March i, 1882.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
illy 
mature ; I suspect therefore that there is some mistake 
and that analysis and furl her expcrienc" will prove 
them to be varieties of the " Pata " and not reall 
" crown barks. " Mr. Gammie re< 
forms among the broad-leaved "glabrous " Pata :; 
trees ; these, to me, were quite undistinguisbabJe. 
There is also a sprinkling of the downy variety which 
wo call " pubescens. " I would again urge upon your 
Government the importance of a most careful invest- 
igation into tho chemical value of this species, both 
as to the glabrous and the downy varieties (" Magni- 
fblia" and " Pubescens " of the Nilgiris) ; many indi- 
vidual trees of each should be analyzed to find its 
largest and smallest percentage of quinine, and both 
natural and renewed bark should be analyzed. In 
my first report on the Nilgiri plantations, I have stated 
that it will be far more profitable in every way than 
"Succirubra," and I have since found that this is 
the opinion of nearly every one in Ceylon and in 
Sikkim, and it will probably in time oust succirubra 
entirely from all localities except very low elev- 
ations, but it is necessary to be cautious and have 
very complete analyses. It will probably be best to 
grow it entirely from cuttings, when we have 
ascertained our best individuals or varieties by 
analysis, but I should recommend also very careful 
experiments with seed. 
Dr. King has been most successful with "Ledgeri- 
ana ;" his original trees were all from a pinch of 
Nilgiri seed, sent by Mr. Badcock from the packet 
which Mr. Mclvor received from Mr. Money. Last 
year and this year a continuous block of 200 acres 
with a southern aspect has been planted out with 
the seedlings from eome of the original trees and 
the plants appear the picture of health. There are four 
well-mark, d var ieties, the best of which called by 
Dr. King, No. I, is not, I think, now represented on 
the Nilgiris. Dr. King lv.s promised to seud seed of 
all to our plantations, and I trust that we may 
with them better than hitherto, if ground is 
out at a lower elevation, as contemplated and sanctioned. 
Lod^eriana is grown from seed, as cuttings are not 
found to root well ; but bottom heat has not been tried. 
Tho uprooting system may be all very well 
in Sikkim as tht-re is a very large area avail- 
able for plaming and fresh laid can be taken up 
each year, and uprooted areas lie fallow for a good 
many years before tin y are replanted ; it should never 
be advocated for our limited areas, as 1 am convinced 
any attempt to replant the same 
uprooting would always be more oi 
None of tho Sikkim bark is sent to England ; it is 
all m ule into a febrifuge in a factory ou the estates. 
This febrifuge appears quite similar to what is now 
Bent out by Whifl'cn as Qtiinetum, and is said to be 
quite as efficacious a8 quinine, and it, is much cheaper 
and very oasily made. I;, is prepared entirely from 
"Succirubrs." The baik is first dried in sheds open 
at the aides, thin by utiricial heat, after which it is 
ground in a bark-mill or pounded, and then steeped in 
BommiHsariat barrels for three weeks, three supplies 
•f water being given acidulated with muriatic acid, 
and run off into tubs where it is precipitated by tho 
addition of caustic soda, then filtered, the liquor run- 
ning 10 wa to. and the precipitate remaining on tho 
filter: this is then dried in a drying houso (heat 
about 100°) and pounded, again dissolved in water 
with sulphuric acid, animal charcoal being added- 
f»r dec iloratioo, then again filtered, and to 
this solution a dilute solution of caustic soda is 
added, tho procipitate being collected as before in a 
filter and a '.iin dried and pounded when it is ready 
for use, and costs R9-3-I0J per pound, wliich calcul 
ates for Lin- cost of the bark and the establishment, 
4c. The wholo prooias appears to be very ewj nud 
•iinplo and doeB not really roquiro any special know- 
d just aftc 
, failure. 
ledge of chemistry, so that if there is tho objection, 
I believe, to our red barks being thrown into the 
English market, I think Government should consider 
whether a similar febrifuge should not be made on 
our plantations. Mr. Gammie has also made very 
pure quinine from "officinalis," "Pata" and " Ledgeri- 
ana " barks, and there appears also to be no difficulty 
or secret about this, though it is only an experiment 
as yet ; it coslo much more and the bark has lo 
be boiled, but it cannot cost more than R30 per 
pound. It is now to be made on a large scale. 
The annual rainfall at the Sikkim Cinchona Planta- 
tion is about 120 inches. 
The Madras Government remark in an Order of the 
6th January :—" This interesting account of his visit 
to the Cinchona Plantations at Darjeeling completes 
Colonel Beddome's inspection reports on the Cinchona 
enterprize as carried out, in this Presidency, in Cey- 
lon and in Bengal, and the paper will be forwarded 
to the Secretary of State and communicated to the 
Government of India, the Ceylon and Bengal Govern- 
ments, and to the public, in continuation of tho 
previous reports. Colonel Beddome's renewed pro- 
posal for a special analysis of the " MagnifolTa" an I 
"Pubescens" varieties, formerly dealt with on 29tii 
August 1881, will now be attended to by the Con- 
servator under the terms of G. O., 13th Deccmb r 
1SS1, passed upon the despatch from the Secretary 
of State replying to the first-quoted proceedings. The 
suggestion regarding local manufacture was negatived 
on the Cinchona Committee's report (24th February 
1879), and is not compatible with the new arrange- 
ments made by the Secretary of State for manufactu-e 
at home. The Government take this opportunity on. 
Colonel Beddome's resignation of his office to thank 
him for the very valuable services he has rendered 
for many years both to the Forest Department and 
to Botanical feipnee generally." 
DISAFFORESTMENT IN SIKKIM. 
In connection with the Cinchona Plantations at 
Darjeeling, Colonel Beddome remarks : — 
" It is very sad to see how all these grand Sik- 
kim valleys have been deuuded of all virgin forjst 
between an elevation of about 1,000 feet from the 
foot up to nearly 6,000 feet. In 1848, wh a this 
portion of Sikkim became British territory, these 
valleys wero nearly all one continuous * forest. 
The Nepalese then were allowed in and toey 
cleared in every direction for maize, munvaii 
(ragi) and other hill cultivation ; they stopped 
their destruction at about 6,000 feet in elevation as 
the climate there is too cold and bleak, and a belt 
at the foot of the mountains was left as unhealthy 
and too hot. Reserves are now formed by Government 
in the forests above 6,000 feet, very cold situa1ions> 
where the growth is very slow, and also in the nn- 
healthy forests at the foot; but Government did uofc 
recognize the necessity of reserves until it was too 
late to form them where they were of greatest value 
and most required. All the country now between 
1,200 feet and 6,000 feet has been turned into poor 
secondary forest with such trees as Mallotus, Maca- 
ranga and Enrya (tho same genera which appear with 
us in similar places although different species) or poor 
scrub, or in many places grass lands with very r.mk 
large species of ^nus. Similar destruction has gone 
on in British Biiootan uutil within the last year or 
two, that country bavins been odo sheet of splendid 
virgiu forests about eight years ago. There was no 
grass land proper on iheso hills prior to the clearings 
for hill cultivation; the country was all one con- 
tinunns forest. No one could now possibly visit any 
of the valleys in British Sikkim withont nt oneo 
acknowledging how important it is that tho State 
should form Forest Reserves." — Matiras A/ail. 
