April r, 1882.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
887 
Cinchona Succirubra— Cold Spring. 
No. 7. Samples of bark only ; from one of the first 
trees of 0. Succirubra planted at Cold Spring Coffee 
Plantation (near Newcastle) by Mr. Wilson in 18G2- 
63. The tree was about I!) years old when barked and 
measured nearly fifty feet in high. 
Analysis of bark desired in order to test whether 
cinchona bark grown at an elevation of 3,400 feet has 
improved or deteriorated with age as compared with 
No. 5, or whether the lower elevation had exerted any 
influence upon it. 
Analysis of Trunk Bwk. 
Quinine Quinine 
Sulphate. Alkaloid. Oinchonidinr. ( 'iiirliuiiine. Quinidine. 
2.40 1.80 1.30 3.20 trace. 
Mr. Howard adds :— "This (No. 7) shews a kind of 
bark (C Succirubra) superior to a good deal that is 
grown in India. It is evident that the more markedly red 
the # substance of the bark is the worse the alkaloids 
become. This is much less red and the alkaloids much 
better than some 1 have just examined from Ootacamund 
(Southern India Plantations)." 
Cinchona Nitida— Cold Spring. 
No. 8 samples of hark only ; from Cinchona Nitida 
trees planted at Cold Spring in 1862-63. The trees 
were 19 years old when barked and growing at an 
elevation of 3,400 feet. Analysis of bark desired in 
order to test the general character of the bark and 
whether worthy of cultivation. 
Analysis of Trunk Bark. 
Quinine Quinine 
Sulphate. Alkaloid. (Jinchouidine. Cinchonine. Quinidine. 
0.00 trace 0.00 trace 2.10 3.30 0 00 
Mr. Howard adds :—" This (No. 8) is very character- 
istic 'Grey bark' and suitable for druggists' consump- 
tion. At the same time I could not recommend its 
cultivation, except on a limited scale." 
COFFEE LEAF DISEASE EXPERIMENTS. 
Mr. Schrottky writes to us :— "Illustrating the enorm- 
ous extent to which the spores of Hemileia are dissemin- 
ated and the rapidity with which areas arc likely to 
bocome re infected, if these spores are allowed to 
successfully germinate and establish themselves in 
the tissue of the leaf, is the fact that since the un- 
avoidable discontinuance of the carbolic acid treat- 
ment at Oangapitiya, leaf disease has been gaining 
there, slowly out surely. Bo it noted at a, for this 
estate, most unusual time of the year for a fir-t attack. 
"Such experience demonstrates with greater force tha.i 
volumes of argument what absolute uecessity there 
is, for such an uninterrupted continuaucy of the treat- 
ment as forms part of my progranuno for operations 
during next season, 
"I have, at an early period of my work, compared tho 
fungus to a weed, mid the treatment I adopted last 
year, to a periodical weeding. The reappearance of 
weeds after weeding, il stopped for say a couple of 
months, would ordinarily bo expected by a practical 
planter ; and eo ought the re-appearance of leaf disease 
alter discontinuance of the tn aluu nt. 
"The former fact proves to the practical planting 
mind the necessity and meiit of constant weed- 
ing. I am afraid it will take a little more time 
before the latter part it considered in the same light. 
" It was suggested by some practical men that the 
alinnst absolute immunity from leaf disease during 
tho time of treatment, i. <•., May to January (Sept- 
Sober find December having for the last six \cars 
be. n the month- during which tho estate was moat 
.Hevenlv attacked) might bo greatly :luo to some 
exceptional climatic circumstances. I have laid before 
the Planter's Association positive evidence on this point, 
the correctness of which has not, and, to the best of my 
knowledge, cannot, be questioned. But still men will 
obstinately hold to some such theory. I recognize of 
course that tho responsibility of unreservedly agree- 
ing with my conclusions would be very great, in 
the case of leading men, and they have need to be cauti- 
ous. But still with a great many, it is, I am afraid, 
a case of 'convince a man against his will.' 
"There are even some who will speak of the re- 
appearance of leaf disease at Gangapitiya as greatly, if 
not entirely, qualifying the success claimed. And among 
these are by no means wanting men, whose opinion is 
considered valuable and carries weight. But these very 
men confess, when pressed, that they really had no time 
to read even a portion of the papers on the subject. 
"I find there are very few in the island who have 
really taken the trouble to make themselves thoroughly 
conversant with what has been established by t\w re- 
sults of my experiments. 
"Of course it is rightly said, that volumes of foolscap 
may hide a failure, but are unnecessary to prove a suc- 
cess. But it should not be forgotten that we had to 
feel our way during last year ; that we had to carefully 
examine whether the failures were failures absolute, or 
but so many steps to success, and whether apparent 
success was not really a failure. This ha* necesssit- 
ated a good deal of writing, which ought not to be 
necessary in the future, now that we know how best 
to deal with the fungus, and can lay down hurd 
and fast rules." 
TRAVANCORE PLANTERS' ASSOCIATION. 
The Travancore planters held the annual meeting 
of their Association on the Sth February. The address 
of the Chairman (Mr. Bourdillon) was a thoroughly 
practical one with a number of suggestions well wor- 
thy the atteution of his brother-planters. He advo- 
cate the establishment of experimental stations to 
test manures on private properties, careful notes being 
kept of the results byindividual planters, which notes 
could be compared and utilized after a time. What is 
said about the extreme range of the prices secured of 
recent years for coffee from one and the same plantation, 
and of the same crop, is very striking ; but, surely 
the great difference of quality is to be attributed 
to the effects of leaf disease in preventing the 
trees maturing all their crop. No less worthy of 
note is the Chairman's anticipation that another 
rise to high prices may be looked for by coffee 
planters as tho natural result of the present extremely 
adverse swing of the pendulum. The inclination is, 
of course, to swing to the other extreme when in- 
creased consumption and restricted production, in- 
duced by low prices, begin to tell. There is no doubt 
"a good time comiug " for those who can hold on 
and work through the present durk days of depression. 
MANURES — PRICES FOR COFFEE — NF.W TRODllTS. 
Extract from tho Chairman's address: — 
Gi ntlemen, — I rise to open the meeting of ISS2. 
As the report will shortly bo read you will have an 
opportunity of hearing what has been dnue by the As- 
sociation in the jiast year, and I w ill not therefore 
dwell upon the different subjects treated on. 1 »h> uld 
like, however, to say n few words on one or two of 
tho more pre-eminent topics. Chief among the e is 
the question of experimental si na, During the past 
year an attempt was made to start them, but owing 
| to the defection of the chief owners of property in 
