March i, 1882.] THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
755 
Whilst advocating the imperative necessity of not pluck- 
ing coarsely, planters must take eare not to rush into the 
opposite extreme and make too large a proportion of 
Sue or high priced grades, a*> is the case in the present 
season we strongly recommend moderately fine plucking 
throughout. 
It will bo as well to hear in mind that the largest con- 
sumption of tea is of kinds under Is 4d. per lb., the next 
largest is from that price up to 2s. whilst from 2s to 2s 
Cd. there is a good quantity taken, but over 2s 6d. the 
proportion that can be used throughout the year is small 
lately the common classes under is 1.1. and the line from 
Is 9d. to 2s 2d. have been in most request, medium, of 
late years, especailly whole leaf, have not been in favour 
as tho liquors are hardly better than those of the leaf of 
the next lower grades, the difference in appearance count- 
ing for so litt'e ? judging from these circumstances it seems 
to us that it would be adv isable to some extent to break 
up medium leaf, carefully avoiding dust. Such broken sorts 
have sold much better than whole leaf at same range as 
the liquors being stronger and darker are more usef ul for 
mixing purposes. 
Small Packages— Tea in Half-Chests fetches only the 
same price as when packed in Chests ; eight Half-Chests 
constitute a sampling break. 
Boxes of about 20 lb. nett are not in favour, except oc- 
casionallv at the commencement of the season, and then 
only in the case of really fine Tea. Twenty Boxes con- 
stitute a sampling break, and the weight of each package 
should not in the least exceed 28 lb. gross, otherwise a 
heavy loss on account of draft (1 lb. per package) will be 
incurred. 
Bulkino— Wi' reprint the following remarks on this 
subject which appeared in our fortnightly circular, 20th 
Oct., 1881: ' Bulking in India :— Some garden Invoices 
recently offered have contained different bulkings of Tea 
of very similar quality so 100 chests all of much the same 
rul m "being represented by three distinct factory bulkings, 
much objection has in consequence been raised by buyers 
who complain that this system causes them an altogether 
unnecessary amount of tasting and consequent loss of time. 
The reason of this division of grades of very similar 
quality is no doubt absence of available space for larger 
bulkings, and, much as we regret to discourage the prc- 
tdce of bulking in India, where it can be thoroughly car- 
ried out, it seems to us that unless larger breaks can be 
obtained it may be advisable to revert to quick packing 
and leave the bulking to be done here, the teas can then 
be offered in suitable lots. 
" From tho foregoing remarks it will be evident that 
the practice of splitting up breaks iu Calcutta which 
has been so often condemned from this side should at 
once be discontinued." 
The time is now rapidly approaching when Ceylon 
tea, instead of entering the Loudon market in such 
small breaks as to bo the object not only of neglect 
but of derisiou to conservative brokers and pre- 
judiced dealers, will bo exported in quantity. Let 
US see to it that quality is such as will command 
success. 
We have jti3t heard that Messrs. W. & J. Thomp- 
son k Co. report of a consignuieut of Lool Condera 
tea, " We never saw better from Assam." 
"CINCHONA ROBUSTA": DR. TRIM EN'S 
OPINION OK ITS I'KOBABLK HYBRID 
ORIGIN CONFIRMED AT KKW. 
On the 2(>th November last, we published a letter 
from Dr. Trimen, Director of the Royal Botanical 
Gordons, Peradeniya. emphatically disavowing the eon- 
viction mistakenly attributed to him by Col. Bed- 
dome, that the robust aud fast growing Cim iiona, 
" piihisri'ii.i," of the Nilgiri* and Ceylon, was a per- 
fectly distinct species. Without dogmatizing, Dr. 
Trimen was rather incliuod to follow the late Mr. 
Mclvor, and the vast majority of cinchona planters 
in South India and Ceylon, in regarding the plant 
as a hybrid. Dr. Trimeu also expressed regret that 
Colonel Beddome should have followed Mr. Cross (who 
has displayed considerably more self-assertion and 
dogmatism than his position and qualifications seems 
to justify) in adopting for the plant the "mere bark 
collector's name of Path dp, C! allinazo ." However speci- 
mens sent to the English herbaria might decide 
the question. Dr. Trimen recommended the retention 
of the descriptive name robusta. At Dr. Trimen's 
request, we reprint his former letter, and it will be 
found below, preceding a further letter which reached 
us today and in which Dr Trimen shews that an 
examination by the authorities at Kew, who are poss- 
essed of the best possible materials for comparison, 
has resulted iu the conclusions that the Nilgiri so- 
called " mag <m folia" and " pubescens" are one and 
the same, whether growing in India or Ceyion ; that 
the old view (that of poor Mclvor and of most of 
us) of its being a hybrid of local (that is Indian) 
origin, between C. succirubra and C. officinalis, is, in 
all probability, correct. It consequently follows that 
Mr. Cross has the merit of discovering a mare's nest 
and causing Col. Beddome to believe that his mare's 
nest in Spanish, meant Path de Gallinazo, 
We are now safe in regarding the robust cinchona 
as a hybrid, and the practical lesson is that other 
planters should do what we saw Mr. Campbell of 
Conon doiug recently, propagating a hybrid, the bark 
of which had given a good analysis by grafting on 
to succirubra stocks, just as he was doing with 
Ledgerianas. Propagation by seed is, no doubt, the 
speedier and cheaper method, but, if it is adopted, great 
care must be exercised in choosing from the nursery 
plants only of the best types. 
What is the experience of planters who have 
paid attention to the subject of the perpetuation in 
its progeny of its own distinctive characteristics, by 
Cinchona roburta. which ought now to be the name 
of the new and favourite plant, in preference to 
pubescms or even the grander synonym of " majni- 
folia " 1 
THE ROBUST CINCHONA OF CEYLON. 
Royal Botanical Gardens, Peradeniya, 25th Nov. 1SS1 
Sir, — I have read with much interest, in your 
columns, Col. Beddome's account of his short visit to 
Ceylon, and his impressions of ciuchoua cultivation as 
carried on here. Taken in connection with his pre- 
vious able report on the Nilgiri plantations, we pos- 
sess his "views" in a very clear and definite form. 
I purposo to make at once a few observations upon 
the robust and quick-growing ciuchona of Ceylon and 
Southern India, with which it seems likely Col. Bed- 
dome's name will henceforth be connected, since ho 
considers it in all respects Hit kind to cultivate. And 
first, I wish most distinctly to disavow tho con- 
viction attributed to me iu this report, that 1 am 
"fully convinced that it is a perfectly distinct 
species." Sucli is far from being the fact, and 1 am 
at a loss to understand how my friend tho Colonel 
could have deduced Mich a view on my part t In 
our frequent discussions on the suhj.-ct. Ever s 
I have known the plan'. 1 haw avoided any dowi it 
iam an io its origin. Iu Mr. Owen s little "Manual' 1 
