After some years, and an immense amount of cor- 
respondence, we obtained a package of seeds in tho 
husk. Tho tiu lined case* ran through many ticissi- 
